2025 Stanley Cup Champions

Neil Barrett (00:17.755)
Welcome welcome welcome to the run out. I am Neil Barrett. He is Brandon Hooten Brandon it has been quite an eventful week. I don't know about you. I had a really busy weekend I had to go down to Rhode Island for my wife's family's family reunion So I actually had to catch up on most of the games today. I followed him online I kind of tracked what was going on, but I didn't get to watch most of them until today

Brandon Hooten (00:44.654)
Yeah, I think I watched three of the four. I kind of caught some of that last game, but I was same type of deal. I was in and out for a family event. So kind of saw the beginning and then the end. So very two different stories there.

Neil Barrett (00:49.533)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (01:00.829)
Yeah, it's great. It's crazy. My wife started her job today. So I stayed home and watched watch lacrosse as much as I could while I was working. Luckily, I have a second screen for that. So tried to try to catch up. It was definitely an eventful weekend, a good weekend for you, I would say relatively at least give or take.

Brandon Hooten (01:26.452)
Yeah, it's alright, it's alright.

Neil Barrett (01:27.814)
For those of you listening, Brandon is making a not so sure face about that.

Brandon Hooten (01:34.284)
I don't know. We'll get into that later, but it'll make sense when we talk about it, but...

Neil Barrett (01:37.153)
Okay, we'll get into that. Yeah, first things first. Before we get into the games, there was a really cool article. I believe I should have looked this up. I should be more prepared for this than I am. I believe Joe Keegs wrote it, the article about the aptly named run out and

it's indigenous roots, which I've played this game for 25 years, been otherwise around and involved with it for 25 years. And I did not know that. Obviously I named this podcast after that because it's a very like unique part of the game of lacrosse that.

I have always loved I've always thought it was such a unique and cool thing. And so to learn where that came from was really cool. Nothing really to talk about. Nothing to discuss. I just wanted to give a shout out to that love still learning new things about this game. The one with the one with I'm totally going to blank on his name, the doctor. About the yeah, the fur about the first game, yeah.

Brandon Hooten (02:41.678)
The video that they made was cool as well. I don't know if you saw that.

Brandon Hooten (02:49.964)
Yes, it was like an animated video. Yeah.

Neil Barrett (02:54.394)
Yeah, that one's cool that they did one sort of similar. No, you know what? I take it back. It wasn't them. If I don't know if you've ever seen it, the Thompson brothers did one when they first like signed with Nike. That was like the same sort of thing, but it was like Nike animators that did it. I'll try and find that and send it to you. It was really, really cool. I liked the one the PLL did. It was it was well done.

but the one from Nike is really cool. I'll try and find that for you. But let's get into the weekend. First things, again, before we get into the game, let's do a briefly talk about the jerseys. Seeing them on field, anything changed for you?

Brandon Hooten (03:39.702)
I don't like the atlas. Sorry, double horns negates it for me.

California's, I love the brown. I know it was unpopular opinion. The only thing I wanted to see was a green helmet with it and a little bit more yellow, but all in all, it was a welcome sign. I get tired of seeing the same colors over and over from teams. So seeing the brown, I thought was really nice. And again, the clique combinations, there was a couple of good ones. I think it was Andrew McAdory was in some all greens this week. Some mids that were pretty nice. I believe it was him. So yeah.

Neil Barrett (03:52.068)
Yep, the white helmet was bad.

Neil Barrett (03:58.684)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (04:08.055)
Ooh.

I missed it. Normally I'm on top of shoe games, because I wasn't watching the games live, I wasn't paying attention as much.

Brandon Hooten (04:15.669)
Yeah, I'll have to find the photo I sent it to you because it was... it was a nice look.

Neil Barrett (04:20.602)
Okay, one I really wanted to shout out especially because we kind of We kind of I don't know I don't know that we dumped on it But we kind of we kind of didn't like it I thought the cannons on field with the blue helmet and the blue jersey and the red shorts I was like, seeing it on field. I'm like, okay, I see the vision here. I definitely

Brandon Hooten (04:39.617)
That was one of the better uniform matchups I think of this season in my mind. Obviously I'm slightly biased but the blue helmet really does it for me and the red shorts also. Bring those back, put those in the bi-weekly rotation because those are nice.

Neil Barrett (04:44.218)
That was a.

Neil Barrett (04:50.052)
Yeah, the red shorts were great.

Neil Barrett (04:55.888)
Yeah, for sure. And similarly talking about talking about the outlaws, the black helmet, I thought looked really good with that combo. There was something about it. I don't know what I was expecting. I guess I was expecting them to wear the gray helmet, I guess, because those are the only two helmets. I never really thought about what helmet they were going to wear with that orange jersey. But seeing that black helmet, I was like,

No, okay, I like I really like this. So anyway, I just want to I just wondered if anything had changed before we got into the weekend. But let's go ahead and get over to the games themselves. We will start off where the PLL started off with the Atlas defeating the woods 16 to 12. This was an 11 to 11 game in the middle of the third. It was.

Brandon Hooten (05:23.01)
Yep.

Neil Barrett (05:45.821)
Whole lot of scoring in that first half. I know it was 10 10 at halftime TDI Ireland was 76 % when he went out of the game at halftime and didn't come back until I believe there was about two minutes left in the fourth Actually, I take that back he was 79 % when he went out at halftime He came back took a couple of face-offs and ended the game at 76 % What did you think about this game?

Brandon Hooten (06:15.133)
I was pretty happy with it actually from California's point of view. I know last week on one of the episodes I recorded I said I just want to see California just play them tightly. Like I didn't expect them to win but I just wanted to see them play well and I think I mean outside of that last quarter they did a pretty good job of that.

Neil Barrett (06:27.825)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (06:35.895)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (06:36.717)
Clearly finishing the game, still an issue. Didn't think that was gonna change this week. But I like what I saw from TD. Chris Cav was good. Chase Erlen as well, only 50%, but 15 saves. I'm never gonna be upset when you're going 50 % at that rate.

Neil Barrett (06:39.416)
Still an issue.

Brandon Hooten (06:54.323)
I mean Connor Schellenberger had seven points the quietest seven points. I think you could probably have with just seven assists like It's insane how much talent they have and and I tweeted out as well. Jeff T finally breaks the curse of Off-and-on games back-to-back five point weeks. So that's a welcome sign as well

Neil Barrett (07:10.448)
He

Neil Barrett (07:14.396)
Yeah, no, uh, Shelly's Shelly's seven points was crazy because you know that that game was was 11 11, I think. And then he scored on or he assisted on five straight goals for the Atlas. And all of sudden it went from 11 11 to 16 11 like that. And like you said, it was quiet. But then there was that that one stretch.

where he just kind of exploded him and made the difference. I'm with you, TD was great. Obviously he missed a decent chunk of time and some people tried to say that they'd have won without, if he stays in the game, they would have won. I don't think that's the case. They were one for 14 shooting in the second half. They had

I think it was four or five turnovers in the fourth quarter. They made a lot of mistakes down the stretch that it wouldn't have mattered if TD was in and winning face-offs. just, it's the same thing that we talked about last week. They cannot seem to close out games at all. Doesn't really matter who they're playing or what, how well they're playing. They are just doing it. I'm like you though. I think, I think

Brandon Hooten (08:27.65)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (08:39.834)
Chase Erlen, while I don't know that he has maybe the heights of a Brett Dobson or a Blaise Reardon or anything, he's turning into a fairly consistent 50 % kind of guy. So I think if you can count on him to be a 50 % guy and you can get some good stuff out of TD Erlen, which they did both of those in this game,

they have the talent. It's just for whatever reason, they just cannot seem to close out games. I don't, I don't feel like Liam Intamin really had a very good game. He finished at 56%, but we talk about a quiet game. it didn't, it didn't feel like that to me. It didn't feel like he was, you know, stealing saves or anything. They just, I don't know. They just didn't.

get a whole lot out of that offense in the second half in the first half they did pretty well but then it just kind of like went dead.

Brandon Hooten (09:47.563)
Yeah, I mean the woods would be really good at hockey, playing three periods. Cuz I mean, it's truly astonishing just.

I don't know what they need to do, but two goals in the second half is just...

Especially when like you're playing a top team in the league and you have them I don't want to say on the ropes because they're still whole half to play but like you're in the fight like you're not getting knocked down like you're swinging back and then out of nowhere that fourth quarter comes and it's just like a Train just hit them and it was like, yep, this is over and that happens repeatedly and like I think like you're saying chase Erlen was doing what he can in his first year starting He's he he's not gonna give you very much more than that right now so the offense has to help him out a little bit and I don't think

Neil Barrett (10:20.453)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (10:33.116)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (10:36.046)
getting more possessions is gonna change that when you're 114 shooting, like in the second half. You gotta get at least a couple more in there.

Neil Barrett (10:39.909)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (10:43.644)
Yeah, well, and they, uh, to be fair, to be fair, let me, let me amend something. I think they were two for, for like 15 in the second half. I think what I heard was one for 14, but then they ultimately scored after that with what? Like a minute, a minute 48 left or whatever. So, so they were, they were at least two for 15. So let me, let me at least give them that slight credit also.

Brandon Hooten (11:01.515)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (11:10.364)
We definitely need a t-shirt that says that the Redwoods are the best hockey team in the PLL because that is incredible. I don't know if that is something that you have heard before or you just came up with that right now.

Brandon Hooten (11:21.856)
I just came up with that on the spot because it keeps happening.

Neil Barrett (11:25.244)
Perfect. Perfect. They would win the Stanley Cup hands down. How about that? California Redwoods are the 2025 Stanley Cup champions. Unfortunately, they're playing lacrosse. One thing I thought was really interesting was how much

Brandon Hooten (11:31.667)
yeah, they beat the Panthers right now. Throw them out there on the ice.

Brandon Hooten (11:41.738)
Yeah.

Yeah

Neil Barrett (11:53.539)
Andrew McAdory when the one the one thing about the TD Erlen going out that I did think was pretty impactful was that Andrew McAdory started taking faceoffs, which he won a few. did. He did fairly well. He mucked it up and got in there. But that also seemed to.

Brandon Hooten (12:06.218)
You won a few.

Neil Barrett (12:14.972)
to be a problem for their offense because they rely so heavily on him to dodge and initiate and like create stuff that he's now taking faceoffs, playing defense, running full width of the field. Like he just, he just was gassed. And then, and then another thing I think down the stretch was that

those turnovers that I talked about the four or five, six, whatever it was in the fourth quarter, it was a lot in the fourth quarter meant they were playing so much defense that Atlas just had their way the last 10 minutes of that first fourth quarter because that defense was just so good. They would do everything right. Get the stop, pick up the ball.

and not even get it to midfield before they turned it over. And it was coming right back at them. And they just played so much defense. They looked exhausted. And it would be interesting to see this game again in a few weeks. California's got some work to do to make the playoffs. But if this was a quarterfinal game, I think it'd be really interesting to see what, of course, the Redwoods again, they got a

They got to play a fourth quarter. But if they can do that, I think this could be, this would be a really fun game.

Brandon Hooten (13:33.142)
See you over.

Neil Barrett (13:38.587)
So let's move on to the next game of the night. The last game of Friday night with the Utah archers beating the Carolina chaos 12 to 11 Utah shot out of the gates in this one. They were up eight to nothing before the Carolina chaos woke up and turned this into a game that arguably they could have won.

Owen Hiltz just absolutely went off late in that game. He ended up with seven points on five goals and two assists. Blaise Reardon and Brett Dobson were standing on their heads and goal both ended up at, well, Blaise was at 60. Brett Dobson is technically at 61 percent, but right there with it. Jake Nassau didn't look

A whole lot better, did look maybe slightly better, but not a whole lot better. Justin Inasio continued being kind of a revelation at the faceoff dot. But I think the big story here still is the archers and that offense and just being so bad for no reason. The highest, the highest archers point score in this game.

was Mason Woodward.

Brandon Hooten (15:11.788)
and really he lost Carolina the game with the two pointers. I if you're looking at just scores not points, Carolina outscored Utah 11 to 10. So you give up those two two pointers to Mason Woodward and it's like all of a sudden you lost the game. And I think again a game where your goalie is going 60 % generally should win nine out of 10 times, 99 out of 100.

Neil Barrett (15:12.112)
That's rough.

Neil Barrett (15:18.852)
Right. Right.

Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (15:29.457)
Yep.

Brandon Hooten (15:38.462)
Obviously both these guys went 60%, so it's a little bit skewed, but it's just like, you're getting everything you can really out of your defense outside of those twos. And then your offense, mean, Owen Hiltz was electric, but it was definitely just a little bit too late there. Like the fourth quarter was awesome and there was definitely a chance that I thought they could come back. But again, you can't lay a goose egg in the first quarter and expect to win games.

mean, zero goals in any corner is bad, but especially when you're down eight-nothing, know, it's just, it sucks, because I really thought that Carolina was going to have a chance to kind of turn that corner almost on the season, and then again, they fall just short.

Neil Barrett (16:08.188)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (16:23.194)
Yeah, yeah, it's it's another game where they they dug themselves a big hole and did a great job getting themselves out of it. But but just ultimately fell just a little bit short and couldn't couldn't quite get over the hurdle. But, you know, three goals in the second half from the archers is just rough and.

I mean, nobody, none of none of the guys you would expect did much of anything in this game. You know, Connor Fields and Grant Ament each had two points, and that's about as good as it got from from their kind of offensive stalwarts. Sam King. Yeah, Sam King continues to kind of be that dude. No. Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (17:05.267)
And Sam King once again led the way. He should not be the leader on that offense. And yet here he is again. I mean, nice to Connor Fields to get a couple goals, but I just need more. There has to be more, especially, this weekend's gonna be massive for them with two games. And if they don't show up, their season's done.

Neil Barrett (17:23.611)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (17:30.693)
Yeah. Yeah. No, as much as we say, you know, Carolina chaos have got to stop getting into such a hole that they have to dig themselves out of. The same thing can also be said about the archers. You're up eight zero and end up winning by a goal. Like you're clinging to life on that, on that goal, on that one goal victory.

You scored three goals in the second half with this with this roster, this firepower that you have on this roster. It just it it doesn't make any sense. It it defies the reality of that. Like, just don't yet again another week where we're like, I just don't understand this archers team, even though they won, even though they probably let off the gas a little bit and kind of coasted a little bit like.

It just doesn't make any sense. And like you said, they got two games this week and if they, they've got two games at home and in a very like pro, probably one of the best like pro home team crowds that you're going to get. There's just, they need, they need to win both of these games. I'm not saying it's game over if they don't, but they need to win both of these games.

Brandon Hooten (18:48.863)
I think if they drop both it is... over. Because then you-

Neil Barrett (18:52.816)
You think it's over if they don't win both games.

Brandon Hooten (18:56.427)
I think if they drop to three and that'll be six at that point, like you're, I guess it's tough because California is two and five right now. So you're also relying on that too, but.

Neil Barrett (19:09.628)
Well, and to be fair, to be fair, what I was saying was they don't win both games as in they win one and not the other. So that would put them at four and five, which is better than three and six at three and six. I think, yeah, maybe it's not over.

Brandon Hooten (19:20.423)
Okay, yes,

Brandon Hooten (19:27.955)
It might not literally be, but at that point, you're, you're, you need California to, well, hey, they play California this weekend. That's our first game. So that in and of itself is probably the biggest game of the weekend right there. but.

Neil Barrett (19:36.096)
Right.

Neil Barrett (19:41.914)
But at 3 and 6 though, you're looking at probably playing Denver in the first round.

Brandon Hooten (19:49.439)
Well, if Denver finishes first, they won't play first round.

Neil Barrett (19:52.315)
You're right. You're right. You're right. The new playoff format is throwing me. I was going to say they were going to draw the atlas and I was like, wait, no Eastern Conference. No, no. OK. Yes. So then they would play.

Brandon Hooten (19:57.661)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (20:09.13)
Carolina, guess?

Neil Barrett (20:09.222)
who they play. Yeah, I think so. I mean, it doesn't really matter, I guess in that in that sense,

Brandon Hooten (20:16.35)
Either which way, they gotta pick up at least one. Gotta be one.

Neil Barrett (20:19.355)
Right.

Neil Barrett (20:23.036)
Yeah, no, I think their best shot is that California game. And if they can get something out of the Denver game, then great.

You'll take it obviously, obviously beating the best, the number one team in the Western will be, you know, a good feather in your cap. But if you can, if you can kind of keep it close, make it interesting and lose. I think that's acceptable, but you really need to beat this, this California team for sure. And establish yourself as that playoff team. And then man, California loses though. I mean,

I told everybody preseason that I didn't think Joe Spelina was going to end up with Joey Spelina on his roster because as a GM he was he was going to do everything he could do to not be in the position to draft Joey. And now I look like a giant idiot. Because here we are.

Brandon Hooten (21:27.101)
I'm in.

Neil Barrett (21:31.056)
just a few weeks from Joey Spelina being a California Redwood. But let's move on to the Saturday games where we will start with your Denver Outlaws playing the Boston Canons and what is arguably, arguably the game of the season. I don't know. I don't know what else is up there off the top of my head, but

Brandon Hooten (21:35.945)
Yep.

Brandon Hooten (21:56.81)
depends what you value.

in my head. I don't love ultra high scoring games in general. I prefer to see a mix of defense being played, which there was none of that in this game. So for me, I didn't love it, which is why earlier I gave one of these back and forth because I like it was the flashy goals from the outlaws were awesome. But to me, this still felt like a loss.

Neil Barrett (22:02.299)
What?

Neil Barrett (22:06.672)
You think that's

Brandon Hooten (22:30.162)
And to find the outlaws, I'm treating it like a loss. I've said recently that streaks come to an end at some point, and I was wondering whether it was going to be this week or against a team that they should, quote unquote, beat.

To me, this didn't feel like a win. felt like they did just enough to get the W on paper, but they've got to improve. Six goals allowed in the first quarter is ridiculous. Granted, you got those back on the offensive end, but to be up four, nothing, and then you let them score six of the next eight goals in that first quarter is ridiculous. And you let them do that twice to you as well. And it's funny because like,

Neither defense played well, neither goalie I thought played very well. I mean, I thought Luke Weirman was exceptional at the faceoff dot, which you can't say all the time. But overall, just felt this was kind of one of those games that's like a lot of fans will be excited for because there's a bunch of goals which people love. But like, I wanted to see two of what I would consider the better defenses on paper kind of go toe to toe and that didn't happen.

Neil Barrett (23:38.565)
I find that is often the case though when you have two good defenses it for whatever reason and this is like across sports you have two really good defenses to play each other and everyone's like expecting this great defensive battle and it ends up being this like high scoring affair that makes no sense. The one thing I'll say to hopefully make you feel maybe slightly better is I think we all thought that the cannons despite their record

are one of the better teams in this league this year. And, and I think going into it, I know it may not have necessarily played out with, with the runs and stuff the way that you would hope, but I think if going into it, you said, Hey, you're going to win a tight close game.

Brandon Hooten (24:12.188)
Absolutely

Neil Barrett (24:29.116)
18-17 against one of the best teams in the league. I think you'd take it. think you'd say, you know, Luke Wehrman is going to look really good. Pat Kavanaugh is good looking. I mean, really most of the Tafuritan line is going to look really good. I think you'd have taken it and I think you'd have been fairly, fairly happy with that going into it. I understand maybe it didn't play out exactly the way you would have hoped, but

I didn't really see it so much as bad defense. I thought on both sides guys were balling out and and I think that was most

easily seen on the outlaws, but I thought I thought a lot of the cannons players were doing stuff, maybe not quite as flashy, although Asher Nolting's one handed assist across the court. was insane. But all that to say, you know, I think I think it was taking a lot of really special effort and in a manner of thinking, I'm like, is it?

Is it because you practice against a really good defense that like you're used to how to beat it or something? I don't I don't know. That's that's just me kind of maybe reading into the tea leaves a little bit too much, but I thought it was.

Brandon Hooten (25:52.212)
but there was also far too many open shots was my point like the one that sticks on my mind on the outlaw side was when they let Matt Campbell literally step into a wide open shot and I'm like you realize that's like all-star Matt Campbell right like you know or Holman's two bomb at the end of the game where he again just stepped right up to the line and no one seemed to do anything

I totally understand what you're saying as far as like, these are all great players, and so they're used to playing against a good defense and practice and whatnot, but like, was just some times that like, another one, Asher, I think it was Asher, finds Marcus in the middle of the defense, there's three outlaws defenders standing literally in a half circle around him, and they all just happen to lose him.

And it's, you know, so now not only like, don't get me wrong, I didn't think Logan McNany played great in this game either, but it just like we talked about calling curse last week, the defense has to help you out. If you're letting guys catch freely, there's three of you on them and he's still able to just thanks straight to the, like that can't happen, which is why I think they need to take this as a loss because

You're going into a hungry Utah team that if they beat California Friday night and they play you Saturday, they know what's at stake at that point. And, you know, I think by my account, the outlaws need, think two wins to secure number one seat, I believe. And if you give Utah that chance to come back in.

that's going to be an issue because Utah, despite their record, despite their problems this year, are still a very good team on paper that can and will take advantage of any flaws that you may have.

Neil Barrett (27:24.699)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (27:35.28)
Yeah, yeah. One of the big notes to come out of this game was the rules about challenging. The boss and cannons used their two challenges early in the game. I believe they got both of them right.

Brandon Hooten (27:52.556)
Only one. They lost the first one.

Neil Barrett (27:54.48)
Did they lose? Oh, that's right. I do remember that now. But they they won one of them, lost one of them. And then late in the game had a Jared Bernhardt what appeared to be pretty clearly a crease violation that they could not challenge. It was missed and they could not challenge it. And it was not corrected by the booth or anything. Wondering what you thought about that. don't I don't think it's what

cost them the game at all. I've seen a few people say that not many, but I've seen a few people say that. I don't think that's the case. To that point. You know, Luke Wehrman scored a goofy, goofy goal against Colin curse that

should have been saved and if was saved, we're looking at a tie game even with the Jared Bernhardt goal. So, you know, all that to say there lots of individual plays, but I did see a lot of questions just about the overall process, even if it didn't ultimately cost a game or whatever in this situation, just about the process of challenging and how it should be fixed or amended. And I just wondered what you thought about that.

Brandon Hooten (29:11.773)
Well, every scoring play should be reviewed. The NFL's been doing this for years and it works great. Every single time there's a score, there needs to be a booth review. And there's gonna be the crowd that says, it slows the game down. It really doesn't, because you got people watching the game on the tablet right there anyway. They can easily say, hey, yes, clear, or hey, maybe we need you to come look at this, Matty. And if that's the case, it slows down the game slightly. But at least you got it right.

So that's what it should be overall. As far as like people saying like this lost them the game, I could name you a bunch of single plays that should have won either team the game. Logan McNaney at one point had a similar save like Kirst did and it rolled right behind him. If that actually gets saved, different game. When Pat Kav got literally slashed by Jeff Trainor in the neck,

Correct me if I'm wrong, there wasn't a flag there. That should be a two minute. Like, do the outlaws score another goal there and then all of a sudden that's a different outcome as well? So like, I'm not gonna go back and forth on this like, you know, look at this play, it cost them the game. And even Brian Holman after the fact said, that's not why we lost. Like they were, like you're saying, there's so many opportunities that you missed that you have to look into. It's a one goal game. You have to look internally at that point. It wasn't like you lost by, you know, a whole bunch of goals. Like, so it's easy to say like, this is the one play.

Neil Barrett (30:00.196)
Not called. No, they didn't throw up. Yeah.

Neil Barrett (30:16.955)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (30:29.789)
But that said, it should be reviewed. It should have been taken off the board. I don't know how you missed that. It wasn't even like his foot was like on the line. It was like he was in the crease. So.

Neil Barrett (30:41.148)
Yeah, to to your earlier point, though, about the time it takes. I agree with you that it should work that way. But I think the PLL has shown fairly consistently. They don't have the best replay systems in place. Replays often take a lot longer than they should. They often.

especially especially around clock issues. They cannot see it. We're in year seven and I think I think in every single year we've been like, hey, clock issues are a big, big problem for this league and the amount of time it takes to fix clock issues is a big, big problem for this league. So I agree with you that it shouldn't take much time.

Brandon Hooten (31:14.439)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (31:36.984)
I am not sure that in practice it actually would not take much time, which might be part of the issue.

Brandon Hooten (31:44.947)
Well can't speak to that. That's on them to...

Neil Barrett (31:48.081)
That yes, and I would say in year seven, like how is this, how is this still an issue? Like people want to say, don't, don't got nothing bad to say about the PLL clock. Clock issues is atrocious and in, and in very simple ways that

that should be fixed. We're not talking about like, like mistakes that just kind of happen that are just kind of like human error or things like that. We're talking like things that should not be happening in year seven of this league that still consistently and regularly happen. So, one more note before we get off of this game. Actually, I got, I got, I got a second thing. First, this was Jules Henningberg's first game.

of the season after being cut by the Carolina Chaos in the preseason. He I thought he looked fairly good. He had a goal and assist for two points. But ultimately.

Brandon Hooten (32:51.026)
Two point goals, three points.

Neil Barrett (32:53.634)
you're right. You're right. That was the two because, cause Kyle Harrison had that really funny tweet about how Jules had been in the gym while he was down because he didn't have that range beforehand. so yeah, so, so three points, not, not bad, but I also thought he, did a really good job of, of kind of controlling from the midfield and stuff. And then Will Maney was back for his first game since I'm pretty sure it was week one was he started week one and then, and then was out.

Brandon Hooten (33:01.32)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (33:21.436)
I'm assuming that means whatever was going on with his family is good to go now And hopefully he is back more often. I am a little curious what you thought about Will Manny He didn't have statistically the best game But I I did like where he was like taking up. I thought he was helping Marcus Holman a lot But I'm wondering, know with the whole Colter Macassi how you would balance that out

Brandon Hooten (33:53.737)
I don't know. I thought Will was fine in this game. I think he had a bigger Mike Manley on him that made it more difficult than it normally would be.

Neil Barrett (34:01.936)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (34:05.755)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (34:07.526)
I think he did fine for like the role that he's intending to play. If I was making the decision, I'd probably lean to Coulter just because I don't know that one is considerably better than the other. So I'm going to kind of go with the younger guy, get him some experience. I think that they're off this week and then they have their homecoming. I do think when they split that and have one play Friday, one play Saturday, which would be smart. But I just don't know that one is like definitively like.

Neil Barrett (34:10.62)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (34:37.632)
helping their offense more than the other necessarily. I think this one skewed because they had 17 points in this game. So you could be like, well, look, they, you know, they score a season high when he's in the lineup, but you know, I don't really have a preference.

Neil Barrett (34:40.357)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (34:52.38)
What I find really interesting is like, why can't we get both of them on the field?

Brandon Hooten (35:00.412)
Well, who are you taking out to do that,

Neil Barrett (35:04.09)
I mean...

Brandon Hooten (35:07.068)
Not Asher, not Marcus, not Matt Campbell, not Draenor. Are you taking Cursed? Are you gonna take Mick Kelly? Jules?

Neil Barrett (35:20.924)
Mean I feel like I feel like we just named several

Brandon Hooten (35:25.485)
Which several though? To me there's only two you can even consider. And that's Jules and Mick.

Neil Barrett (35:30.652)
I'd be fine with Kirst too.

Neil Barrett (35:36.729)
I recognize he had a decent game this week and I'm not saying he would be like my first choice. But I think, I think we know how the PLL likes to prove us stupid when we think something on this show. But I think that getting Coulter-Mackasee and Will Manney on the field

in whatever version you think works best, Mani at attack, Macacy at attack, I don't care. I think getting those two on the field would be a bigger net positive than having coal Kirst. It's coal, right?

Brandon Hooten (36:20.903)
notes that's car cool place for it

Neil Barrett (36:23.772)
Connor that's right Cole is the red ones. Yep too many Kirst too many Kirst So yes, so then Connor Kirst I think it would be a bigger net positive but again He's not he's not the number one guy. I mean obviously like you said Mick Kelly is an easy Well, you know, he's kind of the lowest guy on that totem pole probably being being the rookie and not

putting up a million points a game, you know, relatively easily replaced.

Neil Barrett (37:01.5)
You know, Jules could be another one. I don't, again, I don't, I'm not saying he'd be the first one, but I don't know. Anyway, the last point before we get off this game was, especially as an Outlaws fan, this is something we talked about in our group chat a little bit. They hammered this game as a revenge game for Pat Kavanaugh.

And for the life of me, I can't figure out what he's getting revenge for.

Brandon Hooten (37:32.913)
Who did the league?

Neil Barrett (37:34.597)
Yeah, well, and they were talking about it all during the game about it was a revenge game and Pat Kavanaugh was showing up and proving that he he should have been playing in Boston. And I'm like, dude, we are killing storylines. If this is a storyline. I feel like everyone forgot that Pat Kavanaugh requested the trade.

The canons didn't choose to trade him. He requested the trade out of Boston because he was unhappy with with his playing time and his role on the team and stuff. And you and I talked about this very briefly. He did. I know he he started at as a midfielder when he he missed a bunch of games because of his injuries. And then when he came in, he started as a midfielder. But he did play. He did get

not just runs like he started and played a couple of games at attack and he, I mean he was fine, but he wasn't like lighting the league on fire. And then in the off season, he requested the trade that Brian Holman didn't have to grant him and did, and you know, got him to a situation. And so I don't know, there were a few things this weekend that they were hammering in terms of storylines. And we'll get to another one here in a second.

But the, all of them felt so goofy. felt so, like they were trying to like dredge up storylines and stuff that they could talk about. And this one was just one of the more goofy ones to me.

Brandon Hooten (39:15.375)
I I get it, that's their job for socials. And I think, I don't think Pat Cav just fit with the cannons at all, like...

Neil Barrett (39:24.377)
Right.

Brandon Hooten (39:24.871)
You have three varieties that should be, if you're not looking at the dominant hand, like they should all be on the field, but like you can't put them all out of tact, you know? So I can see from his perspective being like, this isn't working. I don't, I'm not a midfielder naturally. Like some guys you can kind of go back and forth and like, it'll be fine. I don't know that Pat's really one of them to me. I just don't think that's his game. So I like, I don't mind him requesting the trade.

Neil Barrett (39:33.489)
He

Neil Barrett (39:54.798)
No.

Brandon Hooten (39:54.808)
I think it's more so just that like because it quote-unquote didn't work out that's what they're considering like the revenge of like now he's playing against him. I was more interested in the Jonathan Donville revenge game. Which I mean he got the win so that's all that matters.

Neil Barrett (40:08.444)
Which was right, and that was actually revenge. They didn't play him. He didn't request a trade, they didn't play him and they cut him. It's like, yeah, that made sense, but we were forcing this revenge storyline. And I'm with you, I think.

Brandon Hooten (40:18.46)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (40:30.564)
I think he just didn't fit. And I think that's okay. I think that there are, there are very good players who don't fit the teams that they are on and that it's unfortunate because they may not be able, they may be a very good player that just can't find the right fit and ends up out of the league. And that sucks. Luckily for Pat Cavanaugh, he was able to find a team that fit him. But like you said, he's not a midfielder.

The only spot at attack for him was on that left hand side where he's a right handed player. And he wasn't, he wasn't taking a astronaut thing spot. Even this year, he wouldn't have taken a astronaut things spot. And he wasn't taking Mark Marcus Holman spot. Those, those two guys who had been back to back attack, minute of the year finalists. And I think each one had been a finalist for MVP and one was one year and one was the other year. I, I'm pretty sure it's like, yeah.

Pat Kavanaugh wasn't coming in and taking those guys spots. Not not anytime soon. So like you said, it was just one of those things that that he did. He was just in the he was the wrong piece on the wrong team. And I don't know. Like I said, I just thought it was goofy. Anyway, let's let's move on to one of the other forced storylines. I was.

Watching the Maryland. Well, you know what? Let's we'll get into it in a second We will move on to the last game where Maryland scored 10 of the last 12 goals of the game to run out with a 10 to 7 win against Philly this game was just so bizarre started with Michael Sowers Just doing whatever he wanted and scoring the first four goals of the game

And then pretty much nothing from Philly after that. They scored a couple of goals, but like it was it was like, yeah, they're doing whatever they want. And then just like, no, no, they're not. Not anymore.

Brandon Hooten (42:37.348)
Yeah, defensively the Web's stepped up. We said it last week, Emmet Carroll, I think they have their guy for the foreseeable future. mean, he looked real good to me. And I just think they kind of like just locked in, know, Matt Brandow had a great game. TJ Malone as well. I, yeah, and I think we're seeing like...

Neil Barrett (42:45.103)
I hope so.

Neil Barrett (42:59.246)
Revenge game.

Brandon Hooten (43:03.686)
You see the MVP impact that Michael Stilers has of like...

If you're shutting him off, like, it's hard for the team to maybe continue to go. Um, and I'm not going to like, you know, put that in writing and be like, Oh, all you have to do is stop Michael Sowers. Cause they have a lot of, a lot of killers over there that can, can dominate a game. I'm just saying, I do think like it was very, I mean, he finished with four points and those happened all in the first, you know, I guess second quarter, second technically, but basically the first quarter. And then it was nothing. And, um,

Neil Barrett (43:13.21)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (43:37.195)
I mean, thought Alex Tathachis did okay for going against Nardella, generally speaking, then both, I mean, De Luca was great too. It was just once that moment, once that ball started going down the hill for Maryland, it was just like, you can't stop it. And like I said to you earlier, like I caught the first quarter, or first and fourth quarter, and it was like, what is happening? Like.

Neil Barrett (43:41.52)
Yeah.

Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (43:59.207)
This should have been like a 12-0 game all of a sudden. It's you know tied and whatnot so I mean good on Maryland for I Didn't see anyone that picked them except for Maryland fans, so Credit to them because this is I mean truly insane. I mean the second time that they've surprised me this year

Neil Barrett (44:01.979)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (44:17.562)
Well, to that point, we have talked repeatedly about RP3. And before you were a part of the show, I had a whole conversation about how I didn't like the trade. didn't think that that was the right place for him to land. I thought that it was going completely against what they had started to build. And I think this game showed

what this offense should have been this whole time, even, even dragging around Matt Rambeau's dead weight, they still showcased TJ Malone, Brad Smith, Matt Brandow, all of these guys and how, how good and fast and quick and, like well machine, well oiled this.

machine offense can be and should have probably been all season but they disrupted everything for RP3 and like I said last week I don't think RP3 was the problem I think there is a role for RP3 in this league I just don't think this was the team for it so you know the real question is has

do you, what do you do now? Because RP3 was out for an approved absence, which in the PLL probably means a buddy's wedding.

Brandon Hooten (45:47.098)
He was getting married actually. Yeah.

Neil Barrett (45:49.155)
He was getting married. Okay, see, I didn't know. So he was out for an approved absence for a wedding. Probably do the whips play next week? I don't even know. I'm guessing so because you just said the cannons. Yeah, Boston's off. So I could look at my show notes to see the games that we're going to talk about in the future, but I didn't do that. But I would guess that maybe he's.

Brandon Hooten (46:01.382)
Yeah, yeah, cause Boston has it off.

Neil Barrett (46:16.538)
He's out next weekend too, honeymoon maybe. But either way.

Brandon Hooten (46:21.274)
I would put him in over Rambo if he's available.

Neil Barrett (46:25.176)
Yes, well, here's my my my question, because while I think he is better than Rambo for sure. I think Rambo is at a point where he just kind of gets out the way.

RP3 doesn't necessarily do that and in that sense might be more disruptive quote unquote for people who are listening, can't see my finger quotes, than a Matt Rambeau that's just kind of filling a hole on the offense. To be completely honest, I don't know why you put Matt Rambeau in this lineup. Like why not just

Why not just have Levi Anderson take that spot and just kind of go to work? But that would have been my option, but you know, that notwithstanding, what do you do when RP3 comes back? If that's next week or the week after, whatever.

Brandon Hooten (47:31.886)
I would just run him out of the box just a little bit. You don't got to go every single play. Just go do what they did last week and then just be basically an on field captain or a coach. Again, I'm putting him in over Rambo every single time.

I don't really care what position they put him at. I think he is a better, at this stage in their career, I think he's a better player than Matt Rambo. And so I do think if you have the two and you're like, we need to fill a spot, I think you go Panell. But I don't think that you're gonna play him like anywhere close to full-time minutes, like at all.

Neil Barrett (48:01.754)
Well, sure, sure.

Neil Barrett (48:14.704)
Yeah. But is there, is there a way where you, you don't dress either of them?

Brandon Hooten (48:21.765)
I mean, who are you dressing in place of him though? Are you picking up another offensive player or are you just gonna say, hey, we're gonna throw in another D guy or something along those lines?

Neil Barrett (48:34.204)
I mean, can't you run what you ran this weekend without, without Rambo and just run, you know, hell.

Brandon Hooten (48:44.259)
Are you gonna give Levi 17 more touches? Or... or... Peacock?

Neil Barrett (48:52.996)
I mean, I can we can spread those around. I give it.

Brandon Hooten (48:56.411)
But you don't need to because everyone else had about 30.

Neil Barrett (49:00.188)
Well, but I'm saying you could you could give he cock a handful you could give Levi a handful you could give Yeah Try and get everybody to 30. Why not?

Brandon Hooten (49:08.505)
I mean, you... Sure, but then who's your 19th man?

Neil Barrett (49:14.448)
Does it matter?

Brandon Hooten (49:18.181)
I mean, it could.

Neil Barrett (49:18.608)
does it? It could it could. I mean, there's a few guys. There's a few fun player pool guys. I'm just saying.

Brandon Hooten (49:33.315)
I know. I think they stick with what they have right now.

Neil Barrett (49:37.852)
Maybe go find, Go find you the next, Jonathan Donble or something, I don't know.

Brandon Hooten (49:46.467)
Yeah, that's not gonna happen because the outlaws take all them. All the premier guys go to the Denver.

Neil Barrett (49:50.269)
Alright, but before we move on for this game, we have to get into the elephant in the room and that is CJ Kirst making his first appearance in the PLL and it was rather forgettable for him. He

Brandon Hooten (50:09.753)
I mean, what we should have expected. He hasn't played in two and a months, you know.

Neil Barrett (50:17.35)
Well, and this was part of my argument as to why I would leave that attack line alone. And I'm not, I'm not saying that, you know, they lost because they played CJ at attack, but I do feel like that attack looked unbalanced. And when, when the shift happened and they started shutting down Michael Sowers, it felt like they just really didn't know

what to do with the ball and where to go and how to work things out. And that was one of my big issues with CJ coming in because he hasn't had a stick in his hand. His hand's been broken and in a cast. He has not had a stick in his hand for over six weeks. He's had what, one practice with the Waterdogs team.

not enough time, you know, it's what two hours, not enough time to get in there. I know he's been in team meetings and stuff. He's been, he's traveled to a few games with the team, but it's just not enough time to, to really gel that offense so quickly and was a big part of the reason why I said I'd leave Jake Taylor down low and I'd run CJ out of the box. Hopefully he can.

you know, get switched onto a shorty and maybe try and take advantage of that matchup. But all that being said, I, I'm not suggesting they need to you know, drop CJ Kirst or anything crazy. just, I just felt like there was a better way to work him into this system. I feel like Bill Tierney kind of dropped the ball on this one.

Brandon Hooten (52:02.916)
well whatever they do they need more than three guys putting the ball in the back of their net.

Neil Barrett (52:06.618)
Well, yeah, that's absolutely true. Yeah, no, that game, like I know we say, we keep saying this about like every game every week, but how a team that good and with that many like offensive talents just goes completely silent just does not make any sense to me whatsoever.

Michael Sowers, even Michael Sowers who, who yes started the game hot, but then went dead silent, you know.

For a guy that we are talking about in the MVP discussion, rightfully so, I'm not suggesting he shouldn't be there, but for a guy that we're talking about as the MVP to go silent for three quarters of that game and for nobody on his team to be able to step up is crazy.

So.

Neil Barrett (53:13.402)
That leads me to our next question coming off of that WIPs Waterdogs game. Maryland is currently by goal differential sitting in fourth place. They are tied with four other teams that are all at three and four, but they are at the top with a plus eight score differential. So they are currently

the last team in the championship series for 2026. My question is, do you think they can hold that position and actually be in the championship series in February?

Brandon Hooten (54:00.766)
I it's just going to depend on what version of them that we get. I mean, it's not like a broken record at this point, but if they're playing like they did this past week going forward, I'm not going to say that they have a great chance. I do think they have some type of chance though. Like they play New York this week. That's going be pretty tough. But then you go into games against California and Boston, both of which have shown that they are beatable.

and they're unpredictable as well. You know, if you can luck your way into two of the last three, that makes you five and five at that point. And then basically you're just at one of those is against Boston. So that drops them. I'm assuming they don't win, you know, two more games as well. And then same with, with Utah, which is why this weekend is so pivotal, not just for Utah, but it drastically affects Maryland.

Boston and really Carolina as well. So I think that absolutely can. I think I'm much more positive towards them than I was early in the season. But I think it is gonna take another performance like this, not just once but twice at the bare minimum to finish out the season.

But I think the young core is looking good. And like you were saying, if they make a decision that, know, Panels maybe not playing as much, Rambles not playing as much, I think that improves our odds probably even more. Because they look to be clicking on all cylinders in that second half.

Neil Barrett (55:37.744)
Yeah, the real question is, let's say they make it. Can they win a game?

Neil Barrett (55:48.536)
No, no, it doesn't matter if they make it they can't win a game. All right, cool

Brandon Hooten (55:52.957)
I mean, Staggs has said it himself. That, you know, it's not that like they're, they have bad players. It's just, it is a different game and not every team's built for that. You know, that said, there's gonna be a lot of guys missing most likely for box. So maybe that helps them, but it hasn't so far. So.

Neil Barrett (55:56.198)
True.

Neil Barrett (56:09.541)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (56:15.226)
Well, because they're going to they're going to be missing some guys. know, Levi Anderson is going to be out like there's they're going to miss some. Yeah, Levi does, yeah.

Brandon Hooten (56:20.728)
Well, does Levi doesn't play? no, Levi does. You're right. Nevermind. I was thinking, I was picturing TJ Malone for some reason. I was like, he's not playing.

Neil Barrett (56:29.08)
Now, maybe even a better question is, do the archers have a chance? They're tied on record three and four. Do the archers

I know technically everybody has a chance cause there's still a bunch of games left in your, in your mind. Do you see a way for the archers to actually realistically beat them to that fourth spot? We're not talking about playoffs. We're talking about championship series.

Brandon Hooten (57:01.016)
Yeah, but Maryland has to lose by a lot and Utah has to win by a lot. Because, I mean, there's a 16 goal differential between the two of them. So even if both teams go two and one, or one and two, whatever, if they're tied on record, Utah's gonna have to overtake them in the score differential category, which right now doesn't seem super likely.

Neil Barrett (57:26.81)
Yeah, considering they.

Brandon Hooten (57:27.46)
They play two teams this weekend that are gonna play them tough and they're not gonna lose by three or four goals. You know what I mean? So Can they? Yes. Will they?

Neil Barrett (57:37.456)
Does it?

This is what's so baffling to me about this archers team as good as that offense is and we know all those names and how they can fill the goal up. They have 69 goals on the season. Which is, mean, the Carol. Yeah, the Carolina Chaos have 73 and they got beat by 14 in a game. Like I don't.

Brandon Hooten (57:57.336)
the only team below 70.

Neil Barrett (58:08.624)
I'm not, can't, feel like I can't even put into words like how not good this offense has been for no reason. Carolina, if, if Carolina was the lowest scoring team in the league, you'd be like, okay, like I kind of get it. Like they don't have those pieces, you know, whatever. But the fact that, that this two time defending champion archers offense,

has has scored four goals less than this Carolina chaos offense that's held together with double bubble and chicken wire is like, how, how is that possible? It doesn't make any sense. And thank God for that defense. Because otherwise, I mean, they're they're bottom of the league by far, if not for their defense and bread tops. So.

Let's speaking of Carolina's offense. The next question that I have for you is does Owen Hiltz have a legitimate chance at winning the rookie of the year? He currently averages more points per game than any other rookie. He has 17 points on 12 goals and assist and five assists, which is

I believe, let me see real quick, I believe that's like fourth for rookies. Let me double check my, maybe it might be fifth actually.

Brandon Hooten (59:41.791)
On point.

Neil Barrett (59:43.992)
Yeah, but for rookies.

Brandon Hooten (59:44.791)
He's sixth. Technically he's tied for fourth. Not tied for fourth, but I can only see the top six and there's three guys ahead him tied for third, so he's fourth.

Neil Barrett (59:49.094)
Time for 40.

Neil Barrett (59:55.869)
Okay. Yes, you're right. He is not, he is alone at fourth, but he's one point behind Andrew McAdory and Sam King and Matt trainer, two points behind Aiden Carroll and then Chris Kavanaugh is up at 21 points. So there's four points behind Chris Kavanaugh having played three games less. So with all of that being said,

And of course, he only played four games because he had visa issues and wasn't able to come across the border and play. With all that being said, does Owen Hilts have a legitimate shot at Rookie of the Year?

Brandon Hooten (01:00:40.173)
Honestly, I don't really know because I don't know what the what the voters value is the problem like If winning genuinely matters, which every other time I have a conversation with someone magically it does and this next time it doesn't That's besides the point like Then no because he's not they're not winning, you know, but like to me that doesn't Tell the full picture of like a player's impact

I don't think he ultimately does win it, but I would have him above some of the other guys I think we've been discussing as of now. I think...

Neil Barrett (01:01:20.304)
Who would you have him above?

Brandon Hooten (01:01:21.919)
I think I would put him above Makadori right now.

Maybe trainer? Maybe even above Aiden Carroll and Chris Kett... I don't know. It's... It's tough because he's averaging over four points a game. So let's assume... So he's gonna play seven games most likely. That's three more. Let's assume he only hits that mark in two of them. That's still another eight points. Plus whatever he gets in the third game. That puts him already at 25 points.

And we've seen a lot of these other rookies slow down quite a bit, at least the offensive rookies. I'm not including Mcnaney or whoever else in this currently. So if we get to the end of the season and he's leading in points of the rookies, then he's the top attackman in my mind, or goal scorer in my mind. But I just don't, the only one recently that feel like has been playing at a crazy level has been Sam King.

And even he's put up, I think, three points this week and then like four or five last week. So I'd kind of put them two maybe towards top right now. But that could change like pretty quickly. It's a problem.

Neil Barrett (01:02:43.792)
Yeah, for sure. Well, and again, Sam King's going to have two games this weekend to like stretch his his advantage.

Brandon Hooten (01:02:48.307)
Right. And we've seen how the homecoming weekends, astronomically, either shoot up a rookie or kind of tank it. So it's like that, you know, this weekend we could be talking about, Sam King actually just went crazy and is the clear leader.

Neil Barrett (01:03:02.96)
Yeah. It's funny because I agree with you. feel like Aiden Carroll, you know, a few weeks ago, I think we thought he was the rookie of the year and now it just feels like he's just kind of not, not necessarily hasn't played well, but like just that the, the rookie, the idea that he's going to be the rookie of the year has kind of just like gone down and down and down. Same with Matt trainer. I think, I don't know that we ever thought he was the rookie of the year, but I feel like his, his odds have really gone down.

I feel the opposite about Andrew McAdory as you. I not necessarily he's gotten better. I feel like he's stayed up there not because of necessarily points that he's putting up, but because of

the kind of do it allness that he's done for the Redwoods, you know, taking face offs, playing defense, playing offense, being that kind of party starter for them on that offense, even when he's not necessarily getting an assist or a goal or something, he's kind of initiating dodges for them. I feel like even though Chris Kavanaugh has not really gone downhill, it feels like the idea of him winning rookie of the year has. Do you feel like that?

Brandon Hooten (01:04:11.744)
Well, I mean, I think he had a really strong beginning of the year. And it probably also helps that like their team was playing better to where now it's like, even like this week, I think he had four points and it's still just like, but at the same time he did that against the Atlas. So like that should be talked about more probably, which is why I'm hesitant to say that Owen Hiltz is like,

Neil Barrett (01:04:31.834)
Yeah. Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:04:37.386)
Even above him because I do feel like I like I don't think we necessarily appreciate The guys that are on teams that are losing because they get lost in that like well you lost so your four points are you know meaningless quote-unquote But but I think top three goal scores for me right now would be Cav Hiltz King and I guess he was throw McAdory in there as well, you know mix those around whatever you want to do

Neil Barrett (01:04:47.419)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:05:03.504)
Did I convince you on the Macadori? You know what's funny about Owen Hiltz is whenever we talk about the winning conversation, it almost feels like this Carolina team is is at least somewhat kind of excluded from that because I think they're exceeding people's expectations, which I think is

is maybe the one part where I don't think necessarily winning and losing is all that important so much as maybe what you do against the expectations. And I think people thought this Carolina chaos team was going to be very bad and that as good as Owen Hiltz might be, and I will hold my hands up and say this, I thought he was missing a Joey Spallina type

player on that offense that could that could quarterback the offense and get him the ball in places where he wanted the ball but he has definitely and I know I know Brian is listening and I know he was banging this drum all spring and I kept being like nah that ain't nah I don't know but he he was constantly saying Owen Hiltz can do more than

perhaps what the game tape at Syracuse sometimes indicated. And he is certainly showing that. And And in that sense, it does feel like he should at least have a strong case for rookie of the year. which as we've discussed, it feels like half of the rookie class is kind of sliding away. I think for so long it was like,

All of them are right here and now, now it feels like we're starting to get maybe half of them starting to fade back a little bit. And we still got a pretty good race, but, like you said, this is, we're only really talking about offensive guys. We're not talking about, you know, Logan Mcnaney and some of the other guys that, aren't putting the ball in the back of the net kind of rookies. So

Brandon Hooten (01:07:19.53)
Hey, McNanny tried three times this weekend. He was, was... He ran a little too far for my liking on some of those.

Neil Barrett (01:07:28.122)
Yeah, and the crowd was like, go.

Brandon Hooten (01:07:30.956)
There was one I legitimately thought he was going for, because he made it almost to the two point line and I was like, is this really happening right now?

Neil Barrett (01:07:40.381)
The only thing was I thought all three times he looked like he didn't want to shoot. like he, he, he, that one you're talking about. I think he might've shot if, if, but he did not look at all like he wanted to shoot at all. He was like, someone take this ball from me now. But I, I wish I want to, I wanted, I wanted to see it. I wanted to see it. one more question. We did not prep this at all.

Brandon Hooten (01:07:45.633)
yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:07:58.095)
huh.

Neil Barrett (01:08:12.23)
just kind of popped in my head thinking about thinking about Macklemmy Mcnaney Mcnaney thinking about Mcnaney taking that shot with not that he did but thinking about if he had what was

That's not the question because there's a pretty obvious answer. Brendan O'Neill's goal. Incredible. Number two on Sports Center, which the fact that it got beat out by anything is crazy. Not that not that the number one play. I don't know if you saw it that the football catch. Did you see it?

Brandon Hooten (01:08:49.602)
I was arguing that that's the only play that I would be okay with it.

Neil Barrett (01:08:52.732)
Yeah, not not that that shouldn't have been number one. What I'm what I'm saying is it's crazy that there was something that was even in the conversation to beat that because it was so good. My question for you and I know your answer because we did talk about this. What was better, his NLL goal from earlier this season, which for those of you who maybe didn't see it, I don't know how you missed it. He had a crazy falling

Brandon Hooten (01:08:59.999)
Yes. Yes.

Neil Barrett (01:09:23.036)
crease dive behind the back, kind of like threw it behind his back.

Brandon Hooten (01:09:26.497)
He did like a shovel twister with one hand midair. This is best way I can describe it.

Neil Barrett (01:09:29.564)
Yeah, it was it was insane and it was very good. goal in your mind that goal or his behind the back through the legs on the run. Goal was better.

Brandon Hooten (01:09:48.148)
I think the one in box was better because he he had to beat his defender in tight space jump midair on a goalie that's taken up like the entire cage and literally I can't even fathom how he like twisted his hand to keep the ball and also like not break his wrist and still flick it in not saying the one he had

this weekend was bad because it was crazy how he caught it with one hand and then still for some reason was like yeah let me stop turn around and you know jump like I don't know why he did that it was awesome but like I have more faith in him redoing that than I do him diving across the crease doing a one-handed shovel twister thing

Neil Barrett (01:10:36.134)
The NLL goal was the equivalent of that Alexander Ovechkin goal from like early in his career, like year one or year two, where he like falls down and is sliding on the ice, like on his stomach and kind of rolling onto his back and just like loops it behind him. Like that was basically what that Brennan O'Neill goal was. And I think you're right in terms of repeatability.

Brandon Hooten (01:10:53.273)
yes. Yes.

Neil Barrett (01:11:02.06)
He could do that. He could do that 100 times and he'd never repeat it. Not saying he wouldn't make a goal, but he would never do what he did on that play the way he did it. I think I think the one this weekend. I think that the the bad the bad pass. I'm using air quotes again for people who can't see from pack from pack having I'm pretty sure from pack having a.

Brandon Hooten (01:11:09.12)
way he did it.

Neil Barrett (01:11:30.264)
is part of the reason why he ended up with that because he has to reach back and catch it one handed. And then as he's pulling it in, he can see that defender sliding to him. And I think he thought, I'm going to turn my back so that they don't just light me up in the face. And then he was like, well, how am I going to get this shot up? So I, I don't think it was as.

I didn't have to do it, but I did it anyway, as some people are claiming. Like I think there was actually some thought process, but it was also like 100 % instinctual as well of just like, crap, here's this guy like, and just kind of like making it happen. But no.

Brandon Hooten (01:12:09.877)
I thought for sure he was gonna one hand it off the catch and just... because we've seen him do that type of thing before. So that's what was crazy to me was he literally caught it and was like, all right. Like, it just... insane.

Neil Barrett (01:12:13.284)
Yes. And just yeah, just throw it.

Neil Barrett (01:12:23.452)
I was trying to think of I don't think I've ever seen anyone on the run like we've seen like Connor Fields is kind of from the backside on the run, but I don't think we've ever seen anyone like turn their back and shoot it on the run like that. That was that was crazy. But ultimately, I think you're right. think the I think the NLL goal is better. Yes, yeah, we're.

Brandon Hooten (01:12:48.523)
Just the repeatability of it's just more difficult.

Neil Barrett (01:12:52.604)
We're talking like gymnastics level of difficulty was a 10 on that one. And on the PLL one, was like a 9.7, you know,

Brandon Hooten (01:12:57.055)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:13:03.453)
And I think like he's to my knowledge not played box really all that much before. So like to me it's like for him to attempt that and like his first real action at the pro level is kind of crazy. Whereas like what he did this weekend I have no doubt he's gonna try something like that again. You know what I'm saying? he even some of his behind the back goals I'm like why are you trying this? Like the one he had this weekend too in traffic I'm like.

Neil Barrett (01:13:09.733)
Yes.

Neil Barrett (01:13:21.212)
100 %

Brandon Hooten (01:13:31.553)
I don't understand how his mind works to in the moment think of those things.

Neil Barrett (01:13:36.061)
That's one of the craziest things for me as a kid who grew up in the early 2000s playing this game. The thing like you'll see like digs tape and me and like Brian knows lacks and stuff we'll talk about all the time is those kinds of thoughts don't even enter my mind. Like I would never catch it in some of these positions and think, oh, I'm just gonna wrap it around. Did you see that?

Brandon Hooten (01:14:02.26)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (01:14:04.22)
talking about crazy ghost did you see the Joey Spelina go?

Brandon Hooten (01:14:07.465)
yeah, the one hand quick behind the back flick.

Neil Barrett (01:14:09.636)
the one hand around the world. Yeah. Like I, if I had caught that ball, my thought would have been, okay, let's, I can't score from here. I'm gonna, I'm gonna, I'm gonna settle the ball and we're gonna play offense. That would have been, that's the way that it was like ingrained in that early kind of two thousands when I was growing up. That's one of the reasons why Mikey Powell was so crazy because he could do these things that we were just like,

Brandon Hooten (01:14:20.126)
I'm gonna turn around. We're gonna loop it around.

Neil Barrett (01:14:38.916)
what in the world is happening here? And same thing with Lyle. Even by the time Lyle showed up at Albany, it was still kind of ingrained in you that like, you know, this is how you play and stuff. And so some of the stuff that Lyle was doing. But now these kids, they grew up and they watched Lyle and then they watched Ryder Garnsey and they watch Brennan O'Neal now. And it's like, yeah, anything I do in my backyard, I'll do in a game. And I'm like, I just...

I can't even imagine being at a place where I even thought of some of the things that people are pulling off on a somewhat regular basis. And I think that we should talk more about how that is not normal.

even though it happens somewhat regularly now, it's still not normal. It's still not. It's still incredible. So I had I say that because I had someone that was like, well, if it's happening regularly, then it is pretty normal. And I'm like, shut up, nerd. Like, no, it's not just because something happens more regularly does not make it more normal. So.

Brandon Hooten (01:15:33.385)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:15:50.344)
Also, that specific goal does not happen regularly.

Neil Barrett (01:15:54.255)
No, goodness gracious. One more question and we'll move off of this. Was that goal better than his one-handed underarm flick from like 15 yards last year? I guess 15 is the two, so it was just inside the two. What's your level of difficulty ranking on that?

Brandon Hooten (01:16:16.224)
I think the one-hander is harder. Because you need so much strength in your forearm to flick it that far and be precise with it. This one I think was flashier and looks cooler visually. But again, I have more faith that he could just turn jump and do it than him on the run shielding off a dude.

Neil Barrett (01:16:19.665)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:16:28.752)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:16:34.384)
Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (01:16:38.512)
Do it. Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:16:45.278)
It was just like Pat Cavs in the All-Star game where I'm like, don't, I genuinely don't have the strength to, I mean, and also how do you cradle the ball and have enough hold in your stick to basically come like perpendicular to the ground with it and still flick it? It's, yeah, yeah. He must have a physics degree or something, dude, cause the way he can hold the ball is crazy.

Neil Barrett (01:16:51.025)
Yeah

Neil Barrett (01:17:05.307)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:17:10.752)
Yeah, we talked about gymnastics ratings. This one I'm gonna go a little bit different and I'm gonna go skateboarding. And this one reminded me of, ever watched like a really technical skateboarding trick?

and skateboarders, like a lot of times, announcers, skateboarders who have spent their life skateboarding and stuff, look at it and they're like, but to you as kind of a lay person is like, okay, that didn't look.

that that cool. That's what that one handed shot was to me. It's like, yeah, it doesn't look like you said, it's not as flashy as the behind the back through the legs kind of thing. That's clearly way flashier and to the lay person, I think looks much more difficult, but no way that one handed on the run like that from that from that.

distance too. You know, we've seen Ryder Garnsies scored goals like that and stuff. think Lyle scored some goals, but usually from five ish yards. He was at like 12, 13 and just launched that thing. And you're like, like you said, how do you have the wrist strength for that? That's insane. So, all right, let's move on to the games in.

Brandon Hooten (01:18:12.276)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:18:35.288)
Salt Lake City this weekend, we mentioned earlier, Utah's win against Carolina sets up a massive, massive weekend for them. So we are starting with their first game of the weekend. They are playing the California Redwoods. How do you see this game going?

Brandon Hooten (01:18:57.48)
either way i don't know this one i'm legitimately probably gonna flip a coin on just cuz like last week i picked against utah cuz i knew them to prove it to me that they can actually play some winning lacrosse they did that wasn't pretty but but they did it last year they played california in utah and they won so

Neil Barrett (01:19:11.846)
Kinda.

Brandon Hooten (01:19:20.684)
I do think the home field is legit home field here. I think there are some cities that maybe it's not quite to that level yet, but Utah is not one of them. They are very pro archers. The crowd will be all in orange and I think that will kind of propel them. But I also kind of think California is due for one at the same time. So.

Brandon Hooten (01:19:50.076)
I know. I guess I lean Utah with the home field, but it's like...

Neil Barrett (01:19:57.127)
Yeah, no, I think I'm taking Utah. I feel pretty comfortable in it. think they're gonna have that home crowd. They're going to have a home crowd that, like we said earlier, is one of the most pro home team crowds that you're gonna get at a PLL event. I think they're going to want to prove something.

And I think, again, like we've talked about, California has difficulty closing out games and I think they are going to end up winning this game. That being said, if California wins, it's you can't be all that shocked about it. These are two these are two up and down teams. And if if California comes in here and Utah is.

what they were in the second half of this of the game this past week. Obviously California can win, but I think Utah is going to do enough. I'm not going to say they're going to edge it. I think they win two or three. They win somewhat comfortably. But again, you know, California could could just totally blow that away. But.

Let's move on to the second game of the weekend where the Maryland Whip Snakes will take on the New York Atlas. Any any chance you're you're given to Maryland?

Brandon Hooten (01:21:31.391)
I'll give him some chance.

Neil Barrett (01:21:33.496)
some, some how much what's the percent of chance you're giving them?

Brandon Hooten (01:21:39.519)
15.

Neil Barrett (01:21:41.372)
15, okay, that I thought you were gonna say like two. So 15, 15 is a sizable amount comparatively.

Brandon Hooten (01:21:46.022)
Nah, I mean, because again, because like I said with the outlaws last week, I streaks come to an end at some point. In this specific league, I think they happen to come against teams you probably wouldn't expect. And...

I the battle of Nardella and Baptiste will be very good, but Nardella has kind of bested Baptiste this year. And if they can capitalize off of those extra possessions, I think they can kind of, you know, push New York a little bit. Not enough to where like, I think they're going to win. I still think the Atlas probably pull it out because they are on the better team. But I liked what I saw from Maryland last week with the fight. And I think if they can

really figure out the young core doing it and not relying on having an RP3 there or a Rambo even in the offense necessarily. And McCarroll, the other thing too, has played really well. He's only had one game this year that I feel like was bad and that was his first game. So granted this is a massive test for this probably the biggest test he's you know had aside from the outlaws two weeks ago.

Neil Barrett (01:22:50.128)
Mm-hmm. Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:22:58.939)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (01:23:00.605)
because you're facing a former MVP, you're facing one of the MVP favorites for this year, and then you also have guys like Xander Dixon and Kosta Beal who can also make it tough on you. So if Carroll can find a way to just play his best game of the year, I think they have a slight chance, but keyword is slight.

Neil Barrett (01:23:20.176)
Yeah, I, I think you're absolutely right. If if the young guns are running at the show on the offense and Emmett Carroll can do his thing, I'm with you. think I think Joe Nardella probably does do his thing regardless of what anyone else on the field is doing. He's I think he's always done fairly well against Trevor. It just is kind of he's just kind of been one of Trevor's Achilles heels.

So I imagine that there's, see no reason why that changes that will almost definitely be in place if, if they can, you know, get, get a good, decent amount out of, out of the young guys, regardless of whether or not our P3 and or Rambo or aren't playing, whether they're in attack or running out of the box or whatever, who cares if they can, we talked about a couple of weeks ago, even with rent with RP three in the back.

their best games with him in were when still when, you know, TJ Malone and Levi Anderson and that young core Aiden Carroll, those guys were the ones that were really doing the heavy lifting on the offensive end. So I think if they have those pieces, they can win this game. But I think, I think the Atlas are just on top of everything right now and barring

barring Jeff T returning to his on again off again thing and and kind of doing nothing. I just don't I think they have too much to overcome for Maryland and and it's more about the Atlas than it is about the Whip Snakes at this point in the season.

So, let's move on to the third game, CJ Kirst's second game against the Carolina Chaos. Will his second game be better than his first game?

Brandon Hooten (01:25:30.352)
Individually?

Neil Barrett (01:25:33.07)
I mean, you can answer that.

Brandon Hooten (01:25:33.288)
probably probably keep be probably it's a point team wise i mean i'd it depends because there's three no one war it all starts he had a bad game last game that he played for but the three no

Neil Barrett (01:25:52.572)
Do you think he starts this week?

Brandon Hooten (01:25:55.047)
I think he does. I also said that early in the year I thought they were going to alternate every other game. And then at some point Dylan Ward played back to back and that kind of messed it up.

Neil Barrett (01:26:01.084)
Can I?

Neil Barrett (01:26:05.158)
Can I ask why you think he is going to play just only because Matt DeLuca wasn't, was in no way bad this past weekend.

Brandon Hooten (01:26:17.466)
No. But they don't win.

Neil Barrett (01:26:19.726)
He finished with, he finished with 64%. So I hear you that they didn't win.

Brandon Hooten (01:26:23.954)
Mm-hmm.

Well, hang on, not just this game. Like, they're undefeated when Dylan Ward starts. So there's something there that is a disconnect. If we're going off of like numbers, then yes, it should be DeLuca. But again, based on their pattern of flip-flopping, it should be Dylan Ward's turn. And then the following week would be Matt DeLuca.

Neil Barrett (01:26:49.286)
too.

To that point, they won when Dylan Ward had four saves and was at what, 27 % or whatever. Matt DeLuca had.

Brandon Hooten (01:27:02.589)
26%, which is why I'm saying he played bad, but they won.

Neil Barrett (01:27:06.46)
Matt DeLuca had 16 saves for 64 % and they lost.

Neil Barrett (01:27:15.868)
We talked about it a couple of weeks ago about the idea that like, yes, you need a goalie that is going to stop the ball from going into the back of the net. But also you need a goalie who can organize your defense control slides, do all that stuff. And to your point in this conversation, I don't know for sure. Obviously I'm not sitting.

On the crease listening to everything but it could be kind of what you're saying that that maybe Dylan Ward is is just better at organizing that defense and The guys in front of him play better with him in goal And so even when he's playing bad the team overall plays better

Brandon Hooten (01:28:03.708)
Which I think is what it is. I still think they probably should start to Luka every game. As sad as that makes me feel. But there's something to be said for they're finding a way to win when one of them is playing and they're not when the other is playing. So whether we like it or not, there's a disconnect somewhere.

and against a team like Carolina who maybe doesn't have the star power on offense necessarily, you have to wonder if you start Dylan Ward to kind of get that confidence better after a tough game. Because clearly DeLuca, I think, has had numerous games this year with 60 plus percent. I believe he saved 60 against the Outlaws as well. So he's already there. You know you're going to probably get around that every game. And maybe you're saving DeLuca for the playoffs as well.

Neil Barrett (01:28:52.71)
his

He's actually only had one game where he was below 60%.

Brandon Hooten (01:28:59.238)
Yeah, so you kind of know what you're getting generally speaking with him and I think he's going to be the guy in the playoffs. So like you might as well Maybe keep him a little bit more fresh, but who knows? Either way, I think they're probably better on paper and I think they'll figure out a better system with CJ this week than they did last week So I lean in their direction but Carolina gives me hope like every week so I Want to believe so bad like I really do

Neil Barrett (01:29:28.87)
They are the Ted Lasso of the PLL and that the 14 point loss to Maryland aside every week you think they're not gonna do it and the game is again the 14 point loss aside every other game they have been right there in very close a few balls go the other way and

they could have won those games. So yeah, I'm going to go Philly. I think, kind of like I said, against the Atlas, I think it's more about where they are than where Carolina is. I'm not going to be all that shocked if Carolina wins, but they don't, they don't tend to do a whole lot of games in a row very well. And

that streak might might just run out a little bit that being said Owen Hiltz and Blais Reardon are probably going to keep them right there in this game and it's going to be Closer than perhaps it should my big question is How well can they get CJ worked into that offense? Can this can this be a breakout game for him? Can can he at least get some some stuff going because because

that Carolina defense is going to key in on him and make them work for it. And they cannot have another game where shutting down Michael Sowers kills their offense. That, cannot happen again. That's one of those things like, okay, we learned the lesson once we got to figure it out. We got to figure out a plan B or whatever, cause that can't happen again. So

I'm going to give Philly the benefit of the doubt and say that that's not going to happen again and that they will win. But in this league, anything's possible. Let's move on to the final game of the weekend where your Denver outlaws will take on their hated rivals and the Utah archers. At least if you believe Dre.

Neil Barrett (01:31:53.852)
Are you not one of those people that hates Utah?

Brandon Hooten (01:31:58.495)
as a state or their teams i i don't really have a preference i don't i think the rivalry thing is a little overstated

Neil Barrett (01:32:10.308)
Is it because Utah's not been good enough to be a rival?

Brandon Hooten (01:32:13.694)
No, I just think we have eight teams. I don't think that because we made three team or four team conferences that now all of a sudden there's like this like massive rivalry. The only reason that I think Dre says that is because they're like next to each other. But we're...

Neil Barrett (01:32:30.266)
Well, Dre hates Utah in all things. In all sports.

Brandon Hooten (01:32:33.97)
Well see, I can't speak to why he hates the state. I know why DJ hates the state, I don't know why Dre hates the state. But of all the teams, yeah I guess it is a rivalry, but like to date they've killed us every time. But regardless, yes, revenge game. Yes, yes.

Neil Barrett (01:32:41.372)
You

Neil Barrett (01:32:56.314)
Revenge game. Theme of the episode, revenge game.

Brandon Hooten (01:33:03.506)
technically they're going for revenge because you know the boys already did their thing against them this year once so

Neil Barrett (01:33:10.524)
Yeah, but can you do it in Utah?

Brandon Hooten (01:33:14.214)
and last year we couldn't but this year.

Neil Barrett (01:33:17.102)
This is the year.

Brandon Hooten (01:33:19.954)
We didn't have JB10 last year. We didn't have Pat Cav last year. We didn't have Zach Geddes last year. We didn't have Logan McNany last year.

Neil Barrett (01:33:24.496)
Listen.

Tell JB10 to keep his big fat toes out of the crease this week and maybe you guys will actually comfortably win a game.

Brandon Hooten (01:33:30.918)
Hahaha

Hey, hey, however we win it, that's all I want. I do think they win this game though, just because I think the day before's game with Utah and California will be pretty physically demanding on them. again, like we've said all year, their offense hasn't been up to par. If they can do that and play well and still win games, like cool, but I don't think that they can look into that twice in a weekend.

Neil Barrett (01:33:39.758)
Hahaha!

Neil Barrett (01:33:54.011)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (01:34:04.38)
Mm-hmm.

Brandon Hooten (01:34:05.061)
So just because and also think too, I think McNaney and the defense bounced back this week. It was only a matter of time till they had a bad game in my mind and I think they got that out of the way. So and they have to play well because they're playing against Dauber and Haseg, you know, and so you have to play well. And I think they ultimately probably do that, which would be cool because last year it was just like to see them sweep and beat the Alas. It was like, man.

Neil Barrett (01:34:20.881)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:34:34.993)
That sucked.

Neil Barrett (01:34:36.646)
Yeah, I think you brought up the key to this game and that is that it's the second of Denver's games this weekend. If these two games were flipped, maybe? Maybe? Yes. Yeah, I mean, when you think about the fact that they already lost to Denver.

Brandon Hooten (01:34:50.407)
I think they'd have a better chance, but still it'd be uphill battle.

Neil Barrett (01:35:00.708)
this season when neither team had a back to back. I think right now you would say that Denver is the better team. And, so was always going to be an uphill battle for Utah to win this game, but it being the second of their back to back, I think, I think makes it pretty clear that, that Denver is going to be a fairly heavy favorite, maybe, maybe not a, you know, a Carolina chaos.

level favorite, but it for a for a PLL game in a league where all these teams are so bunched together, I think it's going to be a relatively heavy favorite and rightfully so. And. I want to give Utah some benefit of the doubt and try to give them some way that they can win this game. I just don't know what it is.

Denver's gonna have to like, just not show up, I think. Because like you said, this offense ain't clicking. Denver's defense is good. McNaney and Goal is good. They are going to make them work to score goals and it's something they haven't been able to do. Meanwhile, I think what's funny about this

archers defense is that they're good. We all know they're good. We know Brad Thompson is good, very good and goal one of the best goalies in the world, depending on your specific likings. He's he's at least one of the top three goalies in the world.

And yet, we've seen teams score against them. Maybe not 18 goals, but teams can get to... Right, right. Teams can get to 12 to 14 relatively easily. The issue has been that the Utah offense cannot match that.

Brandon Hooten (01:36:57.937)
But 13.

Brandon Hooten (01:37:11.857)
Yep. Well, and if you remember the last time these teams played, they had to switch the matchup with Hasek onto JB10. And I remember talking to you about, I felt like Brennan needed to insert himself in that moment to make Hasek decide, you pick your poison. I think this time, if they have to switch that matchup, I think Brennan will go to work and create a situation where you can't guard everybody. And I mean, even this...

Neil Barrett (01:37:19.748)
and

Neil Barrett (01:37:25.276)
Hmm

Neil Barrett (01:37:33.724)
Yep.

Brandon Hooten (01:37:40.507)
Just last weekend, like all of them I think had four points of the all the tour time winner. So it's going to take like Utah's absolute best effort. I do think the crowd will help them, but it's going to take, you know, they're going to have to play their best game literally of the season.

Neil Barrett (01:37:43.932)
Mm-hmm.

Thanks

Neil Barrett (01:37:57.661)
Yeah, 100%, 100%. And kind of going along the lines of what you were saying, something has changed in the last five weeks with Brennan since the first version of this game. And really, I'd say since the All-Star game, it was like the All-Star game unlocked something in him.

Brandon Hooten (01:38:18.553)
It flipped the switch of he's just playing comfortable. Like he's truly just having fun, it's not... I think, I think even though...

Neil Barrett (01:38:21.466)
Yep. Yep.

Brandon Hooten (01:38:27.013)
He didn't have to be the guy coming into the season anymore. I think there were still some of that like lingering effect of like, I need to be the person that, and then once he kind of let go and was like, wait a minute, we got all these guys that can initiate and do their own thing. I don't need to do that. And now it's like, he can just fit in where he fits in. And if that means he gets six points, great. If that means he gets two points, but they win, great. Like it doesn't matter.

Neil Barrett (01:38:42.96)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (01:38:51.002)
Yeah. Yeah. Well, and and I think I think the the tell for that was in the game against I think it was the WIPs game right after the All-Star break when I don't think he had am I wrong here? Let me just double check. OK, it wasn't that game then. You know what? Maybe actually maybe it was.

Man, I don't remember what game it was.

One of the games in the since the Utah game. I remember he didn't have a great statistical game. I think he only had two or three points, but we talked about it on here. I really liked seeing him continue to dodge, continue to attack his matchup, continue to go at people because that was the kind of game.

in previous seasons and back at Duke where he would start to fade back and say, okay, it's not, my shot's not falling. I'm going to kind of take my man and pull him out and give you guys more space to operate. And he was fine with sitting back and letting other guys do that. And I think,

He is better served and his team is better served by him continuing to attack his matchup. And it's something that we have seen this, this kind of switch flip.

Neil Barrett (01:40:23.694)
for him in the last couple of weeks where even even when his shots aren't necessarily falling, he is going to continue being aggressive, continue attaching, attacking his matchup, which only benefits everyone else. It makes Pat Kavanaugh's life easier, makes Jared Bernhardt's life easier. It makes Dalton Young's life easier and everyone on on that team's life easier when he continues to do that. So

All that to say, just, like you said, don't, unless the archers play a damn near perfect game, I just don't see them having the ability to win it, which of course, because we both said that means they're going to win, you know, 15 to 10 and you know, whatever, but I just don't see that happening at all.

Brandon Hooten (01:41:12.305)
No.

Neil Barrett (01:41:23.836)
So with that being said, let's move on to just a couple kind of little news notes to pick up on. The first one is that earlier today, Dan Arrestia reported that he heard that the All-Star game drew 250,000 viewers on ABC. That

He was still working to confirm it's still an early report, but it's a pretty good number for an All-Star game that is, you know, not a super well-known sport. I think any All-Star game is probably going to have a drop in viewership over regular week to week games. So it's still pretty cool that that number was that high.

if that does turn out to be the number.

Brandon Hooten (01:42:21.712)
Yep, not including ESPN Plus as well.

Neil Barrett (01:42:25.54)
Yes. And that does not include any, any streaming numbers. That's just Nielsen ratings of viewers on like standard linear television. So pretty cool there. The other note from the week happened right before we jumped on and pressed record. And that is that the redwoods have claimed Rylan Reese, who the water dogs cut.

to make room for CJ curse to be activated and the redwoods have cut Nikai Montgomery dropped him into the player pool in order to make room for the Ryland Reese signing first things first. Let's talk about Ryland Reese signing. Well being claimed by the redwoods. What do you think about that?

Brandon Hooten (01:43:15.524)
I'm a Rylander East guy. So whatever they can do to get him on the field, do it. I mean, we talked about this in the group chat. This is kind of only team that made sense to claim him in general.

Neil Barrett (01:43:28.796)
Mm.

Brandon Hooten (01:43:31.0)
So I can't say I'm surprised, but very glad it's happening. I wasn't a fan of him not playing. I know Philly has some other options there that are capable. But again, I'm a Reese guy. I want to see him play. So, and I think it makes sense to cut Nikai for him just because Nikai hasn't played. Who, you know, I don't think California is anticipating anyone probably picks him up. That's going to hurt them in the near future, especially because they're last in last place right now. So.

Neil Barrett (01:43:40.048)
Mm-hmm.

Neil Barrett (01:43:43.707)
Yeah.

Brandon Hooten (01:44:00.933)
I mind to move it all.

Neil Barrett (01:44:03.088)
Yeah, I love the Ryland Reese pickup. I don't want to see that I was shocked they cut him because like it kind of makes sense when you look at their roster and the guys that are playing and stuff. He was just kind of the odd man out, kind of like we talked about with Pat Kavanaugh in Boston. Like the roster as it's made up right now just didn't have room for him. And it's not a reflection on him as a

as a talent or as a player. They just it just was kind of one of those things. But he's a great player. And this, like you said, the Redwoods make so much sense for him. And they they got a stud. So hopefully, hopefully he helps them pick it up. But maybe not too much. And then Nikai. Nikai, I like as a player, I think he is

Good and I think he still has space in the PLL For him to play for somebody. I'm not sure he gets picked up this year though. I just don't

Brandon Hooten (01:45:11.193)
I think he's a champ series pick up personally.

Neil Barrett (01:45:14.756)
I can see that I can see him being a champ series pickup. Maybe Carolina. They're the only ones I could really think of off the top of my head that that could maybe pick him up. I don't I don't even know that they necessarily need to pick him up. My only thought was they could potentially pick him up and just see if he can produce anything offensively.

from the midfield. know lots of people tend to think of him as a two-way player. I'm not sure that's his best position. I know he can play some defense. I still kind of feel like his best position is as an offensive midfielder. I would not be surprised to see him on a team somewhere next year though. It just feels like at this point in the season, everyone's kind of settled in. You're looking at.

maybe more disruption than is really worth at this point in the season. So I'm just not sure that he gets picked up. That being said, I wasn't sure Jules was going to get picked up this year and he did. So maybe somebody makes a move now that he's, cause the thing about picking him up off of the Redwoods was that if you, if you sign him away, you have to play him that week. and this would give people a little, this would give a team more freedom to maybe

sign him, bring him out to a practice or something, get him mixed in and see, you know, but I'm just not sure that it happens. But with that all being said, we are going to wrap up the show. That is it for this week. As always, if you enjoyed the show, if you had fun, liked what you heard, please like, comment, share with

a friend that likes lacrosse or is getting into lacrosse, whatever that happens to be. You can find me at I am Neil Barrett on both Instagram and Twitter. Brandon is at Hoot Sports Media on both Instagram and Twitter. I'm really glad that you wrote that down on the screen because I'm not sure I would have said it as cleanly if I wasn't able to read it, but

Brandon Hooten (01:47:29.562)
Yeah.

Neil Barrett (01:47:34.332)
Anything going on this week worth worth talking about

Brandon Hooten (01:47:40.815)
Nope, I go out to Utah Friday morning and hanging out with some rough riders out there, so it should be a good time.

Neil Barrett (01:47:44.112)
Well, that's right. You're going to the games.

Neil Barrett (01:47:50.332)
That does sound like fun. I wish I could go to Utah. That would be a really fun one.

Brandon Hooten (01:47:55.452)
pretty sweet, just really far from like everything, which sucks, but that's another conversation for another day.

Neil Barrett (01:48:00.444)
Yeah, yeah, and then yeah, for sure. So with all of that being said, we are going to get out of here as always. We'll catch you in the comments.