The Boston Cannons weren’t supposed to make it this far.
But after starting the season 1-4 and facing plenty of criticism, Boston is now headed to the semifinals.
The Cannons’ defense held the Maryland Whipsnakes to seven goals while Coulter Mackesy scored a hat trick in a 9-7 quarterfinal win Saturday night in Minneapolis.
“It’s been a process. We struggled early in the year,” head coach Brian Holman said. “We’re trying to find our way, a lot of moving pieces, new pieces. This league’s not forgiving that way, so just patience and a lot of love and a lot of communication.”
The story of the week was Matt Campbell’s return.
After missing almost two months with an injury suffered at Team USA tryouts, the 2025 Gait Brothers Midfielder of the Year was back on the field for Boston’s quarterfinal matchup. Though Campbell was quiet (five shots, zero points) in his first game since June 6, Boston quickly found another player making an impact.
Mackesy came out firing in his first professional playoff game, scoring twice in the first quarter and finishing the night with three goals on 11 shots. The second-year attackman looked comfortable on the biggest stage of his young career. He even surprised himself.
“I think that was my first BTB goal ever,” Mackesy said in the breakdown booth.
91 gettin fancy with it early ‼️ pic.twitter.com/8GKEEGseTZ
— Boston Cannons (@PLLCannons) August 30, 2026
One of the biggest changes for the Cannons this season has been the combination of JC Higginbotham in net and a defense that has continued to gel in front of him.
Higginbotham was at his best when Boston needed him most. He showed no signs of being rattled by his first professional playoff start, stopping 70% of Maryland’s shots in the first half. While the Whipsnakes tried to generate momentum, Higginbotham consistently came up with the answers.
But the Cannons weren’t just relying on their goalie to make saves. Will Donovan’s move to close defense continued to pay off, as he helped make things difficult for Maryland’s attack alongside Ethan Rall and Owen Grant.
This defense from Dono 😤 pic.twitter.com/zH7SCm8mvu
— Boston Cannons (@PLLCannons) August 30, 2026
“[Donovan’s] instincts are off the charts,” Holman said. “I don’t think he gets enough credit and shoutouts; he’s guarded pretty much every No. 1 attackman since he’s been starting down there.”
Rall scored a goal, caused three turnovers and scooped up seven ground balls. Grant added two caused turnovers as the Cannons repeatedly disrupted Maryland possessions and limited second chances.
“Really, it was about our defense tonight,” veteran attackman Marcus Holman said. “If you hold a team to seven goals, you should win that game.”
The result was a defense that didn’t simply react to Maryland’s offense – it actively created problems, allowing Higginbotham to settle in and giving the Cannons control of the game from the back end.
“It definitely wasn’t our prettiest tonight,” Marcus Holman said. “But it’s playoff lacrosse, so you’ve got to find a way, and we definitely did that tonight.”
A year after missing the playoffs, the Cannons are headed to the semifinals. Next up: the No. 1 seed Philadelphia Waterdogs in Salt Lake City on Sept. 7.