The final four of the 2025 Premier Lacrosse League playoffs is set:
In the East, the Philadelphia Waterdogs take on the New York Atlas
For the West half of the bracket, it's the California Redwoods vs. the Denver Outlaws
The four clubs descend on Subaru Park outside of Philadelphia on Monday for the semifinals, streaming live on ESPN. Here are my thoughts on both matchups:
Philadelphia Waterdogs vs. New York Atlas
Monday | 12 p.m. | ESPN
Philadelphia's attack trio is coming off one of the best games in league history for a single unit, scoring all 14 goals in a 14-12 quarterfinal win over Maryland. CJ Kirst -- now playing his proper position on attack -- was effective, cutting and dodging with both hands. Michael Sowers (four goals and four assists) is the toughest cover in the league, especially when dancing off picks around the cage. And the ageless lefty Kieran McArdle couldn't miss from mid range, scoring six times.
With Kirst now at his natural attack position, it's fair to say that Philadelphia is a title contender.
In the win over the Whipsnakes, the Waterdogs were excellent off the ground, parlaying groundball wins into goal-scoring opportunities. Their transition game had bite, and they were opportunistic scoring multiple rebound goals. In lacrosse, the greater the stakes, the more the game boils down to fundamentals. What's concerning is the lack of scoring punch from the midfield, and their general lack of multiple-pass goals.
The X factor for New York will be its coverage of Sowers and Kirst with defenders Gavin Adler, Tyler Carpenter, Michael Grace, Michael Rexrode and Brett Makar. Nobody is built defensively to handle both Kirst and Sowers.
Philly goalie Matt DeLuca was solid in the quarterfinal, with a 47% save percentage. He and specialist FOGO Alec Stathakis will both get a stiff test against Trevor Baptiste and goalie Liam Entenmann, their counterparts from the Atlas. On paper, New York has an edge in the goal and at the face-off stripe. But games aren't won and lost on paper.
New York is coming off a lengthy bye, and it wouldn't surprise me if the Atlas started slowly. Playing a competitive game last weekend is a distinct advantage for Philadelphia. That's less of a concern than how the Atlas will finish; twice this summer, New York looked gassed late in losses to Maryland and Denver. Can they run hard and make plays for the full 48 minutes plus?
Can the Atlas defense match up with the Waterdogs attack? That's the primary question. Can Philadelphia's midfield defenders slow down the New York middies? Coach Mike Pressler has some serious athletes who run downhill to paydirt with Bryan Costabile and Matt Traynor. And finally, does Philly have an answer for Connor Shellenberger and Jeff Teat? Atlas lefty role player Reid Bowering has been critical late in the season in the slot area, scoring in tight off two-man games with Teat.
All in all, this game feels like it will be a high-scoring one if the coaches stay out of the way.
California Redwoods vs. Denver Outlaws
Monday | 3 p.m. | ESPN
The Outlaws haven't played in a month, and that alone is my primary concern for them.
Denver has matchup superiority with dodgers Brennan O'Neil and Jared Bernhardt. Their defense-to-offense transition game, ignited by clean Logan McNaney saves, has been electric. LSM Jake Piseno and SSDM Ryan Terefenko are X factors because of their ability to generate goal-scoring chances off the rush.
In the quarterfinal, California capitalized on Carolina's inability (or unwillingness) to slide on defense, scoring a dozen unassisted goals. Denver's defense needs to make the Redwoods beat them with passing. The Outlaws must guard Dylan Molloy off the dodge, and effectively navigate Chris Kavanagh in two-man games.
California's rookie revival is for real, with Kavanagh and Andrew McAdorey leading the charge. The two first-year pros have played at an All-Star level this summer, and are the X factor creators on offense for coach Anthony Kelly.
The Woods' transition defense and sub game better be sharp. Goalie Chayse Ierlan is coming off a career day in Minneapolis, having benefitted from subpar Carolina shot selection, with a handful of body stops and easy at-the-feet saves; he finished with 18 in total. Regardless, he's red hot entering the semifinal, and goalie momentum is real.
If Denver handles the August layoff, they run away with this game. But a slow start can be difficult to overcome. California's turnaround this summer with a youthful and energetic lineup has been fun to watch. Their energy bus pulls into Subaru Park with a tank full of gas.
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