⭐️ PLL ALL-STARS REVEALED

Every competitive lacrosse team needs a mixture of veteran leadership and youthful energy, but what happens when you separate the two?

Answer: The 2023 PLL All-Star Game.

Next Saturday (June 22), a team full of PLL veterans will take on a team full of the league’s rising stars at the All-Star game in Louisville, KY. Full rosters for both squads were released on Thursday:

VETERANS
Attack — Rob Pannell, Redwoods
Attack — Matt Rambo, Whipsnakes
Attack — Josh Byrne, Chaos
Attack — Marcus Holman, Cannons
Attack — Ryder Garnsey, Redwoods
Midfield — Tom Schreiber, Archers
Midfield — Dhane Smith, Chaos
Midfield — Zach Currier, Waterdogs
Midfield — Bryan Costabile, Atlas
Midfield — Connor Kelly, Waterdogs (OUT)
SSDM — Mike Messenger, Chrome
SSDM — Zach Goodrich, Cannons
LSM — Michael Ehrhardt, Whipsnakes
Defense — Matt Dunn, Whipsnakes
Defense — Jarrod Neumann, Chaos
Defense — Mike Manley, Chrome
Defense — Jack Rowlett, Chaos
Goalie — Blaze Riorden, Chaos
Goalie — Kyle Bernlohr, Whipsnakes
Faceoff — Trevor Baptise, Atlas
Faceoff — Connor Farrell, Chrome

RISING STARS
Attack — Michael Sowers, Waterdogs
Attack — Logan Wisnauskas, Chrome
Attack — Chris Gray, Atlas
Attack — Asher Nolting, Cannons
Attack — Mac O’Keefe, Archers
Attack — Jeff Teat, Atlas (OUT)
Midfield — Tucker Dordevic, Whipsnakes
Midfield — Nakeie Montgomery, Redwoods
Midfield — Matt Campbell, Cannons
Midfield — Matt Moore, Archers
SSDM — Danny Logan, Atlas
SSDM — Ryan Terefenko, Chrome
LSM — Colin Squires, Whipsnakes
LSM — Brett Makar, Atlas
Defense — JT Giles-Harris, Chrome
Defense — Gavin Adler, Atlas
Defense — Will Bowen, Chaos
Goalie — Colin Kirst, Cannons
Goalie — Brett Dobson, Archers
Faceoff — TD Ierlan, Redwoods
Faceoff — Mike Sisselberger, Archers

Let us know which team you’re rolling with at this year’s All-Star game by voting in the poll below. Then, keep scrolling through this newsletter for a couple big storylines heading into PLL Week 5 at Fairfield, CT.

🏹 The Return of Grant Ament?

Good news for Archers fans: Grant Ament is listed as one of four active attackmen on the team’s game-day roster heading into Fairfield. Although he is still “questionable” with a hamstring injury, the Archers tweeted a clip of him practicing on Thursday.

When healthy, Ament is one of the most dynamic offensive threats in the league. He was the PLL Attackman of the Year in 2021, but since then he has struggled to stay healthy. Last season, he only played in five games (but racked up 16 total points).

Ament dropped three points (1G, 2A) in the season opener against the Cannons this year, but he missed Week 2, exited the game early in Week 3, and sat out once again in Week 4.

Despite Ament being in and out of the lineup, the Archers are in first place at 3-1 with a +6 scoring differential. If he can stay healthy the rest of the way, Ament has the potential to lead this team on a deep run.

Ament and the Archers play the Redwoods on Friday night (broadcast info at the bottom of this newsletter).

👀 Koby Smith to Make 2023 Debut

When the Atlas selected Gavin Adler and Brett Makar with the first- and third-overall picks in this year’s draft, it forced new head coach Mike Pressler into making some tough decisions on the defensive half of the field.

The first one was releasing veteran defenseman Cade van Raaphorst into the player pool, where he was later picked up by the Cannons. The second one was keeping Koby Smith on the shelf for the first four games.

Heading into Fairfield, Smith is on the active game-day roster for the first time all season.

Smith was a first-round pick (No. 5 overall) out of Towson in the 2022 PLL Draft. As a rookie, he had 11 ground balls, three caused turnovers and was a legitimate threat in transition with a pair of two-point goals and a one-point goal.

Smith’s versatility was on display at the PLL Championship Series back in February, when he picked up a short stick and had three points (2G, 1A) to go along with four caused turnovers in five games.

Maybe Smith can provide a spark for Atlas on defense. The team has allowed an average of 15.5 goals/game, which ranks last in the PLL by a significant margin.

🌎 TLN Digital Cover: The Global Game

Volume 4 of our Digital Cover is out NOW! This issue wraps up all the biggest storylines from the 2023 World Lacrosse Men’s Championship in San Diego.

Inside the issue, you’ll find notes and quotes on Team USA star Brennan O’Neill, who scored five goals in the gold medal game against Canada and was named MVP of the tournament. We’ve also highlighted up-and-coming teams, such as Japan and Jamaica, who emerged as fan favorites. Take a look inside and enjoy the international flavor this unique edition offers.

📺 PLL Broadcast Info

Clear your schedule for more PLL action this weekend. Here’s when and where you can watch the games from Fairfield (Eastern Time):

Friday, July 14
6 p.m. — Waterdogs vs. Whipsnakes (ESPN+)
8:30 p.m. — Archers vs. Redwoods (ESPN+)

Saturday, July 15
6 p.m. — Chrome vs. Cannons (ESPN2)
8:30 p.m. — Atlas vs. Chaos (ESPN+)