The Denver Outlaws (14-0) capped off a record-breaking season with an 18-12 win over the Hamilton Nationals (9-5), becoming the first team to go undefeated during the regular season in Major League Lacrosse history.
Fueled by eight All Star selections, Denver put its stamp on more than one page of the MLL record book. After setting the mark for Goals Against Average in 2009, goalie Jesse Schwartzman broke his own mark with a 9.67 average that is down from 9.87. He also broke the club save percentage mark with a .597, saving 59.7 percent of the shots fired on goal toward Schwartzman.
Standout rookie attackman Eric Law was brilliant on the lacrosse pitch since joining the Outlaws mid-season, tying perennial Boston Cannons All Star Paul Rabil for fourth most goals by a rookie in MLL history. Law’s 24 goals are a new club season record for goals by a rookie.
Attackman Chris Bocklet has had anything but a sophomore slump, netting a new-team record 42 goals to lead the MLL. Bocklet’s 55 points on the season rank second in the franchise’s history.
Hamilton tied the game early in the first quarter after Bocklet netted his first goal to start the scoring off for the game. Law and Nationals midfielder Kevin Crowley exchanged unassisted goals to keep the score knotted up mid-way through the first, before midfielder Drew Snider put his stamp on the remainder of the quarter. Snider found fellow midfielder Jeremy Sieverts on the two-point arc, before assisting on a power-play goal to give the outlaws a 5-2 lead after the first.
Second-quarter penalties totaling eight minutes led to severe bleeding from Hamilton, as the Outlaws went on a five-goal scoring run to open the quarter. Snider led the second quarter scoring with two goals, while Bocklet was able to net one and find an open Law on the two-point arc during the scoring run. The Nationals answered the scoring onslaught nine-minute into the quarter, and followed up with another goal before halftime to bring the score to 11-4 in favor of Denver.
The third quarter was evenly played by both squads, as Hamilton was able to match Denver’s offensive out put. Both teams scored an early goal in the quarter, before Denver went on a two-goal run that was answered by a two-goal run by Hamilton to end the third quarter with a 14-7 score.
The Nationals scoring streak continued into the fourth quarter, with them putting in two more goals before Law could stop the bleeding with an unassisted goal. Bocklet and Hamilton’s Crowley exchanged goals, before another exchange of goals from both teams. Bocklet sealed the game with a late goal off an assist from Law, ending the game and regular season with an 18-12 victory.
Law was named Player of the Game for his four-goal, two-assist performance, while Bocklet chipped in with four goals and an assist of his own.
The Outlaws join elite company with the undefeated season, taking their place as only the fourth major North American professional sports team to finish unbeaten – accompanied by the New England Patriots (2007 – NFL), Miami Dolphins (1972 -NFL), Buffalo Bandits (1993- NLL) and Calgary Stampeders (1948 – CFL).
The Outlaws enter Championship Weekend as the No. 1 seed for the second-straight year, and will face the Charlotte Hounds at 1 p.m. EST at PPL Park in Chester, PA in the opening round.
