The enhanced importance of goaltending in the playoffs suits the Denver Outlaws’ Trevor Tierney. He’s the netminder for two NCAA titles at Princeton, the 2002 world championship crown for the United States and the 2005 Major League Lacrosse championship for Baltimore.
“I love big games,” Tierney said Wednesday while packing for tonight’s MLL semifinal against the San Francisco Dragons at the Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif.
“I feel comfortable letting go of everything and focusing on just one goal. A lot of people look at this situation as more pressure, but that’s not my viewpoint.”
To advance to Sunday’s final against the Philadelphia-Boston winner, Tierney and the defense aim to slow league MVP Ryan Powell, the MLL’s second-leading scorer with 34 goals and 24 assists.
“He’s a great player and he’s going to get his points, but you really have to limit his opportunities,” Tierney said. “We have to be ready to slide over and double-team him.”
The weekend nature of pro lacrosse limits preparation, but with the playoffs looming Tierney has put in extra time, relying on midfielder Jeff Sonke to pepper him with shots.
“It keeps my reactions ready, keeps me loose,” Tierney said. “I feel the best I have all year, physically. I was banged up during the midseason.”
Between weekday jobs, Tierney and his teammates have prepared for the postseason by running, lifting weights and doing yoga.
“This team has great character and is unselfish,” Tierney said. “It has dedicated itself to winning. I wish we were full-time athletes, like football and basketball, but we do what we can between our jobs. Our strategy sessions are through e-mail. We’ll get five to 10 team e-mails per day. It helps us stay mentally prepared.”
San Francisco (7-5) is the only team that defeated Denver (10-2), winning two of the three games the teams played during the regular season.
“It’s a rare situation; we’re the first-seeded team, but an underdog against San Francisco because of head-to-head competition,” Denver general manager Brian Reese said.
The Outlaws, amid a six-game win streak, counter Powell with a balanced offense. Attackman Matt Brown and midfielders Sonke, Mike Law, Josh Sims and Brian Langtry rank in the top 14 in MLL scoring.
“The main thing is burying our opportunities,” said Brown, who led the Outlaws with 46 points. “Timing is huge, especially with our offense. When we get the ball moving, swinging it, we get the defense moving. We have guys with great sticks, great passers and shooters with speed, and that opens opportunities.”
The faceoff performance of Chris Cercy and Geoff Snider is also crucial.
“Cercy will be ready and Geoff will need to step it up,” Outlaws coach Jarred Testa said.
Postseason awards
Brown led the MLL in goals scored with 38, but was not eligible for rookie of the year honors because the award was limited to those who graduated in 2006. Brown was undrafted out of the University of Denver in 2005.
Teammate Brendan Mundorf was a candidate. He scored 22 goals for a 10-win team. The award-winner was Matt Ward, a 23-goal scorer on a 4-8 Baltimore team.
Footnotes
With the sixth MLL season completed, the Outlaws averaged a record 11,634 in six home games. The July 1 crowd of 15,981 set the MLL’s attendance record. Denver also established the four largest crowds in MLL history. The next-best attendance was Boston’s 5,902 average; the worst was Chicago’s 2,202. … Reese will wait until after the season to address the effect his wife’s job move will have on his career. Cathy Reese resigned as DU women’s lacrosse coach Tuesday to take a similar position at Maryland. … Langtry will play despite a still-healing fractured knuckle, and defender Brandon Testa will miss the semifinal to be with his wife, who is due to give birth.
MLL PLAYOFFS: CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND
(At Home Depot Center, Carson, Calif.)
SEMIFINALS
Today
San Francisco vs. Denver, 7 p.m.
Boston vs. Philadelphia, 9:30 p.m.
CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Sunday
Semifinal winners, 3 p.m.
