Week 5 preview: Key stats, players for Redwoods homecoming

Week 5 of the 2025 Premier Lacrosse League season is on tap, with Redwoods homecoming weekend in San Diego.

Four games are on the docket Friday and Saturday, with the Redwoods playing one game each day.

Read on for details on each game including how to watch, storylines and key stats courtesy of the PLL.

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Denver Outlaws vs. California Redwoods

Friday, 9 p.m. ET | ESPN+

Injury report:

Outlaws: SSDM Ryan Terefenko questionable (left knee)
Redwoods: D Cole Kastner questionable (physically unable to perform list), A Chris Kavanagh questionable (medical), SSDM Chris Merle injured reserve (ACL tear), G Jack Kelly out (PUP), A Wes Berg out (PUP), SSDM Marquez White out (PUP)

This matchup is Round 2 of Kavanagh vs. Kavanagh, as Pat's Outlaws take on Chris' Redwoods. Chris and Woods won Round 1, will they also get the win Friday?

Outlaws

The winner of the 2021 Tewaaraton Award, Jared Bernhardt is back to lacrosse this season after playing wide receiver in the NFL. Last week's game was his third lax contest in four years, and Bernhardt scored four goals. What does he have in store this weekend?

The Outlaws are running a new "hippo offense," as Pat Kavanagh mentioned in the press conference last week. The notion is that players are not allowed to have the ball for more than three seconds. Denver's pass total has increased each week from Week 1 (155) through Week 4 (248).

Redwoods

The 6-7 Cole Kastner is set to make his pro debut this weekend for California, after growing up in Palo Alto. Notably, after three years of lacrosse at Virginia, he used his final year of eligibility to play basketball at Stanford.

Chris Kavanagh learned how to string sticks as a kid, and has now become the Redwoods' "stick doctor" along with teammate Andrew McAdorey. His stick doctoring included working on brother Pat's stick prior to team's matchup earlier this season.

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Logan Wisnauskas scores a goal

Logan Wisnauskas scores a goal

Utah Archers vs. New York Atlas

Friday, 11:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+

Injury report:

Archers: A Matt Moore out (right hip), G Nick Washuta out (PUP), A Devon McLane out (PUP), M Tre Leclaire out (PUP)
Atlas: M Jake Stevens questionable (right wrist), A Jeff Teat questionable (left Achilles), M Max Krevsky questionable (right groin), D Gavin Adler questionable (right groin)

The goaltending matchup in this game could be a preview of U.S.-Canada at the Los Angeles Olympics; New York's Liam Entenmann (USA) and Utah's Brett Dobson (Canada) are strong candidates to represent their countries in that tournament.

This will also be a showdown between two of the game's best faceoff specialists: New York's Trevor Baptiste and Utah's Mike Sisselberger. In 49 career head-to-head faceoffs, Baptiste has a slight edge with 26 wins (53.1%) to Sisselberger's 23 (46.9%).

Archers

Graeme Hossack is building a strong defensive player of the year candidacy, holding his matchups -- Rob Pannell, Asher Nolting, Ryder Garnsey and Brennan O'Neill -- to an astounding 2-for-29 shooting and three assists, while they committed 11 turnovers.

Atlas

Will the Atlas produce another MVP this season? Attackman Jeff Teat won last year's award, while Baptiste won the award in 2022.

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Jeff Teat scores a goal for New York Atlas

Jeff Teat scores a goal for New York Atlas

Philadelphia Waterdogs vs. California Redwoods

Saturday, 6 p.m. ET | ESPN/ESPN+

Injury report:

Waterdogs: SSDM Charlie Hayes questionable (left hamstring), A CJ Kirst out (PUP), SSDM Christian Scarpello out (PUP), D Liam Byrnes out (PUP), A Zed Williams (PUP)
Redwoods: D Cole Kastner questionable (physically unable to perform list), A Chris Kavanagh questionable (medical), SSDM Chris Merle injured reserve (ACL tear), G Jack Kelly out (PUP), A Wes Berg out (PUP), SSDM Marquez White out (PUP)

Both of these teams have impressive rookie classes that have contributed from Day One -- and the Waterdogs' No. 1 overall pick, CJ Kirst, has yet to take the field. For fans of the future of the sport, this is a can't-miss contest.

Waterdogs

Of the PLL's top 10 most common passer-shooter goal combos, Michael Sowers is the passer in three of them: Sowers to Thomas McConvey (four goals), Sowers to Kieran McArdle (four) and Sowers to Jake Taylor (three).

Redwoods

Zach Currier is closing in a significant milestone. Only one short-stick, non-faceoff midfielder has eclipsed 400 groundballs for their career -- Matt Abbott, with 465. Currier currently has 385, and is on pace to reach the 400 mark this season.

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Waterdogs come up with stupendous stick save to deny certain goal

The Waterdogs' Ben Wayer makes an incredible stick save to rob a certain goal from the Atlas.

Boston Cannons vs. Carolina Chaos

Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET | ESPN+

Injury report:

Cannons: SSDM Bubba Fairman IR
Chaos: M Chris Aslanian IR (torso), SSDM Ray Dearth questionable (right foot)

Cannons

Marcus Holman continues to chase history this season. He needs one point to join the 500-point club, and is five goals behind Paul Rabil for second on the all-time goals list. With three more groundballs, he would become the first player ever with 300 points and 300 groundballs.

The Cannons needed to add a left-handed option up front in the draft, and did just that in landing Coulter Mackesy. So far, he's proven to be a favorite target of playmaker Asher Nolting's, with the veteran assisting on Mackesy's hat trick this past weekend.

Chaos

The Chaos will need to figure out a way to slow down Holman. Could that include Troy Reh bumping to close defense? That was the plan in Week 1 against the Atlas' Xander Dickson.

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Boston Cannons vs. Maryland Whipsnakes: Game Highlights

Boston Cannons vs. Maryland Whipsnakes: Game Highlights