Princeton In The PLL Update

Alexander Vardaro and Beau Pederson have gone against each other countless times in Princeton men's lacrosse practices. Tonight they get to go head-to-head in opposing uniforms.

Vardaro and Pederson are two of the seven Princeton lacrosse alums on Premier Lacrosse League teams this summer. That number is the highest of any Ivy League school, by the way.

The traveling show that is the PLL stops this weekend in Minneapolis, with two games Friday night and two more games Saturday night. Tonight will see the first Vardaro-Pederson matchup, as Vardaro's Boston Cannons take on Pederson's Utah Archers at 9:30 Eastern. The defending PLL champion Archers have the most Princeton representation, with Pederson, teammates Ryan Ambler and Tom Schreiber and head coach Chris Bates, the former Tiger head coach, while the Cannons also have Princeton offensive coordinator Jim Mitchell in the same role and former assistant coach Chris Aslanian is a middie.

The opening game Friday has the New York Atlas, with Princeton alum Jake Stevens on its roster, against the Maryland Whipsnakes at 7.

In Saturday's games, it'll be the Denver Outlaws and the California Redwoods at 6, followed at 8:30 by the Philadelphia Waterdogs and the Carolina Chaos. The Waterdogs feature Michael Sowers and Zach Currier and are coached by Bill Tierney.

All four games are on ESPN+, with the Outlaws-Redwoods game also on ESPN2.

The PLL was off last weekend, after playing for three straight weeks. When the league stops at the home of one of the teams, that team plays twice that weekend, while another team is off.

The league is split into two divisions this year. The Eastern Conference is led by the Atlas at 4-0, followed by the Cannons at 2-1, the Whipsnakes at 1-2 and the Waterdogs at 0-3 — all by one goal, two in overtime. The Archers lead the West at 2-1, ahead of the Chaos at 2-2, the Outlaws at 1-1 and the Redwoods at 0-2.

Sowers is fourth in the league in scoring with 14 points (7G, 7A). He also has an extraordinary ratio with 145 touches and only two turnovers. Currier has four goals and three assists, along with six ground balls and four caused turnovers.

Schreiber has two goals and four assists, and he also has only two turnovers (on 80 touches). He is the reigning PLL Most Valuable Player and the only player ever to win three MVP awards between the two professional outdoor leagues, including the defunct Major League Lacrosse. Ambler has two goals and three assists, and Pederson has brought his physical presence as a shortstick defensive midfielder into the pro ranks.

Vardaro has scored one goal to date in his first pro season. He also has no turnovers in his 20 touches.

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Beau Pederson

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