During the off-season the Denver Outlaws made a number of roster changes, but they were ones that had some fans worried and media members questioned the quality of the team. They hired Jim Stagnitta as the new head coach and traded away Max Seibald and Drew Westervelt.
The Outlaws had made the playoffs in each of their first six seasons in the league. With so much turnover in the offseason and what seemed like a reliance on a number of rookies, many wondered if the playoff streak would end in 2012.
Not only did Outlaws make the playoffs, they finished the season as the No. 1 seed and prompted veterans like Brendan Mundorf and Matt Bocklet to say that this was their favorite Denver team to play with.
The Outlaws are one of the most balanced teams in the league this year. They finished first in the league in scoring, second in fewest goals allowed and got hot at the face-off X towards the end of the season. They tied for the best home record and finished with the best away record. They hold the longest winning streak of the season.
Another highlight for the Outlaws was breaking the single game attendance record on July 4th, when more than 30,000 people came to watch Denver defeat the Ohio Machine.
Mundorf was the leader of this great regular season for Denver. He finished second in the league in goals (32) and points (59) as well as leading the team in assists (27). He won multiple Offensive Player of the Week honors and his veteran leadership really guided this team.
He had plenty of help offensively though. The Outlaws received standout performances from Jeremy Sieverts (26g, 7a), Peet Pollion (24g, 13a), Jordan McBride (29g, 9a) and Terry Kimener (17g, 18a). Coming into the season they were all very unheralded, but time and time again they came up huge during the season.
The rookies also came in and contributed immediately. Mark Matthews (19g, 9a) and Chris Bocklet (17g, 3a) proved they could score in bunches and Drew Snider scored five of his 10 goals in the final four games of the season.
Colin Briggs was also a dependable player in the midfield.
On defense, Jesse Schwartzman had a great year between the pipes. He was second in the league in goals against average (11.03) and third in save percentage (.540). He also managed to register an assist in the team’s victory over Chesapeake in the final week of the regular season.
In front of him was the quiet yet strong performances of All-Star Lee Zink, Matt Bocklet—who finished the season ninth in the league in ground balls (58)—and Dillon Roy.
Face-off was a bit of a concern early in the season. Inconsistencies and injuries led to a revolving door of specialists and a winning percentage in the low forties. But a mid-season acquisition for Anthony Kelly from the Machine has paid huge dividends. Kelly has a 58.4-winning percentage in five games with the Outlaws.
It’s a team that has it all. This could be Denver’s best chance at finally winning the championship. No matter the final outcome, this Denver team exceeded expectations and was very entertaining in doing so.
