DENVER – The Denver Outlaws outscored the Rochester Rattlers 6-1 in the fourth quarter to win the franchise’s first MLL Championship. Drew Snider scored the game-winning goal with 56 seconds left in the game, to seal the 12-11 victory for the team and earn them the Steinfeld Trophy.
It was Denver’s fifth MLL Championship appearance in nine years as a franchise. The Outlaws are the only MLL franchise to make the playoffs in each year of existence.
John Grant Jr. was named the Coca Cola Championship Final MVP for his three-goal, four-point performance tonight.
Chris Bocklet started the scoring, netting a goal 19 seconds into the first quarter—the quickest goal in MLL Championship history since 2005, the earliest year statistical information was available for.
The Rattlers answered with five straight goals to close out the first quarter, and took a 5-1 lead into the second.
Domenic Sebastiani ended the scoring drought for Denver, to cut the Rochester lead to 5-2 early in the second quarter. Denver capitalized on a man-up opportunity after Rochester’s John Lade was called for pushing, as Bocklet netted his second goal of the night.
Junior continued the scoring for Denver, working the crease to sneak one by Rochester goalie John Galloway and cutting the Rochester lead to 6-4 heading into halftime.
Faceoff specialist Anthony Kelly was 8-12 (.667) in the first half, playing despite injuring his Achilles and missing the last two games before playoffs. He finished the game 14-25 (.560) on faceoffs.
Rochester scored two in the third to extend its lead to 8-4. Eric Law worked the crease, showing off some Junior-like moves, to net his first goal of the night and make it 8-5. Rochester answered with a goal of their own, but Sieverts found net to make it 9-6. Rochester added one more to end the third quarter and take a 10-6 lead into the final quarter of play.
Junior netted two goals early in the fourth, including his signature behind-the-back move, to cut Rochester’s lead to 10-8. On the team’s next offensive possession, Junior dished it off to Law in front of the goal for the team’s third goal in a row, to make it 10-9—the narrowest Rochester lead since early in the first quarter.
Rochester’s Dave Lawson netted a goal 5:18 into the fourth quarter to end the Denver scoring streak, and regain a two-goal lead.
Sieverts, who led the league in two-point goals (7) and game-winning goals (4) this season, netted a huge two-pointer from behind the arc to tie it up at 11-11 with 5:25 left in the game.
Drew Snider, who had been held scoreless throughout the game, took a huge shot from just inside the arc to give the Outlaws a 12-11 lead with 56 seconds left in the game—their first lead since early in the first quarter.
The Outlaws were able to stop the Rattlers from capitalizing on a Denver turnover, and seal the franchise’s first MLL Championship in nine years as a franchise.
Game Notes:
· John Grant Jr. was named Coca Cola Championship Final MVP for his three-goal, four-point performance tonight.
· Chris Bocklet’s first-quarter goal 19 seconds into the game was the fastest goal in MLL history since 2005, the first year stats with time-stamped goals were available.
· Denver won its first MLL Championship in nine years as a franchise. It was the team’s fifth appearance in the championship game.
