New Haven Register (Sunday) (New Haven, CT)
Could a new pro team be in Connecticut’s future?
The state has had the Bridgeport Barrage and the Connecticut Hammerheads. Could another Connecticut-based professional lacrosse team be in the state’s future?
While the Premier Lacrosse League remains tour-based for now, Connecticut is on the radar to host games, including this weekend’s slate at Fairfield University’s Rafferty Stadium.
“During the process of planning our tour stops, we knew that Connecticut would be a priority early on,” said PLL co-founder and CEO Michael Rabil earlier this week. “The rich history shared between the state and not only our sport, but our players and coaches is extensive, and we couldn’t be happier to reconnect them with their roots.”
The Bridgeport Barrage played at the Ballpark at Harbor Yard and were part of Major League Lacrosse from 2001 to 2003 before moving to Philadelphia.
In February, 2020, the Connecticut Hammerheads were formed as an expansion franchise in the MLL, with the plan to play games at Rafferty Stadium. However, the pandemic sent the league into a bubble.
In December, 2020, the MLL was merged into the PLL, with only the Boston Cannons franchise joining the PLL’s seven other teams.
The PLL plays as a tour of various cities, with teams unattached to specific cities or areas. The Cannons, for example, dropped “Boston” from their name after the merger.
This year’s season has featured games in Albany (NY), Charlotte (NC), Long Island, Baltimore, and Minneapolis, with last week’s All-Star game in Boston.
After the games in Fairfield, the PLL will hit Dallas, Denver, Salt Lake City and Seattle. The playoffs will be held over three weekends with the quarterfinals in Boston on Sept. 3, semifinals in Washington, DC, on Sept. 11, and the championship game in Philadelphia on Sept. 18.
“The tour-based model allows us to visit emerging markets and also get more reach while we’re still eight teams,” Rabil said. “Moreover, the attendance of these secondary markets does and will play a factor into a decision if/when we decide to build home teams.”
The PLL boasts a strong Connecticut connection, with 10 players and Chaos head coach Andy Towers of New Canaan having ties to the state. Darien’s Jamie Hanford is also on the coaching staff for the Chaos, who are the defending league champions.
Towers, an All-American at New Canaan High and Duke, as well as a member of the Connecticut Lacrosse Hall of Fame, thinks a city-based model could be in the PLL’s future.
“I don’t think we’re too far away from them assigning cities to these teams,” Towers said. “While the tour-based model in the short term exposes the league to people nationally and up to Canada at times, I think they understand that an important next step is assigning these teams to cities. When that shakes out I imagine in a year or two, the hope is that they have something here.
“If we were the Connecticut Chaos, that would certainly be great,” he added.
For now, the state remains on the map for hosting games, with this weekend’s twin bills on Saturday and Sunday providing a local showcase. Saturday’s games featured the Redwoods vs. Atlas at 5, and Chaos vs. Whipsnakes at 7:45, and Sunday’s games feature the Cannons vs. Archers at 2, and Chrome vs. Waterdogs at 4:30.
“The game has an unmistakable presence in Connecticut and the state’s many college programs have done an excellent job cultivating relationships with young fans in the area,” Rabil said. “The teams are fired up to take the field and we have always viewed Fairfield and the state of Connecticut as a market that we know can match their energy.”