First Times A Charm

Neil Barrett: Welcome, welcome, welcome to the runout. I am Neil Barrett. He is Brandon Hooton. We didn't record an episode last week. Brandon was without power, but we have so much to make up for in that time. there is so much crammed into this week. The charm RWLL champions, the BLL MVP race is a dead heat, and Canada ripped the gold medal out of the hands of the U.S. But before we get into any of that, Brandon Man, how we do it, man. @HootSportsMedia: Doing well. kind of a slow but busy weekend at the same time. Shaw Dith soccer tournament. Neil Barrett: How how how did you @HootSportsMedia: That's it. Neil Barrett: feel? I know you texted us a little bit during it. How how did you feel overall? @HootSportsMedia: those dudes are way better than than any professional thing ever produced. By a mile. Neil Barrett: Yeah. You're gonna be a soccer guy now? @HootSportsMedia: They No. No, it still sucks. But overall, like they I was seeing little kids just get hit, fall to the ground, they just get back up like nothing happened. Some of them are also like, that looks like that hurt and they just were fine. you know, the little kids definitely have no clue what they're doing. They're just kind of kicking the ball into each other, like a game of pinball. Neil Barrett: Yeah, it's a d it's a dust cloud, it just like follows the ball around. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, and and like the f you know, parents are cheering on like any and everything, even when it's like something Neil Barrett: Mm-hmm. @HootSportsMedia: horrible happened. They're so like, Good job, you know, Jake or whatever the kid's name is like I was like, Okay, wha what's going on here? But yeah, there was definitely you know, every team kinda had one or two kids you could tell like they they know what they're doing and they kinda gotta put together a little bit. Yeah, I mean weather didn't affect us too bad till the end of the day and by that point I was cut, so not too bad. Neil Barrett: Speaking of soccer, the English Premier League season officially kicked off. Manchester United played this weekend. You wanna you wanna take a guess? @HootSportsMedia: Heard that went well. Neil Barrett: Yeah. It went real well. I'm gonna I'm gonna pretend that it did. I'm gonna I'm just gonna go full on delusional this season. @HootSportsMedia: Ha ha. Neil Barrett: And I'm just gonna pretend like it r went real well. I'm gonna pretend like it didn't ruin my weekend. Not a not a good time. I had high hopes. I had high hopes. It we were p do you know I don't even know if this will make sense to you. Do you know who we played? We played Whole City. They were promoted this season. This is their first season back up in the Premier League from the championship. I don't remember the last time they were up. They were up a while ago. anyway, irrelevant. The season before that, they were nearly relegated to the third division. they only survived on the last day by, I believe, goal difference. That's the only thing that kept them up. And then they were promoted last year. So we it felt like a good game for us to start with. And we lost two zeros. So @HootSportsMedia: Feels bad. Neil Barrett: Yeah, not a not a great time for for me. But @HootSportsMedia: This is why you this is why you just watch youth soccer where half the tournament is the team that hired you to be there. So you can just root for basically everybody. Neil Barrett: How did they do? Did they did they win? @HootSportsMedia: they won a lot. I don't have the the graphic Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: they put out, but the graphic that they they had said they won like I wanna say it was like seventy five percent of the the tournaments, I guess for lack of a better term. Like they like they were they had some good teams. Neil Barrett: All right, okay. That's fun. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Yeah. Neil Barrett: Listen, we're gonna make we're gonna make you a soccer guy. Don't worry. Let's move on to the WLL championship. the Maryland charm are crowned the inaugural WLL champions after they beat the California Palms 1613 at Subaru Park. that was a great game. so much fun. I I don't even think the sixteen thirteen was really indicative of of how much fun that game was. for for most of the fourth quarter it was it was back and forth. I felt like it was it was right there. the big the big problem I think was that it was what seven two I think at the end of the first the the poems just kind of didn't show up it took a while to get going. I guess I guess I should say. They they definitely showed up. But Also interesting that the the Charm have been, you know, arguably the worst team of the WLL's existence prior to this season. they they won one of the championship series games, I think. I don't even remember. I think they were 0 and 4 last year, and then I think they went one and three this year. so I think they've only won one game. but it was really interesting to see all of the like rewinds. interviews with like Allie Kennedy, I know Kaylee Waters also said it at the end of the championship series. They said like this team is built for field and like we're gonna go win the championship, which I'm sure some of it was just like regular like sports bravado of like, no, we'll be back kind of thing. But also like they seem to really legitimately have faith that this team was built for the field game. and that @HootSportsMedia: Maryland Way. Neil Barrett: kind of that Yes. Yes, it was it was just like the W or just like the PL championship first PL championship in twenty nineteen. It was what is now the the California team versus the the Maryland team. and the Maryland team won. So @HootSportsMedia: And they also can't play sixes very well. Just like the whips. Neil Barrett: I didn't I didn't even make that connection, but you're totally right. That's absolutely true. the whips are @HootSportsMedia: And this is a compliment by the way. I mean pretty much. It's basically they own Carafa California and you know, it's a their field team. That's fine. Neil Barrett: Yeah, if they if they win next year it'll cement that that link right there. @HootSportsMedia: I kinda hope that happens now. That would be absolutely hilarious. And then there'd be some questions about rigging at that point, maybe. But that'd be kinda funny. Neil Barrett: Maybe, maybe. Do you I was just thinking though, it it's kind of a bummer that they have the like standard Well, I don't know, do you do you think that they should have like similar color scheme? You know, like the charging and the Atlas have, you know @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yes. I I do, but it's less because I want them to match and more about I hate the red and yellow. I I don't like that they tried to match the college. Like to me that should have stayed as the college. and it Neil Barrett: Well, I mean, to be fair, they're matching the flag. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I don't think they should do that. They should match the the PL team. And also when they were introduced and the the whips still had the red and yellow, I felt like that was an opportunity to give the charm the TL and red. as like a an you know, to pay homage to it and then they didn't so Neil Barrett: Well And and one of the things that I was thinking, and I I hate the idea that like women's teams have to be in like feminine colors. You know, like the it's cool if they are, but like the idea that they have to be, like I don't love that. But there is an el a part of me that's like you know, that I think that teal would look dope in in the WLL, @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: especially because especially because the poems actually wear pink. You know, when when Chrome was in the the PLL, they didn't wear the pink. We were begging for pink jerseys. @HootSportsMedia: Which was a missed opportunity. Neil Barrett: It was, it was. And and and the palms actually do it. And then similarly with the the the teal, you know, w people really wanted a a teal jersey and we we did finally get the the indigenous heritage look this this year, but you know, I feel like I feel like if the charm had it, they would actually wear it. But lots to talk about in this game. one of the the the players Obviously, Sidney Black was incredible. I thought Taylor Moreno in Goal for the Palms was incredible. Kaylee Waters was incredible. That that whole first half. I thought Kaylee Waters coming into this game was one of the bigger disappointments of this season because I thought she was so good in sixes. And then she kind of came out this season and didn't look amazing. and then the first half of that game that she played in. She was absolutely incredible and was a big part of the reason why they built that big lead early. but the big one I I thought for me was Alex Holman, Alex Ostholman with her hat trick after not scoring at all all season. And in fact, I don't remember her really being on the field much like in in game one of this of the season. Like I don't think she was on the field much. She was mostly standing on the sideline h holding the iPad. So To go from that and slowly be like worked into the game to where she she puts up her first points and scores a hat trick in in the championship was was incredible. anyone any did anyone else stand out to you? @HootSportsMedia: I mean you basically just named like the whole roster, for both teams that Neil Barrett: Ha ha ha. @HootSportsMedia: that stood out in this game. So those. Neil Barrett: There's one I didn't mention. There's one I didn't mention. Actually there's two. @HootSportsMedia: Are you talking Bridget Duffy? Neil Barrett: Bridget Duffy's one. The future WLL MVP right there. Who's the other one? @HootSportsMedia: Trying to think who else you'd be talking I like I mean Ashley Humphrey had four assists. That was nice, but I don't think he'd be talking about her. Neil Barrett: No, but I should. I should. So there should have been three. @HootSportsMedia: I mean Allie Kennedy was was okay Neil Barrett: I can. @HootSportsMedia: w with two goals, but again I don't know if you'd be naming her in the with the likes of er am I on the right team? Or am I even in the in the wrong Neil Barrett: No, no, no. It was Allie Kennedy. She was great. She was great. I know I know @HootSportsMedia: okay. Okay. Neil Barrett: she maybe didn't have the the goals and the assists, but I think she had, I think she had what five, five ground balls, something like that. I think she had a couple cause turnover. Like she was yeah, she was @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, five ground balls, no turnovers. Neil Barrett: Yeah, she was all over the place. She was great too. And her her goals came at like really important times. So I it really felt like the the charm just got like the perfect performance from Everybody from from both ends. you know, the goalies played great. Even listen, I was I was so prepared to come in here and and trash them when they made that switch in goal at halftime and they put in Jennica Coco. 'cause I was like, are you kidding me? Like it changing goalies at halftime of a championship game, that's insane. Especially when Kaylee Waters was playing so freaking well. And was a big reason why they had built that big giant lead. I thought they were crazy. And then and then it sort of bore out that way for a minute, where I think I think of the first four shots Jenica Coco faced, she let in three of them. And it was like, Yeah, see, you guys are you got the can't can't change your goalie in the middle like that. And then all of a sudden she just like She made one save and it just and then just like took off. And she played great down the stretch too. there were there were several great great performances from this. And and like I said, I think the the charm really got like the perfect performance from everybody on their roster. and it and it was just too much for the palms to to overcome, even though they made it, they made a really good effort at it. But that kind of obviously wraps up the WLL season. the thing that bummed me out was thinking there's no championship series this year. So like the next time that we're gonna see these teams on the field again is next May. So, you know, we got eight, nine months, whatever that is, until we see these teams play. That's kind of a kind of a bummer. Although some of these some of these players will be involved in the global lacrosse games. in December. So we'll get to see some of these players, but i in terms of these teams, we won't be able to see them. And that that's kind of a that's kind of one of the things of like why I didn't want to lose the championship series, even though I get it. but let's kind of look forward to 2027 and and I'm wondering not like a laundry list, but like what did what did you like about the WLL? What do you think is gonna are you looking forward to for next season versus maybe something that you you didn't like or you hope improves. @HootSportsMedia: well a lot of what I'm gonna have to say is gonna be improvements just because there's only four teams, so it's a Neil Barrett: Stuff. @HootSportsMedia: very limited sample size, the season's not really Neil Barrett: Mm-hmm. @HootSportsMedia: cohesive, I guess is the right way to say it, where like, you know, you're getting one game a week and then you won't see a team for a month. And so then you're like, wait, who like Who's playing well and then it's like, you you All Star like w we complained about the P L L same thing with WLL played two games and now wait, how did this person make the All Star team that type of thing? So I know that's coming at some point, so I'm excited for that to kind of get, you know, a bigger Neil Barrett: Let me @HootSportsMedia: subset. Neil Barrett: Let me ask you this question. If they can expand, which I don't know if they can or they can't. I don't know what the money looks like. Obviously, they just got that hundred million dollar Series E. Like maybe there's a potential they could add two more teams and it's and it's six. But assuming that it's not, would you rather them stay with this schedule? Or would you rather just see these teams play each other more often? @HootSportsMedia: What do you mean stay with the schedule? Neil Barrett: So like this the sort of like what they had this year, where it was the you know, the 10-week schedule, you had one WLL game, not even every week, but like the weeks that you had a WLL game. You had one WLL game and you might not see a team for a month versus maybe the can the schedule's more consistent, but you see like Palm's Guard, you see two or three times in in a season as opposed to you know once or whatever. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, there needs to be more games in general, period. even if they don't expand. Like the four game season, it doesn't do it for me because it feels like we're just kind of randomly plugging them in, like, we have s we have an hour here, so we're just gonna, you know, throw a game in there. Whereas like if if we're already I I recognize you have to pay for flights and hotels and all that type of thing for players, but like if we're gonna have a whole weekend, like like this year in Denver we had five games. They were all PLO games though. There's a pretty big women's lacrosse scene out here. University of Denver has one of the best women's teams every year. Like, why not give us a WLL team? In general, but also why not give us a game? so at bare minimum I'd like to see the schedule expand, just to kinda keep it fresh on our minds. Like I told you before we started recording, even this PL break has gotten me out of the swing of like PL mode. And there were times this WL season where I was like, I'm sorry, who is who's the leading scorer? Like who you what I'm saying? Who are the big names? that type of thing. So I wanna see that happen. I thought the media coverage though to their credit this year was really good despite that. which I mean it's PLL, that's what they do. Like that's their best attribute, if you will. So I thought that was good. the pace of play I thought was was good. Again, the 10v10's the right the right move. I no disrespect. I don't like the college game at all. So this was much better. I liked it at the All-Star game last year. It was great this year as well. you know the star power was there. Neil Barrett: Mm. @HootSportsMedia: That was good too. Neil Barrett: Yeah. It's funny that you brought up the the all-star game because I I remember we talked about that last summer about like how fun that all-star game was, how good it was. But I think there was something in the back of my head that was like, Yeah, but you know, an all-star game versus like the regular season, not even not even in terms of like your standard com conversation around like, everyone takes off the all-star game, blah, blah, blah. Not even that, but just like the idea of does it tr will it translate? Like just because it worked really well in that all-star game, will it translate across a whole season and everything? I'm I'm totally blown away by like how much fun this WLL season was for all year for like across the board. So sorry, I I didn't mean to cut you off. I just you said that about the All-Star game and it just kind of popped in my head. @HootSportsMedia: No, that's that's about all I had to say. Again, the the only thing I would say that I would really want to change, which again isn't able to really happen. Like I don't like the high scoring games. I like to see more defense. you know, I like to see those those rules loosen up a bit. I I don't like the fact that that Neil Barrett: Brandon and his @HootSportsMedia: there's less physicality. I want more physicality. but that's obviously just gameplay. Neil Barrett: Brandon and his crusade against goal scoring. @HootSportsMedia: I d I don't wanna see twenty nine goals scored. I'm sorry. I Gimme like twenty four. It's a nice sweet spot. Neil Barrett: That's that's terrible. @HootSportsMedia: Maybe if there were twenty nine goals scored in a soccer game I'd watch more soccer. Neil Barrett: No you wouldn't. You'd complain about all the scoring. @HootSportsMedia: I absolutely would, you're right. Neil Barrett: I as long as you as long as you can admit it. That's all that's all that really matters. I'm I'm just gonna back up everything you said. I would love to see more teams, but if that's an unrealistic ask at this point, I totally get that. But I think maybe the the middle ground would then would be let's see these teams play each other more often. I'd rather I'd rather see some of the same teams play each other three times this season than than us going A month plus without seeing a team play. I'd I'd also l let me ask you this. Would you cause I I think I think the idea that we we get even if it's just the four teams, we get them to play more regularly. I I think it's gonna be fairly universal. Like they'd rather see more games than than less games. So there's that. But with it only being a four-team league, would you wanna see all four teams make the playoffs? @HootSportsMedia: Nope. Nope. Neil Barrett: Mm. @HootSportsMedia: No, I think it's a terrible idea. I think the fact that th that six of the eight PLL teams is a bad idea right now. So The playoffs should be Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: something you work for, not something you're given. Neil Barrett: I mean I I understand what you're saying, but I I think it's a four team league. Like you telling me that @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, but Neil Barrett: the New York Charging didn't didn't do enough. They had the same record as the the Charm. @HootSportsMedia: that but that's a scheduling issue. That's where you need more games. So that way if you lose three game Neil Barrett: Well that @HootSportsMedia: if you think about it if you played a PL scale even if you just played ten games and you lost three games, right? You went seven and three. That's pretty good. If you went six and four, right? Where as opposed to like, we finished two and two and like you know like I would hate like again, I bring up the chaos all the time. I don't like the fact that you can just be awful all regular season, but you're gifted a spot in the playoffs and so now you get to go win a champion. Like what? No, you didn't earn any of that. You got hot at the right time, which credit to you for that, I guess, but like that's at that Neil Barrett: Well but @HootSportsMedia: point it kind of devalues the the regular season. Neil Barrett: Well people say that all the time, but my thought is we see it all the time in other sport, we see it in in thirty team leagues, the the sixteenth best team can still make the playoffs and win the championship. Like it happens. @HootSportsMedia: But that's half of the league though. Neil Barrett: Yeah, but there's it's fifteen te like you know it's it's four. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Fifteen out of thirty. Right now it's two out of four. The PLO should be four out of eight. Neil Barrett: Also, I d I don't is it even sixteen in the NFL? Is it eighteen? @HootSportsMedia: it's sixteen in the NFL, I think. Yeah. Neil Barrett: Is it sixteen? @HootSportsMedia: I I believe so. Could be could be off on that number. If it was eighteen I would advocate to go down to sixteen. Can't tell you that much. Neil Barrett: But I will s I will say, I think you're probably right though, that playing more games probably does balance that out a little bit more. Like if they had played if each team had instead of playing whatever was four games. Yeah, it was four games, right? Cause two and two, right? And three and one and stuff. so instead of playing four games, if they played eight games or even even six, like there's a there's more of an opportunity for for some deviation and stuff and and maybe the difference between the New York charging and the Maryland charm, you know, bears itself out one way or another. so you're you're probably right. @HootSportsMedia: Like I would like I would like to see him go to six teams in ten games. Because that means you play every team twice. Neil Barrett: And some teams @HootSportsMedia: Because you'd you'd eliminate yourself from the team and then you'd have five other teams you're playing. You play all twice, that's your ten game season right there. And then and then you're still shorter Neil Barrett: Gotcha. Gotcha. Yep. Yep. Gotcha. @HootSportsMedia: season wise than the PL, so scheduling you can make it work. 'Cause I know like right now they have to jam in other g like PL games, you know what I'm saying, to to fill that schedule. You can still do it. And and also you're gonna get the Neil Barrett: Well @HootSportsMedia: you're gonna get the championship games almost more aligned, as opposed to like the WLL just happened A week ago, whatever it was. PL's not happening for a month, month and a half. Like that's a huge disparity between, you know, seasons ending. Neil Barrett: Yeah, honestly, again, their season is going to be shorter. So there's gonna be some finagling of that schedule. But honestly, I would love to see the PLL and WLL championships on the same week. Like I would love it if you went to New Jersey instead of just going for that one game, that one day, even if it was two separate days. But if you if you went for the weekend and got to see the two championships over that that weekend, however they want to set it up, like that would be that'd be great. you know, when I went when I went to the championship in twenty nineteen and in twenty twenty one, like Actually, actually in 2021 it kind of worked out because I was with Caitlin and I made the deal with her like, hey, if we go we we're gonna go to DC, we got we're gonna go to the championship game, but the whole rest of the weekend that we're there, we can do whatever you wanna do. So like that did kind of work out for me. But generally speaking, like I I I'd rather be able to make more of a of a weekend out of the whole thing. especially because You know, I know that they normally do like the PL normally does their awards on like the Friday night of championship weekend and they have like they do events all weekend, but most of those aren't open to the public just generally. that I'm aware of. correct me if I'm wrong. Like if if I got an opportunity to sit at the MVP dinner, like let me know. but but as far as I know, they're not they're not like open to the public. So, you know, we're really Flying into these cities or driving into these cities and and paying all this money to stay for a week. And I don't know anyone that's really going just for the game and leaving, unless you live like right there in that immediate area. and then the only thing that's there is like the two hours that the the championship game is going on. So I think that would be a really fun and interesting way to do it. one more thing before we get off of the PLL. the WLL, excuse me. Madison Taylor did not play in this game. obviously she was the number one overall pick, the toward time winner out of Northwestern from this past year. she was picked by the California Palms. I felt like they could have used her. They definitely needed someone that they could get the ball in that person's stick and they could go and score a goal. they they play a very like team game and it felt like they really needed someone that That you could just trust to go get you a goal. and so she was drafted by the poems. She actually said that she was going to play this year. I actually had a a a friend of mine sent me an interview. I don't know why, but she was on Cubs Live. It's like I guess they're like pregame show on June 17th, and she said That she was going to be playing in San Diego in two weeks. San Diego was June 27th. It was the last set of games before the All-Star break. but on 623, on June 23rd, so right in the middle of those two dates of her of this interview and the San Diego day is when Five for Five passed. And so the inside baseball that I've been told the behind the scenes is that she has decided not to play so that she can go back to Northwestern and play lacrosse, which opens up the whole can of worms. Although it's slightly cleaner than like Joey Spilina, who, you know, has played all year. she hasn't actually played, so she hasn't received any money, any of that stuff. So it's slightly cleaner there. But there's gonna be some some issue with like when she comes back in, does she have to re-enter the draft? All that kind of stuff. Because she did actually sign a contract. She just never actually played. but then, so I was gonna have that conversation, but then shortly before we sat down to record, the Big Ten passed a rule banning former NFL players from playing in the Big Ten. And while right now that rule is only about football and the NFL, there's a little sentence at the end of their statement that says, and I'm quoting here, the conference continues to evaluate rules restricting professional athletes in other sports from conference competition. Where Madison Taylor wants to go back to Northwestern, presumably, I don't know why she'd go somewhere else. Where does the bit where does Northwestern play? He's not sure. It's the Big Ten. It's the Big Ten. Northwestern's in the Big Ten. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know college conferences like that. I couldn't tell you. Any sport, by the way. Neil Barrett: I thought I had done enough I thought I had I thought I had done enough l leading you that like you would make the connection, but apparently I didn't. That's on me. That's on me. @HootSportsMedia: Well, I I first thought you were talking about location and I was like, How does that connect? Neil Barrett: All right, that's on me. That's on me. I could've phrased it better. @HootSportsMedia: Your your audio was a little choppy and I like, Is he talking about location here? Like I was like, Chicago? I was like, I don't know if like I was like, Did Chicago put a band themselves? Like Neil Barrett: Technically Evanston, but yes. Yeah. Well, you know what? Honestly, that was one of the things that I thought was like, I can't believe that the Big Ten has like made this declaration. Like they're they're actively hurting their own ability to play. I don't it's great. @HootSportsMedia: Well, I think the I think the SEC did it too. Neil Barrett: I haven't seen the SEC. I'm not saying they di they have or they haven't. I literally saw the Big Ten right before I hopped on. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, I'm looking at right now, the SEC passed a rule that doesn't allow NFL players to play for an SEC school. 'Cause I know they had the guy from I think it was like a tight end from Cleveland who was trying to go back and they were like, Yeah, you can't do that. Neil Barrett: I I think LSU has picked up three of them in the last like week. @HootSportsMedia: I I'm sure. Have you seen their basketball team? It's a bunch of overseas dudes, if I'm not mistaken. Like overseas pros. Neil Barrett: But that's one of the reasons why I can't believe that some of these conferences are are doing it. Like you you don't think it's in the SEC's best interest to allow some of these dudes to come back and play for them? Like it's going to increase @HootSportsMedia: I mean it might be, but it also could be like bad omen, you know, 'cause people are gonna look at that and be like, Seriously, like, look what you're doing. Neil Barrett: No, no, I get it, but when when have when have any of these conferences and or the NCAA ever cared about what the fans wanted? Whatever's gonna make like @HootSportsMedia: No, I mean I mean fair. That that is fair, I guess. That is fair. Neil Barrett: it when I was reading the Big Ten thing, I was like, this is great. I just can't like it blows my mind that they're actually doing it. That they were like, no, this seems unfair, we're not gonna do it. Like, @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: wait, what? But All that to say, this could put a whole spanner in like everything. And like Madison Taylor could have sat out this whole season for no reason now. But I won't be too mad because I'm pretty sure that that would mean that the Palms would retain her rights and she would show up for the Palms. Although if there's expansion, all I'm saying is Denver, Carolina. Good to go. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Yeah. All right. All right. Let's let's move over to the men in the PL. we're not really gonna talk about these games. At this point, it's it's been too long. Like, who cares? I'm I'll run through them real quickly. the Water Dogs wrapped up the number one seed in the East and a first round bye after they beat the Maryland whip snakes 11 11 to 9 and the New York Atlas 18 to 10. They absolutely smacked around the Atlas. CJ Kirst broke the officially broke the PLL single season goals record during this weekend. Michael Sowers finished the season with 51 points. He becomes only the fourth player in PLL history with a 20 goal, 20 assist season. And Sean Byrne had 39 saves over those two games. And then the other game of the weekend saw the California Redwoods absolutely smack around. Your Denver Outlaws, who were without almost all of their best players. not a ton you can take away from that game, but they did get kind of smacked around. And that means that the California Redwoods officially punched the last playoff ticket, pushing the Carolina Chaos out. okay, several things to talk about here. I th I think the first one is to talk about what this means for the team that will not continue playing this season. specifically the Atlas. I I think I think, don't let me put words in your mouth, tell me if I'm wrong. I think that the Carolina Chaos had fairly low expectations. I d I think we could all agree that that roster just doesn't have the build to be competitive. And then they also, on top of that, dealt with a lot of like really key injuries and some underperforming. you know, Owen Hilts, I think we all expected a little bit more out of than what he delivered this year. Obviously Jack Rowette was injured for a a a good while. I think I think Shane Knobloch was out for a while. you know, the the one like real bright spot that they had was Chad Bulombo. so I don't know that there's a ton to really talk about with them. Like they just got to get better. They they They gotta get in the draft. They might need to pick up a free agent or two. They just gotta get better. but the Atlas, I think, are a much more interesting conversation. obviously they have they lost Gavin Adler, which we'll get to in just a second, but they lost Gavin Adler, they lost Jeff Teat, Trevor Baptiste was hurt for a lot of the year. I feel like they had another big injury that I'm totally blanking on. Was Danny Logan out for a while? @HootSportsMedia: I don't think so. Neil Barrett: No, I feel like they had another one. I can't remember it off the top of my head. but they finished with the worst ever defensive goals against Average, beating their own record from twenty twenty three, which was was crazy. Mike Pressler in in some some of these postgame press conferences with Mike Pressler have been rough. R like Super awkward. Like you we know people that sit in those press conferences and they talk about how awkward it is when when they're in the room and the way that that the the players talk about the coaching, the coaching talks about the players. It's super awkward. And then and I I I swear I'm coming to a a question here in a minute, but then Gavin Adler went on Stick Talk last night and basically laid out the whole episode of what occurred that caused him to sign with the Water Dogs and leave the Atlas behind. He said it's the first time that he's ever told this story, but Kevin Brown of Inside La Crosse put out an article when this whole situation happened. And it was all pretty much the same information. So I don't know, but there were a few things that were a little bit interesting. one thing that really caught my eye was he said that when Mike Pressler originally approached him with an offer. That the offer was more or less what he had been making. And Gavin says that he was like, that that doesn't make any sense because the you know, the salary cap went up when they signed the new deal with with ESP and the salary cap went up. And his, despite being a defensive player of the year, his salary offer did not reflect that. And when he asked Mike Pressler about it, Mike Pressler said he didn't know anything about the salary cap expanding, which is like mind boggling to say. There also were some comments that Gavin Adler made in the interview with with the Stick Talk guys where he refers to how professional the the Philadelphia water dogs are and how how seriously they take it. And and the way that he says it, it you definitely get that he's inferring that the Atlas had not been that, which is crazy to think that the team that won the championship last year could be accused of not taking it as seriously as other teams in the league. but a @HootSportsMedia: He said this about the play or he said this about the free agency aspect? Neil Barrett: He the way that he talked about it was kind of all-encompassing. Like the way that the thing that the organization is run, the way that that coaching is done, the way that the way that players take the game. Like he talks about how he's in the gym. He's like, I go to I'm in the gym three or four hours a day. He's like, I'm watching video every day. Like you could tell that there it was it wasn't just one or two aspects. It was like literally. every aspect of the organization. The he he seemed to be implying that the Atlas he did he didn't come out right and say it. So t take this with a grain of salt because I don't want to put words in his mouth that he's not saying. But it he he seemed to be implying that that was not something that was taking place with the Atlas. A a a lot of the the I we this is one thing I did say to you beforehand. A lot of the ins and outs of of what did or didn't happen in terms of the contract negotiations, a lot of it felt like maybe a little sloppy, but a lot of it felt kind of like fairly standard negotiating things. You know, the the teams the team's trying to figure out, you know, what you're gonna do so that they can start making you know, plans outside of of that in case you're not coming back and you know, figure out what they can do. And if I remember correctly, the the PL's movement windows, there's two and they're only open for like a week. Is that right? Something like that? They're not open super long. Whatever it is, they're not open. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: It's not like you can just move all off season or anything. They have like two very specific windows and they're not open very long. So like you kind of have to know what's going on. so anyway, all of that to say, the Atlas are in a super weird position. It feels like I I I don't I don't want to put words in your mouth. I feel like maybe the Atlas don't really like Mike Pressler, like the players in that locker room and stuff. Like it just it's been so tense and awkward all season. And I I guess I guess the question is, is Mike Pressler back next year? @HootSportsMedia: What's that in sync song? Bye bye bye. Neil Barrett: Bye bye bye. @HootSportsMedia: That's what it sounds like to me. I mean, I'm not I'm not saying that should or shouldn't happen, but like obviously I wasn't in the press conferences, but I watched several of them. Like you said, we have friends that were in them. And like there it's there's a difference between being disappointed because you lost and, you know, facing the music of that and being s being you know, slightly de depressed or sad for lack of better terms. And then there's like this year where it was just like you know, glad we're done with this one. On to the next type of thing, which is kinda like okay, that that doesn't and again, this is even more strange because they just won the championship. Like you'd think that it would be like you know, there'd be like an ultra belief in the room despite the losses. Like even if you're three and eight going into last you'd be feeling like, hey, we're the Atlas, like we're a good team, you know, one more, let's go get it. Instead it was just like, we're just kinda Back again, and then they lost again and another loss and like it's just you know I mean something has to change obviously, and again people will say, Well, you didn't have Teat and it's like, Okay, sure. They still had a negative forty two goal differential. Like y no disrespect to Teat, but he's not putting up forty two goals to to change that. He could put up a lot of goals, but you still need a better defense, which obviously, you know, you lose Adler, and I don't really think they did anything to replace him all that much. Like they kind of, you know hatched up holes slightly where they could, but not anything, you know, good enough, I guess. Neil Barrett: Well One one thing I I thought cause cause you know, Brian's been saying our our our our buddy Brian, speaking of s of stick talk, has been saying that, you know, he he seems to be mad at Pressler because, you know, they lost Jeff Teat and they didn't really have an answer for that. They lost Gavin Adler, they didn't really seem to have an answer for that. And I th I think there's a there's a level of Of that, that's certainly true. Especially like Jeff Teat goes down. You gotta figure out how you're going to make that offense run. And it it sort of seemed like they were starting to figure it out. Remember, somewhere in the middle of the season, Connor @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Schellenberger really started to step up. but then he @HootSportsMedia: They back to back wins, I think, at one point. Neil Barrett: Yeah, but then I know I know Trevor went down. I think after that, Trevor went down, which certainly didn't help them. I Connor's been, Schellenberger's been out, right? He's missed a game or two. So, @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, he missed a game or two. Yeah. Neil Barrett: like, it just felt like they just weren't, they had no consistency. But then to a larger extent, I want to be like, what was what could have been the plan? Like, who exactly were they supposed to go get that was replacing Gavin Adler and Jeff Teat? Like, arguably the two best players in their positions. in in the world and like who like and and not even just like everyone's a downgrade but like anyone even remotely close to them was locked up you know like who who were they who who was Mike Pressler supposed to go get in the in those situations @HootSportsMedia: I mean Ben Randall was available. Again, like you said, he's not a Gavin Adler, but Neil Barrett: But was he available at that point though? @HootSportsMedia: I'm I mean he was traded to Denver in the offseason, so I would have to assume that Philly was trying to trade him. And I mean you're not you're not replacing, you know, Teat at all. But I still think it was questionable to go get a Matt Rambo off of the Whip's roster. I I I mean, I said it Neil Barrett: Listen. @HootSportsMedia: when it happened that like I again, Peyton Cormier is not Jeff Teat, but Peyton Cormier was in your system and unless he's explicit explicitly said I don't want to play PL, you're not gonna reach out to him and be like, Hey, we need an extra body now or Like there's a lot of really good lefties on the in this league that I think could get some love and no shade to Matt Rambo, but he's at the tail end of his career and like that was the the play. And then you played him multiple games as like like, you know, that just didn't make a lot of sense to me. And then you couple that with, you know, they didn't do anything on defense. I think the only one they added, in to my knowledge, was Alex Ross from Penn State. And I think they got Eli Gobrecht as well, if I'm not mistaken. But I don't know if he played a pole or not this year. but outside of that, like Can you think of anything else that they really did much and it and to your point, like, even if there was no one else to get, that is not how you act in the pressure. Like, if you really feel like we've exhausted every option and we're it this is just what the season's gonna be, you're not sitting there in silence for fifteen seconds after a question is asked where none of you wanna speak. That like that's that doesn't happen. Neil Barrett: That that was that was awkward. And and I mean, I won't I won't speak for you again, but I I've played on I've played on awful losing teams. And there was kind of an element of like you knew this was coming. Like you're not that ups upset in a press conference because you knew this was like it feels like there has been some kind of major level breakdown between Coach Pressler and and all of these people. And at the at the very least, I think and the PLL doesn't operate the way that other sports lead, you know, there's not an owner sitting over Mike Pressler that's like, this has to change, this has to change, like whatever. But somebody, it feels like somebody, whether that's I don't know who makes these kind of decisions. I don't know if that's if that's a if it goes all the way up to Paula Mike or if this is. Somewhere lower on the food chain. Like I I don't know where this level of decision is made, but it feels like at the very least the Atlas need a GM next year. If if we're n if Mike Pressler is back, they need a GM. They need someone that is making these roster decisions because because while I while I did stand up for Mike Pressler a little bit and saying like who was out there for you, you're also right that like When you brought in Matt Rambo, it's like, no dude, what are what are you doing? I I think that I think that there wasn't anyone that I think that two things can be true. There wasn't anyone out there for him to get to replace Jeff T and Gavin Adler and Connor Schellenberger when he went down, and Jeff and Trevor Baptiste when when he went down and and stuff like that. But also you didn't make good decisions with the decisions you did make. you know, so the other one who they brought when they brought Dox Aiken back, which look, Dox Aiken is Dox Aiken. And if and if this was at the start of the season, I'm all for it. But when they brought him in for one game and it was like @HootSportsMedia: Well that that was Philly. That was Philly this year. Neil Barrett: You're right. And it and it and I you know what? @HootSportsMedia: Last year though they did bring him back. Neil Barrett: Well, and you know what? You're also right, because the conversation I was gonna bring up was what we had in the group chat about bringing in Doc Aken instead of Miles Jones, who to your point, like you were saying earlier, is it was in your system in training camp this year, Dox Aiken hasn't played. I I'm trying to understand this timetable because on the on the call for that second Philly game. They said it had been two years, but I swear he has stats from last year. @HootSportsMedia: I th I'm pretty sure he played last year 'cause remember that that team he was on, like, they were killing everyone, so they shut down their season. And so then he came back and played a game or two? Yeah. Neil Barrett: Yeah, the same thing that happened this year. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, so I I th I'm pretty sure he played may maybe not, but I know for a fact in twenty twenty four he played in Denver. And then I I I wanna say he Neil Barrett: Yeah. He definitely played in twenty twenty. @HootSportsMedia: he played last year too. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I I think I'm pretty sure he has stats on PL stats, but anyway. I just The the Atlas could easily come back next year and win the whole thing. They have a good roster. And and listen, we talked about Gavin Adler and how you can't replace him. Brett Macar did a pretty good job this year. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah I did. Neil Barrett: of of at least trying to, you know, take over. But it it as good as he was, they still had the worst defense in the league. And and Some of that is Liam Intamin. I don't think Liam Insman had a good year, but I also don't think that he was helped in any way by his defense. I think a lot of the shots he was facing. This this reminded me, man, Was Jack Kinkanan on the Atlas roster when you started on this podcast? @HootSportsMedia: No. It was it was Neil Barrett: No. A lot of it @HootSportsMedia: it wa it was empty. Neil Barrett: When you started okay. a lot of Liam Ensimman this year reminded me of the old Jack Kinkanon years, where like there were there were years when I would say Jack Kinkanon is the best goalie in the league, but nobody knows because he's getting dunked on the from the doorstep like seven times a game. and this season felt like that for the Atlas. As as good as Brett Maycar was, as good as Alex Ross might be and Michael Rexroad has the ability to be. They weren't that this year. You know, Danny Logan is arguably the best pure short stick defensive midfielder in the league. And yet he didn't look great this year. You know, like nobody on that I thought Tyler Carpenter didn't look great. And I love Tyler Carpenter. Like nobody on that defense looked good. Liam Intamin didn't look good. You know, Trevor had a had a mediocre year by his standards. The whole offense was well, not the whole offense, Brian Costabil great, but otherwise the whole offense was was a mess. We brought in Matt Rambo for no reason. Like, but then you look at it and you go, yeah, next year they could still win the championship, though. They get Jeff T back, they get some of these @HootSportsMedia: Well no they'll get Michael Grace back next year too, theoretically, so you know, Neil Barrett: That's right. That's right. @HootSportsMedia: that could help too. Like I'm not saying they didn't get dealt with bad hand, 'cause they absolutely did. But you still Neil Barrett: For sure. @HootSportsMedia: have to, you know, come back from that. And like you won the championship. You shouldn't be then going three and nine with a a minus and you know, a negative forty two goal differential. Like that's I that that doesn't make any sense. Neil Barrett: It is it is funny though because the last this is now the third straight Sort of champion that has won the championship and then no, I guess the Water Dogs went back and then were the worst team, didn't @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I think so. That was a bad water dog's Neil Barrett: But anyway, yeah. @HootSportsMedia: year. Anyway. Neil Barrett: So before we look ahead to the playoffs with the end of the regular season, let's talk about the awards. the awards are regular season awards, so this is a good time to talk about them. let's let's knock a few of these out real quick because I I think they're they're super easy. Faceoff Specialist of the Year. @HootSportsMedia: Sorry, you cut out face off, you said? Neil Barrett: Based on. @HootSportsMedia: Ooh, hold on, hold on. I'm scrolling over. Neil Barrett: I mean I thought this would be real easy, but @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, Andrew McMeekin's the guy. I just had to make sure that Neil Barrett: Yeah, McMeakin. I @HootSportsMedia: his numbers were what I thought they were before I I commented 'cause I didn't realize Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: he played nine games. Yeah. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah, I think I think T D has a has an argument mostly based on on the fact that he had 11 or 12 games, but that's a very violent head shake. @HootSportsMedia: No, no. There's no one else with an argument. There's no one else. This dude has sixty two and a half percent from the stripe and three times the points of T D and Sis. The next closest, funny enough, is Pete LaSala was seven, and then Luke Weirman was six. Neil Barrett: Yeah, but I don't care. I don't care as much about points. I mean I care. I care. It's obviously a differentiator. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, he's he's up three percent on sis, four percent on T D, and has those point totals. Neil Barrett: Right. That's what I'm saying. Like it it's definitely a a a differentiator. I think there's an element of, and I don't have the stats pulled up. Click, click McMeakin. Who'd he play against? Because I I think there's an element of the teams that he played against that's part of part of the story. I don't want to get too in the weeds of that because he played nine games. Like he played a a good portion of the league. @HootSportsMedia: Well it's gonna depend on who played during these games because of injury. I I don't know who he played against the Water Dogs. That would either be stath or milkman, one of the two. he then I would assume played Trevor Baptiste, on the nineteenth. He played T D. He played Weirman. Maybe Neil Barrett: I think one of his Atlas games was a game that Trevor missed. I think. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, so one of those he played against twice, against Atlas. He played against Chaos, which I think at that point was still Inacio. Neil Barrett: Penacio. @HootSportsMedia: He played the Whips, who must have been Lasala, unless LaSala was injured. And then he played T D again to end the year. Neil Barrett: Yeah. So I I think that was an argument as for maybe why his face-off number, like specifically face-off percentage was a decent amount higher. Was that maybe he had played a slightly easier schedule? That being said, I I think it's his. Like I'm not I'm not saying he shouldn't win it. I just think I just was trying to say, like, not so much that there is an argument that T D should win it, because it it should be McMeekin. But just that like maybe maybe T D and maybe Sis are the the other two finalists, I guessed. what else did we have on here? Goalie of the year. We don't @HootSportsMedia: Dauber. Neil Barrett: even have to look at stats. Just Domber. I guess let's see here. I think this will be relatively easy, but honestly I don't even know who it is. LSM? @HootSportsMedia: I'm assuming Pasino. Yeah. Neil Barrett: I'm assuming Pesino as well. @HootSportsMedia: yeah. Looking at yeah. Back to back, baby. That's what I like to see right there. Neil Barrett: He's gonna be the new Michael Earhart, isn't he? We're like there's just nobody that @HootSportsMedia: yeah. yeah. Neil Barrett: can beat him. and then I think we start getting into several of the more interesting ones. midfielder of the year. There's a few. @HootSportsMedia: Aiden Carol. Neil Barrett: You think it just goes straight to Aiden Carroll? @HootSportsMedia: I mean He didn't pass much, but he shot the ball really efficiently. The only one I'm seeing at the top of this list that topped him in the top ten at least is Ryder at forty percent and Roscott at forty two percent. he didn't turn the ball over a crazy amount. I mean, Sam King had a good year. It's hard 'cause like Palumbo had a a great year but like he was a rookie and he didn't you know objectively it it was not better than Aiden Carroll's. I I I think I think it's his. Neil Barrett: All right, I'm gonna I'm gonna move forward so that I can come back. Short stick defensive midfielder of the year. @HootSportsMedia: Courier. I mean I'm assuming he still counts as a short stick defensive midfielder. Neil Barrett: Okay, see th this i this is where I was I was coming to. I think it depends for for both of these awards, it depends on where you count Zach Courier. Cause I think if you're counting him as a midfielder, he's I I think you could make a very good case that he's midfielder of the year. If you count him as a short stick defensive midfielder, then I think he is short stick defensive midfielder of the year. So in my mind it's like where where are you counting him? And then I can base the other award off of his absence. @HootSportsMedia: I'm putting him as a short stick, I think. I think I think he was more impactful Neil Barrett: Because Okay. @HootSportsMedia: defensively. Like I know he has a lot of good offensive traits as well, but like he faced off at a at a decent clip for a non face off guy, forty six percent. Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Nine caused turnovers, like yes, he had the thirteen points and you know, that type of thing. And I'm not discounting that, but like Neil Barrett: Which I believe @HootSportsMedia: he had eleven assists of those thirteen for reference. Neil Barrett: Do you have I believe @HootSportsMedia: But I mean like I th say what? Neil Barrett: Mm, no. Go ahead, go ahead. @HootSportsMedia: Like I think I think there's a couple archers that maybe can make a push for it. they don't have the numbers necessarily, but they're always in the mix. Like, you know, the outlaws have Geddis and Terrafenko who I think both are also good options. Tev had a good year. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I I think if you if you pull Zach Courier out, I I think it's Tevlin. I'm not super mad at anybody that you just said. I think the three @HootSportsMedia: Actually now that I look at it, Tevlin had almost identical numbers, which again doesn't tell the whole story. He was more evenly split, with Neil Barrett: To career? @HootSportsMedia: seven goals himself. Yeah, West Courier. He has seven goals though. compared to to Courier's four or two or two goals rather. he shot the ball better. Nine cause turnovers, same thing, same amount turnovers, like way less ground balls is where they're different. By forty three ground balls. But yeah, I'd be fine with Tevlin, that's fine. Neil Barrett: He he had a crazy ground ball year this year. Courier @HootSportsMedia: Yeah I did. Neil Barrett: did. so was it did I see a stat? This is this is one of the things that I was like, I wish I had written that down. I think I saw a stat that he has more, I think it's midfield ground balls, but he has more midfield ground balls than number two and number three combined. @HootSportsMedia: yeah, 'cause Tevlin and Piper Bond combine for forty five. Neil Barrett: And he has like @HootSportsMedia: And actually he has more than the than the next three. The the fur the top three. 'Cause Tevlin has has twenty five, Piper has twenty, that's forty five, and then Ben Ramsey has nineteen. Neil Barrett: And he has @HootSportsMedia: Which is like sixty what four, I think. Neil Barrett: Four. Yeah. And what's he got sixty nine? @HootSportsMedia: So he had sixty eight. So Neil Barrett: Sixty eight. @HootSportsMedia: yeah. That's that's insane. Neil Barrett: That's like that's insane. so Otherwise if if we if we assume Zach Courier is a is a short stick defensive midfielder, I'd probably go Carroll, although I also think Sam King was really good. but then there's also a lot of questions about like who really counts as a midfielder. I think Sam King mostly played midfield this year. I know I know Jackson is is listening to this right now and he's like, You idiot, he wasn't, or you know, whatever. But I I feel like he mostly played midfield. @HootSportsMedia: I guess that's true. Aiden Carol did kinda play a decent amount of attack. Or like they inverted a lot. So like Neil Barrett: Yeah, so like @HootSportsMedia: if you wanna do that, like Brian Costabile I think is a great shout then, if we're thinking, you know, more true middies. I think he had a a a great year. Neil Barrett: Well and again I again I'd go back to to Chad Palumbo. you @HootSportsMedia: Yep, trainer had a good year. Neil Barrett: know yeah train yeah LeClaire would could be an option. let's see what else is on this list here. an interesting one I think is coach of the year. I think there's two main names that that that people are thinking. It's just kinda which one you think edged out the other. @HootSportsMedia: I I think I might go Brian Holman. Neil Barrett: Why? He's one of the names. I'm not suggesting @HootSportsMedia: Like I Neil Barrett: it's bad. @HootSportsMedia: like obvious the obvious one i is Bill Tyranny and the way that he managed that much talent and what type you know that that type of thing, but also like you had the talent. Like you were so bad that you got the number one pick and was able to get CJ Cursed. So Neil Barrett: That was last year. @HootSportsMedia: Right, but I'm just saying like when we're talking about it's building a team, it's like, yeah, of course you are great because you took the best goal scorer a year prior and you already had guys like Michael Sowers on the roster, Neil Barrett: Well and then you signed Gavin Adler. @HootSportsMedia: Y I mean that's fair. If you want I that's that's fine. Like I think it'll go to build tyranny and I'm not gonna hate on Neil Barrett: No, no, no, I'm saying like @HootSportsMedia: that, but Neil Barrett: Yeah, well I meant like and then you added Gavin at like yes, you already had this like crazy roster, and then you added Gavin. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. Well well and like look at the midfield that like he already he inherited. It it's like okay, you have the best player in lacrosse in Zach Courier. You have guys like, you know, Jack Hanna. I mean, even before they started fizzling out, you had like, you know, Connor Kelly, who else? A bunch of young guys, like so I mean to his credit, he managed that well. But when I think about teams this year that like actually surprised me, that like that would be a team like Boston. Like Because I said all year I like, I don't know, I gotta see. And then like slowly but surely throughout the year they kept kept going up and you could tell there was more belief in the room as the year went on, so yeah. I mean may maybe Chris Bates for the way they rallied. Neil Barrett: I was gonna say the the the two that I've heard kind of people deciding between are Chris Bates and Brian Holman. And I think a lot of it has to do with like what what side of the coin that you value because cause they were the two worst teams in the league last year, and this year they're you know, two of the better teams. @HootSportsMedia: Top three. Neil Barrett: I think. Yeah. so You know, like they they they both flipped their fortune and they both did it in like kind of similar but also different ways. You know, Brian Holman made the big call and cutting Asher Nolting, and then kind of retooled what he already had there by and large. You know, another one that they made was was in in the middle of the season was was pulling Colin Kirst. I feel like that was another big decision go going with JC Higginbotham was a difference maker, I think, for them. so he he kind of made some subtractions that made some some big moves. Whereas Chris Bates, I think, changed completely like the way that his team plays. He went all in with Aiden McGuire and changed kind of the style of of what. the Utah Archers were doing and you know most of us did not believe in it. And I know that you're gonna say, I did, I did, but you didn't. We know you didn't. and then and then you know, just kind of like put guys in the positions to make plays. I mean that Coming in, I don't know that we thought that defense was going to be as good as. I mean, obviously, I think you and I talked several times at the beginning of the year and said, you know, when Brett Dobson's in goal for you, you're always gonna have a chance to win. But that defense also played very well. I think sis came back and played better than he had played in in recent memory, certainly last year. Wait, he played last year? He was out last year, wasn't he? @HootSportsMedia: Who? Neil Barrett: Since @HootSportsMedia: Yeah he Neil Barrett: I think he sat out last year because he had a he like broke his hand or something. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, but I can't remember if he missed the whole year or part of it, but but yeah. Neil Barrett: He at least missed like a decent chunk of it. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, 'cause they signed Jake Naso at one point. So he was at least out for a decent Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: chunk. Neil Barrett: Right, right. and then and then, you know, they s they still didn't get Grant Eamon on the field. They still haven't gotten Tom Schreiber on the field. but they were able to get incredible performances out of Trey LeClair. I thought the that Connor Fields and Mac O'Keefe really like settled in to their roles. you know, Aiden McGuire started a little rough, but then started going. But But yeah, so d all that to say, it just kind of depends on on how you look at two coaches who did very similar things in in terms of like turning around their team, but went about it in very different ways and how you view it. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, sorry to interrupt with this this intermission here, but the Peterborough Lakers are currently beating the Six Nations Chiefs eleven to two. in the second period. I'm very sorry. I just that came across my timeline. Neil Barrett: Does @HootSportsMedia: I was like, holy cow. Neil Barrett: The Chiefs haven't been as untouchable this year as they have been in in years past. So I @HootSportsMedia: That's that's crazy. Neil Barrett: I I don't wanna say that I'm not surprised because I am, especially that scoreline. But also it it has felt like this was this was gonna be that that kind of year. So @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. Anyway. Neil Barrett: Probably the the last two kind of major awards to talk about, I think are are are I guess it's really three awards, but one of them I think is a gonna depend on on one of the other ones. are probably some of the more convoluted ones to talk about. let's start with the the messier one and and talk about rookie of the year. It feels like there are five to six guys who have like fairly legitimate claims at at this award. I I think this is one of the the most hotly contested awards I can really remember. I don't ever remember there being this many guys where you were like that guy could could win it and you wouldn't be able to say anything about it in the before. Like I there there are guys that I think could win it that won't even be finalists. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know that I'd go that far. but I think there's a there's a couple. I think Neil Barrett: Off the top of my head, Joey Spolina, Chad Palumbo, Andrew McMeekin, @HootSportsMedia: Finalist, finalist. I didn't really think about him would they put him as a finalist? I don't know, but I guess. Neil Barrett: As a finalist, I I think they would. I don't think he would really win I think he could be a finalist. @HootSportsMedia: Is this a five person finalist? Neil Barrett: See the I s I think they change it every single year. @HootSportsMedia: Because because at the ver bare minimum for finalists, I have Spilina, Steins, and Palumbo. So if it's five more then we have two more, which is probably a bit excessive for actually having a chance. Neil Barrett: Well, to to be fair, when I didn't I'm not saying they have a chance. What I'm saying is that if they want it, you wouldn't and you know what, you know what they really need on here? You know on NLL stats dot com where you can like l click that one button and just see all the rookies. They need that. So, okay, so we got Joyce Bellina. I'm just looking at literally the points list. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Ryan Stein's Brian Kelly could be one. He feels like he's on the outside looking in, but you know, if he was a finalist, I you couldn't complain really. Chad Palumbo. trying to I'm trying to remember who got drafted. Mikey Weissar. I'm not saying he he would be a finalist, but I'm just listing off guys now Joshiago, Jack Ragneri. But then I also was trying to think of like who was who were in other parts of the field. @HootSportsMedia: I don't think there were any. I mean like Kyle Lewis was was midty but Neil Barrett: Yeah, I w I wouldn't really put him up there. Who surely there was a a defensive well, I I mean Aiden McGuire could be a a a rookie of the year finalist. Surely there was a pole, right? @HootSportsMedia: I can't think of one. Neil Barrett: Now I gotta look now I gotta look up the draft here. @HootSportsMedia: Either way though, you know a pole isn't getting any love in that category. Neil Barrett: All right. Ada Maguire, Mikey Weissar, Joey Spilina. That was the top three. you what about Evan Plunkett? @HootSportsMedia: Alright, that's it for the runoff this week, guys. We'll see you next week. maybe we won't Neil Barrett: Alex Ross was the first poll taken. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, no. Should have been an outlaw. Neil Barrett: Ryan Stein's Hunter Smith, Billy Dwan. I can't believe Hunter Smith got taken over Billy Dwan. Cullen Brown and Will Donovan as as LSMs. I I don't know that kind of like what you're saying, probably not gonna get that love. What about Brendan Staub? He's been pretty good, right? Will Shaler didn't play. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, but still that the rookies that put up points put up too many points to not be finalists, unfortunately. Neil Barrett: I'd agree, but it but even still, I I think I think Aiden Maguire could go. I think McMeegan could go. @HootSportsMedia: He's the only one I think that's gonna be a finalist. Maybe Maguire at most. But even then I mean Teddy Malone put together Neil Barrett: All right, anyway. @HootSportsMedia: a a a great end at end to the year. Neil Barrett: You know, was I was wondering I couldn't remember if he was a rookie or not, was was my my @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: problem. I was like, I feel like he was a rookie, but I I can't remember for sure if he is. Again, I need that button where I can just click and you just show me all the rookies. Especially because like not that he would be in a rookie of the year conversation, but like Ryan Crotick wasn't drafted. Andrew McMeekin wasn't drafted. Like I can only really look at so many places to figure out who a rookie is. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Or even even if on that well of course no, 'cause yeah, I don't know. Anyway, all right. We've talked about who who can win it. Who who do you have as the rookie of the @HootSportsMedia: Who do I have that I think should win or who do I think will win? Neil Barrett: Both? @HootSportsMedia: I think Spolina will win. I think there's a very strong case for Steinz and Polina. I think you look at the the whips roster, just look at the offensive side of the field. There's a lot of good dudes on that roster that I think had great years. Aiden Carroll had a fantastic year, offensively speaking. Adam Patra, great year. he has Pennell who I think for as old as he is played very well. But then you look at a team like Neil Barrett: Played well. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: team like a team like Utah where we came into the season thinking, How are they gonna score goals? And Ryan Steins put up eighteen goals. And he dished the rock well. it was Neil Barrett: And especially especially before that offense started really clicking. He was the guy that was clicking. Yep. @HootSportsMedia: I i exactly. Yeah. I mean think about week one in Utah. He was like the guy that was like scoring the goals, getting the crowd juice, and it like, Okay, who is this kid that I mean we were all like, Why was he drafted ahead of some of his other attackmen? Like what do we you know? And then all of a sudden it like, he's actually really good at lacrosse, that is why. Neil Barrett: Yes, 100%. Listen, going back going back to coach of the year, some of what what Bates pulled off in the draft at the @HootSportsMedia: Great. Neil Barrett: time we're like, what are you doing? And and it's it's just completely and I'm like I'm gonna be with Jackson next year, like, hey, I'm not gonna question anything Bates does now. You know, I was very famously Bates gonna Bates and I That you can't say that anymore. Or or it just takes on a completely different meaning. I don't know. It one way or the other. I I think he's earned the benefit of the doubt at least for a year after what what he pulled off this year. So anyway, back to rookie of the year. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. But then also like you think about Palumbo, I mean he put up twenty seven points as a MIDI. A rookie midi at Neil Barrett: I know. @HootSportsMedia: that. He came in off of a an NCAA championship and it impacted the game like we haven't seen in in you know in your first start. Brian Kelly, to his credit, had a great first game. But like Palumbo just the entire year was great. He facilitated the offense well for an offense I don't really think has a guy. He was kind of the guy for for much of that. Especially when their veteran midis disappeared, to be quite frank. Like There's several guys on that roster that like there are games when when it like, do they even play? Like I you know, Boris Palumbo is scoring, he's dishing the rock well, like so again, he doesn't quite have the numbers Joey has, or Stein's has, but as far as like impact, I would almost argue that he had the most, which I recognize sounds completely biased because of our Princeton thing, but You know, I think he was in probably the worst or second to worst position, along with a guy like Ryan Steins, as opposed to a guy like Joey. not that Joey had a bad year at all. But and again, like we said, McMeekin. He he's just not gonna win it. great year by him though. Would love to see it happen, but it's just not happening. You know, he mentioned Will Donovan and Staub. I think they had great years too, but this is this Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: is an offensive award. Neil Barrett: I yeah, well, and and I think it would be different too if if Andrew McMeakin played all 12 games, I think @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: there might be a a good conversation there. where maybe he legitimately does, especially because you saw how different in in a weird way it kind of works for him that he didn't play all 12 games, because you you saw how different Boston looked when @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: he was on the field. and they just controlled games so much better. but I just don't think there there's just something about him not playing in in 12 games that I don't know, just which is also weird because like Chad Palumbo didn't play in 12 games either. But I don't know, it just it just feels different for whatever reason. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: otherwise, I I completely agree with you. I think I think Joey Spolina probably does win. and while that does feel It there does feel like there's an element of he's in a better position than some of the other guys. I I'd also like to say, you know, Chris Kavanaugh last year won the rookie of the year and he was in a very good position with Dylan Lloyd and Ryder Garnsey and you know, Andrew Makadorie and and those guys, like they had a really good offense last year and and he was in a position where he could he didn't have to be the guy, but he could be a guy. He could be off ball a little bit and and do A lot of the same things that Joey is doing this year. so you know, I I don't want to discredit what Joey did too much. but I would also agree with your assessment that Ryan Steins and especially Chad Palumbo, like you said, Chad Palumbo, there were times where where Chad Palumbo is the only guy on that offense doing anything. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: And And while there were times where Utah's offense looked rough, especially like we were saying at the beginning of the year, before they really kind of started figuring themselves out, where he was playing very well and the rest of the offense maybe wasn't, he still had the benefit of the doubt of Connor Fields and Mac O'Keefe on the other way, who even when they're not playing super well, are still drawing a lot of attention. Chad Palumbo did not have the benefit of being on the field with anyone drawing any more attention than he was. So and I thought I also thought that he really he did what he did at Princeton, where when the lights were the brightest, when when the chaos needed someone to make a play, he stepped up and made it. He didn't he didn't wait for someone else. He didn't, you know, do whatever. He had I I don't know, I felt like it was like a Kobe Bryant like thing where he just is scoring goals at, you know, in clutch times, you know, or or making plays in clutch times. So I would probably lean towards Chad Palumbo and like you said, I I know that probably sounds like some bias. And maybe maybe honestly it is a little bit of bias just from having followed him all year. And just really coming to love his game and and and who he is. but ultimately I don't think it really matters. I I think Joey probably wins it. So and then the last two kind of go hand in hand. That's obviously attackman and MVP. I don't think it's going to be anyone other than Michael Sowers or CJ Kirst for the MVP. And then the question is would be whether or not they split the MVP and attackman of the year award and give the other one hit. You think they will? @HootSportsMedia: Yes. Sauers MVP, CJ Attackman. Neil Barrett: Okay. What do you think a lot of people are saying that they should be co MVPs. @HootSportsMedia: No, that's dumb. Sours is V P. Like CJ like Neil Barrett: I d I would agree. It's a cop out. @HootSportsMedia: again, we we talked about this a couple weeks ago. Like I'm not saying CJ wouldn't do what he does without without Sours, but Sours being a true dual threat between I can literally drop thirty goals and thirty is you know, close to those numbers, twenty five, twenty five, as opposed to like CJ's a pure goal scorer, which is why I give him the edge on the attackman side of things. Because realistically, if Sours really wanted to, he could just dish the rock the entire game. Like he could go play MIDI and just passed the ball a ton. but like I think his impact was just overall just a little bit greater. if CJ played those extra two games, you know, he still still has fewer points, which I think works against him. but Neil Barrett: That that's one of the things that I was gonna say is that he's t he's twelve points behind Michael Sowers. He would have needed back to back six point games, something he's never done. And in fact, he only scored six points twice this season. And the the most recent time was like week his like third game of the season or something, right? I think he had like six, five, and six or something were like his first three games, something like that. And then, you know, he's he's got as many one point games this season as six point games. So I I like you said, I I think he he almost definitely doesn't catch Michael Sowers, even if he plays those two games. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. And I think Saurus has been kinda knocking on the doorstep for a while now. And this was you know, probably his best year. Again, the two extra games definitely help numbers wise, but like he just looked really good every single game. There wasn't a game where I felt like he was, you know, particularly bad. again, if you want to throw Dauber in that mix, Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: like I I'd still I would still accept that. Again, like Jackson said, he had a better year this year than he had last year. Like And he was pretty pretty dang good last year, so I'd be fine with that too. But then you kinda run into the situation of like you're not gonna give Sours or C J an award when they had the years they had too. So it's tough position to be in, but you know, at least with with goalie of the year Dauber will get that. So then I think this is kind of a good way to get everyone something, which I'm not advocating for participation awards. It's just that All these these three guys were so good that it feels stupid to like leave them off somewhere. Neil Barrett: Yeah. There's Mm-hmm. I'm kind of the opposite. I always think it's really dumb when a player wins MVP and doesn't win their positional award. Like you're essentially saying that they were the best player in the league, but they weren't the best player at their own position. That just feels dumb to me. That being said, I do like your argument of, you know, attackmen, goal scoring, and and and I've also heard this argument several other places. They were talking about it on the Mitchell Pelkey look. lacrosse podcast earlier today. the idea of like Sours being, you know, kind of QB one almost, meaning that he's the the V P. and then and then yeah, that that Kirst is is kind of a little bit more of the goal scoring attackman and so he gets attackman of the year. and so I th I think I've come to terms with that even though generally speaking I I really hate when you don't win your own positional award. but some of the some of the other arguments like just don't make any sense to me. The idea that just because CJ Kirst broke the scoring record means that he should win it. And I'm like Marcus Holman didn't win it? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Like why why would we suddenly to me and we talked about this last year. When CJ was in was still at Cornell and and I said CJ cursed is Kieran McCardle with better PR. And I'm and I'm dead serious. Like the dude the that dude has such good PR. And I and I don't even mean that as an insult, but like he does anything and people lose their mind. And the guy next to him does the same thing, and people are like, Yeah, but CJ. And I'm like, wait, what? and so I don't I don't like the argument that just because like it's one thing when when Jeff T not just broke the points record, but like obliterated it. I think I think an overall points record is a pretty strong case. But otherwise, I I you know, just a scoring record or just an assist record or something doesn't necessarily mean that you have to win it to me. you know, the the year that Marcus Holman set that points rec or the goals record, he also had like 13 assists. He ended up with like 44 points, like he led the league in points that year. and still wasn't the MVP. so the idea that CJ Kerr should win it because he had thirty-four goals and then had what, five assists, I think. And he's twelve points behind his his own line mate. I'm like, I just I don't know. I I don't I don't really understand the argument for CJ, though again, if if you want to give him a Tacman of the Year. In my rankings, I would have Sours one, Dauber two, CJ three. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. I I would agree with that. and again, attackman of the year, like he obliterated everybody else goals wise. I mean he had five more goals than Sours did. And the next closest is twenty eight. So like give him Attackman of the Year, I have no qualms about that. But yeah, like there was definitely a point in time where I felt like MVP was his. But then as the season went on, there was a couple times that was just like a Sowers is popping off, like Dauber's popping off, like it you know Neil Barrett: I'm gonna I'm gonna get these numbers wrong because I I did the math and then I've kind of forgotten it. It's gotten all fuzzy. But since the all-star break, which I believe there are seven weeks since the all-star break, CJ has like it was like 24 points. I think it was like 22 goals and two assists or something like that. And Michael Sowers had like 38 points. And it it was something like that. my my math is fuzzy. I I know I know it was 20 and 30 ha what the exact number was. Or I guess I should say I know it was a a two number and a three number. I don't remember what the exact numbers were. but I'm just like, you know, Michael Sowers coming down the stretch, and and kind of to what you were saying earlier, Michael Sowers has been kind of knocking on this door, but it has felt like every year that he's been kind of up and around this MVP conversation, he's maybe faded a little bit down the stretch. There's been a game or two where he didn't quite do he didn't do that this year. He didn't do that this year. He took off and Another one of the arguments that people like to give is the idea that, well, CJ Kurse is getting the number one. And again, going back to the Mitchell Pelke show, I can't remember if it was Duges or Kevin Boyard, was saying they they don't think that that that's really a thing in the PLL as much anymore as maybe it used to be, that this idea that like your number one defender was always on their best player. And that nowadays it's a lot more of like we have our power defender, we have a speed defender, and then we kind of have like a third guy who's kind of like directing traffic and you know, sliding and recovering and and doing all that. And so, you know, when when the water dogs play the outlaws, JT Giles Harris might match up against Michael Sowers, you know, being the number one quote unquote for the outlaws. But it has more to do with him being able to match foot speed with Michael Sowers and play in tight to him in a way that, you know, why am I totally blinging on saying Mike Manley can't do? Whereas Mike Manley's a little bit bigger, a little bit more physical. He can line up with CJ and and and body him in a way that maybe JT Charles Harris can't. But then when they go play, you know, they're not gonna play Gavin Adler, but like, you know. Last year when Gavin Adler was on the Outlaws, that that situation might might flip. By the way, another really interesting thing that wasn't relevant to the conversation that we had about Atlas, Gavin Adler talked about matchups, which does kind of do with what we're talking about. He's he said that for any given matchup, he will go, he will bulk up six pounds or lose six pounds, depending on who he's going against. whereas like he talked specifically about like Asher Nolting. And when he knows he's going up against Asher Nolting, he will intentionally try to like overload and gain weight so that he can he can body up against Asher Nolting. Whereas when he was having to go up against a guy like a Michael Sowers, he would lose weight so that he could try to maintain foot speed and stuff, which is mind-blowing levels of like. How much you care about this and and are trying to go into it. But anyway, I just thought that was a really interesting idea. because the other thing that really frustrates me about the number one versus a number two kind of conversation is that this water dog's offense is predicated on switching the matchup. Like it doesn't matter who lines up against Michael Sowers because they're gonna run a pick and try and get him get him switched anyway. When you watch the highlights, watch how many times. CJ Kirst and Michael Sowers are dodging against shorty's because they've gotten a switch. So like it doesn't really matter who the number one was on was because he's not being covered by them when he goes to goal anyway. So, you know, the that that argument always falls a little flat for me. So I thought I thought we would disagree on on those a little bit more, but I I think we're I think we're on the same page on most of them. You know one we didn't we didn't talk about? Defender of the Year. Who you got there? defensive player of the year. Makar has the stats. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. I don't know that I have one. Neil Barrett: I think I think it's Brendan Lavelle. Just just in terms of like pure eye test. You know, Brett Maycar has the stats. But sometimes I think stats can be a little bit misleading. I think Brendan Lavelle shut dudes down. I also think Gavin Adler could probably win that ward award every single year. thought you had a thought. @HootSportsMedia: Actually, yeah, that's a good point. I might take Gavin Adler. 'Cause there were game there were games where you'd Neil Barrett: Yeah. I don't think Avan Adler's wrong. I @HootSportsMedia: watch and he was shutting guys down, but then you look at the stat sheet and he had literally nothing. Now that I think about it. I don't Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: I don't mind the Laval pick either. I I only the problem is I only really watched not only watched, but like I really paid attention the first half of the year. Like the first few games he had some really good games, so I d I don't wanna, you know, s necessarily speak on the the last couple of games that I wasn't fully paying attention to him. But like I'm looking at this list and I'm like, who else really like shut guys down? And I I just don't it's really just Gavin Hadler. I'm trying to even think who would be like the third, you know, finalist. They're probably gonna put Makar as the as a finalist. I mean he did average two cost turn over the game, which again can be misleading. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I think Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: But also like That's pretty dang good. So Neil Barrett: It's it's pretty good and there's a precedence there because Garrett Eppel was a defensive player of the year finalist almost every single year. And @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Yep. Neil Barrett: lots of lots of defensive experts will tell you he was a bit of a stat merchant. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Well and and he also had nine points too. Which again, that isn't that's not defense, but it's also like, Okay, so you're taking the ball the other way, doing good things with it. You know. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I for me, I think it's those three are the and I don't know. For all I know, they'll do five finalists and they'll they'll make they'll draw two names out of a hat. I don't know. But it those three are the finalists that have like a legitimate case for why they should be there. And and I wouldn't be too mad at any of them doing it. Personally, I would have Lavelle Adler probably a Decent little gap and then Makar, but again, Makar's got the stats. I I can't complain too much if he wins it. but I I really won't complain at all if Gavin Adler wins it. Again, I think I think you could pretty much give him that award just about every year, and you wouldn't be wrong. I just think Lavelle was maybe, maybe edged him out just a little bit, but we'll see. let's Let's talk about the PLO playoffs starting this weekend. we will start with your Denver Outlaws against the California Redwoods. just a rematch of what we just saw, although I don't know that like you could take too much from that game because there were almost no good outlaws on the game. Pat Kavanaugh has been reinstated to the lineup. no word yet on Jared Bernhardt, which doesn't necessarily mean he won't play. It might just mean that he's gonna be more of a game time decision kind of thing. so @HootSportsMedia: He's not playing. He's not playing. Neil Barrett: You don't think? @HootSportsMedia: I know, he's not playing. I every guy that's had a hamstring injury is out for like years. Like he's not playing. If if Neil Barrett: For years. @HootSportsMedia: he ends up playing, color me shocked because the I just don't see it. I mean he j he just re aggravated it in Denver. July twenty fifth that would have been. So we're a month removed. Neil Barrett: I mean it'll be a month. @HootSportsMedia: But that's like a that's more than a barely four week injury usually. Neil Barrett: Well it depends on how much he he he messed it up, but @HootSportsMedia: Hey, maybe maybe he can heal like Wolverine, who knows? But I don't think he's playing. Neil Barrett: and then none of the starting defense d none of the starting defenders played against the Redwoods last week, right? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, not a single one. Neil Barrett: But they'll all be back this week. @HootSportsMedia: I didn't even know they were injured, so I couldn't tell ya. I I don't know. I hope I sure hope. Neil Barrett: Well, part of me part of me thinks it was it was less of like we're injured and more of like we're a little banged up. This isn't gonna this game isn't gonna do anything. So we'll just rest up and recover. but I don't know because @HootSportsMedia: I I hope that's the case. Neil Barrett: we're not super transparent about injuries with this league. @HootSportsMedia: Right. Neil Barrett: so so I have no idea, but I I would expect to see them back. and then totally blanking his name, the goalie. McNaney. Sh @HootSportsMedia: McNanny, yeah. Neil Barrett: should be should be back in goal, yeah. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. Neil Barrett: I I think he's supposed 'cause he played he did play in in d in against California, I'm pretty sure. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, he did. But I don't know if he is gonna stay there. Neil Barrett: I think he played all right considering what he had in front of him. @HootSportsMedia: I mean that's that's fair. And I guess technically speaking, Owen Owen did have a worse game after he came in, statistically speaking. So I'll give him that. I I don't know, it depends. I I don't know what to believe. Like I don't he there's an injury allegedly that's like there, but like we didn't see anything and like Owen had those couple of really good games, but at the same Neil Barrett: Think it's a mental one. @HootSportsMedia: time it yeah, at the same time it's like we've also seen Owen not play very well in his the majority of his career. So Pardon me's like go back to Logan, but then you know Yes, he'll be back in goal. I don't know. Someone call pseudo. Neil Barrett: how are you feeling about the game overall though? @HootSportsMedia: Not great. Not great. I don't know. I I can't I worry about Cav coming back in the lineup after being out so long and you Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: know, you had you had a lot of guys taking on different roles that, you know, how do they slot back into the lineup and This Neil Barrett: Would you would you consider running Pat out of the box? No, you're you're putting him right back in. @HootSportsMedia: I mean for the for him for a guy like him having the injuries he's having, the less running he does the better. I don't know. This this team feels almost identical to the team two years ago, where they went five and five, they won round one, lost round two. I'm not saying it's going to happen, but if that happened, I'd be like, Yeah, that's that's what this team is this year. Neil Barrett: That's about that, yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. And like California, I I don't think they're the best team. I don't think they're the worst team. They're just a team that can show up any week and kill you. So again, I hope I'm wrong, but like at this point I'm kinda done drinking the the Kool Aid of like they're gonna, you know like not drinking the Kool Aid I guess probably the wrong term, but just like being overly confident just because I need to we haven't seen them put together like over and and also like is Brennan gonna play super well? Like he had that that game a couple of weeks ago or or is it gonna be back to like, you know, ten percent shooting? Like that's a big you know, is Crotic gonna be in net or is Dylan Ward starting the game? Like those types of things that we just don't know that I just don't have a good read on. Neil Barrett: you brought up Brennan O'Neal. Reminded me. Kevin Boyard made the argument that Brennan O'Neill should be an MVP finalist. Honestly, honestly, I I didn't hate it. He I had the same reaction. Like when he first said it, I was like, what? And then the more he talked about it, I was like, I mean, I don't hate it. He he was basically talking about how how inconsistent that lineup has been, how people have just been in and out all season, how bad that team has been at times. And the one constant that they've had is Brendan O'Neal, which is which is funny to say because he's been shooting like crap, but he's still what ninth, eighth, something like that in in in total points this season because he's just facilitating the crap @HootSportsMedia: He's sixth. Neil Barrett: out of it. Sixth, so yeah, even better. because he's just been facilitating so well. and we have also literally twice this season seen him just put that team on his back and be like, no, we're gonna go win this game. and and so like the more he talked, the more I was like, I mean, I don't hate it. I don't hate it. It's it's bold, but I don't hate it. so just just wanted to throw that out. @HootSportsMedia: I I mean, I'd be willing to listen listen to it, more so if it was the the attackman of the year situation. I again I don't hate that necessarily. I understand the logic, but also MVP consists of every position and then when you factor that in then it's like, Ugh. But to his point, yes, he he did have his best, you know, assisting year. and he looked good doing that as well, to be fair to him. It wasn't like, I'm just happying happen to passing be passing it to someone at the top of the key that's wide open. It's like, no, he was dishing really well. So I I'm down for that, I guess. Neil Barrett: I I've wondered if if he could play from X. I I I wondered that as far back as Duke. Like, is this a position that he @HootSportsMedia: A after we had that conversation, Neil Barrett: could play? @HootSportsMedia: I was watching him. I think he's too slow to do it. Neil Barrett: I mean, there's a lot of @HootSportsMedia: Consistently. Neil Barrett: slow guys who play who play from X. Rob Pennell's hardly a barn burner and he's like the ex attackman over the last twenty years. @HootSportsMedia: I I think he's probably still faster than Brennan right now. Neil Barrett: I don't know, man. That dude that dude he's got a gear. I'm not saying he's j I mean, he's certainly not Jared Bernhardt @HootSportsMedia: Look, there was all I know is there's one there's one play in particular that I remember watching and being like, I gotta s bring this up to Neil because that was the slowest and and I think what's funny is I'm pretty sure he even dished four goal on this. So he can do it, but Neil Barrett: But it but here's here's here's my thing though. There's no there's no way there's no correct way to play at X. Asher Nolting is slow as crap. I think he was a great ex attackman. Rob Pennell's not exactly a a a fleet of foot. I mean he's he's got quickness to him, but he's not exactly fleet of foot. You know, Matt Rambo was an ex attackman, not a very fast one. But then obviously there's there's Michael Sowers, there's Jordan Wolfe, there's there are plenty of guys who had that that kind of speed about them. And and there, you know, for me, being an ex-attackman is more about can you do you have the vision to see a pass and then the skill to complete that pass? while also, you know, generally playing body. control with a a s a defender right on your hip kind of thing. or, you know, if if you have some speed and you can create some separation, great. But you know, Joey looks @HootSportsMedia: That defender's gonna be on his hip. Neil Barrett: like Joey looks like he's gonna be you know, an an X attackman in this league pretty soon and not exactly fleet of foot. I mean wasn't that the big wasn't that the big complaint about him from Adam Lamberti was that he he didn't have the speed to to dodge? @HootSportsMedia: Alright, alright, alright. We're moving on. We're not getting into that again. Adam Lamberti can answer Neil Barrett: I did. @HootSportsMedia: for his statements. Neil Barrett: I did I do think it's so funny that that that he got so much crap for that pick. And look, he put his name on it, he backed it up, like he he believed he he wasn't writing clickbait. He believed what he was saying. And he has come out and said that he was wrong. But I think it's so funny that he wrote that and everybody lit him up. And now Joey has had arguably You know, one of the best rookie seasons ever and is probably gonna be the rookie of the year. It's just so funny. let's talk about the last playoff game this weekend that we'll see Boston, speaking of Joey Spilina, take on Joey Spilina's Maryland whip snakes. the big news for this one is that Matt Campbell has been activated. He will be back. He has missed the last nine games of the season. With injury. that is obviously a big pickup for Boston. where you see this one going? @HootSportsMedia: down to the wire. Just like we saw a couple of weeks back. Neil Barrett: Hopefully Emma McCarroll's paying attention this time. @HootSportsMedia: That would be nice for their sake, yes. I'm not gonna pick a winner yet because we're still quite a few days out and my mind will flip back and forth, so but I think it'll be a a close game. That that's gonna be good. Neil Barrett: Yeah. any any prediction? Any any thoughts on who who will pull it out? @HootSportsMedia: I mean Maryland's gonna have at least twelve goals. That's a given. I think I Neil Barrett: That's all that's all he's got. @HootSportsMedia: yeah, I don't know. I don't I qu again I question like, you know, Matt Campbell's been out so long. I wonder. I wonder how it's gonna work. whose spot does he take? I mean obviously he's taking whoever's spot, but I'm saying who is gonna then fill in behind him 'cause they've had a lot of a lot of good young midfield play this year, so We'll see. Neil Barrett: I I think I'm leaning Boston ever so slightly, but it's not by much. Like, you know, it it just feels like they I I really think that they have found not even necessarily like a long-term starter, but at least for this season, they've they found an answer and goal with JC Higginbotham. and then I I think I think Matt Campbell could disrupt things. I feel like it's a little bit easier to come back from a long term injury as a midfielder where you can you can really kind of pace how much you're involved in the offense much more than you can as a starting attackman. And that was one of the reasons why I asked would you consider running Pat Kavanaugh out of the box where you can kind of control that a a little bit and maybe keep. it was Bundy that was playing down there, right? @HootSportsMedia: No, Dalton Young. Neil Barrett: Young. I always get Bundy and Young confused. @HootSportsMedia: Bundy will never play attack. Like Neil Barrett: All right. But but yeah, so like that was part of the reason why was like coming back from an injury, maybe it's little bit easier to work him into the flow of the offense as a as a midfielder. So I I think that works for Matt Campbell, in a way that maybe it doesn't work for for Pat Kavanaugh. And Yeah, I I think I'm leaning ever so slightly, Boston, but it you you can't be shocked if if Maryland wins. I and Maryland's that kind of team and kind of like you were talking about with the Redwoods, like you know they're capable. They could show up and drop 20 on you and you'd be like, Yep, that that makes total sense. Emmett Carroll could have a great game and they could win, you know, 20 to 12, and and you'd be like, Well, that that's that checks out. But I I just feel like they haven't been quite as consistent for me to really have faith that they'll pull that out. So let's let's talk real quick about the Pala championships. They were this weekend. the top five teams qualified for the world championships next summer. let me see if I wrote that down. Yep. Canada, USA, Haudenosaunee. Puerto Rico and Jamaica. I don't know why didn't write down Jamaica. those are the five teams that qualified from this. the big obviously the the gold medal game was Canada versus the US. The US was leading for most of the game. They were up eight five entering the fourth quarter, and Canada scored the last four goals of the game, including Alex Simmons game winner with 10 seconds left. to seal the gold medal game Is is there anything from this game that will carry over to 2027? Zero big fat donut hole. I would definitely agree with that statement. trying to pull up the there it is. I'm gonna I'm gonna read this roster to you real quick and I want you to tell me how many of these players are going to be I'm only gonna do the US. I think we could do a similar thing for Canada but you and I probably know the US players a little bit better than the Canadian players. So but I think this also goes for the Canadian team as well in goal. We had Colin Kirst and Anderson Moore. Short stick defensive midfielder. We had Kyle Bergen, Blake Island, Aiden McGuire, and Ben Ramsey. On defense, we had Kenny Brouwer, Will Donovan, Sean Light, A.J. Larkin, Jack Posey. At the faceoff dot, we had Andrew McMeekin, Luke Weirman, or and Luke Weirman. And then on offense, we had Xander Dixon, Jackson Iker, Hugh Kelleher, Brian Kelly, Eric Law, Evan Plunkett. Ryan Tierney, Mikey Weichar, and Josh Yagg. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know, maybe six. Neil Barrett: Six. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. Because you gotta think backups too. Like Neil Barrett: Who all right, who's your six? @HootSportsMedia: like both of those faced off guys are probably going. You don't think? I guess I guess Trevor's in there probably, but Neil Barrett: Trevor and T D. McMeekin has an outside shot. An outside shot. I think, but I think it's Trevor and TD. @HootSportsMedia: Okay, it still leaves four more. Neil Barrett: Four more what? @HootSportsMedia: Players that I think could go. Neil Barrett: Okay. Who who the other four? @HootSportsMedia: I think of the attackmen, there's only one that really has a bit of a shot, which would be probably Xander Dixon, who I don't really think makes it, but of the attackman he's the only Neil Barrett: So @HootSportsMedia: one. Neil Barrett: Xander's fascinating to me because I agree I agree with exactly what you just said. I don't think he makes it. However, I think there's a really interesting case that maybe he should make it because of the most likely candidates, and I and we can kind of go through those in a second, but of the most likely candidates, they're all like. dodge to score kind of guys. There's there are very few, all probably no real like true off ball guys. Now, there are some guys like CJ curse obviously has been playing largely off ball for the Water Dogs this year. He could do it. but I I think there's an element of like could he be one of those really good fit guys? One of the things I think John Donowski did really well in 2018 and 2023 was find a really good unit. A team that played really he didn't he didn't just bring the 22 best names he could. He really he made some tough decisions and brought guys that he thought really fit. You know what our starting attack was in 2023? Kieran McCardle, Rob Pennell, and Matt Rambo. That was the starting attack line. Mikey Sowers, Brennan O'Neal ran out of the box. Like, even in 2023, that seems crazy. So I I think Xander Dixon's interesting because like you said, I I don't think he makes it, but I I think there's a decent case for it. All right, so so let's say Xander was one of your yours. Who else you got? @HootSportsMedia: Aiden Maguire's in the exact same situation. Neil Barrett: As as like he's sitting on the outside, but he he has a good shot. @HootSportsMedia: Yep. Neil Barrett: I I agree. I think Aiden Maguire is one the thing I think helps him is that there's four. if there was only three, I'm @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: not sure he makes it. But at four, I'm like, all right, he he might could make it in a in a four man roster because you gotta think Ryan Terrafenko probably goes. I totally just blanked on everyone else. @HootSportsMedia: Danny Logan. Neil Barrett: Danny Logan. Yes, Danny Logan and Ryan Terrafinko are almost definites. and then there's a few guys where it's like, maybe. You know, like Brian Tevlin. Brian Tevlin, I think, was on the 23 roster. so so if if we said Terrafinko, Logan, Tevlin. And then it's like, okay, at four, maybe maybe Ada McGuire takes that force. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. The last couple I think could Neil Barrett: Who out? @HootSportsMedia: could be polls, but that's also partially because I can't think of the full roster. the normal roster, if you will, of poles. But like depending on how well Sean Light is doing at the pro level. Neil Barrett: Well, if he's even at at @HootSportsMedia: Potentially. Neil Barrett: the pro level. 'Cause he's got five for five. He could go he could go back to @HootSportsMedia: See, true, true, that's fair. actually the other one I I didn't think of was Colin Kirst. I can't think of who else the goalies would be for the for Americans. Like who else would they Neil Barrett: Okay, first of all @HootSportsMedia: be? Neil Barrett: first hold on. First of all, Colin Kirst ain't making that roster. Nope. Hold on. Hold on. @HootSportsMedia: Besides McNaney No, no, Colin, Colin, not Cole. Colin. Neil Barrett: I'm talking I said Colin. @HootSportsMedia: No, you said call. Neil Barrett: I said Colin. Colin Kurz is not making that @HootSportsMedia: maybe you broke up then. Neil Barrett: roster. Hey, you wanna you wanna know why Colin Kurst ain't making that roster? @HootSportsMedia: Why? Neil Barrett: Because Colin Kurst didn't even play in the gold medal game of this tournament. Anderson Moore started this game. @HootSportsMedia: That's fine. Okay. Neil Barrett: Anderson Moore is a ju he just finished his junior year at Georgetown. He started for this tournament over Colin Kirst. Colin Kirst ain't making that roster @HootSportsMedia: Sure. Neil Barrett: next year. Your your defense @HootSportsMedia: All right. Neil Barrett: in twenty twenty your defense in twenty twenty three was Jesse Bernhard, who who I don't think makes it. Matt Dunn, who's who could. He's getting up there, but he could. JT Charles Harris, who I think will be there. Who else we got here? I'm going through all the attackmen now. Hold on. Jack Rowette, who, if healthy, which could be a big caveat. @HootSportsMedia: They give. Neil Barrett: Well we'll see. It sounded I don't I obviously I don't know anything about his his medical records, but it sounded a lot like some of his stuff w was going to be a month or two of recovery, but that ultimately he would be fine. So we'll see. If if he's playing, I think he's definitely there. But obviously right now that is a big if. Brett Maycar. Gavin Adler. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, from that perspective then maybe light doesn't make it, unless they want to carry a young guy just to do it. Because ev because even just just Neil Barrett: Yeah. I I think I think @HootSportsMedia: based off of Adler, JT and make one of Makar Rowlette, there's your three and your fourth as a backup. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Well and and the they have even LSMs listed as defense. @HootSportsMedia: Mm, okay. Neil Barrett: so like they don't have a separate LSM category. It's all just a defensive category. So I think there are maybe even some some LSMs that could go. But then there's also guys like, you know, Marcus Hutchins. also I wondered. @HootSportsMedia: That was that was my other one. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I also wondered, does Does a guy like Bobby Van Buren end up making this roster by next summer? does does a guy like Will Shaler make it? there are a couple of guys that I think we've @HootSportsMedia: Not over those guys we just named. Neil Barrett: No, no, no, not over those guys, but I meant over Sean White. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, potentially, potentially. I'm just looking at the this roster Neil Barrett: Right. @HootSportsMedia: with the Pan American, but yeah. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. No, I I I think there's a but one I think that's really interesting is Kenny Brouwer. I think he he could make that roster. but all that but also I look at this roster and I'm like, I wouldn't be totally surprised if none of these guys made. @HootSportsMedia: I mean, yeah, you look at I think about Team Canada's roster, most of those guys won't make any other field team. Like that's Neil Barrett: Yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: you know that's mostly what I think this tournament is f like that's why Eric Law played. Neil Barrett: yeah. @HootSportsMedia: with again, there's exceptions of certain guys that I think have a legit chance, but Neil Barrett: The the US @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. I don't know. I s I still could see Colin Kirst being the backup coming that time. Neil Barrett: No, no. You got Liam Ensimman. You got Liam Ensimman. You Blaze Reardon. @HootSportsMedia: And I'm gonna laugh if it happens. I didn't even think about NT. No, Blaze isn't playing. You think you think Blaze is gonna play Neil Barrett: Please do us play. @HootSportsMedia: in 28? Neil Barrett: This isn't for twenty eight, this is for twenty seven. This is for next summer. @HootSportsMedia: Okay, this whole time I've been thinking we're talking about the Olympics. Sorry. This whole time I've been thinking two years Neil Barrett: No, no, no. This is the world championships next summer. @HootSportsMedia: ahead and I'm like, what even Neil Barrett: No, so so i for for the Olympics in two years, I think there might be some guys that were on this roster that could that could do it. No, I'm talking I'm talking next summer for the world championships. @HootSportsMedia: Okay, sorry. Then disregard half what I said. This whole time I was like what? Like Neil Barrett: He's like, he's like, never mind. No one's making it. No, I @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: blaze blaze in twenty eight might be a stretch, but @HootSportsMedia: I mean I I'm not I he does play goalie. He doesn't have to move around a ton. Maybe he does play in twenty eight, but Neil Barrett: In twenty three it was him and Jack Kelly. Jack Kelly ain't ain't coming back through the door. So I think you're looking at a a pool of him, what I say, Liam Intamin, Logan McNaney would have a chance. @HootSportsMedia: Probably those three. Neil Barrett: well, there's a few other guys like where's Ryan Crottett gonna be next year in in terms of pecking order. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. But but even then, like I don't know if he's unless he has a a crazy great off season and whatnot, is he passing i any of those guys that have been there done it? Neil Barrett: No, no. @HootSportsMedia: Or like can they carry three? Can they can they do that? Neil Barrett: I mean, technically you have 22 roster spots. You could you could fill it however you want. @HootSportsMedia: Just do whatever you want. Yeah. Neil Barrett: I I don't think that most most people carry one like starter and then one backup. but like technically they could if they wanted to. another name that I would say I I think it's unlikely, but if he comes out next year and plays like he's playing right now, Sean Burns. @HootSportsMedia: Potentially. Potentially. Neil Barrett: I mean, I he's played five games. but assuming that he plays the way that he played in these five games across this whole season, I think there's an argument that that he could beat Dauber for goalie of the year this year. He he only did it five games. What what's that? @HootSportsMedia: I'm not going that far, but Neil Barrett: All I'm saying is if if he played the way he did in this sample size across the whole season, he very easily could have beaten up. @HootSportsMedia: Is next year happening after the twenty twenty seven PL season? Neil Barrett: It happens during. It's like the women's was this year. @HootSportsMedia: Okay, okay. See so from that perspective, like I just don't see someone like him based off name recognition alone getting picked over these other again, now if if if NT has another horrendous season, then maybe. But Neil Barrett: I was gonna see I think they just had a training camp roster. @HootSportsMedia: The problem with all these events is there's different there's too many different teams to keep up with or collections of guys. Neil Barrett: All right, here's here's who is in the training camp roster, which you liked this. you know what? I thought they had one come out for a fall training camp. This was actually their May training camp roster. This was in preparation for the Pala event that just happened. On offense, these are this is way more names, but this should give you some idea. And there will be guys who are. Being considered who aren't on this list and guys who won't ever make this team who are on this list, but it should give you some idea. Jared Bernhardt, Matt Campbell, Aiden Carroll, Xander Dixon, Jackson Iker, Jack Hanna. Pat Jack Hannah's one we didn't we didn't talk about. Pat Kavanaugh, Chris Kavanaugh, CJ Kirst, Shane Knobloch, TJ Malone, Andrew Makadory, Mac O'Keefe. Why did I think Mac O'Keefe was Canadian? @HootSportsMedia: 'Cause he feels like a Canadian. Neil Barrett: It must be. I swear to you, I've been thinking he was Canadian this whole time. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: Brennan O'Neal, Coulter Mackesee, Connor Schellenberger, Michael Sowers, Matt Trainer. This was in May. @HootSportsMedia: On second thought, none of these dudes are making that roster. Those guys, they got it. Neil Barrett: Well and and this is in this is in May. Like I I was thinking I was trying to think of like a depth chart basically. I was thinking that left side you got CJ Brennan, Ryder Garnsey, Logan Wisnowskis. Coulter Mackesee. at X, you got Michael Sowers. You got Rob Pennell. He's old, but like he could technically do it. who who else is on here? What's up? What? @HootSportsMedia: It's gotta be sours. Neil Barrett: Sure. Yeah, he would be the number one, absolutely. But I I was thinking of like depth chart of like how deep the American roster goes, especially on that offensive end. TJ Malone could be at X. Connor Schellenberger could be at X. He could also be out on the right. Pat Kavanaugh could be at X. He could also be out on the right. then on the right, you got Jared Bernhard, Chris Kavanaugh. who else? There were some other guys that aren't on this roster. I don't know, but like at every single position, even when you go through the midfield, at every single position, there's like three, four, five, six guys deep that could be like all world players. Anyway. Defense, Gavin Adler, Kenny Brower, Matt Dunn, Jimmy Frehill. that's a name I forgot to mention. JT Giles Harris, Cole Kastner, Sean Light, Jack Roulette, Mason Woodward, Ajax Zapatello. Faceoff, Trevor Baptiste, TD Erlin, Alex Sathakis, Luke Weirman. Goalie, Liam Entaman, Colin Kirst, Logan McNaney, Blaze Reardon. That's funny. That's like exactly who we said. Short Stick defensive midfielder, Zach Geddes, Zach Goodrich, Danny Logan. Ada Maguire, Ben Ramsey, Ryan Terrafinko, Brian Tavler. @HootSportsMedia: I almost mentioned Gettys earlier too and I didn't. Like that's gonna that's Neil Barrett: for I @HootSportsMedia: gonna be a tough room to crack. Neil Barrett: Also, what's up with Goodrich? He was on the 2023 roster. He's on this training camp. Is he is he on the cannons? @HootSportsMedia: Goodrich? Neil Barrett: Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I'm pretty sure. Neil Barrett: Is he? I I feel like I haven't seen his name in like three years. I'm sure I have. I just I just I was thinking about him when I was looking at that twenty three roster earlier @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Neil Barrett: today. And I was like, I was like, what happened to him? Did he retire? And then seeing @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, he played twelve games this year. Neil Barrett: him on that roster. He played 12 games. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, eight cost turnovers, three ground balls, one point. One assist. Neil Barrett: Okay. Interesting. Well, like I said, not much can be inferred from this game because again, I think Canada's in a real similar situation. I think there are very few guys who are on that that roster for this event that will be playing next summer. And the few that do are probably going to be supporting roles. They're not going to be like the main guys. That you're kind like Alex Simmons is great. I I love Alex Simmons, but when that full roster comes out next year, I'd expect he's probably on it, but he'll be fairly far down the the pecking line. @HootSportsMedia: He's not even gonna be on the roster. I love Simmer. Neil Barrett: You don't think? @HootSportsMedia: I love Simmer. He's not. Think about think I'm we're not gonna go over it. We've already been recording for for a long time. But think about the names just off the top of your head that Canada has on offense. Neil Barrett: Sure, but it but it's also a twenty two man roster, is what I'm saying. Like he could he could run out of the box. He could he could run out the box. How many how many Canadians are running out of the box? @HootSportsMedia: All of them. Neil Barrett: I I think I think Simmons is on that ring stuff. @HootSportsMedia: In fact, I would argue they have a Canadian right now running out of the box in the PL. Neil Barrett: Well, of course they do. But I'm I'm saying they I don't think that they're that deep. I'm I'm not saying Canadians can't run out of the box. That's not what I'm saying. Well @HootSportsMedia: But but you're gonna take the guys that play field over the guys that play box only. Neil Barrett: I don't think they will. @HootSportsMedia: Unless you really need a fill in. Neil Barrett: you telling me you ain't taking Dane Smith? @HootSportsMedia: Dane Smith is not a fillin' though. Dane Smith could play both if he really wanted to. He's he's an anomaly. Hit like guys like him and Josh Byrne are are exceptions, obviously. Neil Barrett: But I think Alex Smith Alex Simmons can. Is what I'm saying. @HootSportsMedia: Redwards certainly didn't think so. Neil Barrett: Well, listen, I know I know you listened to that O T V interview. And it it sounded like there was there was more @HootSportsMedia: Dude. Neil Barrett: to that than @HootSportsMedia: I I'm on the w the bandwagon of Alex Simmons playing in the PL for the record. I when when they signed they signed him, at one point they had Ryan Lee still on the roster. They signed Eli McLaughlin and I like, all these guys should be playing PL and something happened where it didn't happen. So I'm not saying Simmer can't play, but I'm saying when you look at the other guys that will can potentially take that spot, I would think that they would take those guys over Simmer. Maybe not. Neil Barrett: Who who do you who give me a name? Because I th I think you're crazy. I think you're a lunatic. @HootSportsMedia: A Canadian name of just like any offensive player that can take that spot. Neil Barrett: Well, not Dane Smith, 'cause like I like let's let's assume you're looking at six, maybe not six, maybe five midfielders, like guys true midfielders running out of the @HootSportsMedia: Well, okay. Neil Barrett: We got we got Dame. @HootSportsMedia: Dane, if he's really running of the box. If I mean Josh Burns probably playing attack, but you can run him out of the box as well. You're gonna take Reed Bowering over him because Neil Barrett: I think he's I think he's @HootSportsMedia: he's already running out of the box. He knows how to do it. Levi Anderson. that's at least three. You don't you don't think Levi Anderson's taking that? Neil Barrett: I don't know that I'm not I'm not saying they won't both end up on the roster. I'm not so sure that I would take him over. Because here's the thing these are Canadian coaches. These are not these are not PL, you know, coaches who who aren't going to know who Alex Simmons is. @HootSportsMedia: Okay. Neil Barrett: Alex Simmons led the Pala tournament in in points. He had twenty five in four games. @HootSportsMedia: He let he led he led the what tournament? Neil Barrett: Palo tournament. I I understand that that's not the highest level, but I'm saying he was the best player in this @HootSportsMedia: Mm. Neil Barrett: tournament. And I know that a lot of these guys won't be there. @HootSportsMedia: Sure. Is Are you taking him over Casey Wilson? Neil Barrett: I am. @HootSportsMedia: Mr. Oshwell Firewolf fan over here, huh? Neil Barrett: my gosh. Liking liking one guy is not the same thing. @HootSportsMedia: You're taking him over Zach Courier? Or is Zach Courier playing short stick for them? Neil Barrett: I would I I'm not saying that he would necessarily play strictly short stick defensive midfield. He would take one of those short stick defensive midfield spots though. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, I would love to see him make make the team, but I just think they have too many too many Neil Barrett: Now maybe @HootSportsMedia: guys that can play that role. Neil Barrett: And maybe, maybe Brad will get in Lax Lifers and be like, this is my list. And I'll be like, okay, you're right. I like like I said, we didn't want to talk about the Canadian roster because we don't know the Canadian guys and the developmental guy, the guys that are coming through as well as we know the US guys. but s so take this with a grain of salt. But I don't I don't think that there are six guys that I would run out of the box ahead of. Alex Simmons. And for what it's worth, Brad did say that he might he might just put Dane Smith on the right side of the attack and run run Dane, Jeff, and @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, sure. But I mean, even then even then Neil Barrett: Josh Burns. @HootSportsMedia: Sam English, Ian McKay, Adam Patra Neil Barrett: I would I'd put Sam English above it. @HootSportsMedia: Or does Owen Hilt slide in? Neil Barrett: I'm I don't I'm not sure Owen Hilts makes Mostly because Josh Byrne is playing above him. You gonna run Owen @HootSportsMedia: I agree, but Neil Barrett: Hilts out the box? @HootSportsMedia: can we not run Josh Burner out the box? Like i either which one, I think you take probably both over Simmer. Neil Barrett: I'm I wouldn't I'm not running I'm not running Josh Byrne out of the box. I mean you can, sure. @HootSportsMedia: If it's Sim if it's Simmer or Josh Byrne. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I would never be simmer, Josh Byrne. I Josh Byrne would be my starting left lefty attack. @HootSportsMedia: It But you're taking Simmer over over Hilsey? Neil Barrett: One hundred percent. @HootSportsMedia: That's fine if you are. I'm just okay. Neil Barrett: I'm I'm taking him over Hilts. Mostly because I I c I don't I wouldn't be comfortable running Hilts out of the box. If I can get if if I can get him in the attack. @HootSportsMedia: That's fine. But that's where I would just bump someone else. That's fine. Neil Barrett: But I'm not bumping like I said, my my that for me, there are there are two attack positions that are locked down. Jeff Teet is playing at X and Josh Byrne is playing on that left hand side or as the lefty, which I guess the right hand side. and then Dane Smith would either be he he would be the third guy that's locked in. It's just a question of where. Is he is he running out of the box? Is he playing midfield or is he on the right hand side of of that attack? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. I think he's he I think he's playing MIDI, personally. Neil Barrett: I would probably put him in there as well. In which case, if if you wanna, if you wanna maybe, well, I don't know how you'd finagle it, because like you could bump Jeff Teat out to the right. I'm not sure that's his best position, but if you did that, maybe you swing Josh Byrne to X and put Hilts on the left. I'd be fine with that. If if you can clear up that left-hand side for Owen Hilts, fine. I want Josh Byrne in my attack. @HootSportsMedia: Well, I mean it's gonna be tough 'cause you still got tea too. Neil Barrett: Right, right, exactly. And and and that's my thing. It's like I want Josh Byrne on my attack line. I want him being involved in that offense every time it comes down the field, over Owen Hilts. If if you if your thing was to put Josh Byrne out of the box so that you could get Owen Hilts, fine, I'm not doing that. But like I can understand the the idea there. anyway. @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. W we can ask Brad. And this is this is not an anti Neil Barrett: We've been Yeah, we we @HootSportsMedia: Simmer take either, 'cause I do like Simmer, especially in box, but I mean he's a D U al he's a D U guy, Neil Barrett: And I and @HootSportsMedia: so Neil Barrett: and I I think he could play in the PL. I you know, he outscored PL players in this tournament. so like I think he could. I I just @HootSportsMedia: I think he could he could but he has to he has to get into a good situation that's gonna give him an actual shot. That's not just gonna like, you're here as like a training Neil Barrett: That's that's what I was gonna say. I @HootSportsMedia: camp kind of thing. Neil Barrett: Yeah, I think I think he needs he needs to be in the right place that that's gonna let him play, let him do some of the things that he excels at. @HootSportsMedia: Hey, you know who could always use midfield help a team out in Denver? Neil Barrett: Right. Like you said, Denver guy. you know who else could also always use midfield help? The Carolina chaos. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, I yeah. You know you know, they could use all the help. Every help. Neil Barrett: They could they could use all of the help. Hell. @HootSportsMedia: They should have pitched for LeBron to come sign there when he was a free agent. Neil Barrett: Alex Alex Simmons can play attack if he wants in Carolina. @HootSportsMedia: I like that a lot better. Way better. So much better. Neil Barrett: He can he can play attack. It's he's he's he's a righty, right? @HootSportsMedia: Yes, think so. Neil Barrett: I mean Jackson Iker's played two years, you know what that means. Army Army's about to start yanking him. Could he could he play X? Could could Alex Simmons play X? @HootSportsMedia: Probably. Neil Barrett: Probably I I would imagine. I I don't know why you wouldn't be able to, but we @HootSportsMedia: I feel like he was he was one of the primary feeders in Oshawa but I I could be misremembering that. Neil Barrett: Put him at X. Owen Hilt's on the right. If we can keep Jackson or yeah, on the right lefty. @HootSportsMedia: Yes, a Canadian Carolina Chaos, the return. Neil Barrett: But it would be a totally different, it'd be a totally different system. @HootSportsMedia: Love it. Love it. Get that jersey immediately. Neil Barrett: speaking of box lacrosse, let's let's get out of here with one quick box story and then and then another story. But reports came out today that the Ottawa Black Bears that this is not confirmed. Let's go ahead and get that out of the way. but it looks increasingly more likely That the Ottawa Black Bears are going to fold and their players will be dispersed through a dispersal draft. the latest thing that came out said that Philadelphia would not be closing, which is interesting because I don't think that's the impression that we had been getting. but the Jeff Teat sweepstakes appears to be on, so that's fun. @HootSportsMedia: FT, you are Noshua Firewolf. Welcome to the squad. Neil Barrett: He's gonna end up I'm try I I all day I've been trying to think of like where would be like the weirdest place for him to end up. @HootSportsMedia: I I'm pretty sure Oshawa would have that first pick, so if they don't pick him then what are you doing? Neil Barrett: Why would Osha have the first I I'm not saying you're wrong, I'm j why would they have the first bit? @HootSportsMedia: I don't know. I saw someone did a mock draft and had them at one. So I was just kind of assuming that those people did their homework and Neil Barrett: A mock on the dispersal. @HootSportsMedia: Yes. and I wanna say I'll look up standings real quick too, just to be sure. 'Cause I I don't I don't know if it's the same as like the draft or it's like, hey, you were bad so you get the first pick type of thing. Neil Barrett: They're not the war th 'cause Calgary, right, was they I know they were second. Philly was the @HootSportsMedia: Because Philly was the worst, and I don't know who owns Philly's p so so so I guess I should clarify. This is probably assuming, I guess, that Philly was folding as well. So, from that standpoint, then Philly survives, let's assume. They have to take him. Even if he doesn't want to play there, wherever they land, they have to take him and trade him or play him. If they fold two though, then I think that would fall Neil Barrett: man, imagine him and Brennan O'Neill. @HootSportsMedia: down to think that would have to pull down to Oshawa. And I would assume he lives, Neil Barrett: Yeah, not. @HootSportsMedia: you know, in that northern that c Canada region in Ontario, so you know, it's not much different. Neil Barrett: Where's where's where's Calgary in a in a dispersal draft where, you know, traded picks and stuff haven't happened? Are they third? @HootSportsMedia: fourth 'cause Rochester's below them. They're tied at six and twelve, but Rochester was was third. Which is why the Joey to Rochester Neil Barrett: I mi I I missed that. @HootSportsMedia: talk was so big, because that's like a real thing that can happen. Yeah, gonna be wild. Neil Barrett: It's funny, he he yeah. It's funny, I feel like I feel like up until the last couple of months, I it was always like Joey one, Joey two, maybe with Finn Thompson going one. And now all of a sudden it's like Joey four. And I'm like, wait, what what happened? @HootSportsMedia: Yeah. Well there there's some there's some other players that I think are making a deep push there kinda Neil Barrett: It probably doesn't help that that Joey hasn't been playing summer box. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, yeah. And I mean, Silas Richmond is getting a lot of buzz too. So But yeah, it'll be interesting. I'm I'm hoping hoping Philly survives. The thing I saw today said that they're looking about moving in the state of Pennsylvania, which is interesting because that's the first we've heard of that. Neil Barrett: Yeah, yeah. Yeah. @HootSportsMedia: again, this is all changing literally by the day, by the week, so i if if they can if they can find a way to save Neil Barrett: Yeah. I'm gonna I'm gonna say it again. None of this was confirmed. @HootSportsMedia: Yeah, if they can find a way to save them and make them truly, you know, in a lacrosse fans' hands, like a Josai, a Jamie Dalwick, something like that, like sure. Otherwise, let's cut our losses on the last two Nick teams and go forward with the what eleven of twelve really stable franchises. as much as that sucks to say. But sucks about Ottawa, but I mean The place they play, from what I understand, is not very convenient for for foot traffic and and that type of thing and fans and so it and it it's it sucks because they were partnered with the senators, which seemed like a great idea at the time. That looking back it was more so just kinda like they shared a building. It wasn't like Colorado where they're literally owned by the same people. And those people also own the building. It this was just like, hey, we'll just put you up there and then they got the P W H L team, which limits even more space, so It's unfortunate. Again, it sucks that Teet's gonna be in a dispersal. It sucks that people are gonna lose jobs, but that's what happens when you take money from private equity to expand just aimlessly. But I digress. Neil Barrett: I digress. One last quick hit before we get out of here. The Global Lacrosse Games announced the four nations that would be competing in the tournament. They are the US, Canada, the Hawaii Shoney, and Australia. I'd say that that was relatively expected. I think Australia was one of two or three teams that were kind of expected to fill that fourth spot. that will take place December eighth through the thirteenth. One thing that's a little bit interesting is that everybody's only playing two games. so you won't play all three of the other teams. that feels like it's gonna lead to some confusing opportunities for who makes the championship game and whatnot. But that being said, should be fun, enjoyable. I don't guess I've really there's really anything to to really talk about too much about that until maybe maybe rosters come out. so yeah, with that, we'll get out of here. Brandon, you got anything going on this week? @HootSportsMedia: couple of fancy football drafts, that's about it from from what I have right now. That could that could change, but just that. Neil Barrett: Yeah. Gotcha. I'd I don't think I'm playing fantasy football, so I'm gonna be watching Manchester @HootSportsMedia: Gotta get in there. Neil Barrett: United this weekend and lacrosse. @HootSportsMedia: I'm sorry. Neil Barrett: Come on, man. I want to hear you upbeat. I don't want to hear that defeatist attitude out of you. @HootSportsMedia: I can't even r I can't even remember the manager's name. I already forgot it. Neil Barrett: Come on, man. @HootSportsMedia: Michael Keaton or something? I don't know. It's Batman. Batman's the new Neil Barrett: Yep, it's Michael Keaton. Michael Keaton is the @HootSportsMedia: manager. Neil Barrett: Listen, we need a bat signal right now, so @HootSportsMedia: That's who y'all need to save Neil Barrett: yeah. 100%. We need we need Batman to come and save us. All right, that is gonna do it for this week. This has been a much longer episode than it should have been. Not it should have been. There was a lot to cover, but we don't normally like to go this long. If you enjoyed this episode, the Lax Lifers Club is where our community lives between episodes. It's a Discord for the fans watching lacrosse year-round, not just when the PLL playoffs come around, aka a lifer. The link to join is in the description. If if I can't, I can't why can't I ever read this thing? It's the same thing every week, and I s I find a new way to screw it up every single way week. Across social media, you can find me at I am Neil Barrett and Brandon at Hoot Sports Media. If you haven't yet, rate and review the show on whatever platform you're listening on. It takes about 30 seconds and genuinely helps people find us. But with that, we'll be back next week. So until then, we'll catch you guys in the comments.