PLL/WLL Week 4 preview: Key players, stats and sto...

playNew York Atlas vs. Denver Outlaws: Game Highlights (1:28) Week 4 of the 2026 Premier Lacrosse League season is June 5-6, as the league heads to American Legion Memorial Stadium in Charlotte. Four PLL games are on the schedule on Friday and Saturday, and the Carolina Chaos have one game each day. The 2026 WLL season also continues, as the Boston Guard take on the California Palms. Read on for details on each game including how to watch, storylines and key stats courtesy of the PLL. As a reminder, fans can catch all of the action in the ESPN App and in the PLL streaming hub. Archers: LSM Tommy Stull out (right shoulder), D Will Schaller out (PUP list), A Gannon Matthews out (PUP list), M Grant Ament out (PUP list), A Matt Moore IR (right hip), M Tom Schreiber IR (right knee) Chaos: M Charlie Bertrand out, M JJ Sillstrop IR (right knee) The Archers are on pace to have the best defense of all time; they are allowing a score on 18.6% of opposing possessions. Unfortunately, they are also on pace to have the worst offense of all time, scoring on just 15.2% of their own possessions. Despite the low offensive output, the Archers remain committed to a lineup that is heavy on short-stick defensive midfielders. While the hockey team from North Carolina is the Hurricanes, their counterparts in the PLL have established the "Thunder and Lightning" offense. Thunder is the left side of the offense (Owen Hiltz, Chad Palumbo), while Lightning is the right side (Shane Knobloch, Ross Scott, Jackson Eicher). Knobloch -- winner of the Golden Stick Award at the 2026 Championship Series -- has scored a goal in every game so far in the 2026 regular season. Redwoods: A Finn Thomson out (unavailable to travel), SSDM Dante Bowen out (unavailable to travel), A Wes Berg out (PUP list), D Cole Kastner out (left hamstring) Atlas: A Jeff Teat out (PUP list), LSM Michael Grace out (unavailable to travel) How will TD Ierlan perform at the faceoff dot against Trevor Baptiste? For faceoff enthusiasts, this is another round of the dream matchup between the PLL's all-time career faceoff percentage leaders. Baptiste is first (64.8%) while Ierlan is second (60.6%). This offseason, the Redwoods traded a 2027 third-round pick to the Waterdogs in exchange for goaltender Dillon Ward -- and so far it's paid off. Ward leads the league with a 64% save percentage. The 2026 season hasn't gotten off to the best start for the Atlas, who won the 2025 championship. They lost reigning defensive player of the year Gavin Adler to free agency, and 2024 MVP Jeff Teat from their attack group. Is this a must-win? With Teat unavailable this season, the Atlas claimed Matt Rambo off waivers, and the veteran will make his debut for the team this weekend. With Saturday's game being held in North Carolina, it's a homecoming of sorts for two Guard players, Andie Aldave (2022) and Kiley Mottice (2026), alumni of UNC. Emma LoPinto had a big outing in her WLL debut last weekend, finishing with six points (four goals, two assists). Outlaws: M Nolan Byrne out (unavailable to travel), M Mikie Schlosser IR (right calf), A Pat Kavanagh out (PUP list) Chaos: M Charlie Bertrand out, M JJ Sillstrop IR (right knee) Logan McNaney continues to stand out in clean save percentage. The stat has been tracked since 2015, and McNaney's 2026 rate (58.3%) is the second-best mark of all time... to his 2025 rate (60.6%). Note that the third-highest rate of all time is Tim Troutner's mark in 2020 (50.0%). What does Logan Wisnauskas have in store for Week 4? The attackman had a career-high six goals last week in Denver's statement win over New York. Blaze Riorden is no stranger to facing a high volume of shots -- and saving many of them. He holds the PLL's single-game saves record (25, set on June 6, 2025), as well as the second-highest mark (23, set on July 29, 2020)... and Nos. 6-10 on the all-time list too. After two goal and an assist in his PLL debut last week, what will Chad Palumbo do for an encore? play0:27Chad Palumbo scores a goal for Carolina Chaos Cannons: D Hunter Smith out (PUP list), M Ryan Drenner out (PUP list) Waterdogs: A Silas Richmond out (unavailable to travel), A Matt Collison out (unavailable to travel), SSDM Dylan Hess IR (right knee), FO Alec Stathakis out (PUP list) Marcus Holman continues his quest the chase down the all-time goals record. He heads into the weekend with 366 goals, in second place behind John Grant Jr. (393). The Cannons added undrafted faceoff specialist Andrew McMeekin off of waivers, and he's poised to make his debut. The Cannons were second-to-last in faceoff percentage in 2025 (42.3%). It's a family reunion for CJ Kirst, as he'll square off against brothers Connor (midfielder) and Colin (goaltender). Which side will come out ahead? Adelphi product Kyle Lewis impressed at the PLL Pro Day, and was added by the Waterdogs. He is set to make his pro debut in this contest.

PLL/WLL Week 4 preview: Key players, stats and sto...

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