Don't Call it a Throwback: Cannons, Archers Clinch Playoff Spots in Raucous PLL Thrillers

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(Photo Courtesy of PLL)

Marcus Holman ain’t no Throwback. He’s a Never Stopped.

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The Boston Cannons veteran who is inching closer to the pro field lacrosse’s all-time goals record made the ultimate veteran play, hurling a 2-pointer on a quick restart in OT with goalie Emmet Carroll still getting back to his net, securing a 14-12 win and a playoff spot in front of the hometown crowd at Harvard.

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Night 1 of the Premier Lacrosse League’s Throwback Weekend did not disappoint.

The Cannons and Utah Archers both clinched playoff spots in front of a huge crowd. Repping old-school MLL jerseys and featuring the dream team of Quint Kessenich and Leif Elsmo on the ESPN+ broadcast, the weekend was a jolt for the millennial and older crowd of lacrosse faithful.

“Unbelievable night. Crowd had our back there in the second half, and again, a full-team effort, right?” Marcus Holman said. “It's going to take all the guys in our locker room. And we have guys coming up to travel to be with us, and who practiced, who knew they weren't going to dress, to be a part of our team, and just a really fun way to clinch a playoff berth for us.”

For Boston, Holman (3G, 1T) continued to prove ageless, while Andrew McMeekin represented the next generation with a 20-of-28 performance plus a goal and an assist.

The game felt in the bag for the Whipsnakes when Rob Pannell, the all-time points leader, came upfield with 1:09 left and turned and put in the goal to ice the game. That gave the Whipsnakes an 87.48% chance to win.

It wasn’t enough.

Playing 5-on-5, the Whips had a chance to close out the game, but the ball bounced out of the field. That set up Mic Kelly, with more open space than usual, to go underneath then flick it underhand to the far pipe. That left 30 seconds on the clock in a one-goal game.

McMeekin was automatic though, and he won the next draw and threw a possession shot, giving the Cannons a 6-on-5 possession. They got it behind, moved it up top, and as the Whipsnakes’ sixth man came in Mikey Weisshaar turned it to find Mic Kelly stepping down the gut of the defense, throwing a lone 1-pointer.

That drew a resounding “He’s got rope!” from Elsmo in the broadcast booth.

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Less than a minute later the Cannons were celebrating a playoff berth in front of their home crowd.

“I like to thank the good Lord/ I was rubbing these rosaries a ton during that game,” said coach Brian Holman. “Something we talk about is playing 48-plus, and it's a belief. It's not just a talk in this league. You just have to weather ups and downs, runs. It's just part of it. And I'm just so proud of the guys for just. It is a belief. It's just keep playing, and when the whistle blows and it's over, then it'll be over.”

It was the second-straight last-second loss for the Whipsnakes and continues a theme of not closing out games. Maryland can still clinch a playoff berth this weekend with an Atlas loss.

“Certainly had many opportunities to put that game away and a lack of discipline down the stretch two weeks in a row,” Whipsnakes coach Jim Stagnitta said. “We've just been in this situation too many times this year, and it's a good team that has not executed consistently enough to finish games off.”

Adam Poitras (5G) had a career night up and down the field, and he and Aidan Carroll (4G, 1A) paced the offense. Emmet Carrol was sharp all night with 15 saves, though the burden of the loss will be highlighted on social media clips by his departure from the net in OT to get a groundball. Jack Piling was called for interference instead, and by the time he got back in his net it was ballgame.

While the Cannons controlled the first quarter, Maryland scored six-straight goals in the second and appeared fully in control by the time Poitras scored in the waning seconds of the half, Boston up 8-4. But Holman turned it on in the second half. A McMeekin goal four seconds later (that could have been a 2) showed that he was going to be a game-changer, and that proved true at the end of the third when he halted a Maryland run by winning a draw and finding Brian Kelly four seconds after a TJ Malone score.

“He's probably been the MVP, honestly, of our team this this year,” said Marcus Holman.

Archers Dig In, O’Keefe Nets Playoff Clincher

The Mac O’Keefe shot from the wing is a thing of beauty.

The Mac O’Keefe shot from the wing to seal a playoff berth for a team that went from last place to first is a masterpiece.

He had a hat trick and a 2-pointer, with his power-play goal under two minutes sealing a 13-12 win against the Carolina Chaos.

“Tonight was a big win,” coach Chris Bates said. “It puts us in a position where we want to be.”
Sam King (3G, 1A) shined inside his college stadium, and Bret Dobson made 12 saves and passed a landmark of consistency, going a full season never finishing below 50%.

It all but locks up the top seed for the Archers; to be passed over, the Outlaws or the Redwoods must win their remaining two games and overcome a plus-33 or plus-34 goal margin.

Mike Sisselberger went 18-of-26 continuing a resurgent campaign. Ryan Stines (2G), Ryan Ambler (2G), Leo Johnson (1G) and Piper Bond (1G) chipped in the effort for a team whose all-in-on-d-mid strategy seems to be paying off.

More good news for Utah, fitting for Throwback Weekend. Tom Schreiber practiced with the team before the game.

“The lacrosse world needs Tom Schreiber back,” Dobson said

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