PLL - 2024 Announcement

[cwdickens]

LACROSSE

 

PLL to open at UAlbany again

 

By Mark Singelais

Jim Franco/Times Union archive

The Premier Lacrosse League will return to UAlbany's Casey Stadium for training camp and opening weekend May 31-June 2.

With a new twist, the Premier Lacrosse League will again open its season at the University at Albany.

The PLL will hold its training camp on campus and play its opening weekend May 31 to June 2 at Casey Stadium. It’s the third straight year the league will begin at UAlbany and its fifth overall appearance at the school.

 

“UAlbany has been a fantastic host for our training camp and opening weekend in years past, even hosting the most watched outdoor pro lacrosse game in Game 1 of our 2023 season,” PLL co-founder and CEO Mike Rabil said. “We look forward to kicking off this historic season for the PLL in Albany once again.”

This year, the PLL is assigning each of its eight teams to a home city and state. The opening weekend will be the inaugural home games for the New York Atlas, which will play two games on back-to-back days at Casey Stadium.

“We’re thrilled to give fans across New York the opportunity to welcome the Atlas home to the state at UAlbany this season,” Rabil said.

The Atlas went 2-8 last season. They were led by attackmen Chris Gray, a North Carolina graduate who had 37 points, and Jeff Teat, a Cornell alumnus who had 36 points. The Atlas’ Trevor Baptiste of the University of Denver led the league by winning 77.4 percent of his faceoffs.

The other PLL teams are the Boston Cannons, California Redwoods, Carolina Chaos, Denver Outlaws, Maryland Whipsnakes, Philadelphia Waterdogs and Utah Archers.

The PLL remains a touring league that will play eight of its 10 regular-season weekends in teams’ home locations.The other two regular-season weekends, the All-Star Game and the playoffs, will be held at neutral sites.

The league includes several UAlbany alumni, featuring attack Connor Fields and goalie Blaze Riorden.

“The UAlbany community could not be more excited to continue our partnership with the PLL for another year of world-class lacrosse,” UAlbany athletic director Mark Benson said. “Albany has become the perfect venue to open competition each new season, and this year is made even more special with the privilege of debuting the Atlas as New York’s home team. We look forward to continuing the great tradition of lacrosse in the Capital Region.”