What was the secret to having a successful team in the regular season?
We were pretty consistent throughout the year, there were times when we didn't start out well, but we always finished well. We shot the ball particularly well through most of the year and honestly, it was just a combination of playing good, smart, solid lacrosse. there were points in games where we had a stretch where we weren't making good decisions, but for the most part we were consistent in our decision making, we were extremely consistent in the goal and on the defensive end and I think that is what wins you games.
Are you preparing anything different for the semi-final game against Charlotte?
We get an extra practice in which is great because we need it. We are focused on us, paying attention to what we do and making sure we are doing the things we need to do and focusing on the Outlaws to make sure that we are executing at the level we need to execute to be successful this weekend.
Do you think the week off has hurt your momentum heading into this weekend?
No, I think the level of momentum, the focus and excitement is going to be there. Everyone is in the same situation, they shouldn't have been practicing the last two weeks so we all go in the same way. We have a couple opportunities to practice and we know we'll have everybody there for two full practices, so that is going to help us prepare. I don't think the time off is going to hurt us, I think everybody is excited to start this part of the run. What happened during the regular season doesn't really matter right now. We accomplished what we set out to accomplish early in the year during the regular season. If you look at the records we accomplished that six weeks ago. I think the guys have been playing with some motivation to go undefeated, but maybe not the kind of motivation they played with early in the year. I'm excited to get everybody back together, I know they are too, to play a game where there is truly something on the line.
On winning the Coach of the Year Award
I am not naive enough to think that it doesn't have a whole lot to do with the guys who go out every weekend and play for us. It is certainly a result of their efforts and I'm awfully lucky I have a heck of a staff with great experience that helped us get to this point.
On Individual Players Winning Awards
There are some awfully good players in this league and man for man they match up with Outlaws. Part of it, is that these guys are so unselfish in what they do and so many of them are under the radar that to get one of these awards is great. Jesse Schwartzman (Goalie of the Year)- had a phenomenal season from the first whistle hopefully until the last one this coming weekend. I'm really pleased for him, in my mind he is our MVP. He's been unbelievably consistent throughout and I've been amazed on how he has been able to play week in and week out. Lee Zink (Defenseman of the Year)- until last year, I know he has been an All Star, but I don't think people really realized or appreciated how much of a true professional he is and what a true talent he really is. Drew Snider (Most Improved Player) has had a great year as well. But, for those two guys who have been around the league a long time, to see them get this kind of recognition it's certainly well deserved and for them to play at the level they are playing at in this point in their careers its amazing. I'm particularly pleased for those two guys (Schwartzman and Zink).
Denver has been to the playoffs every year, but has not come away with a championship. How troubling is that history?
I don't know, I wasn't here until last year and I know why we lost last year. History doesn't mean a whole lot to me, honestly, and maybe for the two guys on the team who have been there for that period of time, but most of our guys that played last year, that was their first year in the finals. So that doesn't impact me at all, it doesn't even bother me. It's not an issue with our guys- they want to to win just like everyone else does. I don't know why the history is what it is or what it was because I wasn't there. I know why we lost in the finals last year and we did everything we could as a staff to make sure that wasn't going to be the case this year.
After having the most successful team in the regular season in league history, is it fair to say that anything less than a title would be a disappointment?
I think a lot of people would be disappointed. It's always disappointing when you get to this point and you don't win. But, as I said, this team is focused, they are built for this weekend and we are taking the same approach we took all year and that is focusing on the next game. No one is looking past Saturday. Charlotte has given us fits the two times we played and I know that they are going to be prepared and ready to go. We are healthy right now and that is the big difference from when we went into this last year.
What is it about Charlotte that has given you fits when you've played them this season?
I think they are very athletic, they run the field well and they are dangerous in the unsettled situations. Mike (Cerino) is a very good coach, somebody I go way way back with and I have a lot of respect for. They have a plan, and they prepare well and they've gotten better as they year has gone on. They are probably the team in the league that plays the most like us. They are very athletic from the defensive end going back to the offensive end. They have the ability to score goals. We've been able to score goals on them, but they've been a team who has been able to put up numbers on us as well. They are playing their best lacrosse down the stretch, so as an outsider looking in their rookies have seemed to bolster their lineup. But, they didn't fill their lineup with rookies, they've filled it with guys who have won national championships and who have played big games. So the transition tends to be a little bit easier when you have guys who have played in that kind of environment.
We were pretty consistent throughout the year, there were times when we didn't start out well, but we always finished well. We shot the ball particularly well through most of the year and honestly, it was just a combination of playing good, smart, solid lacrosse. there were points in games where we had a stretch where we weren't making good decisions, but for the most part we were consistent in our decision making, we were extremely consistent in the goal and on the defensive end and I think that is what wins you games.
Are you preparing anything different for the semi-final game against Charlotte?
We get an extra practice in which is great because we need it. We are focused on us, paying attention to what we do and making sure we are doing the things we need to do and focusing on the Outlaws to make sure that we are executing at the level we need to execute to be successful this weekend.
Do you think the week off has hurt your momentum heading into this weekend?
No, I think the level of momentum, the focus and excitement is going to be there. Everyone is in the same situation, they shouldn't have been practicing the last two weeks so we all go in the same way. We have a couple opportunities to practice and we know we'll have everybody there for two full practices, so that is going to help us prepare. I don't think the time off is going to hurt us, I think everybody is excited to start this part of the run. What happened during the regular season doesn't really matter right now. We accomplished what we set out to accomplish early in the year during the regular season. If you look at the records we accomplished that six weeks ago. I think the guys have been playing with some motivation to go undefeated, but maybe not the kind of motivation they played with early in the year. I'm excited to get everybody back together, I know they are too, to play a game where there is truly something on the line.
On winning the Coach of the Year Award
I am not naive enough to think that it doesn't have a whole lot to do with the guys who go out every weekend and play for us. It is certainly a result of their efforts and I'm awfully lucky I have a heck of a staff with great experience that helped us get to this point.
On Individual Players Winning Awards
There are some awfully good players in this league and man for man they match up with Outlaws. Part of it, is that these guys are so unselfish in what they do and so many of them are under the radar that to get one of these awards is great. Jesse Schwartzman (Goalie of the Year)- had a phenomenal season from the first whistle hopefully until the last one this coming weekend. I'm really pleased for him, in my mind he is our MVP. He's been unbelievably consistent throughout and I've been amazed on how he has been able to play week in and week out. Lee Zink (Defenseman of the Year)- until last year, I know he has been an All Star, but I don't think people really realized or appreciated how much of a true professional he is and what a true talent he really is. Drew Snider (Most Improved Player) has had a great year as well. But, for those two guys who have been around the league a long time, to see them get this kind of recognition it's certainly well deserved and for them to play at the level they are playing at in this point in their careers its amazing. I'm particularly pleased for those two guys (Schwartzman and Zink).
Denver has been to the playoffs every year, but has not come away with a championship. How troubling is that history?
I don't know, I wasn't here until last year and I know why we lost last year. History doesn't mean a whole lot to me, honestly, and maybe for the two guys on the team who have been there for that period of time, but most of our guys that played last year, that was their first year in the finals. So that doesn't impact me at all, it doesn't even bother me. It's not an issue with our guys- they want to to win just like everyone else does. I don't know why the history is what it is or what it was because I wasn't there. I know why we lost in the finals last year and we did everything we could as a staff to make sure that wasn't going to be the case this year.
After having the most successful team in the regular season in league history, is it fair to say that anything less than a title would be a disappointment?
I think a lot of people would be disappointed. It's always disappointing when you get to this point and you don't win. But, as I said, this team is focused, they are built for this weekend and we are taking the same approach we took all year and that is focusing on the next game. No one is looking past Saturday. Charlotte has given us fits the two times we played and I know that they are going to be prepared and ready to go. We are healthy right now and that is the big difference from when we went into this last year.
What is it about Charlotte that has given you fits when you've played them this season?
I think they are very athletic, they run the field well and they are dangerous in the unsettled situations. Mike (Cerino) is a very good coach, somebody I go way way back with and I have a lot of respect for. They have a plan, and they prepare well and they've gotten better as they year has gone on. They are probably the team in the league that plays the most like us. They are very athletic from the defensive end going back to the offensive end. They have the ability to score goals. We've been able to score goals on them, but they've been a team who has been able to put up numbers on us as well. They are playing their best lacrosse down the stretch, so as an outsider looking in their rookies have seemed to bolster their lineup. But, they didn't fill their lineup with rookies, they've filled it with guys who have won national championships and who have played big games. So the transition tends to be a little bit easier when you have guys who have played in that kind of environment.
