2023 Premier Lacrosse League Preview: Whipsnakes LC

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 Whipsnakes LC.

WHIPSNAKES LC

2022 Record: 9-1
Head Coach: Jim Stagnitta
Assistants: Brian Grady, PT Ricci

Key Additions: Tucker Dordevic, M/A; Will Manny, A
Key departures: Jay Carlson, A (retired); Justin Guterding, M (Atlas)

STORYLINES TO WATCH

Can the offensive additions help Whipsnakes’ shooting percentage problem?

Whipsnakes relied rather heavily on its stars on each side of the offense last season — Matt Rambo on the left and Zed Williams on the right — leading to a somewhat inefficient unit. The Whipsnakes’ 26.5 shooting percentage ranked last in the PLL, and this club is not used to ranking last in anything.

Thankfully, reinforcements are on the way. The Whips landed Will Manny early in free agency following a 33-point season with the Archers during which he was considered an MVP candidate at one point in the summer. Coach Jim Stagnitta also found a perfect fit in the draft in Georgetown’s Tucker Dordevic, a grad transfer from Syracuse who shot 35 percent and was named a Tewaarraton Award finalist. He also provides the flexibility of experience at both attack and midfield, though he’ll likely play the latter given the roster breakdown and his natural tendencies.

Add in Brad Smith, Mike Chanenchuk and Bryan Cole, and you’ve got a dangerous unit. There hasn’t been a dearth of scoring chances for the Whips; it’s just a matter of hitting on the opportunities.

How big an impact will Joe Nardella’s absence have?

The Whipsnakes’ stellar faceoff specialist Joe Nardella missed all of the National Lacrosse League season and is likely out the entirety of the PLL campaign after suffering a right ACL tear during tryouts for the U.S. men’s national team in December. That leaves the Whips without a player who has finished in the top three in faceoff percentage in every year of the PLL’s existence, including a second-place finish (65.1 percent) last season. He took every single draw for the team in 2022, leaving Bailey Savio on the sideline.

Stagnitta worked to address this issue by drafting Virginia’s Petey LaSalla, who fits a similar mold to Nardella thanks to his stature and offensive abilities. LaSalla is the Cavaliers’ all-time career and single-season faceoff wins leader and has built a reputation as an iron man on draws. No one expects him to be Nardella, especially considering the difficult transition from college faceoffs to the PLL, but can he at least keep the Whipsnakes competitive at the stripe in the meantime?

How do the Whipsnakes respond to last year’s result?

The Whipsnakes have been dynastic in the first few years of the PLL, making it to the league’s championship game in each of the first three seasons. After a 9-1 regular season campaign, it almost seemed inevitable that the group would be back playing for a title. But Whipsnakes players found themselves in an unfamiliar position during last year’s final. For the first time, the likes of Matt Rambo, Michael Ehrhardt and Kyle Bernlohr were watching from home.

The Waterdogs upset the Whips in the semifinals on their way to their first championship, erasing a two-goal deficit in the final eight minutes to pull off a stunner. The Whipsnakes only lost twice all summer, both times to the Waterdogs, but that was enough to end the season without adding to the trophy case.

The Whipsnakes have been admired since their formation for their culture and tight-knit locker room. It’s hard to imagine the way last season ended hasn’t served as motivation, lighting a fire within players to get back to the top of the mountain. With the talent the roster boasts, the Whipsnakes will once again be a favorite.

Can they come through on that promise this go-around?