Di Miller, Beat Writer Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse is Awesome
The Denver Outlaws (1-2) travelled to Georgia on Saturday May 14, returning to Kennesaw State University where the last time they played in the stadium, brought the Steinfeld Cup home to Denver. They were the third team to face the newest expansion team and the first to be defeated by the Atlanta Blaze (1-2). Final Score: Atlanta 23—Denver 12.
The first quarter would open up with a five goal run by the Blaze, one a two-point goal by Kevin Cooper. It would be Callum Crawford, his first time in an Outlaws uniform who would stop the barrage scoring off a feed from Jeremy Sieverts, his first of two in the quarter. The Outlaws would give up two more before Chris Bocklet would put up another. Former Outlaws mid-fielder Justin Pennington would halt the run with Randy Staats picking up the hat-trick with one second left in the period. The Blaze had outscored the Outlaws 10-3.
Atlanta would start off the second with a bang yet again, this time a four-goal run. That’s when Outlaws Head Coach O’Hara pulled the rookie net-minder Ryan LaPlante and put in Johnny Rodriguez. Rodriguez was in between the pipes only 90 seconds before Atlanta would score again. The Outlaws were able to hold off the Blaze for almost five minutes before Staats would get his fourth of the game. Crawford would be the only Denver player to score in the second giving him the hat-trick. Score at the end of the first half: Blaze 16—Outlaws 4.
Heading into the third, Staats would find net again and adding insult to injury, notched a sock-trick. Yet again, the Blaze would score with less than ten seconds remaining. Mike Bocklet and Sieverts would net two more for Denver. In the third, the Outlaws would hold the Blaze to only three goals, the lowest tally of the day. Score 19-6 in favor of Atlanta.
The Outlaws would start the fourth with a goal from (C ) Bocklet off the feed from Drew Snider at 1:32, giving him two on the day. The Outlaws would put up a total of six in the fourth matching their goal tally for the first three quarters of play. Snider and Sieverts would both complete hat-tricks, with Snider scoring the final goal of the game at 12:30. Final Score: Atlanta 23—Denver 12.
Denver’s defense looked out of kilter, they were missing their slides and although the defenders are all extremely tough and talented, they couldn’t halt the power house offense that Atlanta’s Head Coach John Tucker has put together. It’s obvious now that the NLL season in winding down with only four teams remaining, the box players that were acquired by the Blaze are a deadly combination.
The Blaze would see nine different players scoring, with 11 of the 23 coming from Staats and Kevin Rice. Denver had five members of the squad scoring with Crawford; Snider; and Sieverts all putting up hat-tricks.
Denver was strong at “X”, but the offense couldn’t capitalize on the possessions. They had miscues; weren’t passing off the dodges; and up until the fourth quarter the middies and attack weren’t dodging. By the time the Snider/Sieverts combination kicked into gear, it was already too late.
At this point in the season, with the NLL in the final phase of the play-offs; and the college draft picks finishing up their seasons, the players need to perform to secure their spots. And the question still remains “What happened to Dillon Ward?”
The Outlaws have one week to figure out what has occurred over the course of the last two weeks; get the offense back on track; and defensively, need to be more aware in order to win.
Next up for the Outlaws, they head out on the road again to face the Chesapeake Bayhawks (2-1) on May 21, 2016.
Di Miller, Beat Writer Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse is Awesome