The Philadelphia Waterdogs will play for the 2026 U.S. Bank Premier Lacrosse League Championship after defeating the Boston Cannons, 13-10, in Monday’s semifinal at Zions Bank Stadium in Herriman, Utah.
Philadelphia will face the Denver Outlaws on Sunday, Sept. 20, at 12:30 p.m. ET at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J., less than 90 miles from Philadelphia, and the game will be televised nationally on ABC. The Waterdogs are seeking their second PLL championship after winning the franchise’s first title in 2022.
The Waterdogs’ roster features three players with hometown roots in the Philadelphia area and New Jersey. Michael Sowers is a native of Dresher, Pa., and attended Upper Dublin High School. CJ Kirst is from Bernardsville, N.J., and attended Delbarton School. Midfielder Dox Aitken is from Villanova, Pa., and attended Haverford High School.
Sowers and Kirst, both finalists for the PLL’s MVP award, led the way against Boston by combining for nine points on five goals and four assists. Sowers recorded a career-high 51 points this season, while Kirst set a PLL single-season record with 34 goals.
The Waterdogs also received major contributions from a rookie class making its postseason debut. Six Waterdogs rookies combined for seven of the team’s 13 goals, led by a hat trick from Kyle Lewis. Josh Yago added two goals and an assist, while Matt Collison and Silas Richmond each scored once.
Undrafted rookie goalie Sean Byrne made 14 saves in his first PLL playoff appearance and earned his sixth consecutive win since taking over as Philadelphia’s starter. After Boston scored twice early, the Cannons missed 18 of their final 19 shots of the first half and went 19 minutes without a goal.
Kirst scored just 34 seconds into the game and had two goals and two assists in the first half as the Waterdogs built a 7-3 halftime lead. Boston mounted a four-goal run late in the game before Kirst scored with 1:58 remaining to seal Philadelphia’s place in the championship.
The Sept. 20 matchup will mark the Waterdogs’ third PLL Championship appearance in five seasons and their first since Bill Tierney took over as head coach in 2025.
2026 PLL U.S. BANK CHAMPIONSHIP
WHO: Philadelphia Waterdogs vs. Denver Outlaws
WHEN: Sunday, Sept. 20, 2026, at 12:30 p.m. ET
WHERE: Sports Illustrated Stadium, Harrison, N.J.
TV: ABC