More often than not, the Aslanian brothers have been by each other’s side on the lacrosse field.

That began growing up, with Chris and Pat only separated by 13 months. They went up the youth ranks together, often coached by their father, and in high school, they shared a New Jersey state championship at Westfield. The pair went their separate ways in college, with Chris heading to Hobart and Pat to Georgetown before a brief stop at Notre Dame, but they didn’t stay apart long. They were reunited in Major League Lacrosse in 2020, suiting up for the Denver Outlaws during the league’s bubbled campaign in Annapolis, Maryland.

“He was kind of right by my side through it all,” Chris Aslanian said. “And I was right by his, to push him and help him. It’s a really cool symbiotic relationship.”

This summer has brought another reunion. The Aslanians are once again pulling in the same direction, having both been midseason acquisitions of the Cannons in the Premier Lacrosse League. Last week, they walked out on the field together, just like old times.

“We went through similar experiences and ultimately kind of ended up in the same spot,” Pat Aslanian said. “Maybe both a little under-recruited out of high school, a little under the radar, not highly [decorated] players in college, but we’ve kind of been pushing both ourselves and each other to be the best versions of ourselves.”

Chris Aslanian arrived on the Cannons first, a part of coach Sean Quirk’s sizable roster shuffle prior to Week 8. Four players exited and were quickly replaced, with Chris Aslanian joined by Mark Cockerton, Andrew Newbold and Alex Smith.

He had previously been with the Whipsnakes for two years after the squad selected him in the Entry Draft that followed the PLL-MLL merger. Given the talent the two-time champions boast, that meant playing time was hard to come by — even for a player who recorded 42 points with the Outlaws in 2019.

“There’s a ton of offensive firepower on [the Whipsnakes],” Chris Aslanian said. “Those guys are all really talented. I enjoyed my time playing with all those guys. I think the way it worked out, the Cannons kind of had that spot that needed to be filled with an outside shooter and a guy coming out of the box. Luckily, Coach Quirk gave me a chance and gave me a ton of opportunity to go out there and show everybody what I was capable of.”

He made his debut in Frisco, Texas, against the Waterdogs, recording a pair of goals and assists while shooting 40 percent. He followed that up with two assists against the Redwoods last week in Denver, helping him already match the point total he produced in seven career games with Whipsnakes.

“It’s been an amazing opportunity,” he said. “This team is filled with a ton of incredible players, but more importantly, incredible people. The league and the PLL in general with the merger, it’s just been so competitive. Any opportunity you get to strap up and play at this level is an amazing one. I’m super blessed to play with this team.”

Pat Aslanian, still a member of the Chrome when his brother made his debut, was thrilled to see his brother find a niche.

“It’s more gratifying seeing any success that he has on the lacrosse field than for myself,” Pat Aslanian said. “He’s someone I’ve kind of looked up to since Day 1, him being my older brother. Seeing him kind of being given the opportunity to play to his potential has been super, super awesome to be witness to.”

Pat Aslanian joined the Cannons just over a week later, acquired in a trade for one of the team’s new faces, Smith.

“I found out from Coach Quirk,” Chris Aslanian said. “He shot me a text and let me know, and I was obviously super excited. Just really happy for Pat, seeing him get a shot to play and show everyone what he’s capable of.”

Pat Aslanian patiently waited for his chance after the Chrome picked him up from the player pool in January. He finally got to make his PLL debut for the Cannons — his first pro action since 2020 — in Denver.

“When I heard I was getting traded and I was ultimately going to be suiting up to play and suiting up to play with my brother, it was definitely a lot at once,” he said. “A lot of time and effort coming to fruition, which was super gratifying and rewarding.”

The Cannons reunion is not quite the same experience the pair had in the MLL bubble — when they were back sharing a room like they did growing up — but it’s as close as they’ll get.

“Having this opportunity to play together at the highest level in the PLL, it’s a dream come true,” Chris Aslanian said. “He’s been a guy that I’ve trained with throughout my entire career. We really work hard in the summers to prepare for both our seasons. He’s pushed me a ton.”

The only downside? The Aslanians will have to wait a little longer to potentially see who would win a one-on-one matchup between the two. They almost got the answer back in college when Pat’s Georgetown Hoyas and Chris’ Hobart Statesmen squared off.

“He was playing defensive midfield at the time, and I was playing attack,” Chris Aslanian said. “One of my teammates came behind the cage and set a pick. [Pat] actually ended up switching on me, and it was right beside the Georgetown bench so everybody was going crazy. I kind of said to myself, ‘Alright, this is my moment. This is your one-on-one moment. You’ve got to win this one.’ Then he ended up coming back and setting a pick, and he got switched off me. We never really got to do that one-on-one battle.”

“I think you could hear it in the crowd when I switched off of him,” Pat Aslanian added. “Everyone was bummed. They wanted to see that matchup. … It was my mom’s least favorite day of the whole year. She didn’t even want to watch because she didn’t want to pick a side.”

Now, the focus for both is helping the Cannons reach the postseason. With the regular season campaign winding down, the odds are against them.

The Cannons are 1-7 entering Week 9 in Salt Lake City, one game back of the Chaos for the final playoff spot. Additionally strapped with a negative-25 score differential, which ranks at the bottom of the league, the PLL gives the team an 18 percent chance of reaching the postseason.

“We treated last week like a playoff game, but obviously fell short, which was really disappointing,” Chris Aslanian said. “This group has had a lot of turnover. We’ve just tried to listen to all the veteran guys, hear their messaging, and just try to play whatever role we can to help win. I think we’re not going to shy away. We’re going to continue to try and gel quickly and get better, figure out a way to get wins. We believe we have what it takes.”