Remarkable Cannons Turnaround Continues as Club Clinches No. 2 Seed

The Cannons secured the No. 2 seed and a positive homecoming for coach Brian Holman in the final week of the Premier Lacrosse League regular season — making an unforgettable Waterdogs comeback nothing more than a memory.

With the mountains of Utah as the backdrop, the Cannons’ head man walked away with the No. 2 seed in a city he helped launch the Utes’ men’s lacrosse program. The Cannons defeated the Whipsnakes 15-11 to cap off a tremendous turnaround season.

“Winning here is special,” Holman said. “Building that program, it’s something we’ll always take pride in.”

Marcus Holman, who was on his father’s staff at Utah, recorded seven points on four goals and three assists to edge teammate Asher Nolting for the league lead in scoring. He finished the regular season with 44 points, three greater than the other half of Cannons’ MVP-caliber duo.

The teams traded two-point haymakers in the second half, starting with the Whipsnakes’ Connor Kirst tying the contest at 7. The Whips led following another two-point bomb from Mike Chanenchuk and a goal from Michael Ehrhardt before the Cannons responded with a pair of goals from deep from Cade van Raaphorst and Chris Aslanian. The Cannons never trailed again, with Jonathan Donville and Marcus Holman helping seal the deal.

“This is the preeminent program here in the PLL,” Brian Holman said. “They’ve won two out of four championships. I challenged our guys to have to measure up to their organization, which I have so much respect for. We’re climbing up the ladder.”

The Cannons needed a win to earn the second seed after the Waterdogs came back from down two goals in the final 30 seconds against the Archers, who had already sealed the No. 1 spot in the playoffs. They were up 13-11 before Jack Hannah scored from deep on a bouncer. The shot was the Waaterdogs’ second two-point attempt of the possession.

Seconds later, Kieran McArdle corralled a mishandled ball by Nick Washuta of the Archers and buried a shot with under five ticks on the clock.

Both teams end the regular season 7-3, with the Cannons owning the goal differential tiebreaker.

CHROME ON THE CLOCK

The Chrome faced an uphill battle to make the playoffs even after the Atlas fell Friday, requiring an unrealistic margin of victory to best the Bulls in score differential. The Chaos made sure that door was shut swiftly, snapping their own two-game losing streak with a 13-7 triumph.

Dhane Smith dished out six assists for the Chaos, while the Chrome failed to reach double-digit goals for a seventh time in a disastrous season. Tim Soudan’s group began the campaign with a 12-11 win against the Whipsnakes then never tasted victory again.

On the bright side, the result seals the first overall selection in the PLL College Draft for the Chrome and likely the rights to a generational talent in Brennan O’Neill — though the entire class is deep.

The Chaos scored four of the game’s final five tallies, stretching a 9-6 lead at the end of three quarters. They slid into the fifth seed and secured a date with the Redwoods in the process.

REDWOODS QUALIFY FOR CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Cole Kirst ended his first regular season with a five-point night, Wes Berg notched a hat trick and Rob Pannell completed an impressive behind-the-back tally as the Redwoods locked up the No. 4 seed with a 12-7 win against the Atlas. By finishing in the top four, the Woods qualified for this offseason’s Championship Series, the league’s winter Sixes-style tournament.

The Redwoods were responsible for the first eight points of the game, with rookie Owen Grant hitting a two-pointer. The Atlas cut the deficit to three in the fourth quarter, but Kirst and Berg ended the night’s offense to add cushion.

“I think the feeling that I have right now is proud we’re getting back to Redwoods lacrosse,” Redwoods coach Nat St. Laurent said.

NOTEWORTHY

The PLL announced its award finalists for this season, with MVP coming down to Trevor Baptiste, Marcus Holman, Asher Nolting, Blaze Riorden and Tom Schreiber. … The field for this year’s Championship Series is set, with the Archers, Cannons, Waterdogs and Redwoods qualifying to compete. … The Chrome traded Jackson Morrill and a third-round pick to the Whipsnakes for a second-round pick and a third-round pick. Morrill made his Whips debut in Utah, notching three assists. … Whipsnakes goalie Kyle Bernlohr returned after being activated from injured reserve. … The Cannons’ Ethan Rall scored the first shorthanded goal in the PLL this season, and his first career goal, in stellar fashion. He forced the Whipsnakes’ Brad Smith into a turnover, then went coast-to-coast. … The Chrome’s Connor Farrell laid down a hit on the Chaos’ Jack Rowlett, which led to a kerfuffle and a handful of ejections for players leaving the bench area. … The Chrome own the top overall pick for the second time in franchise history. The team previously selected Logan Wisnauskas in 2022.

UP NEXT
ALL TIMES EASTERN

PLL Quarterfinals in Boston.

Monday, Sept. 4

(5) Chaos vs. (4) Redwoods, 11:45 a.m. (ESPN+)
(6) Whipsnakes vs. (3) Waterdogs, 2:20 p.m. (ESPN+)
(7) Atlas vs. (2) Cannons, 5 p.m. (ESPN2)
(1) Archers earned quarterfinal bye