Di Miller, Correspondent Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Di Miller
The No. 2 Seed Denver Outlaws (10-6) hosted the No. 3 Seed Boston Cannons on Friday October 4, 2019 for the second game of the 2019 MLL Playoffs. The first time in league history championship weekend would be held in Denver. The fans were treated to an OT game immediately before and were prepped and ready for some more great lacrosse. The game was electric for the fans and they would not be disappointed as they would see their Denver Outlaws go onto defeat the Boston Cannons 17-15.
Boston chose to go without the usual pre-game warmups while the hometown team Outlaws wanted to be warmed up and ready and it paid off. Although the Cannons jumped out to a quick 3-0 lead less than four minutes in with their second, a two-point bullet from Ryland Rees (1 2ptG) off the face-off at the 10:44 mark. The Outlaws would get on the board less than a minute later when veteran attackman John Grant Jr., (5g) would back his way into the cage and lean in for the goal low on Nick Marrocco to close the gap 3-1. Boston would put up two more, coming from Cal Dearth (4g) and Will Sands (2g, 1a) giving them a four goal lead with 3:14 left in the first. With the clock winding down, Outlaws midfielder Zach Currier (3g, 2a) would find a way to the cage for the unassisted goal a 2:35; but just as quickly Zed Williams (4g, 1a) would team up with Challen Rogers only 29 seconds later. Denver would get one more from Chris Aslanian (4g, 1a) at 1:24 cutting the lead to three. But with 39 seconds on the ticker, Sands would find the opening to increase their lead once more 7-3.
The fans would be treated to 13 total goals in the second quarter. Boston would start it off with back-to-back goals from the duo of Williams and Rogers for their third time in the contest increasing the gap 9-3. At the 10:30 mark, Aslanian would halt the three goal run firing up the Denver offense a bit, but it took a little over a minute before the Cannons would score again, this time from Kyle Denhoff (1g). The Outlaws would go on a three goal run over the next four minutes with goals from Ryan Lee (1g); Mikie Schlosser (2g, 2a); and Jack Jasinski (1g) giving them a spark and closing the gap 10-7. But Boston kept fighting back with another from Williams. On the ensuing face-off, Outlaws face-off specialist Max Adler (1g, 1) would head down the field and in the span of six seconds, would notch his only goal of the night; followed by another from Schlosser 22 seconds later. The teams would trade goals in the last two minutes with Boston notching one at the 2:22 mark; Denver at 1:41; and the Cannons would hit twine with 1 second left in the half to increase the gap back to three. Score at the end of two: Cannons 13—Outlaws 10.
Scoring would slow in the third with a combined total of five goals and the Outlaws outscoring the Cannons 4-1. Boston would notch their lone goal after 8:53 had ticked off the clock and it would come from Dearth 14-10 Cannons. Denver would control the remaining seven minutes putting up four in a row. Currier would notch his second at the 5:42 mark; and Grant Jr. would notch three in a row, the first two unassisted and the final with the assist going to Brendan Kavanagh with 1:05 remaining to tie the game at 14 apiece and 15 minutes left in the regular season.
The Cannons had 15 minutes to figure something out and get back on track like they had done in the first and second. They’d score only once with 33 off the timer another from Dearth to break the tie 15-14 and that would be it. The Outlaws would score three more, the first from Grant Jr., at 11:47; the second from Chris Aslanian with 5:41 left; and the GWG with 3:51 from Currier with a crease dive goal hitting far side on Marrocco for the win. Boston couldn’t put anything together in the remaining minutes and Denver was able to control possession and the defense was able to keep the big guns of the Cannons from firing on Ward in the cage. Final Score: Outlaws 17—Cannons 15.
Team Stats:
Boston Cannons: 25 SOG; 45 STOT; 32 GB; 17-34 FOW; 17 TO; 3-6 PP
Denver Outlaws: 32 SOG; 54 STOT; 44 GT; 17-34 FOW; 18 TO; 1-4 PP
We spoke with Mark Cockerton and Ryland Rees after the game and both were disappointed in the outcome but are looking forward to coming back next year playing in the MLL and want to suit up again for the Boston Cannons.
Di Miller, Correspondent Denver Outlaws
Lacrosse is Awesome©