The Philadelphia Waterdogs’ 15-13 victory over the California Redwoods last Friday was Alec Stathakis‘ first Premier Lacrosse League game since the 2025 postseason.
After missing the first half of the 2026 campaign while recovering from offseason knee surgery, the Waterdogs’ faceoff specialist returned with an immediate impact, winning 18 of 31 draws (58.1%), collecting seven ground balls and helping Philadelphia rally from a sluggish first half in a statement win.
It was an encouraging performance against one of the PLL’s premier faceoff specialists, TD Ierlan, a familiar face for Stathakis dating back to their collegiate careers at the University of Denver. Stathakis developed under Waterdogs head coach Bill Tierney at Denver, where he shared faceoff duties with Ierlan in 2021 before eventually carving out his own professional path.
That relationship has shaped Stathakis’ PLL career from the beginning.
After opening the 2024 season without a full-time faceoff specialist, Tierney turned to the player pool and brought in his former pupil.
It was a challenging first season together. Philadelphia finished 2-8, and Stathakis won 44.8% of his draws across seven appearances as both player and coach adjusted to the professional level.
Rather than look elsewhere, the Waterdogs doubled down.
The patience paid off in 2025. Stathakis raised his faceoff percentage to 52.8% during his second season while holding his own against many of the league’s elite specialists. His growth mirrored Philadelphia’s improvement, as the Waterdogs advanced to the playoffs before falling in the semifinals to the eventual champion New York Atlas.
Just as momentum was building, however, it came to a halt.
Following the season, Stathakis underwent knee surgery in October. What initially appeared to be a relatively straightforward recovery quickly became a lengthy rehabilitation process that sidelined him for the first five games of 2026.
“Originally, I thought it was just gonna be a quick surgery … but it ended up being a lot worse than expected,” Stathakis said. “The actual road to recovery was a grind. It was just a lot of moving parts. … You have to do a lot on your own, and that’s the hardest part.”
Despite the setback, Philadelphia showed its confidence in its faceoff man by signing him to a contract extension through the 2026 season in December, shortly after Dave Cottle took over as general manager.
As the new season approached, the Waterdogs placed Stathakis on the Physically Unable to Perform list while he continued his recovery. Tierney offered periodic updates on his progress, noting that Stathakis had reached roughly 85% health before the opener before improving to around 90% over the following weeks.
With veteran Connor Farrell stepping in, there was little reason to rush the process.
Farrell, who had not appeared in a PLL game since 2023, won 64% of his faceoffs in the season opener and 57% in Week 2 before enduring a tougher stretch later in the first half. His performance earned him an All-Star selection as a reserve while providing the Waterdogs valuable stability during Stathakis’ absence.
Philadelphia officially activated Stathakis on June 30, just before All-Star weekend, restoring one of the team’s key pieces while also creating a difficult roster decision.
For Stathakis, the opportunity to return finally outweighed the desire to feel completely healthy.
“It felt really good,” he said after Friday’s win. “At some point, you just kind of have to pull the plug and say, ‘OK … my knee feels good. I’ve just got to get back to it.’ You’re never gonna feel perfect.”
The first half against California reflected some of that rust, both individually and collectively. But as the game wore on, Stathakis settled in. His success at the stripe generated extra possessions and helped ignite Philadelphia’s offense. Philly closed the game on a 5-1 run.
Tierney wasn’t surprised by the response.
“Stat’s a warrior,” the coach said after the game. “His compete level … every time he’s on the field, it’s a war. … In the second half, I thought he really did well. … I’m just glad to have him back.”
The trust between player and coach extends well beyond the field. Having spent years together at Denver before reuniting professionally, Stathakis credits Tierney’s honesty and steady guidance throughout both his development and rehabilitation.
“He’s always honest,” Stathakis said. “The first thing he asks always is about my knee and how I’m feeling, and then we get into the lacrosse part of it.”
Now healthy, Stathakis will play a vital role for a Waterdogs team that looks dramatically different from the one that won only two games two years ago.
After months of rehabilitation and uncertainty, the Waterdogs once again have one of their trusted competitors back at the stripe — just in time for the most important stretch of the season.
About the Author
