Philadelphia Waterdogs receive warm welcome in first home game at Villanova Stadium

The Premier Lacrosse League assigned a franchise to Philadelphia last November. If Saturday afternoon was any indication, the Philadelphia Waterdogs will be just fine.

While the Waterdogs narrowly lost, 12-11, in overtime to the Boston Cannons in their Philadelphia debut, they put on a strong first showing for their fans. Attackman Michael Sowers, a graduate of Upper Dublin High School, finished with eight points (three goals, five assists) in front of his hometown crowd.

Donning purple hats and jerseys, Waterdogs fans filed into Villanova Stadium to watch their team’s Philly inauguration. The 12,500-seat stadium welcomed visitors — the first 1,000 of whom received Waterdogs rally towels — more than an hour before game time and was largely filled by the opening draw. Spots of Boston red were visible, but the crowd was shaded purple — just as Waterdogs coach Bill Tierney hoped for.

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“It was great,” Tierney said postgame. “I was a little worried about the attendance, but they came out and they were behind us.”

This is what PLL co-founder Paul Rabil envisioned when the league selected Philadelphia as the destination for the Waterdogs last year.

“Philadelphia was a pretty easy decision for us,” Rabil told The Inquirer in November. “They have PLL fans that are among the largest in population within our database, and even third-party data in lacrosse points to the not only growing but substantive lacrosse participant in the great state of Pennsylvania.”

Philadelphians were right at home upon their entrance. Waterdogs banners lined the chain-link fence surrounding the track, while flags reading “Philly” towered above the bleachers, waving throughout the day. Most notable of all, a statue reading “DOGS” sat below the scoreboard, emulating Philadelphia’s famous LOVE Sculpture.

When the team began readying itself in the tunnel pregame, dozens of supporters approached, getting as close as they could to their city’s newest professional athletes. Seconds later, a cloud of smoke surrounded the Waterdogs as they charged onto the turf to a wave of cheers and applause.

“Having it here in Philly, which is a town I’ve had amazing experiences with, was phenomenal,” Tierney said. “I’m thankful for the fans and for the support we had. Just a great environment.”

The team held a practice at Marple Newtown High School on Friday afternoon to prepare for the Cannons. Dozens of young fans waited outside the field, approaching players before and after practice to ask for autographs. They did the same thing Saturday — several fans waited behind the stadium for more than an hour after the game to greet a couple of Waterdogs emerging from the locker room.

And it’s not solely the fans who are taking to the team’s new stomping grounds. Jake Richard, a team captain and West Chester Henderson alumnus, had an important question for a group of kids on his way out to Friday’s practice.

“You guys Eagles fans or what? Go Birds!” Richard said.

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Numerous Waterdogs players arrived for Saturday’s game dressed in Eagles gear. Richard wore a Jason Kelce jersey on his way in, while defensive midfielder Christian Scarpello — from Madison, N.J. — sported an Eagles hat. Sowers was dressed in the jersey of former Eagles quarterback Randall Cunningham.

While the result didn’t go the Waterdogs’ way, they displayed the kind of grit that Philly is all about. They played a physical brand of lacrosse that led to numerous hard checks and ensuing skirmishes, which the crowd took an immediate liking to. Cannons coach Brian Holman was complimentary of that style, describing the Waterdogs as having a “nasty defense” postgame.

Sowers has known that about his squad for years, and he believes it fits the Waterdogs’ new home perfectly.

“I think since the team’s inception, we’ve always kind of had like a gritty identity,” Sowers told The Inquirer in February. “And I think that our team kind of already embodies a lot of what Philly sports stands for.”

Saturday’s game was the first of four matches that will be played in Villanova Stadium over the next two days, as the venue is welcoming seven of the PLL’s eight outfits this weekend. The Waterdogs’ second game set for Sunday (3 p.m., ESPN+) against the Maryland Whipsnakes.