🇺🇸 OLYMPIC LOCKS FOR TEAM USA

On Thursday night, the Unites States fell to Canada, 3-2, in overtime of the 4 Nations Face-Off Final — an international ice hockey tournament that replaced the 2025 NHL All-Star Game.

The tension was high from the opening puck drop to the golden goal. For the Americans who battled through the physical tournament, the disappointment of Connor McDavid’s overtime snipe was so palpable you could feel it through your TV.

In Sixes lacrosse, USA has a long way to go to compete with Canada on that level. The last time they played each other in the Olympic version of the sport — at the 2022 World Games — Canada dusted USA, 23-9, to claim gold.

Since then, the Premier Lacrosse League has held three Championship Series, where (mostly American) pros get to sharpen their skills in Sixes and compete for a title. This annual event has allowed players and coaches to experiment with different rosters and strategies, while fans observe what works and what doesn’t in the Olympic format.

After watching the Boston Cannons claim back-to-back titles, what have we learned from PLL Champ Series over the past three years? This newsletter will highlight eight players who can help USA get over the hump against Canada in Sixes before the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Two look like locks to make the roster, two have high stock in the Olympic format, and two more come with some question marks. The last two are complete mysteries in Sixes…

Who’s YOUR lock to make Team USA for the Olympics? Reply to this email with your official prediction!

🔐 Two LOCKS to Make The USA Roster

After Champ Series, there are only two players who look like locks to make Team USA for the 2028 Olympics. They were both on the training camp roster last fall, and they’re both coming off back-to-back titles in PLL Sixes with the Cannons.

Matt Campbell, Forward: Will be 28 years old in 2028. Campbell was the best player on Team USA’s Sixes training camp roster in Indy last fall, and he just won the Golden Stick Award as the leading scorer (23 scoring points, 35 total points) at PLL Champ Series. He has ideal size (6-2, 210 lbs.) and athleticism, a great motor, high lacrosse IQ, and a fearless disposition on the defensive end. Although there’s no two-pointer in Olympic Sixes, Campbell’s stretch shooting makes him an offensive threat from anywhere on the field. If you made a Sixes player in a lab, it would be Campbell.

Colin Kirst, Goalie: Will be 29 years old in 2028. During Round Robin play, Liam Entenmann looked like the best goalie at Champ Series. Then the playoffs started, and Kirst stepped up. Kirst set a new Champ Series record with 72 saves throughout the tournament. He (44.2%) also edged out Entenmann (43.2%) for the best save percentage among all net-minders. The good news is USA will bring more than one goalie to the Olympics in 2028. Kirst and Entenmann were both on the training camp roster last fall; expect them both to make it to Los Angeles. The real question is…who should be the starter?

📈 Two Players with HIGH Sixes Stock

These players aren’t quite locks to make the Olympic roster in three years, but Team USA should take note of their recent performances at Champ Series. The first one would be a new addition to the roster, while the second one has already claimed a silver medal in Sixes with Team USA.

Beau Pederson, Forward: Will be 28 years old in 2028. Pederson is a defensive midfielder in pro field lacrosse, but he’s a dynamic two-way player in Sixes. He averaged 3.25 points per game at Champ Series, while also standing out as Utah’s most physical defender at 6-foot-4 and 210 pounds. He’s a premium athlete who was an outstanding hockey player and football wide receiver/safety in high school. Pederson was not invited to Indy for Team USA training camp in 2024 — that absolutely must change in 2025.

Ryan Conrad, Forward: Will be 31 years old in 2028. Team USA will need a veteran leader, and Conrad is the only player on this list who will be north of 30 years old when it’s time to finalize the Olympic roster. He has valuable experience playing against Canada in Sixes at the 2022 World Games and was the most senior member of USA’s training camp last fall, alongside Chris Aslanian. At this year’s Champ Series, Conrad led the Maryland Whips in total goals (11), touches (90) and passes (59). He also won 83.3 percent of his face-offs, further showcasing his versatility.

🤔 Two Players with QUESTION Marks

There’s a lot of hype around the next two players coming out of Champ Series, but they have questions to answer between now and 2028. The first one might be a better fit for Olympic Sixes, while the second one must still prove his style of play can translate on the International stage.

TJ Malone, Forward: Will be 28 years old in 2028. Although Malone was one of the most effective scorers for Team USA last fall, he was not as efficient at Champ Series (36% shooting, 30th best). He’s also dealt with significant hip surgeries in the past, so it’s difficult to project how those will impact him three years from now. The good news for Malone is he’s a technician. His game is better suited for Olympic Sixes, which is more finesse-oriented, than PLL Sixes, which allows more contact and rewards physicality to an extent.

Asher Nolting, Forward: Will be 29 years old in 2028. Nolting is the opposite of Malone. He was a lot more dominant in PLL Sixes — where he could lean into his size (6-2, 230 lbs.) and bully his opponents — than he was playing Olympic Sixes with Team USA last fall. Nolting is clearly a cheat code at Champ Series, but his game will have to change in some ways to fit the Olympic version. The football tackles, for example, will have to go. From a conditioning standpoint, he can’t afford to lose a step between now and 2028. The game is only getting faster.

🔎 Two COMPLETE Mysteries in Sixes

We’ve never seen either of these last two players compete in Sixes (International or PLL). That needs to change between now and 2028 for Team USA to maximize its gold-medal potential.

Connor Shellenberger, Forward: Will be 27 years old in 2028. Shellenberger was on New York’s original Champ Series roster, but ultimately dropped out (medical) of the tournament. He’s one of the smartest and most athletic young attackmen in the sport, and yet we’ve never seen him in Sixes. Shelly has the potential to be an elite playmaker on USA’s Olympic roster.

Brennan O’Neill, Forward: Will be 25 years old in 2028. The Denver Outlaws did not qualify for Champ Series, but O’Neill has been killing it in the NLL as a rookie. It’s hard to imagine his outstanding field and box skills not translating to Sixes. When you think about the hero he was for Team USA at the 2023 World Championship, O’Neill should be prioritized for the Olympic roster in 2028.

📺 College Lacrosse on TV!

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

Friday, Feb. 21:
1 p.m. — Utah at Vermont (America East TV)
6 p.m. — Mount St. Mary’s at UMBC (ESPN +)

Saturday, Feb. 22:
11 a.m. — VMI at Iona (Iona Insider)
11:30 a.m. — Denver at Cornell (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Air Force at Boston U (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Mercer vs. Army (Corrigan Sports Network) *in Naples, Fla.
12 p.m. — Detroit Mercy at Bellarmine (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Providence at Brown (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Bryant at Quinnipiac (Quinnipiac All-Access)
12 p.m. — Bucknell at Hobart (Hobart All-Access)
12 p.m. — Penn at Delaware (LacrosseTV)
12 p.m. — Michigan at Duke (ACCNX)
12 p.m. — Notre Dame at Georgetown (FloSports)
12 p.m. — Hampton at Jacksonville (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — North Carolina at Hopkins (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Richmond at Lehigh (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Maryland at Princeton (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Loyola at Rutgers (BTN+)
12 p.m. — NJIT at UMass (ESPN+)
12 p.m. — Virginia at Ohio State (BTN+)
12 p.m. — Sacred Heart at Stony Brook (FloSports)
12 p.m. — Saint Joe’s at Towson (FloSports)
12 p.m. — UMass Lowell at Wagner (no stream link)
1 p.m. — Robert Morris at Canisius (no stream link)
1 p.m. — Cleveland State at Marquette (FloSports)
1 p.m. — Villanova at Colgate (no stream link)
1 p.m. — Dartmouth at Holy Cross (ESPN+)
1 p.m. — Drexel at Albany (ESPN+)
1 p.m. — Harvard at Syracuse (ACCNX)
1 p.m. — Hofstra at St. John’s (ESPN+)
1 p.m. — Siena at LIU (NEC Front Row)
1 p.m. — Navy at Penn State (BTN+)
2 p.m. — Queens at Mercyhyurst (NEC Front Row)
3 p.m. — Marist at Binghamton (ESPN+)
3:30 p.m. — Manhattan at Fairfield (YouTube)

Sunday, Feb. 23:
1 p.m. — Lafayette at Le Moyne (NEC Front Row)