⭐️ WINNERS & LOSERS AT CHAMP SERIES

The 2025 Championship Series is underway, and the first three nights have been a whirlwind of fast-paced Sixes action. Tonight’s matchups feature four teams that are trying to remain undefeated.

We’re only halfway through the Round Robin, but we’ve seen all eight PLL and WLL teams play at this point and are ready to draw some early conclusions. This newsletter will highlight three winners and three losers from the men’s and women’s tournaments so far.

Here’s the remaining slate of games and watch links (all times Eastern):

Friday, Feb 14:
6 p.m. — California Palms vs. New York Charging (ESPN+)
8 p.m. — New York Atlas vs. Utah Archers (ESPN+)

Saturday, Feb. 15
12:30 p.m. — Maryland Charm vs. California Palms (ESPN+)
2:30 p.m. — New York Charging vs. Boston Guard (ESPN+)
6 p.m. — New York Atlas vs. Boston Cannons (ESPN+)
8 p.m. — Maryland Whipsnakes vs. Utah Archers (ESPN+)

Sunday, Feb. 16
10:30 a.m. — WLL Semifinals (ESPN2)
6 p.m. — PLL Semifinals (ESPN2)

Monday, Feb. 17
11 a.m. — WLL Championship (ESPN2)
1:30 p.m. — PLL Championship (ESPN2)

Maryland stars Matt Rambo and Colin Heacock returned to the Mitchell Pehlke Lacrosse Show on-site in D.C. this week — check out the exclusive interview below!

Who’s your pick to win the 2025 PLL Championship Series? Reply to this email with YOUR official prediction!

✅ Early Championship Series Winners

Asher Nolting: Through the first three days, Nolting is in the lead for the 2025 Golden Stick Award with 15 scoring points in two games. Teams are forcing Boston’s biggest body to be a scorer (Nolting only has two assists so far), and he’s making the most of his opportunities. It will be interesting to see if that defensive strategy shifts as the tournament goes on. Utah’s Matt Moore (7 scoring points) and Mac O’Keefe (6 scoring points) are contenders to watch after playing just one game. Dylan Molloy could also get into the mix after dropping six scoring points in New York’s opening-night win.

Ally Mastroianni: Coming into the tournament, Charlotte North and the Boston Guard were the favorites to win it all. The California Palms were considered underdogs. But on opening night, Cali’s Ally Mastroianni took over and scored six goals in a 16-15 thriller. The former North Carolina star netted the game winner with 1:08 left in the fourth quarter. “We dug our cleats in and showed the world who the California Palms are,” Mastroianni told ESPN’s Dana Boyle on the field after the game.

Liam Entenmann: Not many goalies can consider themselves “winners” in Sixes, but Entenmann is not your average goalie. He saved a freakish 57.7 percent of the shots he faced in New York’s opening-night win over the Whips. For context, no other goalie in the tournament currently has a save percentage north of 45 percent. Entenmann is 24 years old right now and will be hitting his prime when the Los Angeles Olympics roll around in 2028. He looks like the favorite to start for Team USA when that day eventually comes.

❌ Early Championship Series Losers

The State of Maryland: The first three nights of Champ Series have not gone well for Marylanders. Both the PLL’s Whipsnakes and the WLL’s Charm are 0-2. The Whips are now 0-6 all-time in Sixes, dating back to their first appearance in 2023. After giving up a Champ Series record 34 points to the Cannons on Thursday night, head coach Jim Stagnitta sounds pretty defeated. “At the end of the day, I’m not a very good Sixes coach, that’s for sure.” Reminder: The last place team at the end of Round Robin play will be eliminated from the playoffs this year.

The Scorekeepers: The pace of play at Champ Series is gruelingly fast, and the only people that may have it worse than the players are the scorekeepers. The Cannons and Whips combined to score 55 points on Thursday night. That’s 1.7 points per game minute. Somehow, the league is able to track all those goals and assists (on top of saves, ground balls, caused turnovers, etc.) without error. Kudos to those folks!

The Sixes Haters: Every year, we hear the same complaints. But guess what? Sixes isn’t going anywhere. It’s the official Olympic format. The whole world is playing it from now until 2028. We get it, if you just miss long poles and face-off guys. The good news is they’re still playing in the NCAA and will be back in the PLL this summer. If you’re a field or box lacrosse purist who won’t watch Sixes, you’re missing out on an electric version of the game and some really high-level competition at Champ Series.

📺 College Lacrosse on TV!

Here’s the men’s D1 slate and watch links for this weekend (all times Eastern):

Friday, Feb. 14:
1 p.m. — Colgate at Albany (ESPN+)
1 p.m. — Mercyhurst at UMass Lowell (America East TV)
2 p.m. — Hofstra at Siena (FloSports)
2 p.m. — Quinnipiac at UMass (ESPN+)
3:30 p.m. — Monmouth at Boston U (ESPN+)
6 p.m. — Stony Brook at UNC (ACCNX)

Saturday, Feb. 15:
11 a.m. — Bellarmine at Canisius (GoGriffs.com)
11 a.m. — Cornell at Lehigh (ESPN+)
11:30 a.m. — Richmond at Virginia (ACCN)
12 p.m. — Rutgers at Army (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — St. John’s at Delaware (FloSports)
12 p.m. — UMBC at Drexel (FloSports)
12 p.m. — St. Joe’s at Duke (ACCNX)
12 p.m. — Penn at Georgetown (FloSports)
12 p.m. — Harvard at Providence (FloSports)
12 p.m. — Robert Morris at High Point (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Michigan at Hobart (Hobart All-Access)
12 p.m. — Holy Cross at Sacred Heart (no streaming link)
12 p.m. — Iona at LIU (no streaming link)
12 p.m. — Johns Hopkins at Loyola (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Manhattan at Vermont (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Marquette at Notre Dame (ACCNX)
12 p.m. — VMI at Mercer (no streaming link)
12 p.m. — Mount St. Mary’s at Wagner (no streaming link)
12 p.m. — Yale at Villanova (FloSports)
12 p.m. — Bryant at Merrimack (Merrimack Athletics)
1 p.m. — Bucknell at Dartmouth (ESPN+)
1 p.m. — Princeton at Penn State (BTN+)
2 p.m. — Air Force at Ohio State (BTN+)
2 p.m. — Utah at Denver (MidcoSports+)
2 p.m. — Marist at Jacksonville (ESPN+)
2 p.m. — Syracuse at Maryland (BTN+)
3:30 p.m. — Fairfield at Brown (ESPN+)

Sunday, Feb. 16:
12 p.m. — Towson at Navy (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Stony Brook at Queens (ESPN+)