🏆 4x CHAMP RETURNS TO PLL

The Maryland Whipsnakes welcomed back a familiar face this week, as former midfielder Drew Snider has returned to the team as an assistant/offensive coordinator under head coach Jim Stagnitta.

Snider, who played at the University of Maryland from 2008-2012, not only won a PLL Championship with the Whipsnakes in 2019 — he was the one who drew up the game-winning play.

Snider is no stranger to game-winning plays.

Predating the PLL, Snider was also on all three Denver Outlaws teams that won MLL Championships (2014, 2016, 2018). In 2014, he scored the goal that ultimately lifted the franchise to its first league title.

Snider last played in 2021 with the Waterdogs. As a coach, he will bring a championship mentality to a Whipsnakes team that has taken a step back since winning the first two PLL title games. Last season the Whips finished with a 4-6 record, marking the first losing season in franchise history.

“People who know Drew will tell you — he’s the best locker room guy in the world,” Waterdogs head coach Andy Copelan said after Snider’s retirement announcement last year. “He’s so steady and measured and competitive and he’s a winner. He’s a great connector of people. He’s a genuine, authentic guy.”

🥍 NLL Season Starts Tonight

It’s opening weekend for the 2024 NLL season. Here are five games you can catch over the next two nights (all times Eastern):

Friday, Dec. 1
7 p.m. — Saskatchewan Rush at Halifax Thunderbirds (ESPN+)
10 p.m. — Albany Firewolves at Las Vegas Desert Dogs (ESPN+)
10 p.m. — Panther City at Vancouver Warriors (ESPN+)

Saturday, Dec. 2
7 p.m. — Calgary Roughnecks at Rochester Knighthawks (ESPN+)
7:30 p.m. — Philadelphia Wings at New York Riptide (ESPN+)

Although they are not in action until next weekend, the Buffalo Bandits are looking to defend their title as NLL Champs this season. Two-time league MVP Dhane Smith (2016 & 2022) will be the strongest force behind that effort, after leading the NLL with 96 assists last season. Smith came in as the No. 1 forward in the NLL’s Top 50 Players ranking, which concluded this week.

Star players to watch this weekend include Jeff Teat (Riptide), Blaze Riorden (Wings), Graeme Hossack (Thunderbirds) and Connor Fields (Knighthawks).

👀 Don’t Miss The MLL x TLN Collection

In case you missed it, we dropped an extremely popular MLL x TLN merch collection on Monday. This gear is going fast, so make sure to grab yours while supplies last.

Five classic MLL teams are featured in this collection: the Chesapeake Bayhawks, Rochester Rattlers, Philadelphia Barrage, New York Lizards and Florida Launch.

Which teams should we add to the collection for our next MLL merch drop?

🤝 Trade Links Kirst Brothers in Boston

Two of the five Kirst Brothers have been reunited as teammates, as Connor Kirst was part of a recent trade that sent him from the Maryland Whipsnakes to the Boston Cannons. Connor’s brother, Colin Kirst, is the starting goalie for the Cannons.

Here are the full trade terms, via the Premier Lacrosse League:

Connor Kirst was a first-round pick of the Whipsnakes back in the 2021 PLL Draft. He and his brother Colin (a third-round pick of the Cannons in 2022) were teammates at Rutgers. They are also teammates with the NLL’s Las Vegas Desert Dogs.

Connor primarily played defensive midfield with the Whipsnakes, but his only two-pointer of the 2023 season came against his brother Colin when the Whips played the Cannons in Salt Lake City.

While Connor and Colin are reunited as teammates in Boston, reigning PLL Teammate of the Year Cole Kirst remains with the California Redwoods. 2023 Tewaaraton Award finalist CJ Kirst is still at Cornell, and youngest brother Caden recently signed his letter of intent to play goalie at Rutgers.

📝 Towers Makes Bold NCAA Prediction

Carolina Chaos head coach Andy Towers is not afraid to speak his mind, and this week he delivered a bold prediction regarding Syracuse attackman Joey Spallina. According to Towers, Spallina will lead all NCAA Division I players in scoring next spring.

Spallina, who was the No. 1 recruit in the Class of 2022, enjoyed an outstanding freshman season with the Orange. He led the team in both goals (36) and overall points (68), helping Syracuse bounce back in Year 2 under head coach Gary Gait and finish with an 8-7 record.

While Spallina’s 2023 campaign was impressive, he’ll have to leapfrog a lot of talented players as a sophomore for Towers’ prediction to come true. Brennan O’Neill, for example, is back with Duke after winning the 2023 Tewaaraton Award and leading Team USA to a gold medal in the Men’s World Championship over the summer. He led all D1 players with 97 total points last season.

Three other Tewaaraton Award finalists — Cornell’s CJ Kirst (84 pts.), Virginia’s Connor Shellenberger (84 pts.) and Notre Dame’s Pat Kavanagh (77 pts.) — are all back in 2024 after scoring more points than Spallina last year.

Who’s your pick to lead NCAA D1 in points in 2024?