🛣 WHO'S HEADED TO PHILLY?

And then there were four…

This Sunday, the PLL Semifinals will be held on Long Island. On the line is a trip to Philadelphia for the 2023 PLL Championship.

Here’s what you need to know about the two matchups, as well as my predictions for each game.

(4) REDWOODS VS. (1) ARCHERS

TIME: 3 p.m. ET
TV: ABC

The Archers gave the Redwoods their worst loss of the season — a 10-3 stomping in Fairfield, CT on July 14 — but will they be able to hit the ground running on Sunday? They finished the season on a loss, and they’re coming off a week of rest. The Woods, on the other hand, have won four straight and were clicking on offense last weekend in Boston. The Archers will have to play air-tight defense on the quick stick of Redwoods attackman Wes Berg, who’s coming off a 7-goal performance (t-most in PLL history).

Matchup to Watch: Archers FO Mike Sisselberger (68.1%) vs. Redwoods FO TD Ierlan (67.8%)

Spread: Archers -1.5

Prediction: Archers 12, Redwoods 11 (OT)

(3) WATERDOGS VS. (2) CANNONS

TIME: 5:30 p.m. ET
TV: ESPN+

The Waterdogs led the Cannons 7-6 heading into the fourth quarter of their Aug. 6 meeting in Baltimore, but the Boom Squad managed to pull away in the final frame and win 12-8. These two teams were notorious for conceding face-offs this season, but the Dogs lost the game of chicken last time around and Zach Currier ended up going 22-for-23 at the stripe. It will be interesting to see how that strategy unfolds in a win-or-go-home rematch.

Matchup to Watch: Waterdogs G Dillon Ward (61.2 Sv%) vs. Cannons G Colin Kirst (56.5%)

Spread: Waterdogs -1.5

Prediction: Cannons 13, Waterdogs 12

💣 ALL IN: Brian Holman

After finishing 1-9 last season, the Cannons are now just one win away from the 2023 PLL Championship. The man responsible for this turnaround is head coach Brian Holman, who took over the team last February, aggressively rebuilt the roster and successfully established a winning culture.

This episode of “ALL IN” — a TLN YouTube exclusive — goes behind the scenes and pulls back the curtain on Holman’s coaching journey:

Holman’s Cannons went 7-3 in the regular season and had the No. 1 offense in the PLL (143 total scores). They’re coming off a 20-11 throttling of Atlas in the quarterfinals, heading into this weekend’s matchup vs. Waterdogs.

🥍 Street Lacrosse in NYC Today

Lacrosse has the potential to reach a whole new audience today. That’s because the PLL and Kevin Durant/Rich Kleiman’s Boardroom are hosting an Open Run Event for Street Lacrosse this afternoon. The event will be held at Durant’s Build It And They Will Ball court on the Lower East Side.

Here’s a quick explainer video on what to expect:

TLN will be on site for the event. Follow us on Twitter and Instagram Stories for live coverage, and come check out Street Lacrosse if you’re in the area.

🐢 Jared Bernhardt Returns to Terps

After a brief stint in the NFL, Jared Bernhardt has returned to the lacrosse world. Bernhardt, who won a National Championship and a Tewaaraton Award at Maryland before pursuing a career in football, has returned to the Terrapins as the program’s Director of Player Development.

Here is the official announcement from the team:

After the 2021 season with Maryland, Bernhardt transferred to Ferris State and won a Division II NCAA Championship as a dual-threat quarterback. He spent last fall as an undrafted free agent wide receiver with the Atlanta Falcons, but he has since retired from the NFL.

Bernhardt’s brothers, Jake (Whipsnakes) and Jesse (Chrome), are both on the Maryland coaching staff and play in the PLL. Could we see Jared return to the field next summer?

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