On a warm Thursday matinee game, the Denver Outlaws (4-4) would come out with a quick star, and would not look back as they beat the defending MLL champion Ohio Machine (2-4) by a final score of 17-6.
With the victory, the Outlaws extend their winning streak to three straight games, as they continue to seek a spot in the playoffs with the season coming down the stretch.
“Take it one game at a time,” Outlaws head coach B.J. O’Hara said, in regards to what the message is heading down the stretch of the regular season. “We don’t look too far down the road, and just keep getting better — and I think that we are doing both of those things pretty well so far.”
The Outlaws were firing on all cylinders, as six Outlaw players would finish the game with multi-point performances.
Outlaw’s attackmen Kylor Bellistri and Eric Law extended their personal point streaks, as Bellistri had a six-point (four goals, two assists) performance and Law would have three points (two goals, one assist) of his own.
Photo Courtesy: JJ Seaward / Mile High Sports
Bellistri is currently on a five-game point streak, with Law holding a steady four-game scoring streak of his own.
Outlaws attackman Zach Currier got things rolling for the Outlaws with two quick goals in the first quarter to give his team a 2-0 lead over the Machine, including a highlight-reel goal to get the Outlaws on the board first.
.@CachZurrier puts the Outlaws on the board first | Watch @MachineMLL vs @DenverOutlaws LIVE on https://t.co/oJkK8CQ2nw & the LSN app #OHMatDEN pic.twitter.com/37Byrflxv0
— Lacrosse TV (@WatchLacrosseTV) June 7, 2018
The Machine responded with a goal of their own, however, that didn’t slow down the Outlaws, who came back with a five-goal run to close out the first quarter.
With the first quarter being filled with goals, the second quarter was a defensive battle with only three goals scored between the two teams.
Outlaws midfielder Romar Dennis got the scoring started in the second quarter with a bomb of a shot that found its way past Machine goaltender Kyle Bernlohr to give the Outlaws a firm 8-1 lead.
After the Machine coming back with a goal of their own, the Outlaws defense would clamp down on the Machine to limit their chances. To close out the second quarter, Outlaws attackman Kylor Bellistri would score his second goal of the game with 28 seconds remaining to extend the Outlaws lead to 9-2 heading into halftime.
The Outlaws momentum continued in the third quarter with the Outlaws going on a quick three goal-scoring streak to open up the quarter — with two goals coming from Outlaws attackman Matt Kavanagh.
To close out the game, the Outlaws limited the Machine to only two goals — while the Outlaws would go on a four goal-scoring run to close out the game, and exact some revenge for their loss at the 2017 MLL Championship game last season.
“I’d be lying if I wasn’t looking forward to this one since last August,” Outlaws head coach B.J. O’Hara said following the game. “All of the guys felt that way, as well. Although they are a different team in a lot of ways, and so are we, it is still Denver versus Ohio and we felt good about coming into it, and we really wanted to get at them early”.