Now that we know the Premier Lacrosse League’s plan for the summer — a 20-game, 16-day tournament without fans — it’s time to dissect each roster and see who could be favored in this unique format.
Through the end of this week, US Lacrosse Magazine will unveil previews for each of the seven lacrosse clubs. Check back each day to learn more about another team.
PLL Team Previews
Archers
Atlas
Chaos
Chrome
Redwoods
Waterdogs
Whipsnakes
Redwoods
2019 regular season record: 5-5 (score diff: -2)
Last seen: Watching the Whipsnakes celebrate on the field at Talen Energy Stadium
Overview
Written off after a 17-4 loss to the Whipsnakes in Week 9 in Hamilton, Ontario, the Redwoods regrouped down the stretch. They topped Chrome 18-7 in Week 10 to secure the last playoff spot, then rifled off wins against the Archers and the top-seeded Chaos to claim a spot in the championship game.
They almost completed an improbable comeback in the title game after trailing 9-2 in the third quarter, that is until Matt Rambo tied the game with less than 1:30 to play. He then scored the game-winner in overtime.
The team that went 50 days without a win last summer got hot at the perfect time. The offense, which includes veterans Kyle Harrison and Joe Walters, was bolstered by the emergence of rookie attackman Ryder Garnsey, who led the league in points after the All-Star break. Tim Troutner, the rookie of the year, emerged as a more than sufficient backstop to the Notre Dame-centric Redwoods defense that helped propel them to the championship.
Greg “The Beast” Gurenlian retired this offseason, so consistency at the faceoff dot is just one of the questions they’ll have to answer as they prepare for the championship series.
“I think coaches are going to have to adjust some philosophies and approaches to what they have on their roster,” Nat St. Laurent said last week about the considerations regarding the tournament format. “We're all going to really focus on getting the most out of our players in this two-week period, so it's going to be crucial that some guys are able to do things they weren't asked to do last year, but we know they can do it.”
Losses
Greg Gurenlian (FO), Sergio Salcido (M), Brian Karalunas (D), Wes Berg (A), Matt Landis (D)
Additions
Myles Jones (M), Finn Sullivan (D), Greg Puskuldjian (FO)
Burning question
How will Nat St. Laurent incorporate Myles Jones into the offense?
In the biggest trade of the offseason, the Redwoods parted ways with midfielder Sergio Salcido to bring Myles Jones into the fold. While Jones got off to a slow start in 2019, he seemed to find his form after the All Star break, including a four-point performance against the Redwoods when he scored his lone two-point goal of the regular season.
The Redwoods already possess a powerful dodger and outside shooting threat in Sergio Perkovic at the midfield, so Jones’ role on the offense that also boasts a potent attack of Matt Kavanagh, Jules Heningburg and Ryder Garnsey will be key for them to keep the form they showed in the playoffs.