Ithaca’s Gobrecht recalls PLL bubble

Athletic opportunities during the COVID-19 pandemic are few and far between. Leagues at every level canceled play either temporarily or indefinitely. So, when a chance to play comes up, you take it. That’s exactly what Ithaca’s Eli Gobrecht did, joining the Archers Lacrosse Club for the Premier Lacrosse League Championship Series in Utah.

Gobrecht played for both the Ithaca Little Red and the Ithaca Bombers lacrosse teams, eventually being named a first-team All-American in his final college season in 2016. Since graduating, he’s made his mark as a defenseman in Major League Lacrosse, the National Lacrosse League and now the PLL.

The PLL typically runs from June to September, but the pandemic forced the league to change its plans in its second season. It elected to form a “bubble” in Utah where players stayed in a hotel together for just over three weeks for a condensed tournament. Gobrecht was a first-round draft pick by the Archers just this year, so his first experience in the league was odd but very fulfilling.

“The typical life of a pro lacrosse player right now is fly into whatever city you’re playing in on Friday night, have a couple practices and then play on Saturday or Sunday and then usually fly back Sunday night,” Gobrecht said. “It’s kind of a weekend warrior lifestyle. This was an experience that I think all of us really enjoyed because it made us feel like we really were a true professional sport. And the level of play was extremely high because of it.”

The part that stood out the most to Gobrecht was being able to bond with his teammates even more than he’s used to given that he was living with them for three straight weeks.

“It was pretty cool because it gave us the time to really build those relationships with our teammates, especially for myself as a new member of the team,” Gobrecht said. “That was really important. We’re all pulling on the same rope and trying to reach that common goal. It was pretty special building with this group over that time period, getting to know those guys better and really battling together.”

As we’ve seen with several professional sports leagues during this time, a lot of hoops have to be jumped through before games can be played during the COVID-19 pandemic. Gobrecht explained that prior to the tournament, players had to self-quarantine for up to a week and a half then had a check-in test over Zoom with the team doctor.

After that test was passed, Gobrecht flew to Utah and took a COVID-19 test followed by another 24 hours of quarantining. Every player in the league tested negative. Then, a mini training camp began. Before the games began July 25, every player had to take another test followed by yet another 24-hour quarantine. Aside from when they were on the field, Gobrecht added that the players were wearing masks at all times and did not leave their social groups.

That start-and-stop experience leading up to the start of the Championship Series impacted the preparation of the players in the league. Gobrecht discussed how he adjusted.

“A challenge for everyone going in was trying to find a way to get ourselves into game shape right away,” Gobrecht said. “Normally, we do have a week-long training camp where we can sort of play ourselves into that shape. I don’t think there’s much you can do to fully prepare for that game speed and that physicality. I was able to find time, luckily, out here in Seattle [beforehand]. I would go early in the morning to the field and I’d be the only one there.”

Gobrecht has championship lacrosse experience under his belt already, winning Major League Lacrosse’s Steinfeld Trophy with the Denver Outlaws in 2018. He had fans cheering him on that year. This time, however, Gobrecht played in front of an empty stadium.

“The only game where it was kind of weird was the first game because you’re just looking around and it’s really just you and the other team mano a mano,” Gobrecht said. “I actually thought that was kind of cool. This was a bit of a change-up, but at the same time, I think all these guys are competitors and everyone has been training for so long for this event and for those playoffs that the level of play was still extremely high.”

Up next for Gobrecht will be a season with the San Diego Seals in the National Lacrosse League, which is the biggest and longest-running lacrosse league in the nation. Typically, its season runs from the end of November through May (including playoffs), but the schedule for the upcoming season has yet to be announced due to COVID-19.