🚨 PLL TRADE ALERT

Two of the most popular midfielders in the Premier Lacrosse League are on the move.

On Monday evening, the PLL announced that the Redwoods have traded Myles Jones to the Atlas in exchange for Romar Dennis. No other players or draft picks are involved in the deal.

Through seven games so far this season, the Redwoods are the only team without a two-point goal. After losing to the Chaos 14-12 at Homewood Field in Baltimore on Sunday, head coach Nat St. Laurent downplayed the need for more two-point plays.

“We’re not gonna get too concerned that we don’t have any two-pointers at this point,” St. Laurent said in his postgame press conference. “I think we’ll be more focused on taking care of the goals and scoring opportunities that we have throughout the game that we gotta put in the net.”

A day later, St. Laurent’s Redwoods swung the trade for Dennis, who currently leads the league with 25 shot attempts from two-point range. No one else has more than 14 such attempts.

While Dennis gives the Redwoods the stretch shooter they need, it’s unclear what Jones will provide for Atlas. Although he is a five-time All-Star, he only has three points this season and has been a healthy scratch the past two weekends.

The Redwoods (3-4) and Atlas (2-5) rank 6th and 7th in the current PLL standings, respectively. The top seven teams make the playoffs, so there is still potential for either of these teams to go on a late run. Last year, for example, the Chaos went 2-8 in the regular season and made it to the Championship Game.

Will this trade help one or both of these teams make a push for the playoffs? Let us know who you think won this trade by voting in the poll below.

🔒 Archers, Cannons Clinch Playoffs

The top two teams in the PLL locked up spots in the playoffs over the weekend. The Archers (6-1) did it with a 14-13 overtime win against the Atlas, while the Cannons (5-2) clinched their spot with a 12-8 win over the Waterdogs.

The Archers have been a powerhouse all season, but the Cannons’ recent success has come as a surprise. Even first-year head coach Brian Holman was thrilled to learn that his team had clinched a playoff spot.

“No shit!” Holman exclaimed in his postgame press conference on Sunday.

The Cannons finished in last place with a 1-9 record last season. They didn’t have a first-round draft pick, and star attackman Lyle Thompson opted to sit out the 2023 season. The odds were stacked against this Cannons team…

And yet they’ve thrived in Year 1 under Holman, who largely rebuilt the roster through the PLL’s first ever free agency period. His son, Marcus Holman, leads the league with 32 points through seven games, and the Cannons have the top-ranked offense with 99 total scores.

The Cannons are also on a five-game winning streak, which correlates to the exact moment second-year goalie Colin Kirst was inserted into the starting lineup. His 10.0 scores against average ranks first in the PLL currently.

Now that the Cannons have clinched their spot in the playoffs, it’ll be interesting to see how far Holman and Company can take this improbable year-over-year turnaround.

🏆 Jr. Waterdogs Sweep Championships

The PLL held its first ever Junior Championships at Homewood Field on Sunday, and the Jr. Waterdogs won both the U11 and the U13 Championship Games.

Not only were these kids decked out in full PLL uniforms and helmets — the championship matchups were broadcast live on ESPN+ and announced by pros Tom Schreiber, Sean Sconone, Trevor Baptiste and Will Manny.

U13 Waterdogs attackman George Caldroney stole the show this weekend with his through-the-legs, behind-the-back dodge in pool play. Caldroney also came up big in the championship, when he scored an empty-net two-pointer to put the game on ice.

Remember the name Caldroney because he might be playing in the regular PLL someday…

🥍 Get Ready For #PlayLaxDay

#PlayLaxDay is next Tuesday, Aug. 15. Here’s a video from 2020, where the original TLN creators Colin and Samir explain the origin of this annual holiday:

We’re celebrating again this year and need your help. Please film yourself playing lacrosse (anywhere!) and post it to social media with the hashtag #PlayLaxDay. We’ll share your post to our Instagram story, and together we can help grow the game.

Lastly, if you have an extra stick lying around, share it with a friend or neighbor who has never played. #PlayLaxDay is all about getting outside and sharing the game we love with others.

📺 PLL Broadcast Info

The PLL is headed to Denver for throwback weekend. Here’s when and where you can watch the action (Eastern Time):

Friday, August 11
8 p.m. — Chaos vs. Whipsnakes (ESPN+)
10:30 p.m. — Chrome vs. Archers (ESPN+)

Saturday, August 12
7 p.m. — Atlas vs. Waterdogs (ESPN2)
9:30 p.m. — Cannons vs. Redwoods (ESPN+)