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In Game Features 5/17
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Outlaws in the News
Below you will find links showcasing Outlaws in the News the past few days....Enjoy!
Mile High Sports: Outlaws continue their regular-season dominance
Lacrosse Magazine/World Lacrosse: Zink Readies for Golden Opportunity in Adopted Hometown
Major League Lacrosse: Breaking Records: Schwartzman's 61 All-Time wins
Major League Lacrosse: Power Rankings Week Four
In Lacrosse We Trust: The Denver Outlaws Have Become the Model MLL Franchise
In Lacrosse We Trust: Molnar Blog: Outlaws On A Roll, Beat Rattlers
Democrat and Chronicle: Outlaws hold off Rattlers
And as always, keep checking back here for new and exclusive content about your Denver Outlaws.
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Schwartzman Makes Wish Come True
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| Kyle and Jesse hanging out before the game |
If you counted carefully, you might have noticed an extra body on the Denver Outlaws bench this past Saturday night when the team beat the Rochester Rattlers 14-8.
Twelve year-old Kyle Norton joined the team for the weekend as an honorary Outlaw, thanks to a partnership between the New York and Colorado chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Kyle has Cystic Fibrosis with complications, and his wish was to be able to meet Denver Outlaws goalie Jesse Schwartzman.
While the original plan was for the two to meet in New York when the Outlaws are there in August for a road trip, the Make-A-Wish Foundation felt that Kyle’s wish experience would be even more memorable and special if he could fly out to Denver to meet Jesse and spend time with the Outlaws.
The 2013 MLL Goalie of the Year hosted Kyle at Outlaws practice Friday night, where Kyle was able to play catch with the team, watch practice, and broke down the team huddle.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Kyle spent pregame with the team in the locker room before joining the team on the sideline and watching the game with the players and coaches alongside the playing field. Kyle finished the evening by having an ice cream party with Jesse and his Outlaws teammates in their locker room.
The Denver Outlaws would like to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation for making this special experience happen, and especially want to thank Kyle for coming to Denver to spend time with the team. It was clear that the entire team and Outlaws family was touched by Kyle’s spirit and presence this weekend. We are lucky to have Kyle as an Outlaws fan, and even luckier to have him as a member of the Denver Outlaws family.
Twelve year-old Kyle Norton joined the team for the weekend as an honorary Outlaw, thanks to a partnership between the New York and Colorado chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation. Kyle has Cystic Fibrosis with complications, and his wish was to be able to meet Denver Outlaws goalie Jesse Schwartzman.
While the original plan was for the two to meet in New York when the Outlaws are there in August for a road trip, the Make-A-Wish Foundation felt that Kyle’s wish experience would be even more memorable and special if he could fly out to Denver to meet Jesse and spend time with the Outlaws.
The 2013 MLL Goalie of the Year hosted Kyle at Outlaws practice Friday night, where Kyle was able to play catch with the team, watch practice, and broke down the team huddle.
Prior to Saturday’s game, Kyle spent pregame with the team in the locker room before joining the team on the sideline and watching the game with the players and coaches alongside the playing field. Kyle finished the evening by having an ice cream party with Jesse and his Outlaws teammates in their locker room.
The Denver Outlaws would like to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation for making this special experience happen, and especially want to thank Kyle for coming to Denver to spend time with the team. It was clear that the entire team and Outlaws family was touched by Kyle’s spirit and presence this weekend. We are lucky to have Kyle as an Outlaws fan, and even luckier to have him as a member of the Denver Outlaws family.
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| Kyle, checking out his locker complete with personalized nameplate and jersey |
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| Kyle checking out his VIP credential |
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| Kyle hangs out in the locker room while Anthony Kelly tapes his stick |
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| Kyle gets a fist bump from Ken Clausen |
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| Kyle and Jesse play catch at Outlaws practice |
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| Kyle and Jesse at practice |
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Head Coach B.J. O'Hara Weekly Conference Call Quotes
On the team’s 14-8 win against the Rochester Rattlers
“Rochester on paper is awfully solid end-to-end and I think they’re only going to get better especially when they get their new guys in the next couple of weeks. We knew we were going to have our hands full. Defensively, they are awfully stronger—they’re big, athletic and rugged. John Galloway in goal, he’s lights out as well. It was a battle back and forth. We got up on them and then they came back. Then we were able to get some distance at the end, which has been our ‘M.O.’ lately—finding a way to make plays at the end. We’d like to be able to stop the other team’s runs a little bit quicker than we have thus far—we have been talking about that a lot. Rochester made a pretty good run at us and it took some pretty good play down the stretch to pull that one out. The Boston game was the same thing so that’s something that we’re working on.”
On new rookies joining the team now that the NCAA Lacrosse season has concluded
“We are definitely going to have some new faces in town for practice this week. Among them will be Jeremy Noble, Colin Dunster, Brent Hiken, Jamie Faus—those guys will all be in town this week and maybe one or two others. We kind of want to get a look at everyone Thursday night before we decide who we will plug in. There will most likely be at least one or two new faces in the lineup.”
On the game against the Charlotte Hounds this Friday
“I would not expect anything less from any team in Major League Lacrosse. On paper, they are awfully strong. I think they finally will have a lot of their pieces in place. They have had people missing—as we all have—but certainly they have had some of their key guys in and out the lineup with other obligations. I presume they activated some of their really outstanding draft picks they have. We will expect to be at their best and I’m sure they will be and we’re going to have to be (at our best) ourselves.”
On Eric Law’s positive attitude and growth from last year
“I’m sure by just by talking to Eric, you can tell what a fine young man that he is. He looks about 15 (years old), but he plays big, he plays hard. He does a lot of different things. He’s very, very unassuming and humble. I think that’s one of the reasons a lot of the guys have embraced him because he is so good, but he carries it pretty quietly. I know he excited to play with John Grant Jr. who been around for a couple years (laughs). I’m sure he thought about that as a kid, to be able to play with a guy like that. Eric is easy to underestimate because of his demeanor, but when he has the ball in his stick and he’s out on the field, he is a beast. “
On his coaching approach and style with veteran John Grant Jr.
“You know ‘Junior’ and I go way back. We were at Rochester for a number of years and he has evolved in so many ways—he has always been such a good player and teammate—but I think now he really understands that it is about the team and it’s about championships. It’s not so much about any individual. Not that he was ever a selfish player, but I think he really cares a great deal about the Denver Outlaws and the opportunity that he has and that our team has to try to win a championship. He is focused on that. His family is in Denver now, so he does not have that hassle of being away from his family too much. I think he’s settled in there and he has been a really great guy in the locker room with a smile on his face. We don’t push him to hard in practice. He has a lot of miles on him so we let him go at his own pace of practice. He does a lot of stretching, a lot of massage and that kind of stuff. When we need him for something, we will get him out there on the field to run some offense, but he doesn’t run around a whole lot at practice. That’s by his design and our design. He has been a great leader for us, he really has been.”
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Jesse Schwartzman Named HEADstrong Humanitarian of the Month
Denver Outlaws goalie Jesse Schwartzman was named May’s HEADstrong Humanitarian of the Month in recognition of his contributions to the Make-A-Wish Foundation.
MLL partners with the HEADstrong Foundation each month to recognize members of the MLL who distinguish themselves in their community outreach with the award. The HEADstrong Foundation was founded by Nicholas Colleluori shortly after being diagnosed with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, and his legacy lives on through the organization and its efforts in the fight against blood cancers.
Schwartzman recently fulfilled Kyle Norton’s wish to meet the Denver goalie. Through a partnership between the New York and Colorado chapters of the Make-A-Wish Foundation, Schwartzman and the rest of the Outlaws team hosted Kyle in Denver for team practice and the Outlaws’ win against the Rochester Rattlers. Kyle spent time playing lacrosse with the team, had his own Denver Outlaws locker and jersey for the game—which he watched from the sideline with the team—and finished the evening with a celebratory ice cream party in the locker room.
Schwartzman was named MLL’s Goalie of the Year in 2013 and has earned six MLL All-Star selection and a pair of All-MLL honors throughout his career. This season he became the league’s all-time winningest goalie, and leads the MLL with 62 career wins.
Schwartzman is the second Denver Outlaws player to be recognized with this honor. Ken Clausen was March’s HEADstrong Humanitarian of the Month in honor of his work with Mustache Madness.
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Denver vs. Charlotte Game Notes - Friday, May 30, 2014
The Denver Outlaws’ Week 5 game notes are now available for download from the team website or by clicking the image below. The weekly release includes game information, statistical charts, notes of interest, team rosters, player/coach biographies, transcripts and boxscores leading up to Denver’s Week 4 matchup against the Charlotte Hounds at 7:30 p.m. MDT on Friday, May 30, 2014.
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Eric Law feeling right at home
By Simon Kaufman
After getting down a goal early in Denver’s Week 4 game against the Rochester Rattlers, Eric Law fired in a shot to even the score. Then, late in the game, with the Rattlers threatening to make a comeback, Law came up big again—finding twine with less than five minutes to play to help the Outlaws seal a 14-8 win. In between those two goals, Law also dished for three assists in a dominating performance to give him a five-point night and help Denver win its 24th straight regular-season game.
Dominating is what Law has been doing since he entered the league last season. It’s also what he’s been doing on Colorado lacrosse fields since he started playing at the age of six years old.
At Arapahoe High School in Centennial, Colo. Law earned all-state and all-conference honors all four years on the varsity team. In 2009, after leading his team to a State Championship, Law was awarded Colorado’s High School Player of the Year Award and named an All-American.
Following his high school career, Law played one season at Salisbury University. After his freshman year though, he decided it was time to come back home and he transferred to play at the University of Denver.
“That was kind of always my dream growing up and going out and playing lacrosse back east in college,” Law said. “I did it for a year and had an awesome time but during that year I realized that there’s no better place than Colorado.”
In his first year as a Pioneer in 2011, Law helped lead Denver to its first Final Four appearance. He had a season-high five points against Virginia in the semifinal game, before the Cavaliers ultimately went on to win the National Championship that year. In 2012, Law helped lead the Pioneers to another NCAA Tournament berth. His .500 shooting percentage ranked eighth nationally. In his senior season, the 5-foot-10, 170-pound midfielder helped captain the team and lead it to the Final Four, again.
In his three seasons with the Pioneers, Law started 49-of-53 games, finished with 86 goals and 66 assists. He left ranking sixth all-time in program points, eighth in goals and tied for forth in assists.
After stellar stints with both Arapahoe and the University of Denver, it only made sense that in the 2013 MLL Collegiate Draft, the Denver Outlaws used their 29th overall pick to select Law—ensuring he’d stay close to home.
“It was definitely a dream come true to be able to play—be drafted by your hometown (team)—and be able to play at Sports Authority Field where I’ve grown up going to Broncos games as a kid,” Law said. “It’s just unbelievable being able to stay here and play in front of all my friends and family.”
In his second year as an Outlaw, Law continues to do what he always has done when representing a Colorado lacrosse team—dominate.
As a rookie, Law helped Denver to the first undefeated season in league history. He scored 24 goals and totaled 34 points to rank tied for sixth and 10th, respectively, among rookies in MLL history. He also led the league with a .632 shooting percentage in his first season—thanks in part to scoring on each of his first nine MLL shots.
This season has been no different. His 18 points are tied for second in the league and his 12 goals are also second best in the MLL. His accuracy—like it’s always been—is still sharp: his .522 shooting percentage ranks second this season among players with at least 10 shots on goal.
“Eric is easy to underestimate because of his demeanor,” Denver coach B.J, O’Hara said. “But when he has the ball in his stick and he’s out on the field, he is a beast.”
Law appreciates the praise, and getting to play close to his roots, but what he really wants is a trophy.
“We have by far the best fans in all the league and they deserve to have a championship and that’s my goal,” Law said.
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Miller Lite Highlights 5/17/14
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Game Preview: Denver Outlaws vs. Charlotte Hounds, Friday, May 30
It’s been more than 700 days since the Outlaws (4-0) lost a regular-season game—and they’ll look to extend that streak when they face Charlotte on Friday night at Sports Authority Field.
Following an off week, Denver returns home to kick off a home-and-away series against the Hounds (1-3). Charlotte will host the Outlaws the following weekend. A win on Friday would give Denver its 25th straight regular-season victory.
The Outlaws are 4-0 against Charlotte all-time in regular-season games, but their last defeat came at the hands of the Hounds in the first round of last year’s playoffs.
Denver is coming off a win against the Rochester Rattlers led by John Grant Jr.’s six points on five assists and one goal. Eric Law scored twice in the contest, giving him 12 goals and 18 points on the season—both second best in the league.
Charlotte’s offense is led by attack men Mike Sawyer and Ryan Young who both have seven points on the season. Sawyer has netted six goals this year and Young has scored three times and assisted on four goals.
In goal, Pierce Bassett gets most of the minutes, and his 28 goals allowed ranks third amongst goalies with at least 100 minutes in net this season.
“On paper, they are awfully strong,” Denver head coach B.J. O’Hara said. “I think they finally will have a lot of their pieces in place. They have had people missing—as we all have—but certainly they have had some of their key guys in and out the lineup with other obligations.”
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Hounds finally picked up a win in Week 3. In their last game though, they were outmatched by Boston on the road. Denver may face a different team though—with the college lacrosse season done, the Hounds may add some new players to their roster.
“I presume they activated some of their really outstanding draft picks they have,” O’Hara said. “We will expect them to be at their best and I’m sure they will be and we’re going to have to be (at our best) ourselves.”
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Live Blog: Denver vs. Charlotte, May 30, 7:30 p.m. MDT
The Outlaws will be live blogging this evening's game against the Charlotte Hounds. The game starts at 7:30 p.m. MDT and can be watched live on CBS Sports Network.
Airing just before the game at 7 p.m. MDT on CBS Sports Network will be this week's Inside the MLL featuring an interview with Outlaws faceoff stud Anthony Kelly.
First Quarter:
Charlotte's John Haus gets the games first goal, 1-0 Charlotte
Eric Law's shot blocked
Michael Simon finds twine to even things up, 1-1
TV Timeout
Chris Bocklet scores from close, 2-1 Denver
John Grant Jr. scores on the assist from Terry Kimener
Eric Law bounces it between the 5-hole on the assist from Jeremy Noble, that's Noble's first MLL point
John Grant Jr. scores a no-look behind-the-back goal, 5-1 Denver
Charlotte's Mike Sawyer with a goal, 5-2 Denver
Eric Law slams in his 14th goal of the season, 6-2 Denver
Second Quarter:
Charlotte's Mike Sawyer with a goal, 6-3 Denver
Charlotte's Thomas DeNapoli puts one in, 6-4 Denver
Airing just before the game at 7 p.m. MDT on CBS Sports Network will be this week's Inside the MLL featuring an interview with Outlaws faceoff stud Anthony Kelly.
First Quarter:
Charlotte's John Haus gets the games first goal, 1-0 Charlotte
Eric Law's shot blocked
Michael Simon finds twine to even things up, 1-1
TV Timeout
Chris Bocklet scores from close, 2-1 Denver
John Grant Jr. scores on the assist from Terry Kimener
Eric Law bounces it between the 5-hole on the assist from Jeremy Noble, that's Noble's first MLL point
John Grant Jr. scores a no-look behind-the-back goal, 5-1 Denver
Charlotte's Mike Sawyer with a goal, 5-2 Denver
Eric Law slams in his 14th goal of the season, 6-2 Denver
Second Quarter:
Charlotte's Mike Sawyer with a goal, 6-3 Denver
Charlotte's Thomas DeNapoli puts one in, 6-4 Denver
Jeremy Sieverts bounces one in from just inside the arc, 7-4 Denver
Charlotte's Justin Warn scores, 7-5 Denver
Charlotte's John Haus scores from deep out, 7-6 Denver
John Grant Jr. gets the hat trick, 8-6 Denver
Eric Law gets a hat trick, too, 9-6 Denver
Half time
Third Quarter:
Cameron Flint gets his first goal of the night, 10-6 Denver
Charlotte's Mason Poli with a goal, Denver 10-7
Chris Bocklet nice shot, but saved by Hounds' goalie
Charlotte's Brett Schmidt nets a 2-point goal, 10-9 Denver
Fourth Quarter:
Charlotte's Matt Danowski with a 2-point goal, 11-10 Charlotte
Matt Bocklet fires one in to tie things up, 11-11, that's his first goal of the season
Chris Bocklet scores 50 seconds after his brother, 12-11 Denver
Jesse Schwartzman gets knocked down, slow to get up
John Grant Jr. with his fourth goal of the night, 13-11, Denver
OUTLAWS WIN! Final score: Denver 13, Charlotte 11
Charlotte's Justin Warn scores, 7-5 Denver
Charlotte's John Haus scores from deep out, 7-6 Denver
John Grant Jr. gets the hat trick, 8-6 Denver
Eric Law gets a hat trick, too, 9-6 Denver
Half time
Third Quarter:
Cameron Flint gets his first goal of the night, 10-6 Denver
Charlotte's Mason Poli with a goal, Denver 10-7
Chris Bocklet nice shot, but saved by Hounds' goalie
Charlotte's Brett Schmidt nets a 2-point goal, 10-9 Denver
Fourth Quarter:
Charlotte's Matt Danowski with a 2-point goal, 11-10 Charlotte
Matt Bocklet fires one in to tie things up, 11-11, that's his first goal of the season
Chris Bocklet scores 50 seconds after his brother, 12-11 Denver
Jesse Schwartzman gets knocked down, slow to get up
John Grant Jr. with his fourth goal of the night, 13-11, Denver
OUTLAWS WIN! Final score: Denver 13, Charlotte 11
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BOCKLET BROTHERS LIFT OUTLAWS OVER HOUNDS
DENVER– The Charlotte Hounds came into Denver looking to hand the Outlaws their first loss of the season—the Bocklet brothers had different plans. Down 12-11 in the fourth quarter, Matt Bocklet wound up, shot and scored to tie the game. Just 50 seconds later, his younger brother Chris found twine to give the Outlaws the lead, as they went on to win, 13-11, Friday night at Sports Authority Field.
Charlotte got on the board first with a goal from John Haus, but Denver scored the next five goals en route to a six-point first quarter.
With just more than two minutes left in the first, John Grant Jr. cradled the ball by Charlotte’s net, hesitated, then fired—behind his back without looking—to give him his second goal of the night and the Outlaws a 5-1 lead. Eric Law also scored a pair of goals in the first quarter to give Denver a 6-2 advantage heading into the second quarter.
The Hounds found the net four times in the second frame, but late goals from Grant and Law gave each player a hat trick before half time, and sent Charlotte to the locker room trailing, 9-6.
Cameron Flint was ready to get back on the field after the break. He netted a goal less than a minute into the second half, but then the Outlaws went dry for the rest of the quarter. The Hounds went on a 5-0 run, capped by a pair of two-point goals to give them an 11-10 lead with less than 10 minutes to play in the game. Then, the Bocklet brothers stepped in to tie the game, and eventually take the lead. Grant scored again late in the quarter for good measure—his fourth goal of the game.
Aside from marking the Outlaw’s 25th straight regular-season victory, some individual players marked special occasions, too. Matt Bocklet picked up his 300th groundball in an Outlaws jersey and Anthony Kelly won his 1300th career faceoff.
Fresh out of college, Colin Dunster and Jeremy Noble made their MLL debuts. Dunster took his first career shot on goal, and Noble picked up his first two MLL points on a pair of assists, the first of which came on a first-quarter dish to his former University of Denver teammate, Eric Law.
The Outlaws return to action on the road against the Charlotte Hounds on Saturday, June 7, 5:30 p.m. MDT.
Game Notes:
- The Denver Outlaws extended their regular-season win streak to 25 games. With a win on the road next week against Charlotte, the Outlaws would move into second place for regular-season win streaks, tied with the New York Giants (MLB, 1916).
REGULAR-SEASON WIN STREAKS, PRO SPORTS | |||
Streak | Team | League | Season |
33 | Los Angeles Lakers | NBA | 1971-72 |
26 | New York Giants | MLB | 1916 |
25* | Denver Outlaws | MLL | 2012-14 |
21 | New England Patriots | NFL | 2003-04 |
18 | Los Angeles Sparks | WNBA | 2001 |
17 | Pittsburgh Penguins | NHL | 1992-93 |
15 | Los Angeles Galaxy | MLS | 1997-98 |
- Matt Bocklet recorded his 300th groundball as a Denver Outlaw. Bocklet finished the night with five ground balls, and has 349 career groundballs in his MLL career.
- M. Bocklet scored his first goal of the 2014 season midway through the fourth quarter to tie the game at 11-11.
- Chris Bocklet scored his second goal of the night 50 seconds after M. Bocklet’s goal, to regain the lead for the Outlaws.
- Anthony Kelly racked up his 1300th career faceoff win in the second quarter. Kelly finished the night 16-of-26 on faceoffs (.615).
- Eric Law notched his fourth hat trick of the season. He has scored 3+ goals in 4-of-5 games this season, and accounted for at least three points in each of the team’s five wins.
- John Grant Jr. scored a season-high four goals en route to his five-point performance tonight. He has now scored 5+ points in two consecutive games.
- In his MLL debut, Jeremy Noble earned his first MLL point with an assist in the first quarter to his former DU teammate Eric Law. Noble finished the night with two points on two assists.
- Denver's eight goals in the first half rank tied for third most this season.
Rk. | Game | Half | Goals |
1 | Week 1 at Fla. | 1st | 11 |
2 | Week 2 vs. Ohio | 2nd | 9 |
3 | Week 4 vs. Roch. | 2nd | 8 |
Week 5 vs. Cha. | 1st | 8 |
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Making Candy with the Outlaws at Hammond's
On Saturday, Matt Bocklet and Jesse Schwartzman spent some time at Hammond's Candies learning how to make the handmade candy the Colorado company is famous for. Hammond's is the sponsor of the June 14th home game and will be giving away special limited-edition Outlaws lollipops to the first 2,000 fans. Check out the photos below and make sure you come early to the June 14th game to get your own Outlaws lollipop from Hammond's!
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5/30 Post-Game Interviews
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5/30 Infographic
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DENVER OUTLAWS ACQUIRE CAMERON HOLDING IN TRADE FROM CHESAPEAKE
DENVER– The Denver Outlaws (5-0) on Monday acquired midfielder Cameron Holding from the Chesapeake Bayhawks (1-4) in exchange for midfielder/faceoff specialist Stephen Robarge and defenseman James Connelly (college inactive), General Manager Tony Seamanannounced.
“Cam Holding is very good all-around lacrosse player that we have been interested in for quite some time. We certainly welcome him to the Outlaws organization and look forward to having him on the field with us,” said Seaman.
Holding (6-1, 210 lbs.) was the second overall pick in the 2014 MLL Supplemental Draft. He spent the last three seasons with the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League, and has appeared in 49 regular-season games. Holding has amassed 13 goals and 29 assists (42 points) and recorded 245 loose balls during his three years in the NLL.
The midfielder attended both Grand Valley State University and Florida Southern University, playing at each school for two years, and led GVSU to the Men’s Collegiate Lacrosse Division II National Championship in 2011. A native of Whitby, Ont., Canada, Holding moved to Michigan in 2005 where he attended DeWitt High School.
Robarge appeared in seven games in his three seasons with the Outlaws, and recorded 17 groundballs and won 47-of-98 (.480) faceoffs during that span.
“Stephen Robarge has played a key role for us over the past three years and we wish him the very best of luck with the Bayhawks,” Seaman added.
Connelly was the 43rd overall pick in the 2014 Collegiate Draft, and played college lacrosse at the University of Delaware.
“James Connelly was an outstanding college defenseman at the University of Delaware and certainly has the ability to play in the MLL,” said Seaman.
The Outlaws return to action on the road against the Charlotte Hounds this Saturday, June 7, at 5:30 p.m. MDT.
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5/30 In Game Features
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Outlaws in the News
Below you will find links showcasing Outlaws in the News the past few days....Enjoy!
Denver Post: Outlaws' John Grant Jr. still has a lot in the tank at age 39
Denver Post: Denver Outlaws win, extend regular-season winning streak to 25
9News: For Outlaws' Noble, Denver has become 'home'
7News: 2014 World Lacrosse pieces featuring John Grant Jr.and Jeremy Noble
Lacrosse Magazine: Denver's Streak Intact; Thompson Debuts as MLL Back in Action
Lacrosse Magazine: MLL Primer - A-to-Z on the Season So Far
MLL: Power Rankings Week 5
MLL: At the X presented by The Faceoff Academy
MLL: RECAP: Denver 13 - Charlotte 11
In Lacrosse We Trust: Outlaws Win 25th Straight, Defeat Charlotte
ILWT: To College Lacrosse Fans: Don’t Forget About Major League Lacrosse
LaxDirt: LaxDirt's Staff casts their Major League Lacrosse All-Star ballots for the Attack position
LaxDirt: The Charlotte Hounds are the latest victim of the Denver Outlaws win streak.
And as always, keep checking back here for new and exclusive content about your Denver Outlaws.
Denver Post: Outlaws' John Grant Jr. still has a lot in the tank at age 39
Denver Post: Denver Outlaws win, extend regular-season winning streak to 25
9News: For Outlaws' Noble, Denver has become 'home'
7News: 2014 World Lacrosse pieces featuring John Grant Jr.and Jeremy Noble
Lacrosse Magazine: Denver's Streak Intact; Thompson Debuts as MLL Back in Action
Lacrosse Magazine: MLL Primer - A-to-Z on the Season So Far
MLL: Power Rankings Week 5
MLL: At the X presented by The Faceoff Academy
MLL: RECAP: Denver 13 - Charlotte 11
In Lacrosse We Trust: Outlaws Win 25th Straight, Defeat Charlotte
ILWT: To College Lacrosse Fans: Don’t Forget About Major League Lacrosse
LaxDirt: LaxDirt's Staff casts their Major League Lacrosse All-Star ballots for the Attack position
LaxDirt: The Charlotte Hounds are the latest victim of the Denver Outlaws win streak.
And as always, keep checking back here for new and exclusive content about your Denver Outlaws.
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HEAD COACH B.J. O’HARA WEEKLY CONFERENCE CALL QUOTES
On the team’s 13-11 win over the Charlotte Hounds Friday night
“I think it’s an understatement to say we could have lost, that’s for sure. They got a hold of the game and got some momentum in the fourth quarter, and we weren’t looking too good. Again, I think our guys realize the game is four quarters long, 60 minutes, and just about every game now we’ve been put to the test in the fourth quarter and have answered. I figure that’s a good quality to display. Obviously, we don’t want to put ourselves in that position too many times, but it is what it is and (the team) has had the answer. Every game is going to be battle. Every team is taking shape now, all their guys are in and this is a very interesting time in the season as the college guys are getting on the rosters and the NLL guys are becoming available, so every team is starting to take a little different shape, including us. So each week is going to be a real test.”
On facing Charlotte for the second time in eight days and how the game may look different
“First off, for all of us it’s always a guessing game to see who is going to be in the lineup each week. They were without [attackman] Ryan Young last week—one of their key pieces, one of their guys from last year. We expect Ryan will be in the lineup this week, so that gives them one more dynamic player on attack so that will likely pose a matchup challenge for us. In addition, [midfielder] Mike Chanenchuk is just coming off of the University of Maryland season, we expect we can see him. Again, that gives them another key midfielder. So we have to at least get ready for those two guys, it’s not a given they’ll be there, but we’re pretty sure they will be. We have to be ready to X out differently than we did the week before.”
On acquiring Cam Holding in a trade with the Chesapeake Bayhawks in exchange for Stephen Robarge and James Connelly
“Well it was several-fold, as a lot of these decisions are. Stephen’s been a great team member for us for two seasons now. He was a great college player. His issue is that we’ve got [faceoff specialist] Anthony Kelly, and Stephen just hasn’t been able to get past him in the lineup. Anthony is one of the very best, and Stephen deserves a chance to play. I think Chesapeake had a need there that they were trying to fill. Cam Holding actually lives in Denver and he is going to be a big part of the Canadian National Team this summer. So it just seemed to make sense. We both gained from it, which is what you want to get out of a trade. Everybody is happy—Stephen is going to get a chance to play, and Cam is going to be playing in his hometown—so those are things that I think are very positive.”
On his plan for backing up Kelly on faceoff duty
“Well, in this year’s collegiate draft—I believe it was our second pick—we took a young man named Brent Hiken from Stevenson University. Brent led Division III in faceoffs this year, he was over 70 percent. We had him in the practice last week and he looked very, very solid. So we’re comfortable that we have got that. In addition, some of our veterans—Dillon Roy and Justin Pennington—have taken draws throughout their careers. We wouldn’t want to use them for a whole game, but if we need a guy on faceoffs then we could put either one of those guys out there too, so I think we’re in pretty good shape there.”
On the status of 2014 MLL Collegiate Draft pick Ben McIntosh
“That’s a good question (laughs). I am not sure yet, he has not signed his contract yet. We’re not really sure, is the long and the short. We want to get him in, we’re anxious to get him in. He’s obviously a very, very good offensive midfielder. He had great stats at Drexel. But we haven’t had any movement there yet. He lives in British Columbia, so it’s a little problematic. We’re working on it.”
On attackman Curtis Dickson joining the team for the trip to Charlotte
“He’ll play some attack and obviously we’ll play him out of the box like we’ve done with [attackman] Zack Greer. The indoor (NLL) guys handle that role pretty well. They’re used to getting on and off the field quickly on an offensive shift. So Curtis will do both of those things for us.”
On Kelly’s performance on Friday against the Hounds and him recording career faceoff win No. 1300
“He had a great night, we’ve come to expect that from him. I think early in the game he was winning the draws and he was a little bit anxious getting rid of the ball and he turned it over a few times—his stats would have been even better I think. We talked about that during the course of the game and he settled down and wasn’t so frantic, so we were able to win the faceoffs and ultimately maintain possession, which is obviously the most important thing. He had a great game. He’s just a tremendous team leader, he’s great in the locker room. The guys expect a lot from him and he delivers. That’s why it made it not easy to trade Stephen Robarge, but we were comfortable with how we match up there with Anthony and then with Brent as a backup.”
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JoJo War Drummer sets the beat for the Outlaws
By Simon Kaufman
In Native American tradition, the beating of a drum symbolizes the commencement and conclusion of ceremonies. Since 2007, JoJo War Drummerhas been helping kick off, conclude and set the tone for Denver Outlaws games with his drum. For each Denver home game, JoJo takes his place on the sideline with his drum to help inspire the players, pump up fans and honor the sport’s Native American roots. With each strike of the stretched hide, the crowd grows louder and the players attack more fiercely.
JoJo wasn’t always on the side of a lacrosse field, though. He grew up in Los Angeles, Calif. where he played football in a Pop Warner league. During the 1984 Olympics, as a young boy, JoJo and his brother spotted a group of men playing an unfamiliar sport outside of Los Angeles Memorial Stadium.
“There were some guys out in the parking lot, and they had these sticks and a ball,” JoJo said. “My brother and I were like, ‘What is this? This is pretty cool. This isn’t football but they look like their doing some action.’”
The two brothers learned about the sport and its Native American traditions and instantly knew they had to become involved.
“Realizing my Native American heritage, my blood literally felt like it was connected to this sport–the Creator’s game,” JoJo said.
Unfortunately, there was no organized lacrosse in Los Angeles at the time, so JoJo continued to play football. His passion for lacrosse still burned, though. When his parents took him and his brother to a pow-wow—a gathering of Native Americans—he instantly made a connection between the ceremonious drumming and singing taking place and what he had learned about lacrosse. When Native Americans played the game centuries ago, a drumming ceremony would take place in the days leading up to the game.
After moving to Denver following high school, JoJo rediscovered the sport he loved and was committed to becoming a part of it while honoring his heritage.
He first brought his drum to a Colorado youth lacrosse game and played on the sideline as youngsters competed on the field. He could immediately tell that his drumming produced more inspired play.
“As soon as I started drumming, I noticed the energy level of these kids picked up 100 percent,” JoJo said. “Then I stopped drumming and each time I stopped (the energy level) went down, and each time I brought the drums up they started going crazy again.”
Since that first time he has come a long way — now a staple on the field for Outlaws’ games. For each home game, JoJo prepares himself to help inspire Outlaws’ players and fans. Before a game, he gets to the stadium on “Indian time,” which he defines as having enough time to relax and then get his game face on. He dawns traditional war paint on his face to symbolize the battle of the game, and he wears a No. 49 Outlaws’ jersey—a reminder of the 49 Native American warriors that were able to defeat an army of 300 men in an historic battle, losing only one of their own.
As the Outlaws run out onto the field before the game, JoJo furiously beats his drum to welcome the players. Some Outlaws, like goalie Jesse Schwartzman, like to give the drum a touch on their way out.
Then, throughout the game, JoJo fills the stadium with different beats—he even has different rhythms depending on the opponent and situation in the game.
“Each and every game that I have done for the Denver Outlaws has been extremely exciting whether it’s overtime or (the Outlaws) kicking butt,” JoJo said.
And he knows that his drumming is heard by the players too and does make a difference.
“I’ve had opposing teams tell me that I drained them and that it messed them up,” JoJo said. “But at the same time the Denver Outlaws will say it gave them energy. So it’s doing what it’s supposed to do.”
JoJo’s drumming has earned him some worthy recognition. One of his biggest fans is Jake Steinfeld, one of Major League Lacrosse’s founders. He’ll also be featured in an upcoming lacrosse video game and his drumming was featured on the soundtrack to the movie Crooked Arrows.
JoJo appreciates the recognition and is humbled by the opportunities his drumming has afforded him. But ultimately, he knows his drumming is about tying together lacrosse and his Native American heritage.
“It’s not just a sport. It’s a way of life,” JoJo said. “The seed is the drum. It’s the thing that gets the heartbeat of lacrosse going.”
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Denver at Charlotte Game Notes - Saturday, June 7, 2014
The Denver Outlaws’ Week 6 game notes are now available for download from the team website or by clicking the image below. The weekly release includes game information, statistical charts, notes of interest, team rosters, player/coach biographies, transcripts and boxscores leading up to Denver’s Week 6 matchup against the Charlotte Hounds at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, June 7, 2014.
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