Ryan Conrad experienced two of the most memorable moments of his lacrosse career just days apart.

On Monday, he became an NCAA champion, leading Virginia to its first title since 2011 and helping erase years of frustration for the program. Six days later he suited up for Atlas LC in Foxborough, Mass., making his professional debut in the first-ever weekend of the Premier Lacrosse League.

It’s safe to say it's been a bit of a whirlwind.

“It was an incredible, incredible week,” Conrad said. “It was a fantastic experience that I will absolutely never forget.”

After the Cavaliers earned their championship, a 13-9 Memorial Day victory against defending champion Yale, the team enjoyed a tailgate with family and friends before getting on a bus and heading back to Charlottesville late that evening. Conrad soaked in the experience, but there was a question looming.

The midfielder was a part of the first rookie class with two professional leagues from which to choose. He heard from the coaches of both teams that had his draft rights, Atlas in the PLL and the Boston Cannons in Major League Lacrosse, in his final two days in Charlottesville.

He was already a first-round pick in both leagues, but an incredible run in the tournament made him a very wanted man. He notched 12 goals and an assist in four tournament games, including a five-goal performance in the first round against Robert Morris.

“I definitely helped my stock,” he said with a laugh.

He opted to join Atlas, and after a few days of couch surfing following the end of his lease, he moved back home to Maryland before heading up to Boston at 8 a.m. on Saturday morning.

“What I ended up going with, obviously, was PLL just because of the competition and because of how incredible of a league it is and how promising of a future it has,” Conrad said.

That was great news for the Atlas, who had already invested heavily in the former Cavalier. Head coach John Paul selected Conrad second overall in the PLL Draft on April 24, with his skillset as a do-it-all midfielder appealing to the former Michigan coach. With Pat Spencer preparing for a graduate year of college basketball, Conrad is the highest pick playing in the league this season.

“I was approaching the draft knowing that Pat Spencer was going to go first,” Paul said. “So I really thought of it as that just didn’t count and we had the first pick. To me, with the style of play that I knew was coming in the PLL, I just thought he’d be such a great fit in this level.”

Paul said after game one that Conrad’s ceiling may be even higher than he originally thought. Conrad didn’t find the scoresheet against the Redwoods but looked right at home in an offense that features staples of the sport.

“He plays the middle of the field really well,” teammate Paul Rabil told media Saturday after the game. “We’re excited to get a little bit more of him in practice so he can get a little bit more vibe and feel. But I didn’t see any difference between the way he played here and the way he played at the final four.”

While fatigue may be a factor down the line, Conrad’s had the luxury of his lacrosse season continuing without much of a break. He’s still in the type of shape a full collegiate workout program keeps you in.

“My conditioning was the best its ever been going into Championship Weekend,” Conrad said. “I think, if anything, I kind of had a leg up going into the first pro game just because my conditioning was at the highest level it had ever been and I didn’t have that down period where I had to motivate myself.”

He needed the conditioning too with the speed of the PLL and the emphasis on transition caused by the elimination of 10 yards in the middle of the field. But even with the skills and the preparation Virginia offered him, the quickness of the professional level still takes some time to adjust to.

“It was definitely I different speed than I think I was prepared for,” Conrad said.

As a team, the Atlas had a more disappointing debut, falling 11-9 to the Redwoods. Paul said they’re making a few adjustments heading into this week’s matchup with Chaos LC, including inserting two more rookies into the lineup in Cade Van Raaphorst and Noah Richard.

The offense, on the other hand, clearly has the horses to compete with anyone in the league. Now it’s just about getting the group, which features a handful of former alphas, to click together.

“I don’t think we played well as a team in general,” Conrad said. “I think we all know that. We have a lot better in us. What we’re focusing on is just that we’re getting that chemistry, getting more comfortable with everybody.”