🏆 PLL CHAMPIONSHIP CHEATSHEET

It’s a full-blown party in Philadelphia this weekend.

The PLL is in the City of Brotherly Love for the 2023 Championship game between the Archers and Waterdogs at Subaru Park. The title game will be televised on ABC and ESPN+, but there’s a lot you should know about before the opening face-off at 3 p.m. ET on Sunday.

Let’s start with the Friday Beers Pregame Party Bankrolled by CashApp.

Free admission? ALL-INCLUSIVE drinks?? Yes, you read that right. For 2.5 hours leading up to face-off, lacrosse fans can party with the Friday Beers crew and set the game-day vibes high with the help of DJ Press Play.

The coolest part about this event is that CashApp is bankrolling the entire gig and basically throwing a free party for lacrosse fans. It’s the perfect event for anyone who wants to enjoy a banger on a budget.

This pregame party plus the Championship Game itself is enough to keep you entertained on Sunday, but if you’re town ahead of time we also have some events for you to check out on Saturday…

🥍 Pick-Up In The Park

We all want to grow the game of lacrosse, and PLL Championship Weekend is a perfect time to drive interest in the sport. That’s why the league is throwing a “Pick-Up In The Park” event the day before the big game.

Here is some key information on the event:

Veterans Memorial Park is only a mile away from Subaru Park, where the Archers and Waterdogs will play in the PLL Championship Game. Bring a friend who has never seen or played lacrosse before, and there’s a good chance they’ll want to come back on Sunday to watch the pros play.

PLL players will be in attendance for this event, and the league will be giving away hundreds of mini-sticks.

🥩 The Barstool Smokeout

Do you like smoked meats, college football and all-around good times? The hosts of The Crease Dive podcast — Barstool Sports’ Jordie and D00gs — have got you covered.

Here’s your official invite:

Archers fans are welcome, but expect to see a lot of Waterdogs gear at this event. As the team owners, Barstool’s Big Cat and PFT Commenter are on the cusp of a PLL dynasty. After entering the league as an expansion team in 2020, the ‘Dogs are looking to win their second straight PLL Championship. They beat Chaos, 11-9, in last year’s Championship Game at Subaru Park.

🍿 TLN Exclusive: ‘MVP’

The highest individual honor in professional lacrosse is the PLL’s Jim Brown MVP Award. There’s a ton of pressure that comes with being the best player in the world, and only a select few have the focus and competitive drive to handle it.

The TLN Exclusive ‘MVP’ goes behind-the-scenes with all five finalists for this year’s award — Blaze Riorden, Trevor Baptiste, Asher Nolting, Marcus Holman and the eventual winner Tom Schreiber.

Check out the trailer here:

The full episode drops today on TLN YouTube at 2 p.m. ET. Hit the button below to subcribe early and set up notifications!

👀 PLL Championship Preview

Date: Sunday, Sept. 24
Time: 3 p.m. ET
TV: ABC/ESPN+

Game of the Year (Part 3)? Yup. The first two matchups were absolute thrillers. You can get caught up here, but the first matchup yielded 37 points (most in a single PLL game this year) and the second one had a crazy ending where the Waterdogs pulled off an impossible comeback in the final minute of regulation. Both of the previous meetings were one-score games, setting the stage for a hotly contested Championship Game.

Matchup to Watch: Waterdogs attackman Michael Sowers vs. Archers defenseman Graeme Hossack. Playoff Sowers is a real thing, but Hossack is some sort of cyborg enforcer who can quite literally take out the opposition. PLL stats guru Joe Keegan points out that Sowers has shot 25% against Hossack this season, while everyone else has shot 3.1% against him.

X-Factor: Archers attackman/midfielder Grant Ament. Connor Fields (shoulder) is listed as DOUBTFUL on the injury report, so the Waterdogs will be focused on shutting down league MVP Tom Schreiber. Ament will have to step up on offense again, after putting up a season-high eight points against the Redwoods in the semifinals. Ament has played multiple roles for the Archers this season; now he has a chance to steal back the spotlight.