After kicking off the season with a four-game win streak, the Denver Outlaws return to action May 31 in their second and final match up versus the Boston Cannons.
Both Denver and Boston are coming off bye weeks, however Denver has an opportunity to do something it has never done before. While the Outlaws can sweep the season series with the Cannons before the midway point of the season, they have the opportunity to beat Boston for the first time ever on their home turf.
“Someone told me yesterday that we have never beat Boston in Denver,” Head Coach Jim Stagnitta said. “There is history – and we have enough veteran leadership – our guys understand the quality of (the Cannons)… Certainly, they are going to have our full attention.”
The Outlaws come into the week-five matchup tied for first in Major League Lacrosse, and have found success at a variety of positions on the field so far this season. With a team-leading 17 points, attackman Chris Bocklet has paced the Denver offense with 15 goals and two assists – including two six-goal games. 2012 MLL MVP Brendan Mundorf has also been a major contributor on offense with 14 points, split between seven goals and seven assists.
“This team is very unselfish,” Mundorf said about the Outlaws offense. “We all share the ball. Everyone can dodge, and create, and everyone can finish. That makes us hard to stop and creates a lot of guys scoring points.”
The potential for offense doesn’t end with Bocklet and Mundorf, as both attackman Jeremy Boltus and midfielder Drew Snider put in five-goal performances before the bye week.
The strength of the Outlaws doesn’t only lie with the offense, as the defense has been a large part of the team’s success so far. After holding the Rochester Rattlers lead scorer Ned Crotty to zero points, defenseman Lee Zink picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance in the 20-7 beating of Rochester.
“Lee Zink takes the best guy every time we play,” General Manager Tony Seaman said. “Tonight (versus Rochester) he was exceptional. And, when you say that about him, that’s unbelievable.”
The Outlaws could get a boost on both sides of the field versus the Cannons, as midfielder Eric Law – former University of Denver standout – will be joining the team and may see some time on the field.
“I think Law has a shot at seeing some time for us,” Stagnitta said. “He is going to have an opportunity to work out with us and we’ll kind of see where he might fit. There is an opportunity for him in our lineup.”
After debuting for Denver versus Rochester May 18, defenseman Roger Ferguson could also chip in on the defensive effort.
“Roger Ferguson did a nice job for us in his first game out,” Stagnitta said. “He’s athletic. He’s good off the ground and he plays good one-on-one defense. You are probably going to see a little bit of him this weekend in the lineup.”
The Outlaws beat Boston 14-10 May 11 in a game that Denver never trailed in, and was lead by Snider’s five-goal performance while attackman Zack Greer chipped in with four goals.
Face-off for the week-three rematch versus Boston in the Mile High City will be at 5:30 EST May 31 at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
