There are no more second chances. We’ve made it to the second round of the Premier Lacrosse League playoffs. This time, when you’re done, you’re really done.
Whipsnakes and Redwoods earned impressive victories in Columbus last weekend, putting themselves in good position for the second of three postseason rounds.
Whipsnakes, who bested Chaos in a matchup of the league’s top two teams, gets the luxury of having the week off and heading straight to next weekend’s championship game in Philadelphia. The team will watch this weekend’s matchup between Redwoods, which stayed in the Battle for the Crown bracket with a win against Archers, and Chaos to find out its challenger.
“It’s great to have a break, rest up a little bit, get some more shots up without having to play another physical game,” Whipsnakes’ Mike Chanenchuk said in his postgame interview last week. “Every game’s a battle out here, so to have a bye and be able to play somebody that just played the week before, I think it’s a huge advantage.”
While Whipsnakes is enjoying the respite, Redwoods is thrilled to be playing another game after the rollercoaster the team has gone through. The Woods have some serious momentum after overcoming low playoff odds entering the final week of the regular season.
And Chaos is breathing a sigh a relief thanks to the PLL playoff format, knowing the last loss doesn’t end their season. Get the job done, and the team gets another crack at the Whips.
“Luckily we get another weekend together,” Chaos’ Jake Froccaro said. “That’s the way we view it.”
Round two of the playoffs brings the PLL back to Red Bull Arena, just outside New York City, and features a two-game weekend for the first time in league history. Just as Whipsnakes is spectating, so is Atlas, which earned a bye to the battle for the No. 1 pick final with a win against Chrome last week.
Archers, which had the first overall pick last year and selected Pat Spencer, will take on the Chrome for a chance to battle the Atlas for the pick of the litter in an impressive incoming class.
Here are some more items to keep an eye on while watching the action Saturday.
(1) Chaos vs. (3) Redwoods
Saturday, 5 p.m. ET (NBC Sports)
Regular season: Week 3, Chaos 12-11; Week 8, Chaos 13-10
Should there be some worrying on the Chaos offense?
Chaos has seen its goal total decrease in each of the last four games, going from 13 goals on Aug. 10 to seven in its latest outing. That’s even with the team’s offense getting healthy again, with Miles Thompson and Josh Byrne returning to the lineup.
Thompson was held to just one assist last week. Froccaro and Dhane Smith each scored twice from the midfield, but Deemer Class and Myles Jones ended with goose eggs. The 2-point opportunities have dried up for the team that has shown the least fear in shooting from long range.
One positive looking forward: Connor Fields has played well against Redwoods, notching eight points in two regular season games.
Another loss would extend the longest slide of the season for the Chaos. The team never lost two games in a row in the regular season.
Redwoods, on the other hand, has been rolling offensively. The Woods notched 16 goals last week, including nine in the game-changing third quarter, a week after scoring 18 against the Chrome.
Jules Heningburg showed no sign of injury after his concussion, notching four points last week, while Ryder Garnsey led the squad with five. Greg Gurenlian is coming off a great week, having won a playoff-leading 59.2 percent of his draws.
The defense seems back on track after a disastrous matchup with Whipsnakes in the team’s penultimate game of the season. Having Glazener back in the fold has been a godsend.
(4) Archers vs. (6) Chrome
Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Gold)
Regular season: Week 1, Archers 13-12; Week 7, Archers 9-7
The Archers are down two serious contributors from last week, including MVP finalist Tom Schreiber. He took an awkward shoulder hit while running in transition at the end of the first quarter, ending his season prematurely. The PLL announced on Monday he’ll be watching these final two weeks from the sidelines.
Jackson Place’s freak injury in the fourth quarter, which saw him crumble to the turf immediately after bumping into Eddy Glazener, seems to be under control but obviously needs more time to heal.
Ben McIntosh is also out of the lineup this week, with defenseman Evan Connell, midfielder Austin Sims and attackman Davey Emala all suiting up instead. With no Schreiber, Marcus Holman and Will Manny will be called upon to lead the charge. Archers will also need to find a midfielder to step up offensively.
Chrome, which finished last in the league in the regular season, may need the No. 1 pick the most but have now lost three straight. It won’t be John Galloway between the pipes since Brett Queener, back from suspension, and Denver rookie Alex Ready are the active keepers this week.
Dom Starsia’s squad struggled defending Connor Buczek last week, giving up three 2-pointers and a league-record nine points, while going down 5-1 quickly after the first. They managed only a goal each in the first and fourth quarters, with the attack unit accounting for nearly all the production. Rookies Greg Coholan and Connor Farrell, a faceoff specialist, had the only goals from the midfield.