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The Cannons’ ‘cheetah’: Inside Ethan Rall’s career year for Boston
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- The Cannons’ ‘cheetah’: Inside Ethan Rall’s career year for Boston
Most of the players on the Boston Cannons know Ethan Rallby the nickname "Raller." Head coach Brian Holman has another nickname for him, though: "Chippy."
Despite being an All-American at Islip High School, Rall wasn't recruited heavily. At Rutgers, the long-stick midfielder was a three-time USILA All-American, but he wasn't selected in the PLL College Draft. Rall stopped short of saying he felt disrespected over the years, but he admitted he was annoyed.
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That chip on his shoulder is what inspired Holman's secondary moniker.
"He still carries that with him, which I think is a motivator for him," Holman said. "Nobody gave him a sniff to be a pro, and I thank God for that every day."
It's a mutual feeling for Rall.
"I know a lot of the guys that were picked before me, and I want to make sure I'm living up to the standards that I set for myself and Coach Holman," Rall said. "I was lucky enough for him to give me the opportunity to go out there my first year and compete for a spot on the team. I was able to earn that, and I continue to try and earn that every single day."
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"There's a lot of good players on the planet, and they're constantly trying to get into this league, so no position is ever safe," he added. "I carry that in my mind, as well."
Rall was an immediate feel-good story as the undrafted underdog who got the phone call of a lifetime from Holman to join the Cannons while at a Wawa. His play as a rookie boosted his profile even more. In 2023, he led the entire PLL in caused turnovers and was a finalist for Rookie of the Year and LSM of the Year.
In his first two seasons, he was a two-time All-Pro LSM and ranked Nos. 32 and 37 in the Players Top 50.
The only thing he didn't accomplish was getting a sandwich named after him at Wawa.
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"I sent a few DMs here and there," Rall said. "I need a few more followers on Instagram before anything like that happens, but you never know."
Though his third season wasn't bad by any stretch of the imagination – he still finished in the top five in the league in caused turnovers (13) – he struggled to get into the flow of games. A big reason for that was the Cannons' acquisition of Owen Grant in a trade with the California Redwoods; the two talented LSMs essentially split their repetitions evenly.
They cheered loudly for each other when they scored or caused a turnover, but they were also competitors who believed they could make a difference for a struggling Boston team if they were on the field more. Rall said the timeshare was a tough balance. Grant, who said he watched Rall while they were in college and was already a fan, believed the partnership wasn't ideal.
"When you have someone as talented as Ethan, they should be going more frequently than that," Grant said. "We were kind of holding each other back from having a bigger impact on games."
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For the 2026 season, Holman made the decision to move Grant to close defense. This provided both players an opportunity to shine and helped the Cannons stake a claim as one of the top four defenses in the league in scores against. It was a big improvement from the year prior, when they ranked last.
"What it's like for me is trying to figure out why I was such an idiot the year before not doing it," Holman said. "I learned from past mistakes. The year before was not my best year coaching and managing [the Cannons] for a million different reasons, but I don't want to make the same mistake twice."
Sharing the field for the first time, Rall and Grant formed a fearsome duo on defense. They encapsulate Holman's vision for his defense to a T: aggressive defenders who take calculated risks and throw aggressive checks.
While Grant is an imposing force, standing 6-foot-3 and 230 pounds, Rall is much smaller in stature at 5-foot-9 and 186 pounds. Knowing he wasn't going to overpower too many guys, Rall said he had to develop his game in other ways.
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"I had to get really good at playing angles, having stick discipline and having solid fundamentals of defense to be the best defender I could possibly be," Rall said. "Part of that was that ability to take the ball away from guys. I know that I can separate myself from other defenders."
"Being able to put the ball on the turf and take the ball from guys consistently was something that I tried to hone in on at a younger age," he added. "It's something that I've kind of stuck with throughout high school into college and now, it's continuing to the pro game."
Rall said he and Grant both have great instincts and can read things before they happen. Rall sees Grant give nonverbal cues when he's about to attack the ball, so Rall can recover as the two-slide and cover Grant's man, slide appropriately and push the ball in transition.
On the other hand, Grant said when Rall is about to attack an offensive player, his body language changes, too, comparing him to "a cheetah when they're about to pounce on prey."
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He's seen it multiple times this season. In Chicago, when the Cannons took on the Denver Outlaws, Rall matched up in isolation against Jared Bernhardt , whom Grant called "one of the fastest guys in our sport," in the high alley. While Bernhardt tried to run by him, Rall threw his signature can-opener check, dislodged the ball, scooped it up and pushed the ball in transition.
Another instance was late in Saturday's quarterfinal win over the Whipsnakes, on the second-to-last possession of the game with Maryland making a late comeback attempt. Out of the timeout, Aidan Carroll took Rall to X, but Rall once again came away with the check and turnover.
Rall finished the game with four caused turnovers, seven ground balls and one goal. He was named the PLL Player of the Week and drew high praise from Ryan Boyle and Brian Dougherty on "Freeze it Right Here."
"Ethan Rall was the best player on the field," Boyle said.
"Ethan Rall was the best player on the field." 🤷♂️
RB and Doc break down @EthanRall 's HUGE night on Freeze It Right Here, only on the @PremierLacrosse App! pic.twitter.com/R2F52xGcIK— Boston Cannons (@PLLCannons) September 3, 2026
This season, Rall earned his first trip to the All-Star Game. His 43 ground balls, a career high, were tied for the most by an LSM with Troy Reh . He also tied Reh for second among LSMs in caused turnovers (12), behind only Jake Piseno . For the third time in his career, he's a finalist for LSM of the Year.
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He isn't just leading the Cannons on the field, however. Though he's only in his fourth season, he's become one of the veteran leaders in the locker room, especially on the defensive end where Boston saw the retirements of Garrett Epple , Bryce Young and Adam Ghitelman .
Holman was hoping to see young guys like Rall and Matt Campbell – Rall's roommate on the road – take ownership of the team in 2026. When the Cannons are watching film, scouting the opponent or critiquing their own play, Rall is one of, if not the first voice to move the conversation forward, ask questions and talk to teammates about why they made the decision they did.
He's also taken rookie defenders Will Donovan and Hunter Smith under his wing.
Seeing Rall's growth and maturation on and off the field means everything to Holman.
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"It's why I do this," Holman said. "I got into coaching full-time because the Lord was calling me to do this. I feel like I had something so much more inside of me to help and give to other people, and this is the way that I can do that, so, for me, it's everything."
Rall isn't just mentoring young Cannons, either. Like Holman, Rall wanted to give more of his mind and heart to his lacrosse career. After a talk with his coach before the 2025 Championship Series – which Rall and the Cannons won for a second consecutive year – he asked Holman for advice about how to devote his whole life to lacrosse and his training. He reached out to Marcus Holman , Will Manny and Kyle Hartzell for their mentorship. He looked to his parents, William and Jean Marie, for their support, as well.
With all the advice and backing, Rall founded Cover U Lacrosse, where he helps to train, coach and mentor the next great lockdown defenders and leaders.
A number of the players Rall coaches are undersized and overlooked, like he was. As disappointing as it was to not get drafted, Rall believes it gives him more credibility with the players he coaches and the message he preaches to them.
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"If you love the game, the game will love you back," Rall said. "If you put everything you have into this game, a lot of good things can come from it."
