PLL Power Rankings ahead of Week 4: Who's the new No. 1?

Margins are razor bladed aft 3 weeks of the 2025 Premier Lacrosse League season. Four teams are 2-1, portion the different 4 are 1-2.

Ahead of this weekend's games astatine the historical Homewood Field successful Baltimore, present are my updated powerfulness rankings for the league.

1. Utah Archers

Current record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: 2

The Archers leap into a apical spot aft a 12-11 triumph implicit California past Friday. To the Redwoods' credit, they hung astir for astir the crippled and took the two-time champs into heavy water. But again, Tom Schreiber was the leader for the Archers with 3 goals and 2 assists, including the team's last extremity of the night.

Utah inactive has a batch of enactment to bash going forward. Led by goalie Brett Dobson's 63% prevention percentage, they person the No. 1 scoring defence successful the PLL. But the squad is winning conscionable 38% of their faceoffs and their discourtesy isn't humming similar it was successful 2024. They are gravely missing the injured Tre LeClair successful the prime game, and their shot question is stagnant with clogged skip lanes.

This weekend: Sunday, 12 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+) vs. the Outlaws

2. Philadelphia Waterdogs

Current record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: 4

After finishing the 2024 play 2-8, the Waterdogs rapidly ascended into the precocious echelon of the league aft easy handling Boston successful a 14-11 win. Philly couldn't transportation that momentum implicit into Saturday night, losing 9-7 to the Outlaws. But the Waterdogs changeable 7-of-34 that night, which shouldn't beryllium an contented going guardant due to the fact that of their star-studded offense.

Michael Sowers, Jake Taylor and Kieran McCardle are nightmares connected the attack. Midfield dodgers Jack Hannah and Thomas McConvey unit teams into pugnacious descent decisions. And aft you propulsion successful playmaker Connor Kelly (now being covered by a shorty), you tin recognize wherefore I deliberation the Waterdogs person the champion discourtesy successful the league. They've changeable a red-hot 32.5% this season, adjacent without No. 1 draught prime CJ Kirst (PUP) successful the fold.

This weekend: Saturday, 4 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+) vs. the Waterdogs

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Denver Outlaws vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs: Game Highlights

Denver Outlaws vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs: Game Highlights

3. Boston Cannons

Current record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: 1

Boston had a accidental astatine being the lone undefeated squad successful the league aft past weekend, with a one-goal shortage entering the 2nd fractional against Philadelphia. But the Cannons scored lone erstwhile successful the 3rd quarter, and Philly ran distant with a 13-8 pb to commencement the 4th quarter.

Boston's kingpins Asher Nolting and Marcus Holman had conscionable 2 points apiece. And the team's defence had nary answers for Sowers (two goals, 5 assists) oregon McConvey (four goals). The Cannons volition person a accidental to debar .500 against the hometown squad this weekend.

This weekend: Saturday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN+) vs. the Whipsnakes

4. Maryland Whipsnakes

Current record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: 5

Maryland had a gutsy triumph implicit the Atlas past weekend, diverting the trajectory of their play with a precocious rally. After trailing 12-8 with 9:56 near to play, the Whipsnakes executed an 8-0 tally to decorativeness the game. Defenseman Tim Muller blanketed Xander Dickson passim the night, portion Matt Dunn held Jeff Teat to 1 point.

The Whipsnakes' penalty-kill portion is the champion successful the league, stopping 14 consecutive powerfulness plays implicit the 2024 and 2025 calendar. Maryland is shooting astatine a concerning 24% rate, but they tin crook that astir with back-to-back location games this weekend.

This weekend: Saturday, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/ESPN+) vs. the Whipsnakes; Sunday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+) vs. the Chaos

5. California Redwoods

Current record: 2-1
Week 3 ranking: 6

Like each of their games this season, the Redwoods started dilatory and were forced to ascent backmost past play against Utah. But they fell short, incapable to nett a game-tying extremity aft Charlie Bertrand brought them wrong 1 people with 5 minutes left.

For immoderate opposing squad fans, the nonaccomplishment volition consciousness similar validation. The Redwoods participate volition instrumentality to the league play successful 2 weekends connected their location turf, with games connected June 27-28 successful San Diego.

This weekend: Bye

6. New York Atlas

Current record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: 3

With the worst defence this season, New York is underachieving aft 3 weeks. Against Maryland, the Atlas blew a 6-0 lead, an 8-1 vantage and a 12-8 borderline successful the 4th quarter. They entered that crippled coming disconnected a bye week, which showed. It looked similar their legs went rubbery and similar they were breathing fire.

New York's epic illness caused the squad to driblet this overmuch successful my rankings. They couldn't triumph faceoffs, crushed balls oregon marque stops erstwhile it mattered.

This weekend: Saturday, 4 p.m. (ESPN/ESPN+) vs. the Waterdogs

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Hugh Kelleher buries it for New York Atlas

Hugh Kelleher buries it for New York Atlas

7. Denver Outlaws

Current record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: 8

In his PLL debut, rookie goalie Logan McNaney helped the Outlaws participate the winning file with 14 saves against the Waterdogs. Those stops, combined with flawless passing and immoderate instinctual grounders astir the crease, indicated McNaney's beardown accomplishment to the pros. Another rookie star, Pat Kavanagh, scored a chapeau instrumentality versus Philly, portion erstwhile NFL wide receiver Jared Bernhardt netted his archetypal vocation PLL goal.

Jake Piseno, Nick Grill and Ryan Terefenko besides ran hard from defence to the violative arc past weekend, which is simply a bully motion for the squad going forward. Though the last 9-7 effect was unimpressive, it was a elephantine measurement successful the close absorption for this team.

This weekend: Sunday, 12 p.m. (ABC/ESPN+) vs. the Archers

8. Carolina Chaos

Current record: 1-2
Week 3 ranking: 7

The Chaos are past successful the league successful 2 important categories: clip of possession and faceoff percent (33%). Luckily for them, goalie Blaze Riorden has a 63% prevention percent and rod Troy Reg leads each non-FOGOs with 15 crushed balls. Carolina had a bye play successful Philly and gets an other time of remainder earlier facing Maryland.

This weekend: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN+) vs. the Whipsnakes