Rob Pannell is closing in on one of outdoor lacrosse’s most significant milestones, but the Maryland Whipsnakes attackman is not allowing the chase for the all-time points record to change his approach.
“I’ve never played lacrosse for things like this,” the Maryland Whipsnakes attacker told The Post.
“I’ve always trained with the goal in mind of being my best on game day for my teammates and making sure that I’m not letting them down.”
Pannell, the 36-year-old Smithtown native and longtime lacrosse standout, has piled up 654 career points. He now sits just shy of the Professional Lacrosse League outdoor points record held by league co-founder Paul Rabil, who set the mark at 657 in 2021.
The record could fall Friday night, when Maryland faces the California Redwoods in PLL action.
“My plan is to try and do it this weekend. I’ll have my family there, my wife and my parents, and it would be a really special moment,” he said.
“I would love to get it over with,” Pannell laughed.
That does not mean the achievement is lost on the Long Island lacrosse legend. Pannell understands the weight of potentially becoming the sport’s all-time outdoor scoring leader, but his focus remains firmly on a larger, team-first goal.
“I would say the number one thing is winning a PLL championship,” said Pannell, who has won world titles and championships in Major League Lacrosse.
“That’s the ultimate goal…If I can accomplish that, I’d be a very, very happy man.”
