Final Record and Result: 6-4, Won PLL Championship
Draft Choices: 1.8, 2.8, 3.2, 4.8
Notable Free Agents:
Grant Ament, A/M
Ryan Aughavin, M
Graeme Hossack, D
Matt Moore, A
Jackson Morrill, A/M
Jon Robbins, LSM
Challen Rogers, M
Cole Williams, A/M
SEASON RECAP:
Archers entered the year as the defending champion, but it the talk about it was relatively quiet. Thanks to some other very loud storylines around the league, primarily the Atlas dominance and Jeff Teat setting records, the Archers got to quietly handle business each week. They were up and down out of the game, alternating wins and losses the first four weeks. They had to deal with Graeme Hossack being out for the first few weeks, and being with Latrell Harris, as Brett Dobson helped steal some wins early as a defense with some new pieces took shape. With two tough losses after the all star break, the Archers headed to their homecoming weekend with their playoff seed up in the air. A banner raising and raucous home crowd willed the Archers to back to back wins, and the Western Conference title which secured them a first round bye. They charged through the playoffs even after losing Tom Schreiber to injury, nearly shutting out the Chaos in the semifinals and then dispatching the Whips for the title.
The offense was what you’d expect the Archers offense to be. They had the second best shooting percentage in the league, and the third most scores. They also had the league’s second best power play. Versatility has always been a calling card for this team. Offensive weapons can shuffle to multiple positions and spots on the field. The Archers also have an offense that demands at least five poles. The trouble is the rules say you can only have four. As well as they played as a team this year, Grant Ament was emblematic of what the offense is about. He made the move to midfield this year full time. Early in the year, he saw shortsticks regularly and feasted on the matchups. As he started to see more poles (still not all the time, because Archers still had too many guys worth poling), he showed a stronger understanding for midfield dodging as opposed to attack dodging. He used space better, he attacked different parts of the field, you could see him setting his defender up out of the box, something that’s a different skillset most attackmen don’t have. He didn’t win Midfielder of the Year, but his nomination for it is a testament to what he did at the position. And ultimately, that’s who the Archers are. Everyone can hurt you from anywhere, most as a feeder or scorer. Endless pressure on a defense.
The defense was also quite good. Third in the league in scores allowed. They were actually last in the league in caused turnovers, though that isn’t surprising given their personnel and style of play. The biggest story of their defense this year was in goal, where Brett Dobson was masterful all year. He led the league in saves, and was second in the league save percentage. He was 68% or better in goal three times in ten games, and 15+ saves in half of the Archers games this year. Dobson’s postseason is among the best ever. In two games, he averaged 19 saves and 83% in goal, giving up a total of nine goals in two games. He very rightly has a claim to the title of best goalie in the world. As the Archers worked in some new defensive personnel, Dobson steadied everything. Rookie Mason Woodward also improved every week as the year went on. His athleticism makes him a factor on the defensive end and in transition. He drew the matchup with TJ Malone in the title game, a testament to how far he came in year one.
OFFSEASON PLAN:
The free agent list is very short, but there are some big names on it. Grant Ament was up for Midfielder of the Year this year, the growth in his game this season at the position makes him one of the most dynamic weapons in the PLL. The Archers drafted him, he has a special relationship with Tom Schreiber and many others on the team, it’s hard to think he’d go somewhere else, and the Archers may even try to just lock him up with an extension before free agency hits. The same is true for Matt Moore and Graeme Hossack, both career Archers. Hossack came over following the PLL’s acquisition of the MLL, and he’s been a Defender of the Year caliber player each year since. Hossack is now a father of two, and will turn 33 next summer. He plays for Team Canada, and plays indoor for the Halifax Thunderbirds. It’s a lot of demands for a man with a young family. After winning the title, Hossack seemed plenty excited about running it back and keeping the group together.
The interesting name on the list is Jackson Morrill. The Archers traded a 3rd round pick for him, despite the fact that they could have claimed him for nothing, and then proceeded to not put him in the 19 man once the rest of the season. Morrill may be interested in finding a place where he can be a weekly player, and both the Whips and now Archers seem to have made it clear that it won’t be with them. In a season where a third round pick won Rookie of the Year, this trade is one that is worth following for some time.
The Archers were in the title game two years in a row. Their core is, for the most part, locked up long term. Their title game roster had four, nearly five, rookies in it, a testament to their balance of youth and veterans. This is a team built to be right back at Championship Weekend again, even in the uber competitive PLL. Keep the stars, run it back.
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