The Maryland Whipsnakes (5-6) close out the PLL regular season Sunday against the Philadelphia Waterdogs (7-3) at Subaru Park, in a game that means very different things for each team. Maryland has already clinched a playoff spot and will face Boston in the quarterfinals regardless of Sunday's result. Philadelphia has clinched too, but is playing for something more specific: a win over Maryland, or a New York loss elsewhere, locks up the No. 1 seed in the East and a first-round bye.
That gap in what's at stake belies how differently these two teams have been playing. The Whipsnakes have lost three straight, including a pair of gut punches — an OT loss at Boston and a collapse against Denver in which Maryland let a big lead slip away. They're 0-4 this season in games decided by two goals or fewer, and their young defensive midfield group has struggled to close games out late. Faceoffs haven't helped: starter Petey LaSalla returned from an ankle injury last week but has won just 32% of his draws since coming back, leaving Maryland fighting an uphill possession battle in exactly the close games it's been losing. Philadelphia, meanwhile, has been rolling, winning with a rookie goalie, Sean Byrne, who's 3-0 in net with a 63.6% save percentage since taking over the crease.
Maryland's calling card down the stretch has been its rookie class. Joey Spallina has been the headliner, putting together a 34-point campaign through 11 games that has him four points shy of Brendan Nichtern's 2022 PLL single-season rookie record and eight shy of Matt Rambo's franchise record for the Whipsnakes. Rob Pannell, who broke Paul Rabil's all-time PLL scoring record last month and enters Sunday with 660 career points, has shifted his focus fully toward finishing the season strong rather than chasing more milestones — something he's said directly since setting the record. Whether Maryland can find its footing defensively in crunch time, after several late-game letdowns, is the real swing factor Sunday.
Philadelphia's response has centered on its defense and faceoff play as much as its offense. Zach Currier has emerged as a legitimate Defensive Midfielder of the Year candidate after already taking home Midfielder of the Year honors, giving the Waterdogs a two-way anchor Maryland's attack will have to account for on every possession.
A Waterdogs win Sunday secures the top seed in the East heading into the playoffs, which begin August 29 in Minneapolis. For Maryland, there's less on the line competitively, but a win would be exactly the kind of result the Whipsnakes need after their recent stretch — proof they can still close out a tight game before the postseason actually starts to matter.
Where to Watch/Listen
Opening faceoff: 1:00 PM ET at Subaru Park, Chester, Pennsylvania
TV: ESPN+ / ESPN App