SPARKS, Md. – The Atlas Cup, an eight-team international event featuring the men’s and women’s sixes lacrosse teams from Canada, the Haudenosaunee Nationals, Puerto Rico and the United States, will be streamed live on the USA Lacrosse YouTube channel with a unique opportunity for viewers to win cash just by watching.
In addition to enjoying the nonstop, fast-paced action of sixes play featuring the world’s best lacrosse players, viewers on the stream will have the opportunity to win cash giveaways totaling $5,000. Each quarter during the 12-game event, USA Lacrosse will give away $100 with two $200 bonus quarters to be announced at random during the weekend. Details on the giveaway are available here.
“Lacrosse deserves a breakthrough moment, and we’re rethinking what it means to watch live sports,” said Dave Krupinski, VP of Marketing, Media and Communication for USA Lacrosse.” “With our national teams, we’re flipping the model of paying to watch sports—literally paying fans to watch. Our $5,000 Atlas Cup giveaway delivers $100 every quarter, with surprise double-bonus quarters, turning every game into a real-time reward where you have to tune-in and can’t turn off. It’s a bold, fan-first approach designed to spark new curiosity, reward loyalty, and help the sport catch fire with a whole new audience.”
The Atlas Cup takes begins on Friday, Sept. 26 and runs through Sunday, Sept. 28 at USA Lacrosse headquarters in Sparks, Md.
- Atlas Cup tickets (Note: stadium seats are sold out for Sept. 27 and 28, but lawn seats and limited VIP opportunities remain).
The broadcast team will bring a unique blend of veteran broadcasters, high-level former players and content creators in the social media space.
Serving as the play-by-play announcers for the Atlas Cup will be Joe Beninati and Glenn Clark. Beninati, the voice of the NHL’s Washington Capitals, has called professional lacrosse games for more than two decades and played collegiately at Bowdoin. Clark, a frequent contributor to USA Lacrosse events over the last several years, is a longtime fixture in the Baltimore radio scene, currently working for WBAL. He also does play by play for Loyola and Stevenson athletics.
The color analysts for the weekend will be Mitch Belisle, Courtney Connor and Mitchell Pehlke. Belisle, a former U.S. national team medalist in both field and box lacrosse, is an insightful analyst who has called NLL, World Lacrosse and USA Lacrosse events. Connor, the MVP of the 2001 NCAA Championship game for Maryland and a former college head coach, has called numerous international lacrosse events, including the 2025 World Games, and paired with Beninati calling Athletes Unlimited women’s lacrosse games in recent years. Pehlke, a recent Ohio State grad, has a major presence in the lacrosse world through one of the most-followed YouTube channels in the sport. He also called the Big Ten men’s championship game with Beninati this spring.
Pehlke and Katie Facciola, a high school coach and an emerging creator on TikTok for her coverage of women’s lacrosse, will provide sideline reporting and fan interactions on the stream.
On the men’s side of the Atlas Cup, the rosters include the Premier Lacrosse League MVP Connor Shellenberger (USA), PLL Championship Game MVP Jeff Teat (Canada), PLL Goalie of the Year Logan McNaney (USA), PLL Longstick Midfielder of the Year Jake Piseno (Haudenosaunee) and PLL George Boiardi Hard Hat Award Winner Ryan Terefenko (USA).
On the women’s side, the U.S. and Canada will battle again in sixes after competing for the championship at The World Games in China in August. Marie McCool of the United States earned MVP honors at the event and was joined on the All-World team by four other players that will compete in the Atlas Cup – Shea Dolce (USA), Erica Evans (Canada), Charlotte North (USA) and Brooklyn Walker-Welch (Canada). The women’s programs from the USA, Canada, Haudenosaunee and Puerto Rico were also the top four finishers at the Pan-American Women’s Lacrosse Championship in June.
Here’s the complete Atlas Cup schedule:
Friday, Sept 26
4 pm: Canada vs Puerto Rico (Women)
5:30 pm: Canada vs Haudenosaunee (Men)
7 pm: USA vs Puerto Rico (Men)
8:30 pm: USA vs Haudenosaunee (Women)
Saturday, Sept. 27
4 pm: Puerto Rico vs Haudenosaunee (Men)
5:30 pm: Canada vs Haudenosaunee (Women)
7 pm: USA vs Puerto Rico (Women)
8:30 pm: USA vs Canada (Men)
Sunday, Sept. 28
9 am: Haudenosaunee vs Puerto Rico (Women)
10:30 am: USA vs Canada (Women)
12 pm: Puerto Rico vs Canada (Men)
1:30 pm: USA vs Haudenosaunee (Men)
About USA Lacrosse
USA Lacrosse, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit corporation, is a Recognized Sports Organization of the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee. As the governing body of men’s and women’s lacrosse in the United States, USA Lacrosse fuels the growth, enriches the experience, and fields the best National Teams, supporting more than 425,000 members across the country.
