Sport | Lacrosse |
---|---|
Founded | 2006 |
Folded | 2020 [1] |
League | MLL |
Based in | Denver, Colorado |
Stadium | Empower Field at Mile High |
Colors | Black, orange, silver |
Owner | Estate of Pat Bowlen |
Head coach | Tony Seaman |
General manager | Jon Cohen |
Championships | 3 (2014, 2016, 2018) |
The Denver Outlaws were a Major League Lacrosse professional men's field lacrosse team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They began playing in the MLL in 2006 as an expansion team.
During their time in the MLL, the Outlaws played in the championship game a league-record ten times. Missed the playoffs just once in franchise history and never had a losing season. The Outlaws regularly posted the highest attendance in the league. The Outlaws won their first MLL Championship on August 23, 2014, defeating the Rochester Rattlers 12-11 and won their second MLL Championship in 2016, defeating the Ohio Machine 19–18. On August 18, 2018, the Outlaws won their third championship by defeating the Dallas Rattlers, 16–12.
The Outlaws had their inaugural game on May 20, 2006, versus the Chicago Machine at Sports Authority Field at Mile High. It was played in front of a Major League Lacrosse record crowd of 13,167 (but was broken again later that year at another Denver home game which drew 15,981), where the Outlaws won 24–14. [2] The Outlaws won the Western Conference championship in their first season.
On June 16, 2007, the Rochester Rattlers won a game in overtime 27–26 over the Outlaws in the highest scoring game in MLL history at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.
Denver hosted the 2008 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game in front of 10,124 people, with the Western Conference defeating the Eastern Conference 31–15.
In 2012, behind the strong veteran play of MLL MVP Brendan Mundorf and Defensive Player of the Year Lee Zink, Denver capped their regular season with a 15–13 victory over Chesapeake to finish the year with an 11–3 record, which represented the most wins in team history for a single season. Additionally, Denver entered the postseason as the No. 1 seed for the second time in franchise history and first time since 2009.
During Championship Weekend in Boston, the Outlaws trailed 12–3 to Long Island with 11:32 to play in the third quarter. It appeared as if Denver's record-setting season had reached its end. Yet, that's when Denver set another record with a 10–0 run to end the game, catapulting the franchise into the Steinfeld Cup title game with a 13–12 victory over Long Island. Unfortunately, in the title game versus Chesapeake, the Outlaws were unable to muster that same kind of comeback magic and fell to the Bayhawks 16–6, falling one win short of their first MLL Championship.
In 2013 the Denver Outlaws posted the first undefeated regular season (14-0) in MLL history after beating the Hamilton Nationals 18–12 to finish the season. But they fell to the Charlotte Hounds in the semifinal the next week, as their first Steinfeld Cup continued to be elusive.
BJ O'Hara took over as head coach for the 2014 season. That year, the Outlaws posted a 9–5 record and won their first Steinfeld Cup as the second seed. They defeated the New York Lizards in the semifinals, 14–13, in the first ever home playoff game in Denver. On August 23, the Outlaws defeated the top-seeded Rochester Rattlers 12–11 to win their first MLL Championship in the team's 9-year history, thanks to a go-ahead Drew Snider goal with 56 seconds remaining. [3] In 2015, however, the Outlaws missed the postseason for the first time ever in franchise history after posting a 7–7 record (also their worst record in franchise history).
The 2016 season saw the Outlaws get out to their worst start in franchise history at 2–6. After trading John Grant Jr. to the Ohio Machine, they won their last six games of the regular season to be one of the seven teams in the league to finish 8–6. With the tiebreaker procedures, they ended up with the third seed and faced the Lizards in the semifinals. In Fairfield, Connecticut, the Outlaws defeated the Lizards, 20–17. The next week, they faced the top-seeded Machine, featuring John Grant Jr. Two weeks prior, Grant Jr. scored an MLL-record 10 goals in the final week of the regular season to secure a playoff spot for the Ohio Machine. In the championship game, the Outlaws fell behind the Machine, 9–3 in Atlanta. Lightning delayed the game for 97 minutes, and the Outlaws scored the next four goals to cut the deficit to 9–7. The Machine came back with five straight and Denver went into the locker room trailing 14–7, at halftime. The Outlaws roared back to tie the score at 15 by the start of the final quarter, before Eric Law scored a go-ahead goal with 12.9 seconds left. The Outlaws shutdown the Machine's last scoring threat and claimed their second Steinfeld Cup victory in three years.
The Outlaws returned to the big game in 2017, where they again faced the Machine. The Outlaws led for most of the game by as many as four goals when the score reached 10–6 with three minutes left in the third. However, after taking a 12–10 lead with 10:30 to go in the game, they gave up seven straight goals and lose their fifth championship game in their seventh appearance, 17–12, allowing the Machine to win their franchise's first title. [4]
Much like their 2016 championship season, the 2018 Outlaws struggled out of the gate. On Mother's Day, the Outlaws dropped a 24-22 barnburner to the Chesapeake Bayhawks in front of 1,788 fans at Mile High. [5] But the resilient Outlaws rattled off six straight victories ending with a 25-11 blowout of Boston at their annual Fourth of July game in front of 29,973 fans. The team finished 8-6 and in third place.
Despite getting swept by the Bayhawks 2–0 in the regular season, the Outlaws would go to Annapolis and get a gutsy 13–12 victory in the league semifinals. [6] The following week in Charleston, South Carolina, the Outlaws would face the Dallas Rattlers, who also swept them in the regular season, for the 2018 Steinfeld Cup. Denver would use a 7–0 run in the second and third quarters, and a nine-point performance from Matt Kavanagh to defeat Dallas, 16-12 for their third championship in five years. [7] Rookie Chris Cloutier won Rookie of the Year for the 2018 season. [8]
After the departure of over 140 MLL players to the new Premier Lacrosse League attributed to the contraction of the league from nine to six teams, the Outlaws posted a 9–7 record in 2019. Despite tying their franchise record for most losses in a season, with the longer regular season the Outlaws claimed the second seed heading to the championship weekend, which would be played in Denver for the first time. Although the Outlaws rallied to defeat the Boston Cannons, 17–15 in the semifinal, they were not able to ride the homefield advantage to their fourth title. The Chesapeake Bayhawks left Denver as victors, 10–9, after scoring two goals in the last three minutes. [9]
The 2020 season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantined at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, home to the Chesapeake Bayhawks. In a five-game regular season, the Outlaws stormed to a 4–0 start highlighted by an 18-6 throttling of the new Connecticut Hammerheads and a 13–12 overtime victory over the defending champion Bayhawks. They entered the postseason as the top seed. However, on the last night of the regular season, a Bayhawks player tested positive for COVID-19. The semifinal game between the second-seeded Hammerheads and third-seeded Bayhawks was canceled as both teams withdrew from the tournament. As a result, the semifinal between the Outlaws and the Boston Cannons was moved to the next day to serve as the championship. In their league-record tenth championship appearance, the Outlaws fell to the Cannons, 13–10. [10]
On December 16, 2020, the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) announced a merger with Major League Lacrosse. [11] The move created a unified outdoor lacrosse league that kept the PLL name and eliminated all home market teams. This left six MLL franchises, including Denver, on the outside. The league retained the rights to the now-retired team identities with the option to use these brands in future expansion. [1]
# | Name | Term | Regular Season | Playoffs | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
GC | W | L | W% | GC | W | L | W% | |||
1 | Jarred Testa | 2006 | 12 | 10 | 2 | .833 | 2 | 1 | 1 | .500 |
2 | Jim Beardsmore | 2007 | 4 | 1 | 3 | .250 | - | - | - | - |
3 | Brian Reese | 2007–2011 | 56 | 38 | 18 | .679 | 7 | 2 | 5 | .286 |
4 | Jim Stagnitta | 2012–2013 | 28 | 25 | 3 | .893 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
5 | B.J. O'Hara | 2014–2018 | 70 | 41 | 29 | .586 | 7 | 6 | 1 | .857 |
6 | Tony Seaman | 2019-2020 | 21 | 13 | 8 | .619 | 3 | 1 | 2 | .333 |
2020 Denver Outlaws | ||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number | Player's Name | Nationality | Position | Height | Weight | College |
2 | Kyle Pless | D | 5 ft 10 in | 178 lb | Rutgers | |
4 | Brian Begley | M | 5 ft 10 in | 185 lb | Loyola | |
5 | Will Snider | M | 6 ft 2 in | 220 lb | Maryland | |
9 | Max Adler (C) | FO | 5 ft 10 in | 180 lb | Bentley | |
10 | Colton Jackson | M | 6 ft 1 in | 200 lb | Denver | |
12 | Andrew Newbold | D | 6 ft 3 in | 210 lb | Sacred Heart | |
18 | Nick Washuta | G | 6 ft 3 in | 195 lb | Vermont | |
20 | Chase Caruso | LSM | 5 ft 11 in | 180 lb | Sacred Heart | |
21 | Garrett Michaeli | D | 6 ft 3 in | 205 lb | Rutgers | |
22 | Michael Rexrode (C) | D | 6 ft 0 in | 180 lb | Rutgers | |
23 | Charlie Hayes | M | 5 ft 11 in | 180 lb | Detroit | |
24 | John Grant Jr. | A | 6 ft 2 in | 220 lb | Delaware | |
32 | Sean Mayle | LSM | 6 ft 1 in | 200 lb | Denver | |
34 | Dylan Jinks | A | 5 ft 10 in | 190 lb | Hartford | |
38 | Casey Dowd | FO | 5 ft 9 in | 220 lb | Siena | |
40 | Christian Knight | G | 6 ft 1 in | 195 lb | Cornell | |
43 | Miles Silva | A | 6 ft 4 in | 225 lb | Army | |
45 | Ryan Lee | A | 6 ft 2 in | 200 lb | RIT | |
46 | Tom Rigney | D | 6 ft 3 in | 225 lb | Army | |
50 | Jack Jasinski | M | 5 ft 7 in | 165 lb | Ohio State | |
57 | Chris Aslanian | A | 6 ft 3 in | 190 lb | Hobart | |
59 | Mikie Schlosser (C) | M | 6 ft 2 in | 180 lb | Michigan | |
68 | Taylor Stuart | D | 6 ft 0 in | 185 lb | Bellarmine | |
77 | Daniel Bucaro | A | 6 ft 2 in | 195 lb | Georgetown | |
80 | James Burr | A | 6 ft 0 in | 190 lb | Boston University | |
88 | Pat Aslanian | M | 6 ft 2 in | 205 lb | Notre Dame | |
(C)- captain
Denver Outlaws | |||||
Year | W | L | % | Regular season finish | Playoffs |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2006 | 10 | 2 | .883 | 1st in Western Conference | Won semifinal 23–14 over San Francisco Dragons Lost championship 23–12 to Philadelphia Barrage |
2007 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2nd in Western Conference | Lost semifinal 13-12 (OT) to Philadelphia Barrage |
2008 | 8 | 4 | .667 | 1st in Western Conference | Won semifinal 13–12 over Los Angeles Riptide Lost championship 16–6 to Rochester Rattlers |
2009 | 9 | 3 | .750 | 1st in Division | Won semifinal over Boston Cannons 11-10 Lost championship to Toronto Nationals 10-9 |
2010 | 8 | 4 | .667 | 2nd in League | Lost semifinal to Long Island Lizards 16-12 |
2011 | 7 | 5 | .583 | 2nd in League | Lost semifinal to Hamilton Nationals 9-11 |
2012 | 11 | 3 | .786 | 1st in League | Won semifinal vs Long Island Lizards 13-12 Lost championship 16–6 to Chesapeake Bayhawks |
2013 | 14 | 0 | 1.000 | 1st in League | Lost semifinal vs. Charlotte Hounds 17-14 |
2014 | 9 | 5 | .643 | 2nd in League | Won semifinal vs New York Lizards 14-13 Won championship vs. Rochester Rattlers 12-11 |
2015 | 7 | 7 | .500 | 5th in League | Did not Qualify |
2016 | 8 | 6 | .571 | 3rd in League | Won semifinal vs New York Lizards 20-17 Won championship vs. Ohio Machine 19-18 |
2017 | 9 | 5 | .643 | 1st in League | Won semifinal vs Rochester Rattlers 15-8 Lost championship vs Ohio Machine 12-17 |
2018 | 8 | 6 | .571 | 3rd in League | Won semifinal vs. Chesapeake Bayhawks 13-12 Won championship vs. Dallas Rattlers 16-12 |
2019 | 9 | 7 | .563 | 2nd in League | Won semifinal vs. Boston Cannons 17-15 Lost championship vs. Chesapeake Bayhawks 9-10 |
2020 | 4 | 1 | .800 | 1st in League | Lost championship vs. Boston Cannons 10-13 |
Totals | 128 | 63 | .670 | Total Playoff Record 12 - 11 Playoff Win % = .522 |
Major League Lacrosse (MLL) was a men's field lacrosse league in the United States. The league's inaugural season was in 2001. Teams played anywhere from ten to 16 games in a summertime regular season. This was followed by a four-team playoff for the championship trophy, the Steinfeld Trophy, named after founder Jake Steinfeld. League attendance peaked at 6,417 in 2011 and the 2019 average was 4,587.
The Chesapeake Bayhawks were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Annapolis, Maryland. They played in the greater Baltimore metro area beginning with the MLL's inaugural 2001 season, as the Baltimore Bayhawks from 2001–2006 and as the Washington Bayhawks from 2007–2009.
The Dallas Rattlers were a professional men's field lacrosse team as a member of Major League Lacrosse (MLL) based in Frisco, Texas starting in 2018. The franchise was a charter member of the MLL, operating as the Rochester Rattlers in Rochester, New York, from 2001 to 2008 and 2011 to 2017.
The Boston Cannons, formerly known as Cannons Lacrosse Club, is a professional men's field lacrosse team in the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL). Formerly based in Boston, Massachusetts, they played in Major League Lacrosse (MLL) from their inaugural 2001 season to 2020. The team's home field was Veterans Memorial Stadium in nearby Quincy. In the MLL, the team won two Steinfeld Cup championship games in 2011 and 2020, the latter being the MLL's final championship. The Cannons joined the PLL in 2020 following the MLL–PLL merger and were rebranded as the Cannons Lacrosse Club before later being rebranded as Boston Cannons once again when the PLL assigned home cities after the 2023 season.
John Christopher Grant Jr. is an American professional lacrosse coach and retired professional lacrosse player who has played in Major League Lacrosse, the National Lacrosse League, and the Ontario Lacrosse Association. He currently serves as an assistant coach for Redwoods Lacrosse Club of the Premier Lacrosse League.
Anthony Kelly is a retired professional lacrosse player that played on the Chesapeake Bayhawks in the MLL. He has also played for the Rochester Knighthawks and New York Titans in the NLL, the Kentucky Stickhorses in the NALL, and the Los Angeles Riptide, Chicago Machine, Rochester Rattlers, Ohio Machine, and Denver Outlaws of the MLL. He is a faceoff specialist and won a Bronze Medal with U.S. Men's National Indoor Team in 2007. He retired in April 2018.
The Ohio Machine was a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Obetz, Ohio. They first played in the 2012 MLL season and continued through the 2018 season.
The Charlotte Hounds were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) field lacrosse franchise that began play in the 2012 MLL season and ceased operations after the 2018 season. The team played their home games at American Legion Memorial Stadium.
The 2014 Major League Lacrosse season was the 14th season of the league. The season began on April 26, 2014 and concluded on August 23, 2014 with the Denver Outlaws beating the Rochester Rattlers to win the franchise's first Steinfeld Cup.
The 2015 Major League Lacrosse season was the 16th season of FIL-sanctioned lacrosse in the United States and Canada, the 16th with a national first-division league, and the 15th season of Major League Lacrosse. The season featured 8 total clubs. The regular season was held from April 12 through July 25, with the semifinals on August 1 and the championship game on August 8 in Kennesaw, Georgia. The defending Steinfeld Cup champions are the Denver Outlaws, while the Rochester Rattlers finished as the runner-up.
The Atlanta Blaze were a professional men's field lacrosse team in Major League Lacrosse (MLL). The Blaze became the ninth team in MLL as an expansion team for the 2016 season and played its home games at Atlanta Silverbacks Park in Atlanta, Georgia.
The 2016 Major League Lacrosse season was the 16th season of Major League Lacrosse. The season featured 9 teams after the addition of the Atlanta Blaze via expansion. It was the first season since 2008 that the league fielded more than eight teams. The defending champion New York Lizards were coming off their third Steinfeld Cup victory in franchise history and first since 2003 after defeating the Rochester Rattlers 15–12 August 8, 2015 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Georgia. On August 20, the Denver Outlaws won their second Steinfeld Cup trophy in three years, coming back to defeat the Ohio Machine, 19–18.
The 2017 Major League Lacrosse season was the 17th season of Major League Lacrosse. Featuring the same nine teams as 2016, the season began on April 22. All four games played on opening weekend were won by the road team and decided by one goal, two in overtime. The season culminated in the championship game on August 19 in Frisco, Texas at The Ford Center at The Star. In a rematch of the 2016 championship game, the Ohio Machine defeated the Denver Outlaws 17–12, capturing their first Steinfeld Cup in franchise history.
The 2018 Major League Lacrosse season is the 18th season of Major League Lacrosse. The season began on Saturday, April 21 with three games. For the third straight year, the league consists of nine teams playing 14 games each. However, the league announced on November 16, 2017 that the Rochester Rattlers, one of the league's four remaining charter franchises, would relocate to Frisco, Texas and become the Dallas Rattlers. The reigning champions for the first time are the Ohio Machine, who would take a hard fall and finish 3-11 in 2018. The season culminated on Saturday, August 18 with the Denver Outlaws hoisting their third Steinfeld Trophy in Charleston, South Carolina at MUSC Health Stadium after defeating the Rattlers, 16-12.
The 2019 Major League Lacrosse season was the 19th season of Major League Lacrosse. The regular season began on Friday, May 31 and ended on Sunday, September 22. It was the first time the league would ever begin its season after Memorial Day, allowing all players selected in the collegiate draft to play a full season. 2019 also marks the first time each team would play 16 games. The league has played a 14-game schedule since 2012. Additionally, the league returned to a Championship Weekend format instead of a two-week postseason for the first time since 2013. Championship Weekend was hosted in Denver with two semifinal games on Friday, October 4 and the 19th Steinfeld Cup was hosted at Dick's Sporting Goods Park October 6 on ESPN2.
The 2019 Dallas Rattlers season was the seventeenth season for the Rattlers franchise of Major League Lacrosse, and second season playing in Frisco, Texas since relocating from Rochester, New York.
The 2019 Chesapeake Bayhawks season was the last season for the Bayhawks franchise of Major League Lacrosse, and tenth season using the 'Chesapeake' Bayhawks moniker. It is Dave Cottle's second season of his second tenure as head coach of the team. In 2018, Cottle led the Bayhawks to their first playoff appearance in five years.
The 2019 Denver Outlaws season was the fourteenth season for the Outlaws franchise of Major League Lacrosse. It was also the first season under head coach Tony Seaman, who previously served as general manager before B.J. O'Hara took the head coaching job for the New York Lizards. The Denver Outlaws had a very strong team, having 7 players go to the All Star game.
The Connecticut Hammerheads were a Major League Lacrosse (MLL) professional men's field lacrosse team based in Fairfield, Connecticut. The team played for one season during the 2020 season. The team's home field was Rafferty Stadium located on the campus of Fairfield University.
The 2020 Major League Lacrosse season was the 20th season of Major League Lacrosse. Each of the six teams were slated to play a ten-game regular season starting on May 30, until the COVID-19 pandemic suspended the season. On July 2, the league announced teams would play a five-game regular season over the course of a quarantined week in Annapolis, Maryland at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, the home of the Chesapeake Bayhawks. The regular season was scheduled to begin play on Saturday, July 18 with a four-team postseason the next weekend on July 25–26.