“You could argue that since the league started in 2019 this is the best duo that has ever played in the PLL. Expect some jaw-dropping offensive players.”
— Paul Carcaterra
You’ve covered lacrosse from every angle, as a former player, analyst, reporter and storyteller. What feels different when you’re preparing for a championship coverage, especially one featuring the Denver Outlaws and Philadelphia Waterdogs on ABC?
Covering championships is something I always get excited for. When two teams are the last standing after a season it always has that special meaning and you can feel the urgency. What makes a PLL final unique is the amount of talent that is on the field at one time. The league is made up of the best players in the world and Sunday’s matchup has some incredible talent on display. I think of offensive players for the Philadelphia Waterdogs like CJ Kirst and Michael Sowers. You could argue that since the league started in 2019 this is the best duo that has ever played in the PLL. Expect some jaw dropping off offensive players. They face a team in the Denver Outlaws who have a goalie in Logan Mcnaney who has played now in six straight finals when you include the four at Maryland in college and the two straight in the PLL. It’s a strength on strength matchup with Mcnaney and his defense against Philly and their offense.
Fans see the polished production on game day, but what does your behind-the-scenes prep look like in the days leading up to a PLL Championship, from studying teams and storylines to connecting with players, coaches and production?
There are always hours of preparation when it comes to team production calls, watching tape and diving into statistics. I follow the game 365 days a year and I’m constantly watching. Very little am I cramming from a prep standpoint when it comes to lacrosse. What I like to do leading up to a game of this magnitude is to look at prior matchups that sometimes date back to even college. The trends of the regular season and into the postseason, and how players are performing currently statistically is something that I like to have in my back pocket when the moment comes. I think the most important thing when it comes to a championship game is to give it space and to let it breathe and not jam things in regardless of how long you prepped. The emotion, the pictures that you see and world class plays often speak for themselves. Often times less is more and to just find the right spot when it counts to bring your prep to life.
You’re known for bringing viewers closer to the personalities and emotion of the sport. What’s one storyline, player dynamic or championship-week moment you’ll be watching for that could help fans understand what’s really at stake on Sunday?
I think this game is very unique from the perspective that two of the matchups in this game from a one-on-one perspective have a prior college teammate component. Michael Sowers for Philadelphia spent his fifth year at Duke. Every day in practice he would be defended by JT Giles Harris, who is a starting defender for Denver. Those two players will go head to head on Sunday. Brendan O’Neill, an attackman for Denver also played at Duke and one of his teammates was defender Kenny Brower. Those two will also go head to head as well, this time as opponents. Another great story is Philadelphia head coach Bill Tierney. He has the most NCAA titles for a head coach in D1 lacrosse history with seven (six at Princeton and one at Denver). Sunday would be his first as a pro coach.