With the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League season set to open in Albany, N.Y., on June 3, USA Lacrosse Magazine is going team by team in the days leading up to the opener. Today, we take a deep dive on Chaos LC.
CHAOS LC
2022 Record: 2-8
Head Coach: Andy Towers
Assistants: Matt Panetta, Jamie Hanford
Key Additions: Will Bowen, D; Brian Minicus, A; Tye Kurtz, M; Nick Rowlett, FO; Johnny Surdick, D (military commitment in 2022); Kevin Lindley, A (holdout in 2022)
Key departures: Challen Rogers, M (Archers); Mac O’Keefe, M (Archers); Wes Berg, A (Redwoods), Matt Rees, D (Cannons)
STORYLINES TO WATCH
Who will be available at the start of the season?
It’s the same story every year for the Chaos. The team’s roster features many NLL players who, due to the overlap between the two leagues, aren’t available at the start of the season. Most of their NLL athletes play for the Buffalo Bandits, who play in Game 2 of the NLL Finals on Monday against the Colorado Mammoth, meaning Chris Cloutier, Ian MacKay, Max Adler, Josh Byrne, Dhane Smith, and Chase Fraser were all absent for the first three weeks of last season. Even when they were physically present, Towers said it took time to get them connected on offense and to get refreshed emotionally and physically. Should we expect the same this summer?
The 2023 season features less of an overlap with the NLL Finals beginning May 27, one week before the first game of the PLL season. Towers said it’s not an ideal way to start a season, but he likes the core of his roster and is willing to work through it.
Towers said the team will have defender Johnny Surdick — who missed last season due to military commitments — and attackman Kevin Lindley — a holdout in 2022 because of work commitments — available this season.
*In the East Conference final, Josh Byrne was injured and placed on injured reserve prior to the NLL Finals. The severity of his injury, and if he will miss part of the PLL season, remains unclear.