After a record-setting 2013 season, Major League Lacrosse has announced that Denver Outlaws goalie, Jesse Schwartzman has been named the 2013 Warrior Goalie of the Year, as voted by the MLL coaches and general managers.
WATCH: Jesse Schwartzman Highlights
“This award is a real honor,” said Schwartzman. “First of all I would like to thank the coaches and GMs who voted for me. A lot of credit goes to the guys in front of me, everyone talks about Matt Bocklet and Lee Zink but credit also goes to other defensemen like Chris O’Dougherty and Dillon Roy as well as short sticks like Justin Turri and Chad Pennington. Stan Ross has been unbelievable coaching the defense as well. It is a pleasure to be the back end of this defense.”
Schwartzman received 12 out of a possible 16 first-place votes, beating out Chesapeake’s Kip Turner, who finished second with seven second place votes and six third place votes. Hamilton’s Brett Queener finished third in the voting, earning two votes apiece for first and third place, as well as three second place votes.
“Schwartzman was very good last year as well,” said Outlaws head coach Jim Stagnitta. “This year it has been a pleasure to watch him. He has been consistent every game and I’ve never been around a goalie that has been that consistent game in and game out. He has showed that he has very good leadership skills and also excellent stick skills. You combine all of his great qualities and I think he’s the best goalie I’ve ever seen.”
Schwartzman was a brick wall in goal all season for the Outlaws, a big reason why the team went 14-0 for the first undefeated season in the 13-year history of Major League Lacrosse. It was a historical season for Schwartzman individually as well. This season, he put up the best numbers of his career, and even rewrote the MLL record book.
Not only did Schwartzman post a 14-0 record this season, but he also gave up only 9.67 goals per game, the best mark in league history (besting his own mark of 9.87 from 2011). His .597 save percentage was also the best in the league this year, and ranks eight all time in league history.
In his seventh year in the league out of Johns Hopkins, this is Schwartzman’s second time winning the award. He also received the honor in 2009, when he recorded nine wins in 11 games, while stopping 55 percent of shots and allowing 11.3 goals per game.
Schwartzman was originally drafted by the Denver Outlaws, who picked him 39th overall in the fourth round of the 2007 MLL Collegiate draft after a decorated career at Johns Hopkins that included two national championships.
Schwartzman’s historic season also helped bump him up the career goalie ranks in several categories. He now has made 1020 saves in his career, which puts him fourth all time, and his save percentage increased to .555, which bumped him up to eighth all time. But most impressive of all is that his career goals against average dropped to 11.28, which is first all-time, over a half-goal better than Kip Turner, who sits in second. After racking up 14 wins this season, his win total has now climbed to 58, good for second all time, behind MLL Legend Brian Dougherty’s 60 career victories.
If this season is any indication, it looks like Schwartzman is only getting better with age. If that’s the case, he and the Outlaws will continue to be a force to be reckoned with for years to come.
