Justin’s PLL Semifinals Picks

Posted By on September 7, 2026

Justin Ivey, Co-Editor
Lacrosse is Awesome©

Location: Zion’s Bank Stadium, Salt Lake City, UT

Well, the playoffs wasted absolutely no time reminding me that picking these games isn’t getting any easier! I went 1–1 in the quarterfinals, correctly riding the Cannons’ momentum while making the mistake of picking against a finally healthy Denver squad. Lesson learned…sort of. Now we’re down to four teams, one win away from the PLL Championship, and I’m doubling down on two things: Denver is an absolute beast at full strength, and there just might be a little magic surrounding these Cannons right now. The margins are getting smaller, the stakes are getting bigger, and it’s time to find out who gets to play for a championship. Let’s make some picks!

Season Stats
PLL – 23-25
WLL – 3-6

PLL Playoff Stats
1-1

Worst Prediction from Quarterfinals:
California beating Denver…Pat Kavanaugh had a much bigger impact than I predicted.

Best Prediction from Quarterfinals:
The Boston Cannons winning with DEFENSE.

Western Conference Semifinals– 3:00 PM ET
Denver Outlaws vs. Utah Archers

Season Matchups:

Week 1 — Utah 10, Denver 7
The first matchup came all the way back on opening weekend in Salt Lake City, with the Archers earning a 10–7 victory. Utah’s young players stepped up despite a depleted lineup: Sam King had four points, rookies Ryan Stines and CK Giancola combined for five, and Connor Fields recorded a hat trick and an assist. The bigger story was Utah’s defense, which held Denver to its lowest scoring output since July 2024; Nick Washuta made 23 saves, while Mitchell Dunham and Brendan Lavelle combined for seven caused turnovers. Denver was also missing several important pieces, including Pat Kavanagh, Ryan Terefenko and Mike Manley, so this was far from the Outlaws lineup we’ll see in the semifinal.
Week 10 — Utah 16, Denver 11
The rematch in Denver on July 24 was much more offensive, but the result was the same: Utah won 16–11. This time Pat Kavanagh was back and produced five points, but Utah again did an excellent job containing Brennan O’Neill—he finished just 1-for-12 shooting in the first meeting and was held to two assists in the second. Utah’s victory came during its hottest stretch of the season: the Archers had just beaten Philadelphia 18–8 and followed the Denver win by beating Maryland 13–8 the next day. The win also gave Utah a clean 2–0 season sweep of Denver, outscoring the Outlaws 26–18 across the two games.

Justin’s Pick – Denver Outlaws

I picked against Denver last week, and they promptly reminded me just how dangerous this team can be when everyone is healthy. Utah has already beaten the Outlaws twice this season, and the Archers have done an incredible job containing Brennan O’Neill in both meetings—but I’m not convinced that’s enough this time around. With Pat Kavanagh and Jared Bernhardt back in the lineup, Denver simply has too many weapons to focus all of its offense around one superstar. We saw that depth on full display in the quarterfinals, and I think we’re going to see it again here. Even if Utah manages to shut O’Neill down for a third time, someone else is going to make them pay. Give me the fully loaded Outlaws to finally solve the Archers and punch their ticket to the championship game.

Eastern Conference Semifinals– 5:30 PM ET
Boston Cannons vs. Philadelphia Waterdogs

Season Matchups:

Week 2 — Boston 19, Philadelphia 5
Their first meeting on May 16 in Rhode Island was an absolute demolition by the Cannons. Boston scored 13 one-point goals plus three two-pointers on the way to a 19–5 victory. Philadelphia managed only three one-point goals and a single two-pointer. Obviously, this game came very early in the season, and that’s important when evaluating it now. The Waterdogs team Boston destroyed in May bears little resemblance to the one entering the semifinals. Still, a 14-point victory isn’t something we can completely dismiss. Boston demonstrated that when it controls possessions and gets its offense rolling, it can absolutely overwhelm Philadelphia.
Week 4 — Philadelphia 17, Boston 10
Just three weeks later, on June 6 in Charlotte, the Waterdogs returned the favor—and then some. Philadelphia flipped the matchup completely, beating Boston 17–10. The Waterdogs scored 15 one-point goals plus a two-pointer, while Boston was held to eight one-point goals and one two-pointer. That gave us a bizarre regular season split: Boston won by 14, Philadelphia won by 7. These teams haven’t seen each other in more than three months, and both have evolved substantially since then.

Justin’s Pick – Boston Cannons

I’m riding with the Cannons again. Philadelphia has been one of the best teams in the PLL all season, and with Michael Sowers and CJ Kirst leading that offense, there is absolutely no logical reason to feel comfortable picking against the Waterdogs. But there’s something about this Boston team right now. They keep finding ways to win, whether it’s a dramatic comeback, a defensive battle or someone unexpected stepping up when they need it most. The Cannons have been playing with confidence for weeks, and after grinding out another playoff win against Maryland, I’m starting to believe in the magic. Philadelphia is going to make them earn every bit of it, but I think Boston finds a way one more time. Give me the Cannons to keep this incredible run alive and punch their ticket to the PLL Championship!

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