Whipsnakes bounce back with dominant offensive showing in win over Chaos

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The Whipsnakes had some soul-searching to do following their loss to the Denver Outlaws two weeks ago. Maryland’s offense was subpar, and its second-half execution meant it was handed a second straight defeat.

Sitting at 3-3 halfway through the season meant the Whips were at an inflection point, according to head coach Jim Stagnitta.



Another loss could start a mid-season spiral. Instead, the Whipsnakes responded with an emphatic 17-10 victory over the Carolina Chaos on Saturday night in Chicago.



Maryland got production from everywhere, as T.J. Malone led the way with a season-high six points, Joey Spallina and Aidan Carroll added four apiece, and seven Whips finished with multiple points. Maryland never trailed, jumping out to a 4-0 lead and from there never leading by fewer than three goals.



“We can always learn and get better, but it was just a great team effort and a much-needed win, so I think we’re all pretty happy and excited about it,” Stagnitta said postgame, “And hopefully, it gives the guys a little insight into what they’re capable of doing.”



Throughout this season, the Whipsnakes have looked their best when the ball is moving fast. Exhibit A was their first half Saturday, when the Chaos seemingly couldn’t get near them. The Whipsnakes looked like they were going to score every time they touched the ball and punished goalie Blaze Riorden with accurate shots, converting 40.7% of their shots.



Matt Brandau (1G) and Carroll opened up the scoring before Rob Pannell (1G, 2A) set up Richie Connell for his first career goal and Adam Poitras soon after. Pannell finished with three points, bringing him within three of Paul Rabil’s record for all-time professional lacrosse points.



Meanwhile, the Chaos struggled to get things going themselves. The Whips only let in back-to-back goals once in the first half, that was followed by a 5-1 Maryland run to close the half, giving them an 11-4 advantage at halftime.



“A big emphasis was just attacking right and just going after them early and often,” Spallina said. “I think we did a good job of that tonight. I thought our shooting was a lot better. I thought we had a lot of shots on goal, and obviously we scored a lot. But I think at the end of the day, it just goes back to having fun and just doing what we love to do and just having fun.”



Stagnitta mentioned he wanted to get the attack going this week. He adjusted by cycling the ball through X more and reversing fields, along with dodging down the alleys, rather than more east-west. The tactics paid off with Spallina, Pannell and Malone accounting for 13 points.

THAT'S JOEY SPALLINA FOR YA ‍ pic.twitter.com/iJYpVRd3EI

— Maryland Whipsnakes (@PLLWhipsnakes) July 12, 2026

Last month on Long Island, the Whips were in a similar position, leading 10-3 against the New York Atlas, before a second-half collapse led to a defeat. Maryland then tallied three scores in the first quarter against Denver but only four over the final 36 minutes.

This time around, the Whipsnakes’ pace didn’t slow. Spallina tallied his second of the night, Malone added another and Petey LaSalla scored five seconds later, his sixth of the year, adding to his lead among PLL faceoff specialists.



Malone’s big night was by far his best of the season after going without a point for the first time in his professional career last week.



“Coach Stags gave me a lot more confidence going into the week,” Malone said. “Pro athletes, you expect everyone to have the same confidence all the time, but it ebbs and flows. And I think having [Stagnitta] in my corner really helped me going into the game.”



Leading 14-7, the Whips managed the game from there. Eric Spanos and Owen Hiltz scored to start the fourth quarter, cutting Maryland’s lead to six, but they were answered by Carroll and Connell, who put the game to bed.



After their worst performance of the season, the Whipsnakes got back on track and showed why they’re a threat at the top of the Eastern Conference.



“Preparation obviously leads to the outcome [and] our preparation was very good,” Stagnitta said. “Practice was good, everybody challenged each other. It’s a good locker room, and they’re good players and they just, I think, have to realize just how capable they are, particularly on the offensive end.”

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