Chris Bocklet checking in here. I’m definitely excited about our first win at home. Going into the game we were very excited playing a good team, a team that had a ton of good offensive threats. They were just coming off a big win over Florida and one of the big advantages we had was a bye week which we definitely needed giving us an extra training camp. With all the new faces on the 2016 Outlaws team, the more time we can spend together meshing as a team; talking strategies; finding your role; and gelling was huge and we felt good. One of the things in this league is you constantly have new faces and finding your team is key. We felt prepared and we didn’t know what was going to happen with the weather, but having the best Outlaws fans who came out to support us on a chilly day, we lucked out with no snow, and we were definitely ready to play this game…ready to face a very talented team.
We started out the game and got an early lead with the first goal of the game so we got that momentum, but then Ohio answered right back through the entire game. They would get up; then we would get up, so we had to just keep grinding.
Offensively I felt like we did a decent job when we moved the ball. We were unselfish, passing the ball around, we had our unassisted goals and got the ball through the attack and back up to the middies who had some good dodges and were able to find the back of the net.
I have to give a lot of credit to my brother Mike Bocklet who stepped up. He had a big game with four goals and two assists including a nice back-to-back highlight reel goal. He’s a dynamic player; he can dodge; he has his head up; and when he goes to the goal, he goes hard which is what we need. He played a tremendous game.
Obviously you have to give a ton of credit to Drew Snider who had the game winning two-point goal and played fantastic. Drew’s quickness, he’s one of the quickest guys I know in the league and I think the thing with him is he can get his shot off. His release, he gets it off quickly and I think the goalies have a hard time picking him up with his shot. He’s quick to shoot, he’s burying it in the back of the net and obviously he was huge in this game. Offensively we were definitely happy for the goals we had.
On the defensive side, you have to give a lot of credit to LaPlante who stepped up tremendously in his first MLL game. It’s not an easy task to come in and fill the spot of Jesse Schwartzman, an All-Star goalie, one of the all-time greatest goalies to ever play lacrosse. He’d been an Outlaw forever. You’re coming into your first game and you’ve got to fill those shoes. I can’t imagine what that feeling is like. He totally stepped up and just killed it. He kept us in the game being able to make those saves in close transition and it helped us big time.
Another key was on face-offs. We dominated at face-offs which was huge. The more possessions you can get, obviously the more chances you get to put the ball in the back of the net. You have to give a ton of credit to Tommy Kelly and Hiken who both just kept battling and winning the ball forward, and dominating at “X” which gave us a lot of great chances in this game to win.
Overall, I’m just very excited and happy for our first win. Ohio, beating a very talented Florida team with so many power houses on the offensive end and being able to hold those guys was awesome.
Every game in this league counts. You don’t want to look into the future and making the play-offs, but the big thing that hurt us last year was not getting the early wins. So we know that these early wins are huge to get.
It’s kind of unique that we get to play these guys again next weekend. We know it’s going to be another battle so we’re definitely looking forward to it, but now we have to beat them on their turf.
The guys are taking care of their bodies this week so we can quickly recover; taking care of whatever we need; and starting to work out again, getting ready to cleat up and gear up to play these guys again Sunday May 8. It will be an exciting time and hopefully we can get the sweep and finish off 2-0.