DENVER — The last time Denver Outlaws defenseman Dillon Roy played a game at the University of Denver’s Barton Lacrosse Stadium he scored a goal, dished for an assist and won four face offs to help the Pioneers roll to a win. In attackman Eric Law’s last home game as a Pioneer, he netted four goals to lead Denver to a win in the first round of the 2013 NCAA Tournament.
On Saturday, Roy, Law and two other Outlaws will return to their former home field. Attackman Cam Flint and midfielder Jeremy Noble also all graduated from the University of Denver and played lacrosse for the Pioneers.
Due to a conflict with the Denver Broncos preseason schedule, the Outlaws will host their first ever home playoff game at Barton Lacrosse Stadium, the only dedicated lacrosse stadium in the country.
Despite playing away from the team’s usual home field, Roy is looking forward to returning to a place he’s spent a lot of time.
“It’s almost like a double home advantage for a lot of us DU guys that are familiar with that turf,” Roy said. “We have a lot of good memories there so I think that’s definitely going to pay dividends at the end of the day.”
In four years at Denver, Roy played in 62 games, scooped up 195 ground balls and caused 82 turnovers. The Denver native also won 94-of-189 face offs during his time there.
Roy finished his college career in 2010 before joining the Outlaws, graduating just before having the chance to play with future Outlaw teammates Law, Flint and Noble who were all a part of the 2011 team that led the Pioneers to their first Final Four.
Law transferred to DU after playing his freshman year at Salisbury University. In three seasons with the Pioneers Law scored 86 goals and tallied 66 assists. He left the program ranking sixth in points and fourth in assists.
In his last college game on his home turf he scored four goals and collected an assist to help Denver down Albany and advance to the quarterfinals.
“Walking off that field for the last time was kind of a weird feeling knowing that you’re not going to be able to play there again,” Law said. “But having this second chance to go back there and play again in a playoff game is going to be awesome.”
Barton Lacrosse Stadium opened in 2005 and since then the Pioneers have won their conference eight times and appeared in four NCAA Tournament Final Fours.
The Outlaws are hoping the field brings good luck to all Denver teams.
The stadium seats 2,000 people but attendance has broken 2,700 on two occasions.
“The general feeling that I get from being over at DU, it just kind of takes you back to your old stomping grounds and where you mastered you’re craft,” Roy said. “It’s definitely (going to be) a nostalgic experience going back there.”