PLL Week 1 Recap: Utah’s Youth Upsets Denver to Highlight Opening Weekend

The 2026 Premier Lacrosse League season began with a busy weekend in Salt Lake City, Utah. The opening weekend saw most of the favorites prevail, as California, New York and Philadelphia all started the season with victories. Utah pulled off the lone upset, defeating Denver in the second game of its doubleheader.

WARD WOWS AS REDWOODS SPOIL ARCHERS’ HOME OPENER

Score: California Redwoods 9, Utah Archers 5

Dillon Ward was exceptional in his first Redwoods start, making 12 saves and stopping 70.2 percent of Utah’s shots. It was Ward’s best save percentage since Sept. 10, 2023, as the California defense allowed the fewest goals to an opponent in team history.

Utah head coach Chris Bates emphasized that the majority of Ward’s saves were “momentum killers,” including a jaw-dropping, one-handed save that wiped an Archers goal off the board.

Dillon Ward had no doubt 😮‍💨 

After this was initially called a goal, it was overturned and ruled a save! pic.twitter.com/VbXdbPq1rG

— California Redwoods (@PLLRedwoods) May 9, 2026

Ward made his debut for the Redwoods just a few weeks after Philadelphia traded him to California in exchange for a third-round pick in the 2027 PLL draft. The veteran netminder said the transition was smooth thanks to plenty of phone calls and texts from teammates after the trade went down.

“It’s a really special group,” Ward said. “I compare it to the early days of the Waterdogs. There’s a big family feel to it. The guys really care about each other.”

California coach Anthony Kelly added they were “thrilled” to have Ward and also gave other Redwoods goalie Matt Knote a shoutout.

“One of the hardest things about my job is deciding who starts,” Kelly said. “[Knote] had an unbelievable Championship Series and two weeks of camp. He deserves a shoutout for being a great teammate. I know he is built to be in this league and be a starter at some point.”

Another California newcomer who shined in his debut was Michael Boehm. The lefty attackman led the team with five points, including a highlight-worthy around-the-world goal. With starter Ryder Garnsey absent due to coaching commitments with Notre Dame, Boehm made the most of his opportunity and likely cemented himself as a mainstay on the 19-man roster even when Garnsey and Chris Kavanagh return.

WORLD TRAVELER MIKEY BOEHM 🌎🌍🌏 https://t.co/qewBqCPIJj pic.twitter.com/3uCyXep0oe

— California Redwoods (@PLLRedwoods) May 9, 2026

Boehm and Kelly both played for St. Ignatius in Cleveland, Ohio, and Kelly said he was excited to acquire Boehm during the offseason after watching his career since high school.

“Today he showed the world that he belongs,” Kelly said.

DEFENDING CHAMPION ATLAS FEND OFF RALLY BY CHAOS

Score: New York Atlas 16, Carolina Chaos 12

The New York Atlas started their title defense with a 16-12 win over the now Steven Brooks-led Carolina Chaos. New York defensive coordinator and former Carolina assistant Kyle Sweeney was at the helm due to New York head coach Mike Pressler having a health incident that kept him away from the sideline on Friday night.

“We were down some guys, and our coach wasn’t able to make it, but no excuses,” Xander Dickson said. “If you’re here, you’re here for a reason, so step up and make plays. I thought everyone in the locker room did that.”

It was Dickson’s first game back since suffering a gruesome leg injury in the 2025 PLL championship game. He appeared fully healthy, recording a hat trick in his return to the field.

“Just seeing how much work he’s put into his recovery, to come out and play like that. He looked completely normal,” 2025 MVP Connor Shellenberger said. “I’m so happy for Xander.”

The game was back and forth early, but New York entered halftime with a sizable 9-4 lead thanks to a pair of two-pointers from midfielder Bryan Costabile and newly acquired attackman Levi Anderson. Carolina came roaring back to open the second half, scoring five straight goals, before New York answered and held on to a 12-10 lead entering the fourth quarter.

Chaos attackman Brendan Nichtern scored two for Carolina in the fourth quarter, but it was ultimately Costabile and Anderson again who put the game away and finished the game with a combined 13 points.

“The temperament of our team was awesome,” Shellenberger said. “It starts with our coaches and leadership … just keeping that level-headedness is something that we did a good job with last year and it’s carried into this year.”

MCARDLE MOVES UP RECORD BOOK AS WATERDOGS OUTLAST WHIPS

Score: Philadelphia Waterdogs 16, Maryland Whipsnakes 14

History was made in the Philadelphia Waterdogs’ 16-14 win over the Maryland Whipsnakes. Kieran McArdle passed former teammate and Hall of Famer Casey Powell for the fifth-most points in professional field lacrosse history with a goal and two assists. The veteran tied Powell with a deep goal from just inside the top of the arc. The point that secured the fifth spot on the all-time leaderboard was an assist to Michael Sowers, who scored on a nifty behind-the-back shot.

WE'RE TIED 🦴

michael sowers nastyyyy BTB off the assist from kieran mcardle = kieran has passed casey powell for 5th all-time in points!!! pic.twitter.com/0qlzSNendp

— Philadelphia Waterdogs (@PLLWaterdogs) May 9, 2026

Maryland had led early before Sowers took over, registering three goals and two assists in the second quarter. The Whipsnakes kept Sowers off the stat sheet in the second half, but Philly’s other offensive pieces showed up. Zed Williams scored a goal against his former team in his first PLL game since Maryland traded him to Philly, and Connor Kelly’s pair of two-point goals in the third quarter contributed to a six-goal lead for Philly entering the final frame.

Yet the fourth quarter was all Whipsnakes for the first seven minutes, as they stormed back to pull within a goal, 15-14. Their comeback ultimately fell short, as Jake Taylor put the game on ice with the winning goal on a beautiful, backhanded feed from Jack Hannah with five minutes remaining.

“We had some beautiful stuff and some ugly stuff, but at the end of the day, you don’t play enough games to not enjoy victories,” Waterdogs coach Bill Tierney said. “It was a really great team win.” 

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT: ARCHERS UPSET OUTLAWS

Score: Utah Archers 10, Denver Outlaws 7

Utah’s youth movement delivered Saturday, as the Archers bounced back with a big win over the Outlaws. Second-year attackman Sam King contributed four points, and rookies Ryan Stiles and CK Giancola combined for five points. Veteran Connor Fields also had a hat trick and added an assist.

On Friday night, Bates discussed Utah’s disappointing performance on offense in the Archers’ loss to the Redwoods.

“There are things to build on, but we’re not there in terms of flow,” Bates said. “The seeds are planted, but we have to let it grow a bit.”

Bates didn’t have to wait too long for those seeds to bear fruit, as Utah doubled its goal total on Saturday and secured a critical win against a Western Conference rival.

Yet the Utah defense was the biggest bright spot. It held its opponent to under 10 goals for the second time this weekend, this time in a winning effort. Their seven goals allowed was also the Outlaws’ lowest scoring output since July 5, 2024. Second-year defenders Mitchell Dunham and Brendan Lavelle led the way, combining for seven caused turnovers and six ground balls. Goalie Nick Washuta was also excellent filling in for starter Brett Dobson. He made 23 saves and finished the weekend with a 60-percent save percentage through two games.

“It’s a great team effort, but it starts with an individual commitment to winning matchups,” Bates said. “I thought we played with a different gear on Saturday.”

Bates also gave the Utah home crowd a shoutout: “Everyone was excited to get a win, but it's great to also celebrate with fans that buoy us and have a relationship with us.”