Hello ILWT!
Noah Molnar, midfielder for the Denver Outlaws checking in at the All Start Break. At the half way point, it has been quite a roller coaster for us.
Game 1 we were on the road in Boston and lost a tough one to a scrappy Cannons squad. We rebounded from the loss in week 1 with back to back wins against Ohio and the Charlotte. After the win against Charlotte, we made the long trek up to Rochester. Something that does not get talked about frequently is how brutal travel can be for MLL players. For me personally, this was about as rough as it gets. Due to coaching commitments on Saturday night, I flew out of LAX at 11pm. Landed in Rochester at 10am on Sunday. Played a 1pm game and then flew back to Southern California at 5pm. It was a brutal travel weekend for me and a tough weekend for the squad as we lost 15-12. Once again, we rebounded nicely following the loss and won back to back games against Florida and Chesapeake. The Florida game was meaningful because it was the first game back for all of our indoor players. They are a huge part of our offense and it was great to get all those guys back.
Following our home win against Chesapeake we were sitting at 4-2 and in second place. Unfortunately, we did not remain in second place for long. The following week we lost to the Machine and the week after that to Chesapeake. 4-2 turned into 4-4 very quickly.
So that is where we sit now. 4-4 and tied with Boston and Chesapeake for fourth place. Ohio and Rochester sit tied for second at 5-3 and New York remains in first with an unblemished 8-0 record. The next six games are going to be an absolute battle. Only four teams make the playoffs and there are six teams in contention who are going to fight it out. With New York being a virtual lock, there are three spots for five teams. Every single game from here on out will be played with the utmost passion and sense of urgency.
For us, this weekend, the stakes don’t get much higher. We play Rochester Saturday night in Denver. They sit at 5-3 and we sit at 4-4. A win for us goes a long way in terms of making the playoffs. We lose; we will virtually have to win out to make it. Me personally, I can’t wait for the challenge.
The rest of the MLL season is going to be very exciting for everyone involved. It is a great time to be a player and a great time to be a fan.
Be sure to tune into ESPN 3 at 7:30 pm MT to watch us take on Rochester.
Time to dig deep, Go Outlaws!
Noah Molnar
Denver Outlaws #12
Instagram: Noahm12
Twitter: Noah12Molnar
