The Denver Outlaws will face a familiar foe in Saturday’s Major League Lacrosse Championship at The Ford Center at The Star in Frisco, Texas.
For the second year in a row, Denver will take on the Ohio Machine – this time looking to win their second consecutive and third overall MLL title.
The Outlaws defeated the Machine 19-18 in last year’s title game in dramatic fashion amid a torrential downpour after trailing 14-7. Championship Game MVP Eric Law capped the comeback with a game-winning goal with 13 seconds left.
The two teams split their 2017 regular-season series, with the Outlaws defeating the Machine 13-11 in Ohio before falling 13-12 in Denver.
“The ultimate goal for every team is to win a championship,” Head Coach B.J. O’Hara said ahead of Saturday’s championship rematch. “We have ourselves on the doorstep and that’s right where we want to be. We had an unbelievable final against them last year and two great games this year that were both separated by just a goal or two.”
No team has appeared in more MLL Championship Games than Denver. The Outlaws have made the final game in seven of their 12 seasons of existence. Denver has won two championships and are 5-0 in postseason play in O’Hara’s four seasons as head coach.
The Outlaws are coming off a 15-8 victory in Denver over the Rochester Rattlers in the MLL Semifinals. Law led the way with four points (3 G, 1 A). Romar Dennis, Mike Bocklet, Wes Berg and Michael Simon tallied two goals apiece while goalie Jack Kelly stopped 16 of 20 shots he faced.
Saturday’s championship game will be broadcast nationally on CBS Sports Network (5 p.m. MDT faceoff). Lax Sports Network will air a pregame and postgame show.
Featured Image Credit: Major League Lacrosse, Pretty Instant