Premier Lacrosse League Championship Series
 Logo of the 2025 PLL Championship Series. | |
| Sport | Lacrosse Sixes |
|---|---|
| First season | 2023 |
| No. of teams | 4 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Boston Cannons |
| Most titles | Boston Cannons (2) |
The PLL Championship Series is an annual winter lacrosse tournament in the lacrosse sixes format. It is hosted by the Premier Lacrosse League. It features the top four teams in the regular season standings of the previous Premier Lacrosse League season. The inaugural championship series occurred in 2023.
Announced in May 2022, the Championship Series was created for a variety of reasons: incentivize a teams regular season finishing position(as of 2023 only the last place team in the standings does not qualify for playoffs in the PLL), provide more playing opportunities for PLL players that do not play in the NLL, aid in the broader push for lacrosse's inclusion in the Olympics, and to create more inventory for the PLL's broadcasting partners.[1]
The four qualifying teams were allowed to roster 12 players, ten field players and two goalkeepers.
Lacrosse Sixes and Rule Differences
[edit]The lacrosse sixes format is a version of lacrosse which aims to provide greater access to lacrosse by eliminating barriers of entry. This format is also designed to be more applicable for the modern olympic framework.[2] The Championship Series selected this format as part of its broader push to be included in the 2028 Olympics.[1]
The typical major changes for Lacrosse Sixes are as follows:
- 6 against 6 rather than 9 against 9(excluding goalkeepers)
- 30 second shot-clock
- 4, 8-minute quarters
- Goalkeepers begin play when a goal is scored, face-offs only occur at the beginning of each quarter
- Field size is 70 by 36 meters
- Everyone plays on both sides of the field
- No long poles are permitted
- No shot back up, a missed shot results in a change of possession all of the time rather than possession being determined by who is closest to the ball when it goes out
For the Championship Series, the PLL also included a 13-yard 2-point arc.[3]
Results
[edit]2023 Championship Series
[edit]The 2023 Championship Series took place from February 22, 2023 to February 26, 2023. The round-robin games took place from February 22, to February 24. The semifinals games took place on February 25, and the finals took place on February 26. The participants were the Whipsnakes, the eventual champion Chrome, the Archers, and the eventual runner-up Atlas
Round Robin
[edit]| 2023 Championship Series Round Robin | Whipsnakes | Chrome | Archers | Atlas | ||
| 1 | Whipsnakes | 14-18 | 23-26 | 16-29 | 0-3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Chrome | 18-14 | 22-23 (OT) | 20-29 | 1-2 | |
| 3 | Archers | 26-23 | 23-22 (OT) | 26-31 | 2-1 | |
| 4 | Atlas | 29-16 | 29-20 | 31-26 | 3-0 |
Round-robin teams are listed in their 2022 PLL regular season standings order.
Bracket
[edit]| Semifinals February 25 | Finals February 26 | ||||||||
| 1 | Atlas | 30 | |||||||
| 4 | Whipsnakes | 21 | |||||||
| 1 | Atlas | 23 | |||||||
| 3 | Chrome | 24 | |||||||
| 3 | Chrome | 21 | |||||||
| 2 | Archers | 18 | |||||||
Finals
[edit]| Winning Team | Runner-Up | Score | Venue | Winners Purse | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chrome LC | Atlas LC | 24-23 | The St. James | $120,000 | [4] |
2024 Championship Series
[edit]The 2024 Championship Series featured the top 4 regular season finishers of the 2023 Premier Lacrosse League season; including the 2023 PLL Champion Utah Archers. The other competing teams were the eventual champion Boston Cannons, Philadelphia Waterdogs, and California Redwoods. It took place from February 14-19, 2023 at The St. James in Springfield, VA.[9] Round robin play was from February 14-17, 2024, the semifinals were on February 18, and the finals were on February 19.[10]
Round Robin
[edit]| 2024 Championship Series Round Robin | Archers | Cannons | Waterdogs | Redwoods | ||
| 1 | Archers | 19-26 | 18-21 | 16-18 | 0-3 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Cannons | 26-19 | 12-22 | 25-26 | 1-2 | |
| 3 | Waterdogs | 21-18 | 22-22 | 20-14 | 3-0 | |
| 4 | Redwoods | 18-16 | 26-25 | 14-20 | 2-1 |
Round-robin teams are listed in their 2023 PLL regular season standings order.
Bracket
[edit]| Semifinals February 18 | Finals February 19 | ||||||||
| 1 | Waterdogs | 27 | |||||||
| 4 | Archers | 21 | |||||||
| 1 | Waterdogs | 22 | |||||||
| 3 | Cannons | 23 | |||||||
| 3 | Cannons | 23 | |||||||
| 2 | Redwoods | 15 | |||||||
Finals
[edit]| Winning Team | Losing Team | Score | Venue | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Cannons | Philadelphia Waterdogs | 23-22 (OT) | The St. James | [11] |
Notable Statistics
[edit]The 2024 Championship Series final saw a 24% increase in average viewership on ESPN2 and a 42% increase in viewership on ESPN+. There was a 32% increase in attendance with a 46% increase in total ticket revenue.[12]
2025 Championship Series
[edit]The 2025 PLL Championship Series (sponsor name Lexus PLL Championship Series), will take place on Febraury 11 - 17, 2025 at The St. James in Springfield, Virginia – marketed as Washington, D.C.. The top four PLL teams from the 2024 regular season – New York Atlas, Boston Cannons, Maryland Whipsnakes and the 2024 PLL Champion Utah Archers will each compete in round-robin, six-on-six tournaments inspired by the Lacrosse Sixes game format added to the 2028 Summer Olympics. The format is marked by fast-paced play on a condensed field with a shortened shot clock, and faceoffs limited to the start of each quarter. Round-robin play begins on Tuesday, February 11 and continues through Saturday, Feb. 15, with PLL semifinal set for Sunday, Feb. 16 and championship game will be on Monday, Feb. 17.[13]
Round Robin
[edit]| Pos | Team | W | L | GF | GA | GD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Atlas | 1 | 2 | 60 | 59 | +1 | Advance to semifinal |
| 2 | Cannons | 2 | 1 | 78 | 65 | +13 | |
| 3 | Whipsnakes | 0 | 3 | 59 | 88 | −29 | |
| 4 | Archers | 3 | 0 | 81 | 66 | +15 | Advance to final |
Round-robin teams are listed in their 2024 PLL regular season standings order.
| Feb 11, 8:00pm | Maryland Whipsnakes | 13—25 | New York Atlas | Stats |
| Feb 12, 6:00pm | Boston Cannons | 21—29 | Utah Archers | Stats |
| Feb 13, 6:00pm | Maryland Whipsnakes | 21—34 | Boston Cannons | Stats |
| Feb 14, 7:00pm | New York Atlas | 20—23 | Utah Archers | Stats |
| Feb 15, 5:00pm | New York Atlas | 15—23 | Boston Cannons | Stats |
| Feb 15, 7:00pm | Maryland Whipsnakes | 25—29 | Utah Archers | Stats |
All times in Eastern Time (ET)
Playoffs
[edit]| Semifinals February 16 | Finals February 17 | |||||
| Archers | 14 | |||||
| Cannons | 21 | |||||
| Cannons | 24 | |||||
| Atlas | 23 | |||||
| Feb 16, 5:00pm | New York Atlas | 23—24 (OT) | Boston Cannons | Stats |
| Feb 17, 12:30pm | Boston Cannons | 21—14 | Utah Archers | Stats |
All times in Eastern Time (ET)
Golden Stick Award
[edit]The Golden Stick Award is given to the player that had the most points during the Championship Series.
| Year | Player | Team | Points (Scoring Points, Assists) | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | Romar Dennis | Atlas LC | 38 (34 SP, 4 A) | [14] |
| 2024 | Kieran McArdle | Philadelphia Waterdogs | 38 (26 SP, 12 A) | [15] |
| 2025 | Matt Campbell | Boston Cannons | 35 (23 SP, 12 A) | [16] |
All-Tournament Team
[edit]| Year | Goalie | Midfielder | Attacker |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Colin Kirst (Cannons) | Mason Woodward (Archers) Beau Pederson (Archers) |
Asher Nolthing (Cannons) Myles Jones (Atlas) Matt Campbell (Cannons) |
References
[edit]- ^ a b Inside Lacrosse Staff (May 18, 2022). "Breaking: PLL To Host Offseason Tournament Utilizing Sixes Format". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Inside Lacrosse Staff (May 18, 2021). "World Lacrosse Debuts 'Sixes' Brand, Another Step Toward New Discipline's Launch". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Kevin (November 16, 2022). "PLL Announces Championship Series Set for February in Northern Virginia". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved June 13, 2023.
- ^ PLL (2023-02-26). "Premier Lacrosse League Announces Winners Purse for Inaugural Championship Series". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Brown, Kevin (February 26, 2023). "Finish Strong: Chrome Wins Inaugural PLL Championship Series". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ Brown, Kevin (February 25, 2023). "'All About Your Will': PLL Championship Series Semifinals Set For Saturday". Inside Lacrosse. Retrieved August 3, 2023.
- ^ "championship-series-2-2023-2-25 Archives". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ "championship-series-1-2023-2-25 Archives". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-08-03.
- ^ "2024 PLL Championship Series Returns to Springfield, Va., in February". www.usalaxmagazine.com. Retrieved 2023-11-02.
- ^ PLL (2023-12-20). "2024 PLL Championship Series Schedule Announced". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Boston Cannons' Turnaround Continues with Championship Series Victory". USA Lacrosse. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ PLL (2024-03-05). "Premier Lacrosse League Charts Double-Digit Growth in Second Championship Series, Powered by Ticketmaster". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ PLL (2025-02-07). "2025 Lexus PLL Championship Series Exclusively on ESPN Platforms February 11-17". ESPN Press Room.
- ^ Merola, Lauren (2023-03-06). "Romar Dennis through the eyes of the Bulls". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2023-06-13.
- ^ Miller, Wyatt (2024-02-20). "Why the Golden Stick Award means "not much" to Kieran McArdle". Premier Lacrosse League. Retrieved 2024-03-20.
- ^ "Top takeaways as Cannons win second straight Championship Series". Premier Lacrosse League. 2025-02-17.