2024 Record and Result: 3-7, Missed Playoffs
Draft Selections: 2nd overall, 10th overall, 26th overall
Notable Free Agents:
Romar Dennis, M
BJ Farrare, LSM
Ryan Lee, A
Nakeie Montgomery, M
Rob Pannell, A
Ryan Tierney, M
SEASON RECAP:
The Redwoods never really found their footing this year. In a way, they were playing from behind from the get go. The Woods had a bye week one. While everyone else got to take training camp straight into game action, they took training camp straight into a weekend off. They also were effectively a game worth of experience behind their opponents the rest of the way, a tough place to be.
The defense allowed a league worst 136 scores against, an average of 13.6 scores against per game. They had the league’s worst save percentage as a team and were the only team under 50%. Despite trading for Jared Conners in the offseason and having TD Ierlan at the faceoff spot, the Woods defense had three different games where they surrendered 18+ goals, including a 20 spot against the Atlas, a game where New York took their foot of the gas late. It also includes an 18-5 game against Denver that was called early due to weather. The Woods lost Garrett Epple, Eddy Glazener, and John Sexton last offseason, so the step back in defense was expected, but the statistical fall was quite far.
The offense was the league’s second worst in scores, and the worst in team shooting percentage. They hit 11 two’s this year, led by Romar Dennis with seven as he caught fire down the back half of the schedule. Coming into the year, the team traded for Chris Gray and signed Alex Simmons. Gray had just 12 points in eight games, by far his worst season as a pro, and Simmons was rarely in the lineup. Ryder Garnsey had career worst marks in shooting percentage and turnovers. Cole Kirst, a force a year ago, appeared in seven games and had nine points. Draft pick Garrett Degnon looked promising in the early going of the season, but didn’t crack the lineup for the second half of the year. The other offensive draftee, Levi Anderson, was traded to the Whipsnakes before he played a game for the Woods. Nakeie Montgomery played some more SSDM, then more offense towards the end of the year, as his role continues to evolve but not quite settle into something clear.
Rob Pannell turned in his 3rd straight season of 30+ points, and Charlie Bertrand had another solid year out of the midfield. Those two, and Dennis from range, paced a Woods offense that saw many players submit down years.
OFFSEASON PLAN:
This offseason could see some big shifts for the Redwoods. Pannell is just eight assists away from the all time lead, but he’ll also be 35 next summer. He’s shown he can still produce, but at this point in his career, if the Woods are going to be in a rebuild for a season, will he want to be part of that? Or will joining a team closer to winning a title be in his sights if he returns? It’s also fair to wonder if the comes back, would he want to play for a different coach on the Woods? After a down year, calls for a change at the helm from Redwoods supporters have grown louder and louder.
The defense may undergo another offseason of trying to replace the losses from 2023. As noted above, the stats are ugly for the Woods on the defensive end this year. They did have a game where they held Boston to seven goals, but for the most part, this unit will be looking for multiple upgrades. They drafted Chayse Ierlan a year ago as the goalie in waiting behind Jack Kelly. Jared Conners is a top LSM in the PLL, and is a foundational piece of the defense. Elsewhere, elite defenders don’t typically make it to free agency in the PLL. Garrett Epple was an exception, not the rule, as players like Jack Rowlett, JT Giles-Harris, and Matt Dunn all recently signed multiyear exceptions. The Woods could try to target plays from the Waterdogs, like Ben Randall or Chris Sabia, to bolster the unit. Otherwise, it’ll be defensive talent in the draft like Levi Verch, Colin Mulshine, or Michael Grace. Cole Kastner is on the holdout list as he plays a year of college hoops, and should he play pro lacrosse next summer from the Redwoods as St Laurent has suggested he will, would represent and instant massive boost to their close defense unit.
The offense needs to use the offseason to decide what kind of team they are. The Woods have had some themes in the past. They draft/sign big midfielders, they bring in guys who can shoot twos, but this past year in particular it didn’t add up to a clear, cohesive identity within the unit. The added some box first players last offseason, signaling maybe they would try and play that brand of lacrosse, but those players didn’t pan out well, and didn’t mesh well with field first players like Garnsey, Pannell, and Dennis. Chris Gray is on a long deal and they just acquired him, even after a down year, he should be considered a cornerstone in a rebuild. If Pannell retires, Gray can step back to X or a primary ball carrier role with ease. With the second overall pick in the draft, the Woods can select someone to help shape who they want to be. CJ Kirst is almost certainly the first overall pick and will be gone, but there is top level talent like Coulter Mackesy and Sam King sitting there for them.
The Woods have never been shy about dealing picks for players, this is a year where the picks value won’t be quite as high since this draft is not nearly as deep as 2024’s. Going worst to first in the PLL is doable in one offseason. Atlas have done it, the Outlaws just had a special turnaround of a year. But it requires some drastic measures. Atlas did it after trading away players like Paul Rabil and Pannell, cutting other All Stars, and really shaking up the team. Outlaws this past year did it by drafting a rookie class that’s been off the charts good. The Redwoods signing everyone back from their short free agent list and adding a few outside free agents , plus just three draft picks, won’t get it done, it’s time to decide on an identity and chase it down.
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