Greatness and Joy: Waterdogs Dominate PLL Title Behind Kirst's MVP Performance

Happy Birthday, CJ Kirst: you are officially the face of lacrosse.

The Philadelphia Waterdogs won the Premier Lacrosse League championship Sunday in a dominant 14-4 performance over the Denver Outlaws inside Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison, N.J.

Kirst, the regular season MVP, was named MVP of the championship game with five goals and two assists. His seven points tied the PLL record in a championship.

He did it with a smile on his face that's been there since at least May 2025 when he led the Cornell Big Red to their first title in nearly 50 years on the heels of the best scoring season in NCAA history. It continued with a Tewaaraton trophy, then an NLL championship and Rookie of the Year, a PLL single-season scoring record, a PLL MVP and now a PLL Championship MVP on his 24th birthday.

And in typical Kirst fashion, it came with an infectious positivity and the rare combo of individual dominance and team-first deference.

"This means everything. It's something we always talk about, is you compete for a reason," said Kirst in an interview with Quint Kessenich postgame. "I'm just so fortunate to be on this stage and so fortunate to be in New Jersey winning for them. So excited and through the roof."

There was no phase in which the Waterdogs were outplayed.

Bill Tierney, the most decorated men's lacrosse coach of all time managed a gem. Zach Currier, the Midfielder of the Year, had a do-everything performance. Michael Sowers, Kirst's strongest competition for league MVP (and Attackman of the Year), QBed the offense to two goals and two assists. The defense held a quartet of Tewaaraton winners to a lifeless performance.

"I learned how to be a leader and competitor," Kirst said of playing for Tierney. "He brings it every day, every phone call, every Zoom call. He's going to do whatever it takes to win, and he lives that."

Kirst struck first with Sowers hung up on X, waiting patiently to find his linemate cut around the action inside and score 5-hole.

But Denver's Luke Wierman won the face-off forward for the second-straight draw, this time hitting the corner after a burst of speed. Currier made sure Philly got it back, though: He swooped up the next face-off with one hand and flipped it back to Alex Stathakis who finished with a twister — making it two goals in eight seconds. Denver's Jake Bernhardt floated to just inside the arc to finish a pass from Dalton Young, but 33 seconds later Currier got open in the high slot to finish Sowers' pass with one second left on the shot clock.

The ping-pong back and forth stopped, but the pace didn't. A clean save from rookie goalie Sean Byrne led to a long pass to Brendan Staub streaking through the middle and a pole goal with defenders draped on him.

Kirst swept across the top to finish from Silas Richmond and make it 5-2. Then 23 seconds later, the speedy Kyle Lewis swept hard only for Kirst to get left along in the slot and go up 6-2.

Currier punctuated the quarter with another big play: Stathakis led him with a face-off win, then Currier grabbed it and tip-toed across the crease and in.

The Outlaws switched Mike Manley, the oldest player in the league, the Leadership Award winner who has yet to win a title, off Kirst for a bit to allow Ben Randall to take the challenge. The result was the same, with Kirst starting the second looping up top and scoring on a shot that hit Logan McNaney.

The Waterdogs finished the half up 10-4, the only assertiveness from Denver's group of superstars being a Brennan O'Neill bully dodge underneath.

The Outlaws defense kept it respectable in the second half. But the Waterdogs' defense of Kenny Brower, Marcus Hudgins and Gavin Adler didn't give an inch. Denver did not score in the second half. O'Neill, Pat Kavanagh, Bernhardt and Logan Wisnauskas were held to 2-of-16.

The performance was punctuated in the fourth. Randall tried to clear early in the quarter, but Sowers stuck to him like glue. He passed it along, but Kirst extended his stick to grab it in the air, passing back to Sowers for the easy dunk on the rainy road to a championship.

Tierney, the seven-time NCAA champion, earned his first pro title. Byrne finished undefeated in a rookie season in which he went from undrafted to midyear starter. He made 11 saves. Rookies Richmond (1G, 1A) and Matt Collison (1G) scored. The veteran Kieran McArdle added a goal.

"Confidence, confidence," Kirst attributed the win. "We had rookies come in, people questioned us being able to do it. … It just trickled out from our veterans all the way down. Everyone's got that confidence."