PLL Week 1 preview: Everything you need to know for opening weekend
Pat and Chris Kavanagh join "SportsCenter" to preview their sibling showdown as Denver takes on California to kick off the Premier Lacrosse League season. (1:27)
The 2025 Premier Lacrosse League regular season begins Friday and Saturday in Albany, New York, with four games.
It's homecoming weekend for the New York Atlas, who will play two games, while it will also be our first look at the defending champion Utah Archers.
Plus, how much will we get to see of the 2025 PLL draft class?
Read on for the full schedule of games this weekend, including key stats and players to know for each matchup and broadcast information.
Friday, 6 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Injury report:
Atlas: Gavin Adler questionable (right groin strain), Cole Williams questionable (left hamstring strain), Max Krevsky physically unable to perform (PUP) Chaos: Gannon Matthews PUP, Sergio Perkovic PUP, Shane Knobloch PUP
ChaosBlaze Riorden is climbing the all-time PLL saves leaderboard. He begins the season in eighth, with 1,041, one behind teammate Austin Kaut (1,042). Drew Adams holds the career record, with 1,966.
New head coach Roy Colsey will look to increase ball movement for the Chaos this season, as Carolina had a league-low 38.6% assist rate (the percentage of shots that came from an assist). For comparison, the Atlas led the league in 2024, at 56.4%.
AtlasReigning Jim Brown MVP Award winner Jeff Teat set an incredible single-season points record in 2024 (64), shattering the previous mark by 20 points (Marcus Holman's 44 in 2023). Teat, named one of the Atlas' captains this offseason is one goal away from tying Eric Law for most goals in team history.
Trevor Baptiste is 30 faceoff wins behind Alex Smith for fifth on the all-time leaderboard in that stat. Greg Gurenlian is first on that ranking, with 2,263.
Friday, 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Injury report:
Redwoods: Cole Kastner PUP Outlaws: Logan Wisnauskas questionable (right hamstring strain)
It's a Kavanagh family affair! Brothers Pat (drafted No. 6 in 2024) and Chris (No. 10 in 2025) won back-to-back national championships at Notre Dame (2023, 2024) together. They will face off for the first time in the PLL as Pat's Outlaws take on Chris' Redwoods. Older brother Matt -- a champion with the Outlaws in 2016 and 2018 -- retired this offseason.
RedwoodsTalk about a reunion; No. 2 pick Andrew McAdorey played for Redwoods general manager Joe Spallina's youth team from third grade through high school.
No, that's not a typo: Fellow rookie Chris Kavanagh will be wearing No. 96, an homage to NHL players Mikko Rantanen, and Pavel Bure.
OutlawsDenver will be able to toss three Tewaaraton Award winners on the field together this season, with Pat Kavanagh (2024), Brennan O'Neill (2023) and Logan Wisnauskas (2022) all in the fraternity.
On the other end of the experience spectrum, Eric Law is three goals away from his 300th career goal, and climbing the all-time leaderboard. He starts the season seventh, with 297; next up on the list are Kieran McArdle (also active, with 302) and Brendan Mundorf (316).
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET | ABC/ESPN+
Injury report:
Whipsnakes: No injuries to report Archers: Matt Moore questionable (left hip)
Why start small? It's a rematch of the 2024 championship, won by the Archers. Utah is looking to become the first threepeat champion in PLL history; three teams prior to their 2023-24 run won back-to-back titles -- the 2006-07 Philadelphia Barrage, 2012-13 Chesapeake Bayhawks ... and 2019-20 Maryland Whipsnakes.
WhipsnakesVeteran Rob Pannell signed with the Whipsnakes this offseason after four seasons with the Redwoods. "Winning a championship is at the front of my mind," he told reporters. "I wanted to put myself in what I think is the best position to win one." Pannell is five assists behind ESPN analyst Ryan Boyle's 292 for the most in a career in PLL history.
TJ Malone was the only player to score double-digit goals with both hands in 2024, notching 13 right-handed and 11 left-handed. In fact, only three other players scored five or more with both hands: Michael Sowers, Tom Schreiber and Dox Aiken.
ArchersTom Schreiber missed the postseason in 2024 due to an injury, but returns to the lineup to start the season. He's five goals away from the 200-goal milestone for his career.
With Malone playing a big role for the Whipsnakes, he'll be matched up frequently against Mason Woodward. Against Woodward last season, Malone was 1-for-11 (9.1%), while he was 23-for-84 (27.4%) when matched up against all other defenders.
Saturday, 7 p.m. ET | ESPN+
Injury report:
Cannons: No injuries to report Atlas: Gavin Adler questionable (right groin strain), Cole Williams questionable (left hamstring strain), Max Krevsky PUP
Yet another Boston vs. New York rivalry! The last time these two squads met was in the sixes format at the 2025 Championship Series in February. Boston erased a 22-19 deficit in the final 26 seconds, then won the game in overtime. The Cannons won the tournament, while the Atlas wondered what might have been had they sealed the deal.
CannonsMarcus Holman begins the season with 345 goals, the third most all-time behind Paul Rabil (355) and John Grant Jr. (393).
In 2023, Garrett Epple won the Dave Pietramala Defenseman of the Year Award, and he's continued to be a menace to opponents by causing lots of turnovers. Since 2019, he has caused the most of anyone (112), well ahead of second-place Cade van Raaphorst (73).
AtlasThe No. 3 pick in the 2023 draft, Brett Makar improved significantly in 2024 thanks to a switch to his natural position of close defense instead of long-stick midfield in 2023. Opponents shot 25.4% when Makar was the closest defender in 2024, down from 35.4% in 2023.
What kind of a role will rookie Matt Traynor have? The No. 6 pick traded in one shade of blue for another after starring at Penn State this past season.
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