Photo Credit: Di Miller
On Saturday August 16, the Denver Outlaws (10-5) hosted the New York Lizards (9-6) at Peter Barton Stadium on the University of Denver Campus for the first ever playoff game in Denver, CO. The stadium was filled with 2,488 Outlaws fans, a sell-out crowd who came to cheer on their Denver Outlaws to a victory and a trip to the MLL Championship game on August 23. Home-field advantage played a huge role in the win as evidenced by the records each team held during the regular season. The final score, Outlaws 14-13.
The first quarter started out with Jeremy Sieverts #20, Midfielder for the Outlaws putting the first goal in net at 1:34. The crowd went crazy with excitement. Ned Crotty #22 Attack/Midfielder for the Lizards would send one past Schwartzman a little over one minute later. The Outlaws went on a three-goal run with goals by Drew Snider #23, Midfielder; Chris Bocklet #10, Attack; and Zack Greer #88, Attack. The final two goals of the quarter would come from the Lizards when Tommy Palasek #84, Attack; and Max Siebald #42, Midfielder would hit twine. Final at the end of the first Outlaws 4-Lizards 3.
Heading into the second quarter, John Grant Jr. #24, Attack would get his first of four goals. Rob Pannell #3, Attack for the Lizards would score. But Grant Jr., would hit net again. The score would teeter back and forth throughout the quarter with goals from the Lizards Matt Gibson #66, Attack; Kevin Unterstein #86, Midfielder (2 G); and Palasek. The Outlaws would also see Cam Holding #9, Midfielder; and Eric Law #15, Attack score. At the end of the first half the teams would head to the locker rooms with the score tied 8-8.
The third quarter started out quickly with Grant Jr. hitting twine with only :48 seconds off the clock (hat-trick); Bocklet would score twice (hat-trick). The Lizards would see goals from Pannell; Siebald; John Austin #71, Midfielder; and JoJo Marasco, #1, Midfielder. The third quarter would end with the score tied yet again 12-12.
It was over four minutes into the fourth quarter before there would be another goal. Palasek would get a hat-trick. The next goal wouldn’t come until almost 90 seconds later when Snider would tie the game 13-13. There would not be another goal until 13:44 when Sieverts would get the GWG with the assist going to Grant Jr. The fans were pumped; the Outlaws were pumped. The Lizards knew they had to win the ensuing faceoff if they wanted to tie the game and possibly force OT. Unfortunately for them, Anthony Kelly #47, FOGO for the Outlaws, who was playing with a slight tear in his Achilles, would win the faceoff. He flipped the ball to Matt Bocklet #7, Defenseman for the Outlaws, and quickly called a time-out.
There was 59 seconds left on the shot clock, and 1:02 left on the game clock. The Outlaws knew if they controlled the ball for the next 59 seconds, there was little chance the Lizards would have enough time to tie the game. As the clock wound down, it was obvious to the Lizards that they were not going to get another chance to score. The shot clock ran out with 2.5 seconds left on the game clock. All they could do was go for the Hail Mary pass down the field and hope for the best. Unfortunately for them, the clock ran out while the ball was in mid-air giving the Outlaws the win 14-13.
Jeremy Sieverts would score both the first and last goals of the game and with this victory the Outlaws are heading the MLL Championship game on August 23 where they will face the Rochester Rattlers.
Team Stats
Denver Outlaws—27 SOG, 10 Saves, .435 SV%, 22 SOFF, 21 GB, 14-31 FOW, .452 FOPCT
New York Lizards—23 SOG, 13 Saves, .481 SV%, 23 SOFF, 29 GB, 17-31 FOW, .548 FOPCT
MVP of the Game goes to John Grant, Jr. of the Outlaws with 4 G, 3 A.
Will this be the year the Outlaws finally win the Steinfeld Cup? With their offensive lines meshing; the close defense strong; one of the strongest goaltenders in the league; and the intensity they will bring to Atlanta, this may very well be their year.
