Hoos in PLL: Connor Shellenberger Ends Regular Season As Points Leader

On the defensive end, Conners posted one caused turnover and three groundballs while Cole Kastner recorded one caused turnover to help the Redwoods clinch a playoff berth with an 18-17 win over the Cannons. Conners finishes the regular season with four points, 25 groundballs, and six caused turnovers, while Cole Kastner, in his first year in the league, posted seven caused turnovers and four groundballs. Bertrand finished the season with five goals and three assists.

On Saturday, the New York Atlas with Connor Shellenberger and Xander Dickson faced off against the Philadelphia Waterdogs featuring Thomas McConvey and Ben Wayer. Less than a minute into the game, Shellenberger picked up his first point with an assist from Reid Bowering, making Shellenberger the seventh player in PLL history to record 40 points in a season. 

In the second quarter, Shellenberger continued to stay in rhythm as he fired a shot into the top right corner before assisting Dickson less than a minute later. Shellenberger then scored twice in the third quarter, with his second goal seeing him spin past his defender and drill his shot with 2.5 seconds left in the third quarter. 

Also in the third quarter, Dickson found nylon on a feed from Jeff Teat, and Thomas McConvey found paydirt, grabbing the ball midair on a shot from Micheal Sowers and quickly shooting it into the net. The goal for McConvey brought him to 13 on the season.

To close the game, Shellenberger displayed why he deserves the MVP as he notched an assist to Dickson and scored a goal to seal a 20-19 victory for the Atlas in a game that was the highest scoring game in PLL history. On the defensive end, Ben Wayer recorded one caused turnover and one groundball as he closed his rookie regular season with six points, 27 groundballs, and seven caused turnovers. Despite the loss for the Waterdogs, they secured their spot in the postseason via goal differential. 

Shellenberger finished the game with four goals and three assists, bringing his season tally to a league-leading 46 points as he posted 23 goals and 23 assists. Shellenberger is also the third player in PLL history to post 20+ goals and 20+ assists in a season, as he’s made a strong case to earn MVP in only his second season in the league. The Charlottesville native also ranks 2nd in shooting percentage, scoring on 47.9% of his shots. As for Dickson, he finished the game with three goals, his fifth game with three goals or more, as he finished his third season in the league with 22 goals and two assists. 

Headed into the postseason, the Waterdogs will face the Maryland Whipsnakes, and the Redwoods will face the Carolina Chaos in the quarterfinals on August 23rd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. As for the Atlas, they secured a first-round bye and will play on Monday, September 1st, against the winner of the Waterdogs and Whipsnakes game. 

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