LI's Liam Entenmann saves day as New York Atlas wins PLL crown
New York Atlas goalie Liam Entenmann the save during the PLL championship game against the Denver Outlaws at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., on Sunday. Credit: Ed Murray
HARRISON, N.J. — Clearly, championships follow Liam Entenmann around.
The Point Lookout native and Chaminade product, who’s helped the U.S. win an Under-21 World Championship, and led Notre Dame to two NCAA championships, did it again Sunday, backstopping the New York Atlas to a thrilling 14-13 victory over the Denver Outlaws at Sports Illustrated Stadium to secure the Atlas’ first Premier Lacrosse League title.
“I’ve been on great teams,’’ Entenmann said when asked about his penchant for winning trophies. “That’s not a ‘me’ thing, that’s a team thing.’’
Jeff Teat took home MVP honors for the game with three goals and three assists for the Atlas (9-3), who lost attackman Xander Dickson to a gruesome ankle injury late in the first half. But Entenmann, the second-year pro, played a huge part with 14 saves, including one incredible, point-blank stop on Denver’s Jared Bernhardt with 2:56 left and the Atlas trying to run the clock down and protect a 14-12 lead.
Bernhardt had driven from behind the goal, slipped past the league’s Defensive Player of the Year, Hewlett native Gavin Adler, to the top of the goal crease, faked once, then sent a shot that Entenmann caught cleanly in his goal stick.
“You just kind of let the instincts take over there,’’ Entenmann said. “My mind went blank. I didn’t really think much about it. He’s an incredible player, and he made a heck of a move . . . and luckily, I got a piece of it and caught it clean.’’
“I think that was a huge momentum save for them,’’ Outlaws coach Tim Soudan said. “You’re playing against one of the best goalies in this league, and he makes big plays in big moments.’’
The game, which matched the league’s two best teams — New York was the top team in the East and Denver the top team in the West — wasn’t over yet, though. Bernhardt scored with 1:50 left to cut the deficit to 14-13, and Bay Shore’s Brennan O’Neill, who had a team-high three goals for the Outlaws, curled to the goal off a screen and had a clean look about a minute later. But he shot the ball over the crossbar and then fell into the goal crease, giving the ball back to the Atlas.
On the ensuing clearing attempt, with the Outlaws riding, Entenmann ran the ball up the field and Bernhardt checked it out of his stick just before he crossed the midway line. But the Atlas called timeout an instant before that happened, with 31.2 seconds left. And they were able to run out the clock from there.
“I was just trying to get him over the midfield line, then call time out, so we didn’t have to clear it,’’ Atlas coach Mike Pressler said. “And then once they collapsed on him five yards [before midfield], we said, ‘I got to call timeout here.’ ’’
PLL Most Valuable Player Connor Shellenberger had two goals and two assists for the Atlas, and Matt Traynor, who replaced Dickson at attack after he left the game, had three goals. Bryan Costabile had two goals, including the eventual game-winner.
For Denver (8-4), Rockville Centre native Pat Kavanagh had two goals and two assists, and Bernhardt and Dalton Young each had two goals.
Before the game, a moment of silence was observed in remembrance of the lives of Noah Snyder and Scott Michaud, members of the Marquette University team who died in a car crash last week, and Joe Herman, a member of the FDNY lacrosse team who also died recently.
Colin Stephenson covers the Rangers for Newsday. He has spent more than two decades covering the NHL and just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
