BALTIMORE — We all know the state of Maryland is one of the nation’s hotbeds of lacrosse. Within its borders are countless youth and college programs producing some of the best talent the sport has to offer. Now another team repping the state has a chance to bring home some hardware.
On Sunday the Maryland Whipsnakes play in the Premier Lacrosse League championship game. They’ll take on the defending champion Utah Archers in Philadelphia at 3:00 p.m. inside Subaru Park.
Both teams entered the playoffs with 6-4 records. Utah is the No. 2 seed. Maryland is seeded fourth. The Whips boast several players who are either Maryland natives or played collegiately in our state, including Terps all-timers Matt Rambo and Colin Heacock.
Adam Poitras is a Loyola alum and is wrapping up a sensational rookie season. Just months after capping his Greyhounds career, he had 13 points (10 goals, 3 assists) in the regular season. That was tied for tops among all Whipsnakes midfielders. He has a goal and an assist through two playoff games.
"We’re petty confident," he said Thursday from his hometown of Whitby, Ontario, Canada. "Obviously there is going to be some nerves. It’s a championship game. Both teams will have them. But I think we are ready."
Ready to win a title and do it with former rivals, now teammates.
"You compete against people and you have one point of view and you just see them in one way on the field and it’s often not in a good way. But, whether it’s Loyola-Hopkins, Loyola-Maryland, something like that, it’s not a good relationship on the field before. But now I really feel like getting to know each other, it’s very different," said Poitras. "It makes it very easy to compete with each other. There is not the competitiveness outside anymore. It’s more working together to one common goal."
A goal on the cusp of achievement.
The PLL championship game is scheduled to get underway at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday. You can watch it live on WMAR.
Follow Shawn Stepner on Twitter @StepnerWMAR and Facebook
