JC Higginbotham shines as Cannons bounce back in win over Archers
· Yahoo Sports
On Friday night, Boston turned to JC Higginbotham in net, who delivered in his first start of the season, helping the Cannons to an 11-7 win over the Archers in Columbus and snapping Utah’s four-game win streak.
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After Colin Kirst posted save percentages below 50% over the previous three games, head coach Brian Holman made the decision earlier in the week to start Higginbotham.
“Part of this job that I absolutely detest is doing what I had to do this week,” Holman said. “But at the end of the day, my job is to help these guys be in the best position they could possibly be to compete for a championship.”
It was just the third PLL appearance and first start for Higginbotham, who went undrafted out of Bellarmine in 2024.
The move paid off early as the 25-year-old stopped four shots in the opening minutes, weathering an aggressive Archers attack and helping Boston find its footing.
Offensively, the Cannons looked more like themselves from the start. Brian Kelly opened the scoring with a leaping finish before Coulter Mackesy buried a two-point shot from range. After being held off the scoresheet last weekend, Mackesy quickly returned to form.
BK cleared for takeoff ✈️ pic.twitter.com/ft90e39nyC
— Boston Cannons (@PLLCannons) August 1, 2026
It was an exciting matchup at the stripe as rookie Andrew McMeekin continued to impress in a dominating 71% performance against the Archers’ Mike Sisselberger.
For a Boston team that has been striving to find its identity this season, Holman feels it’s starting to take shape.
“We don’t have a dominant guy, like we don’t have one of these all-world attackmen and middies that these other teams have,” Holman said at halftime. “So we have to share the rock, play together as a team and that’s really our identity, so that’s not gonna change.”
An already physical, penalty-filled game reached a boiling point in the third quarter when Kelly was pushed into the crease. Archers goalie Brett Dobson responded by cross-checking Kelly, sparking a scuffle involving players from both teams.
“We’re kind of a gritty bunch,” Holman said. “… Nobody’s left behind, and credit Mic [Kelly] for going in there and standing up for his teammate. It’s just part of the game.”
It didn’t disrupt the flow for Boston. Brian Kelly ended the night with four goals, putting in two back-to-back with under two minutes remaining in the fourth quarter.
The Cannons secured the win ahead of their Homecoming Weekend at Harvard Stadium.
“I just can’t wait to be at home again,” Mackesy said. “But at the end of the day, we’re gonna write our own destiny. Next Friday is a new game, a new chapter for this team, and that’s what we’re focused on now.”