Matt Brown, the rare coach who can back up his instruction, put on a clinic in the third quarter Saturday night, scoring three of Denver’s seven goals in a 13-10 triumph over Long Island.
A week earlier, Brown missed the Outlaws’ Major League Lacrosse season-opening 16-13 loss to Boston because of his obligations as assistant coach of a University of Denver men’s team that was eliminated in the NCAA Tournament.
For the DU players in attendance among the Outlaws’ home-opening crowd of 12,323 fans at Invesco Field at Mile High, Brown showed lightning-quick hands from the slot, catching passes in tight quarters, absorbing hits and firing low, elusive shots past Lizards rookie goalkeeper Drew Adams.
“I always tell my players, ‘Do what I say, not what I do,’ ” Brown said, chuckling. “Some of those underhanded shovel passes I don’t want them to try.”
Brown, a fifth-year attack from DU, was most productive in the third quarter despite leaving the field a few times because of the first case of calf cramps in his life.
“We were doing a good job moving the ball,” Brown said. “We were dodging hard and running around slides.”
It was a righting-the-ship victory for the Outlaws (1-1), who overcame the injury absence of midfielder Dan Hardy and the absence of head coach Brian Reese, who served a one-game suspension for an altercation last week with a referee. With associate coach Tom Slate at the helm, the turnover-prone team fell behind 4-1.
With myriad gritty saves, Outlaws goalie Jesse Schwartzman dominated most of the second quarter, and the offense went on a 4-0 run, including a 2-pointer by Brian Langtry on a 100 mph shot and Joey Murray’s second goal as a pro.
Outlaws midfielder Max Seibald scored three goals and made three assists, moving into second place among MLL leaders with 11 points.
Long Island 4 2 2 2 — 10
Denver 2 4 7 0 — 13
L.I. goals — Berger 3, Muscarella 1, Goettelmann 1, Glynn 1, Fiore 1, Danowski 1, Gurenlian 1, Greer 1. L.I. assists — Danowski 2, Berger 1, Glynn 1. Denver goals — Brown 3, Seibald 3, Mundorf 2, Cittadino 2, Langtry 1, Westervelt 1, Murray 1. 2-point goal — Langtry. Denver assists — Seibald 3, Westervelt 2. Goalkeepers — L.I.: Adams, 11 saves; Denver: Schwartzman, 12 saves.
