Justin Pugal watched from the sidelines as the Denver Outlaws rallied back for the 17-15 win over his Boston Cannons‘ teammates in the 2019 Major League Lacrosse Semifinals. The defenseman wondered how different the outcome would be if a left leg ACL tear didn’t end his season one month earlier.
Pugal accomplished a lot just by making the team, later stepping up as one of its leaders. But, closing the season without hoisting the Steinfield Trophy left him feeling like there was a lot more to prove.
There is arguably no one looking forward to playing lacrosse more than Boston Cannons defenseman Justin Pugal. His journey over the last year has been incredible, to say the least.
“I graduated, lost a miserable [America East Conference Semifinals] game to UMBC, got a nice tryout, played the majority of the season, tore my ACL, had surgery, got my brace [last] Wednesday, [and] am working hard to get back on the field,” Pugal said.
Pugal did not receive any professional lacrosse offers coming out of college. He was invited to open tryouts at the last minute and impressed Boston enough for a contract. The rookie played at an all-star caliber level before his injury.
The defenseman finished third on the Cannons with 14 caused turnovers, only trailing midfielders Ryland Rees and Zach Goodrich by one. He appeared in the MLL All-Star Game and earned two points. He was also a Warrior Defensive Player of the Year Award nominee.
All was well until a late-season game against the Chesapeake Bayhawks in September. Pugal over-challenged a hard check while chasing a groundball and awkwardly fell. He struggled getting off the field knowing that bad news would follow– his incredible season was over.
Pugal began rehab almost immediately after surgery. Although the pandemic cut short working out with a personal trainer, he trained with a friend back home in Manorville, N.Y. That helped with recovery and nearly returned to full-strength.
“My left leg, compared to my right, is definitely at a nine-out-of-ten and I’m getting there. The hardest part mentally is pushing myself to put full pressure on that leg when I really need to, so my right leg is at an eight-out-of-ten. When I’m playing, though, it is nothing I’m thinking about.”
One loss Pugal will be adjusting to is playing without Rees, his teammate since their freshman year at Stony Brook. The long-stick midfielder was second on the Cannons with 63 ground balls scooped up and led in caused turnovers. Personally for Justin, Ryland was a friend since their first days of college, a collegiate, professional and all-star teammate, and a mentor.
However, this means Pugal will have more responsibility patrolling the defense. He is expected to lead it alongside veteran defenseman Mike Skudin.
“Skudin is a really good leader and as someone who has been in the league over the past couple years, it’s nice to have a guy to talk to and see what is on his mind.”
The hard work Pugal put in last season and over the offseason earned him a spot on the 25-man roster, despite an injury and no training camp workout. The defenseman stayed in touch with Cannons head coach Sean Quirk and his staff throughout the recovery process.
“Quirk– love him, fun energy. We could be down ten goals and that guy is coming in the locker room like a firecracker so he brings a good aspect of that on our side. [Defensive coordinator John Klepacki] is really intelligent and he is really smart with the defense. He lets us play to the best of our abilities and lets us role and do our thing.”
Pugal will also be reunited with someone instrumental in his lacrosse life, Jim Nagle— his former Stony Brook head coach. Nagle helped the defenseman land a tryout with Boston after graduation.
“I got a thing for Nagle, I love him. He lets you run with the ball and shoot and he is going to be fun on the sideline too. Especially when we are going to play [Connecticut Hammerheads and former Stony Brook associate coach] Craig Gibson.”
The 2020 MLL ‘season’ will consist of five regular season games happening over a week-long stretch beginning on Saturday, July 18th. Four teams will advance to the semifinals next Saturday, with the finals happening next Sunday. The Cannons will open the season against the New York Lizards this Saturday. Then, the team will play the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Philadelphia Barrage, only 21 hours apart.
“This is more games that I played [in a row] than when I was in high school summer lacrosse. And these games are two hours long, high school summer ball is like 50 minute games.”
But, the hectic schedule is worth it to get back on the field. For Pugal, playing means a chance of proving he belongs on his own terms.
“My point of view is I haven’t proven anything yet. An unfortunate thing happened last year and I couldn’t play in the playoffs. So, I still have a lot to prove out there.”
