Colorado’s professional outdoor lacrosse team is one win away from cementing itself as a dynasty. Standing in the way is a familiar foe.
The Denver Outlaws take on the Ohio Machine on Saturday at The Ford Center in Frisco, Texas, in a Major League Lacrosse title rematch. The Outlaws beat the Machine, 19-18, in dramatic fashion a year ago to claim the franchise’s second title. Denver is looking to become the fourth team in league history with at least three championships.
“We know each other pretty well, so we’ll try to come out with some wrinkles and we know they will also,” Outlaws coach BJ O’Hara said. “The last five times we’ve played them, the game has been decided by two goals or less, so it’s a very competitive matchup.”
The teams split regular season games this summer, with the Outlaws winning 13-11 in Columbus in July before the Machine returned the favor at Sports Authority Stadium a week later with a 13-12 triumph.
The Outlaws return 14 players from last year’s championship game, including every scorer. Attackman Eric Law, the 2016 championship game MVP and a finalist for the 2017 MLL Offensive Player of the Year, led Denver with four points in the team’s 15-8 semifinal win over Rochester. Veterans Matt Kavanagh, Wes Berg and Michael Bocklet complement talented rookies Zach Currier and Romar Dennis to give the Outlaws a high-scoring attack.
“Everybody’s contributed on the offensive end and that’s been a key to our success since it’s tough for defenses to focus on containing just one guy,” O’Hara said. “Ohio is much like that, too, as their first six offensive guys are also all capable of scoring.”
Goalie Jack Kelly will play a central role in containing Ohio’s offense. The second-year player stopped 16 of 20 shots in the semifinal victory.
“He’s so steady — a lot of goalies are emotional and very outgoing, and Jack is the very opposite,” O’Hara said. “He’s poised, and when he gives up a goal he doesn’t dwell on it and he remains unflappable. That’s a really important factor for success in our league, because you’re going to see a lot of shots.”
Saturday’s game will be telecast on the CBS Sports Network, starting at 5 p.m.