From draft pick to hat trick, it was a spectacular four days for rookie attackman Brendan Mundorf.
Last Wednesday, the Denver Outlaws selected the former University of Maryland-Baltimore County standout in the second round of the Major League Lacrosse college draft.
Saturday night, he scored three goals and picked up four groundballs in Denver’s 24-14 upset of defending MLL champion Baltimore.
“Realistically, I didn’t know how much I’d play,” Mundorf said. “Sometimes you mentally picture yourself doing well before a game. It wasn’t what I thought would happen exactly, but I was hoping I’d do well.”
Along with adjusting to the MLL’s 15-yard arc for two-point goals and the 45-second shot clock, Mundorf dealt with a new style of play.
“In the MLL, you go to the goal,” he said. “In college, we got into our offensive sets. Speed is a big difference, too, but not as much a difference as style of play.”
Attackman Matt Brown, a 2005 University of Denver graduate, scored four goals in his home debut and attackman Matt Hanna scored his first two goals as an Outlaw.
The rest of the scoring came from midfielders with laser-like shots, including Mike Law, who leads the MLL in scoring with 17 points and goals with 12. Jeff Sonke and Brian Langtry, who are tied for fifth in the league with 12 points, also contributed. Sonke leads the MLL in two-point goals with three; the Outlaws lead the MLL with nine.
The expansion Outlaws (3-0) also lead the MLL in goals (54) and shooting percentage (.353).
Next up: San Francisco (1-1) on Saturday at Invesco Field at Mile High.
A second celebration
The Colorado Mammoth reveled in its National Lacrosse League Champion’s Cup victory May 13 with teammates and a handful of fans who made the trip to Buffalo.
The team will celebrate again Friday at CityLights Pavilion on the Pepsi Center grounds, this time with many faithful fans.
“I think bringing the fans into the benefits of the championship game and the Cup, letting them see the Cup, touching it, taking pictures is very important,” team captain Gavin Prout said.
“And this shows the appreciation we have for them, the dedication they bring to the table when they come out every single game.”
The party starts at 5:30 p.m.
