I was honored with the opportunity to help select the end-of-season awards for the Premier Lacrosse League, which the PLL said will be determined based on input from the media, the league’s advisory board and the front office.
Ballots were due Wednesday and, with transparency in mind, I felt I should share mine and a brief explanation for each of my selections.
Media members were given finalists to choose from for each award. The PLL announced the nominees Tuesday. Winners will be announced Sept. 19 at a formal ceremony in Philadelphia.
Leadership Award
Brodie Merrill (Chaos)
Finalists: John Galloway (Chrome), Kyle Harrison (Redwoods), Brodie Merrill (Chaos)
Why Merrill: There are three great veterans up for this award who are all worthy of winning it, but Merrill is such a legend of the game (to the point where one of these awards is already named after him) and is still a contributor at his age for the top team in the league.
Teammate Award
Mark Glicini (Chaos)
Finalists: Adam Ghitelman (Archers), Mark Glicini (Chaos), John Ranagan (Chrome)
Why Glicini: You made enough saves with your back as a short-stick d-middie and you’re going to win this award, no contest.
Humanitarian Award
Scott Ratliff (Archers)
Finalists: Justin Guterding (Chrome), Eric Law (Atlas), Scott Ratliff (Archers)
Why Ratliff: The co-founder (with Ghitelman) of the Give & Go Foundation has already proven he’s worthy of this honor by taking home the Dave Huntley Award in 2018.
Sportsmanship Award
Joey Sankey (Archers)
Finalists: Connor Farrell (Chrome), Brodie Merrill (Chaos), Joey Sankey (Archers)
Why Sankey: Talk about a player who represents the spirit of the game. Sankey fought through knee surgery and testicular cancer and has found a nice role on Archers after playing irregularly with Redwoods to start the season.
Rookie of the Year
Ryder Garnsey (Redwoods)
Finalists: Connor Farrell (Chrome), Ryder Garnsey (Redwoods), Jack Rowlett (Chaos), Tim Troutner (Redwoods)
Why Garnsey: Redwoods has found a star in Garnsey, who missed most of his senior season at Notre Dame and wasn’t even drafted. He finished with 24 points and took over as quarterback of the offense following Heningburg’s early departure in the final game of the season, a must-win for the team.
Defensive Player of the Year
Garrett Epple (Redwoods)
Finalists: Tucker Durkin (Atlas), Garrett Epple (Redwoods), Jarrod Neumann (Chaos)
Why Epple: Those caused turnovers are just eye popping. Epple's 23 CTs are 10 more than the second-placed finisher, Scott Ratliff. Only one non-faceoff man had more ground balls than his 40, Chrome LSM Joel White with 46.
Long-Stick Midfielder of the Year
Michael Ehrhardt (Whipsnakes)
Finalists: Michael Ehrhardt (Whipsnakes), Scott Ratliff (Archers)
Why Ehrhardt: The captain of the Whips played a big role in transition and has 25 ground balls and six caused turnovers. Ehrhardt has dealt with injury, and his status for this weekend could play a major factor in the Whips’ chances of downing Chaos.
Short-Stick D-Middie of the Year
Mark Glicini (Chaos)
Finalists: Dominique Alexander (Archers), Mark Glicini (Chaos), Ty Warner (Whipsnakes)
Why Glicini: Did I mention the blocked shots? Glicini has shown a willingness to sacrifice and has been a key component in an underrated side of the Chaos, their defense.
Goalie of the Year
Jack Concannon (Atlas)
Finalists: Kyle Bernlohr (Whipsnakes), Jack Concannon (Atlas), Blaze Riorden (Chaos)
Why Concannon: Blaze Riorden led the league in save percentage, but I felt that could be overlooked with Concannon only two percentage points behind him, with Concannon facing more shots in a less stable system. The highs from Concannon were simply better than anyone else this season, including a 20-save performance in his PLL debut and a stellar showing in the finale that could have landed Atlas a playoff spot. Flat out, he could win Atlas games.
Faceoff Man of the Year
Trevor Baptiste (Atlas)
Finalists: Trevor Baptiste (Atlas), Joe Nardella (Whipsnakes)
Why Baptiste: While you can factor in transition play, which favors Joe Nardella, I followed the straight faceoff numbers. Baptiste led the league with a 62.8-percent success rate.
Midfielder of the Year
Tom Schreiber (Archers)
Finalists: Ned Crotty (Chrome), Jake Froccaro (Chaos), Tom Schreiber (Archers)
Why Schreiber: I can’t imagine anyone but Schreiber winning this one. He all but willed Archers to the playoffs with his final regular-season performance, continuing to cement himself as one of the most valuable players in the league.
Attackman of the Year
Matt Rambo (Whipsnakes)
Finalists: Connor Fields (Chaos), Marcus Holman (Archers), Matt Rambo (Whipsnakes)
Why Rambo: He led the league with 42 points, five more than second-place Tom Schreiber. He worked as a major distributor for the Whips, also leading the league with 23 assists.
Coach of the Year
Andy Towers (Chaos)
Finalists: Chris Bates (Archers), Jim Stagnitta (Whipsnakes), Andy Towers (Chaos)
Why Towers: No coach has embraced his team’s identity more than Towers, one of the most interesting and colorful characters the PLL has to offer. He led Chaos to a regular season championship while allowing his squad to play a fun style and to their strengths.
Most Valuable Player
Matt Rambo (Whipsnakes)
Finalists: Connor Fields (Chaos), Matt Rambo (Whipsnakes), Tom Schreiber (Archers)
Why Rambo: Though you can easily make the argument for Connor Fields (best player on the best team), I felt it was difficult to argue with the point production from Rambo. He pulled away toward the end of the season, notching 12 points in the final two games.