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Premier Lacrosse League 2020 Playoffs: Semifinals Recap

Karl Heiser / Uncategorized / August 8, 2020

This. League. After the semifinal round of the 2020 Premier Lacrosse League playoffs, the championship game will feature the top-seeded Whipsnakes and the bottom-seeded Chaos. The Whips were the only PLL team to finish the qualifying round with a perfect 4-0 record, while the Chaos were the only team to finish with an 0-4 record. Here’s the recap from the exciting semifinal round.

Semifinal Game Results

Semifinal 1: #7 Chaos over #3 Archers, 13-9

I definitely didn’t see this one coming. Although lacrosse analyst Matt Kinnear predicted that the Chaos would win it all from the jump, I couldn’t get past the big fat 0 they had in the win column. But they’ve looked fantastic over the last two elimination games. The offense has been super dynamic, reminding everyone why the Chaos were the top seed in last season’s playoffs. In this game, Curtis Dickson scored a hat trick while Josh Byrne added two goals of his own plus three assists. Sergio Salcido opened the scoring to put the Chaos up 1-0, and they never trailed after that. Goalie Blaze Riorden finished with 18 saves.

On the Archers’ side, Marcus Holman led the team with three goals. Presumptive Rookie of the Year Grant Ament contributed two assists, but was limited to two shots in another uncharacteristically rough game. The Archers were never able to create any momentum to match the Chaos, and the lowest seed will now play for the Premier Lacrosse League Championship.

Semifinal 2: #1 Whipsnakes over #4 Redwoods, 13-12 (OT)

Finally, one of my PLL playoff predictions comes to fruition. It was close, but my pick to win the title is still alive with one game to go. This might have been the most exciting game of the playoffs thus far. After falling behind early, the Redwoods mounted a run and tied it up 10-10 in the third quarter. Michael Ehrhardt scored his second two-pointer of the night to put the Whips up two. Two scores from Ryan Garnsey brought the Redwoods back, and the 12-12 score in regulation sent the game to overtime. A few minutes into the overtime period, Jeremy Sieverts rifled in a shot that won the game for the defending champion Whipsnakes.

Jay Carlson led the Whipsnakes in goals after putting four in the net. Brad Smith led in points with five assists and a score. Matt Kavanagh paced the Redwoods with four goals. With the overtime victory, the Whips will move on to face the Chaos in the PLL Championship game.