Former Maryland men’s lacrosse star Logan Wisnauskas has continued a winning streak from collegiate level to the Premier Lacrosse League’s Chrome. The 3-0 Chrome and 1-2 Cannons will face off at 6 p.m. on June 25 at Homewood Field in Baltimore.
Wisnauskas led the 2022 Terps to an 18-0 national championship season and is currently leading the Chrome with nine goals. Emotions ran high going into the title game against Cornell on Memorial Day for Wisnauskas and the rest of the Terps, and they successfully redeemed themselves after last year’s championship loss to Virginia.
“It was awesome being able to go back up there and right our wrongs. We had really some open dialogue about it, talking about how it was tough for all of us. … In ’21, having that [national title] ripped out of your hands was hard,” Wisnauskas said on Glenn Clark Radio June 20. “I think guys just came back determined and focused, ready to right those wrongs in ’22, which we obviously did, which was awesome and memories we’ll have for a lifetime.”
Wisnauskas, a Sykesville, Md., native and Boys’ Latin alum, began his career at Syracuse but did not play for the Orange before transferring. Wisnauskas played five seasons in College Park and became Maryland’s all-time leader in goals (205) and points (340).
Former lacrosse star and current Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Jared Bernhardt had a great relationship with Wisnauskas on and off the field during their four seasons together at Maryland. Wisnauskas reps a No. 13 Bernhardt Falcons jersey and claims to be a Falcons fan for his friend.
Ahead of the 2022 season, fans wondered if the Terps would be able to make up for the loss of Bernhardt. Even though Bernhardt moved on to football, the Terps proved themselves in every game.
“I’d definitely say we were a selfless group,” Wisnauskas said. “Our ball movement was great … moving the ball, sharing the ball, knowing that if you get the ball back, you give the ball up, you’re going to get it back. That was something that was really fun to play in this past season.”
After having won the national title and Tewaaraton Award in 2022, Wisnauskas moved on to the PLL, forcing him to adjust in certain ways. The shot clock now being 52 seconds instead of the 80 seconds used in college initially threw him off, but Wisnauskas has learned the pro rules and has become a valuable player in the PLL.
“I’m playing with the best guys in the world, meeting my teammates, learning a new way to play lacrosse in a sense [that] it’s a really, really fast game,” Wisnauskas said. “… Just getting my feet under me, learning the way of the pro game and all that stuff, it’s definitely been cool and fun to be a part of.”
Playing at Homewood is not unfamiliar to Wisnauskas. As a Terp, he played at Johns Hopkins three times (2018, 2021 and 2022). Coming back as a member of the Chrome and not as a Terp is a significant career move for this attackman.
As the PLL season continues, fans may already be envisioning another perfect season for Wisnauskas and his team, but the former Maryland star focuses on what he can control.
“I’m a member of the Chrome. I’m there to help them win,” Wisnauskas said. “… I just kind of control the things that I can control, which is my attitude, my effort, how I play the game, how my approach is each week.”
For more from Wisnauskas, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Courtesy of the PLL