🏆 PLL PLAY OF THE YEAR

All summer long, the PLL pumps out electrifying lacrosse highlights.

On Monday, the league selected 32 of those moments from the 2023 season and put them in a bracket to determine the Play of the Year. Starting today, fans can vote for the plays below…

Three plays from the Archers’ victory in the PLL Championship made the bracket: Brett Dobson’s game-winning stop (Group 4), Tom Schreiber’s “MVP” shot (Group 7) and Graeme Hossack’s hit (Group 6). Schreiber is also one of five players with multiple plays in the bracket, with the others being Ryder Garnsey (Redwoods), Jack Hannah (Waterdogs), Zed Williams (Whipsnakes) and Asher Nolting (Cannons).

While the PLL Playoffs are fresh in our minds, there are a couple early-season moments with the potential to run the table in this bracket. The first is Dylan Molloy’s deflection goal for Chrome in the third week of the season…

It’s easy to forget this one because the Chrome were in the midst of a nine-game losing streak when this happened, but it’s a crazy play that deserves some serious consideration for 2023 Top Play.

The other moment that may be a little hazy in your memory is Connor Fields’ four-button combo goal, which happened during opening weekend at Albany.

That’s just a ridiculous move, and Fields pulled it off on the same field where he played his college ball.

Overall, this bracket is STACKED with great plays. We’re very curious to see which one the fans pick as Play of the Year, so don’t forget to follow PLL on Instagram and cast your vote!

🛣 Cabrini Prepares For Final Ride

Back in June, shocking news broke that Cabrini University will be ceasing independent operations and will be acquired by nearby Villanova following the 2023-24 academic year.

Last week, USA Lacrosse Magazine published an incredible profile by Kenny DeJohn about the Cabrini Men’s Lacrosse team, which has just 27 players on the roster heading into its final season. That’s about half of the team’s normal size. Many players left the program via the transfer portal, and there’s not a single freshman on the roster right now.

“None of us are here for ourselves,” returning junior midfielder Jason Fridge told the magazine. “If we were, we would have left.”

Longtime Cabrini head coach Steve Colfer stepped down for unrelated reasons after news of the acquisition broke; 25-year-old Tommy DeLuca has stepped up as the team’s head coach for 2024. DeLuca was a standout defenseman for Cabrini and was on the team that won the Division III National Championship in 2019.

A lot of lacrosse fans are going to be rooting for Cabrini this coming spring, and DeJohn’s profile skillfully captures the program’s unique struggle. Click the button below to read the full story.

😵‍💫 What The NEC!?

A couple weeks ago, the Northeast Conference trumpeted the return of Men’s Lacrosse in 2025. Since that news broke, two schools are now reportedly leaving the conference.

On Monday morning, CBS Sports College Basketball Insider Jon Rothstein reported that Merrimack and Sacred Heart are leaving the NEC to join the MAAC.

At the time of their original announcement, the NEC was projected to have seven teams. That would have given them an automatic qualifier for the NCAA Tournament. With Merrimack and Sacred Heart now leaving, the conference must add at least one team before 2025 to earn back the AQ.

The MAAC, on the other hand, is now projected to have nine teams (with Iona also joining in 2025).

📈 D3 Transfer Impresses UVA

Fall ball is giving us a chance to check out some transfers, and former Tufts midfielder Jack Boyden is already creating some buzz at Virginia. After a scrimmage against Colgate, the 2023 Division III Player of the Year is reportedly impressing UVA head coach Lars Tiffany.

“He has played on the biggest stages,” Tiffany told Inside Lacrosse. “His ability with the odd-man rush and in transition really stands out.”

Boyden is from Toronto, Ontario and racked up 310 points in 59 games at Tufts. He exploded for 157 points (69 goals, 88 assists) last season, helping Tufts finish 22-1 with their only loss coming in the National Championship against Salisbury.

Virginia has added multiple big-name pieces in the transfer portal under Tiffany, including current PLL players Charlie Bertrand (via Merrimack) and Thomas McConvey (via Vermont). Boyden has the potential to be Tiffany’s biggest transfer-portal prize yet.