Brendan Nichtern To Make Season Debut for Chrome in Minneapolis
Teammate Jackson Morrill has done well at X but it will be interesting to see how the two mesh together. Presumably Morrill will move to the wing, slotting Nichtern into his normal quarterback position at X, but Nichtern and Morrill haven’t been on the same attack line before so chemistry could also play a factor. One person that will benefit from his return is Logan Wisnauskas who had a clear connection with Nichtern in 2022 and while still productive in 2023 he hasn’t been getting the same clear looks he was accustomed to last season.
It’s important to note that Nichtern hasn’t played lacrosse since last August and it would be unreasonable to expect him to step on the field and produce immediately. He’s proven he has the ability to perform in this league, but it may take a few quarters to knock off the rust.
With Nichtern’s return, Dylan Molloy will not be playing this week. Coach Soudan is likely going to try two different lineups: Morrill-Nichtern-Wisnauskas and Molloy-Nichtern-Wisnauskas. With the stellar performances by Morrill this season it’s understandable that Soudan isn’t ready to bench him, instead electing to try two different strategies and see which attack lineup has the best chemistry and production.
Defensive Shuffle: Jesse Bernnhardt and JT Giles Harris out
Fresh off of their impressive gold medal run, JT Giles-Harris and Jesse Bernhardt have been moved to the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. This is a massive blow to the defensive unit. As the reigning PLL defensive player of the year, JT has been lights out on his individual match-ups. His ability to cover the opponents top player is a key piece to the Chrome’s success. Bernhardt on the other hand is known as a coach on the field, directing the defense, playing well on ball but even better off. Without these two, week four is going to be an uphill battle, but with veteran Mike Manley, the elite SSDM group, and an invigorated Sean Sconone, the defense isn’t laying down.
