PLL Week 3 Preview: Record Watch, Top Draft Picks Set for Debuts

The Premier Lacrosse League travels to Baltimore following a bye week over Memorial Day weekend. With the college lacrosse season now over, a handful of notable rookies will make their pro debuts at Loyola’s Ridley Athletic Complex.

BOSTON CANNONS (1-1) AT MARYLAND WHIPSNAKES (1-1)

Friday 6 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | Betting Lines: Whipsnakes -1.5 vs. Cannons, O/U 24.5

Key storylines: The Whipsnakes play host in week three, and the biggest storyline features their head coach, Jim Stagnitta. He has 94 career wins at the professional level, just one behind the all-time leader, BJ O’Hara. If Maryland wins both games this weekend, Stagnitta will become the winningest head coach in professional field lacrosse history.

On the Boston side, the Cannons made some notable roster designations. Attackman Asher Nolting will miss his second straight game, presumably as a healthy scratch, with Brian Kelly earning his second career start. Kelly had five points in his Cannons debut in week two and helped Boston record its highest goals total (19) since July 8, 2023.

After starting at close defense in Boston’s first two games, Owen Grant is listed as a long-stick midfielder again. It’s possible Boston head coach Brian Holman intends to play him at LSM for just this weekend (or even only part of the game), especially with draft pick Will Donovan likely to make his debut in the near future. It’s something to monitor, as Boston plans to start Jack Kielty and a pair of rookies in Hunter Smith and Remington Reynolds down low. Grant’s versatility is one of his biggest strengths, but not having him on the field all the time could backfire quickly against this loaded Whipsnakes offense.

Players to watch: Hunter Smith is a name to watch for Boston on Friday night. The former Richmond defender will make his PLL debut and is tasked with slowing down a Whipsnakes attack headlined by TJ Malone, Rob Pannell and now Joey Spallina.

Spallina is also making his pro debut along with Syracuse teammate Billy Dwan III and former Ohio State standout Blake Eiland. The addition of Spallina to an attack line that features Pannell is particularly notable. Spallina grew up watching the veteran play for his father, current California Redwoods general manager Joe Spallina, during their time with the New York Lizards.

Pannell called it a “full circle moment” when the Whipsnakes drafted the younger Spallina in April.

“He was on the sideline of every game for a big part of my career,” Spallina said. “It makes me feel a little bit old, but I'm excited to play with him.”

Bold prediction: Joey Spallina has a multi-point performance in his pro debut as the Whipsnakes secure a multi-goal win at home.

Best Bet: Whipsnakes -1.5 (+124 on FanDuel), Joey Spallina Over 1.5 Points (-128 on FanDuel)

NEW YORK ATLAS (1-1) VS. DENVER OUTLAWS (1-1)

Saturday 1 p.m. EST | Watch: ABC | Betting Lines: Atlas -1.5 vs. Outlaws, O/U 23.5

Key storylines: The league’s first game on ABC this season features a rematch of the 2025 championship game. New York is getting faceoff specialist Trevor Baptiste and short-stick defensive midfielder Danny Logan back, but Atlas beat reporter Jared Valluzzi broke the news earlier this week that Jeff Teat will undergo shoulder surgery and miss the entire 2026 season.

The loss of Teat is significant, especially considering that the last time we saw New York, it registered its lowest goal total in nearly five years. The Atlas offense is deep, but New York head coach Mike Pressler said that no one player can fully make up for the loss of Teat.

“There’s no replacement for No. 7, but we’re trying to figure out what we do on that side of the goal,” Pressler said.

Expect a heavy dose of lefties Reid Bowering and Levi Anderson in Teat’s absence, with Matt Traynor also getting plenty of runs on attack despite being right-hand dominant.

Players to watch: New York first-round draft pick Alex Ross gets a starting nod this week. Ross, from Penn State, will have big shoes to fill as he joins a unit devoid of last year’s defensive player of the year, Gavin Adler. He’ll likely be tasked with defending another player making his season debut, Pat Kavanagh.

Kavanagh rejoins an Outlaws offense that has struggled through two games. While Jared Bernhardt has thrived at attack in Kavanagh’s absence, the offense as a whole has been underwhelming. Getting Bernhardt’s speed out of the box and adding another playmaker in Kavanagh should give the Denver offense the jolt it needs. With Bernhardt likely drawing a pole, midfielders Graham Bundy Jr. and Evan Plunkett should be able to generate more quality scoring chances from the top of the box.

Bold prediction: Denver downs the defending champion thanks to a productive day from the offense.

Best Bet: Denver Outlaws ML (+105 BetMGM)

UTAH ARCHERS (1-1) AT MARYLAND WHIPSNAKES (1-1)

Saturday 5:30 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | Betting Lines: Whipsnakes -1.5 vs. Archers, O/U 21.5

Key storylines: The Whipsnakes host the Archers in Maryland’s second game of a doubleheader. We touched on Stagnitta’s ability to make history this weekend, but Chris Bates, the other longest-tenured PLL head coach, can also hit a milestone. A win Saturday gives Bates his 40th win, which ranks second to only Stagnitta’s 41 PLL wins.

Utah is also getting starting goalie Brett Dobson, starting defender Warren Jeffrey and versatile midfielder Tre Leclaire back. The Archers offense will be a unit to watch considering they only scored 15 combined goals through two games. Can Leclaire help jumpstart an offense that features two rookies and is also hoping to get more offensive production out of its stable of short-stick defensive midfielders?

Players to watch: One of those short-stick defenders is 2026 first overall pick Aidan Maguire. The former Duke standout will make his pro debut against the Whipsnakes and be a fixture of Utah’s four-shorty approach this season.

Bates spoke about how the decision to draft Maguire represents a “fundamental shift” in how the Archers want to play.

“We’re going to play faster and be more interchangeable,” Bates said. “It’s like having a shutdown corner. … It makes us a tougher nut to crack defensively.”

Bold prediction: The defensive prowess of both teams delivers as we get a goalie duel between Dobson and Emmet Carroll. The netminders combine for nearly 30 total saves in the lowest-scoring game of the weekend.

Best Bets: Under 21.5 (-105 on BetMGM or FanDuel)

PHILADELPHIA WATERDOGS (1-1) VS. CAROLINA CHAOS

Saturday 8 p.m. EST | Watch: ESPN+ | Betting Lines: Waterdogs -1.5 vs. Chaos, O/U 24.5

Key storylines: The Waterdogs hope to rebound after registering only five scores in their last game. Despite the poor shooting performance, a lot of their woes can be chalked up to running into a hot goaltender.

As his name suggests, Blaze Riorden can catch fire. He’s been Michael Sowers’ kryptonite. Sowers has historically struggled against the Chaos, with his only four-point performance against a Riorden-led defense occurring in 2022. He hasn’t recorded more than two points against the Chaos since 2022. The last time he scored a goal on Riorden was on June 4, 2023.

Still, the Waterdogs should still be able to have a moderate amount of success against this defense thanks to Sowers’ supporting cast. CJ Kirst returns to the lineup, giving one of the deepest offenses on paper another scoring threat.

Carolina will also be without starting defender Jack Rowlett, who landed on the protected roster this week. Scott Smith will start at close defense in his place. The new combination at close defense, paired with a short-stick defensive unit known more for its two-way ability than defensive prowess, should set up Philly for a productive day on offense, even if Riorden manages to make a handful of big saves.

Players to watch: A few notable rookies will make their pro debuts in this game. Chad Palumbo, the No. 7 pick, joins Carolina following his five-point performance in Princeton’s national championship win on Monday. He’ll strengthen a left side that is also getting Owen Hiltz back this weekend.

On the other side, midfielders Josh Yago and Casey Wilson will debut with the Waterdogs. Yago’s playmaking ability as a shooter and feeder should have a positive impact on Philly’s midfield production, and Wilson’s two-way ability gives the Waterdogs another threat in transition.

Bold prediction: The offenses show up Saturday night as both light up the scoreboard. Even when the defenses make stops, they convert them into scoring chances in transition and turn this game into a track meet. The result is the highest-scoring contest of the weekend.

Best Bet: Over 24.5 (-110 on TheScore Bet), Josh Yago Over 1.5 Points (+162 on FanDuel)