Outlaws Face Lizards on the Road with Homefield Advantage on the Line
August 4, 2014 - Major League Lacrosse (MLL)
Denver Outlaws News Release
DENVER - The Denver Outlaws (9-4) face the New York Lizards (8-5) on the road this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. EST with homefield advantage for the 2014 MLL Playoffs on the line. The Outlaws can lock up a No. 1 or No. 2 seed and host a semifinal playoff game on Saturday, Aug. 16, if they beat the Lizards or lose by four points or less.
If both Denver and Rochester lose, then tiebreakers come into play, and Denver could still host if its loss is by six or fewer points. More information about tiebreaker and playoff scenarios is available on Major League Lacrosse's website.
Right now Denver sits tied for first with Rochester in the MLL standings, with New York a game back. Each of the top three teams have clinched playoff spots already, with Ohio and Boston fighting for the fourth and final playoff spot.
Due to a conflict with the Denver Broncos preseason schedule, if the Outlaws secure homefield advantage, they will host the semifinal playoff game at the University of Denver's Barton Lacrosse Stadium, the only dedicated lacrosse stadium in the nation.
"We are very excited to be in contention to host a MLL playoff game in Denver. One of our goals this season has always been for the team to earn a top seed in order to take advantage of homefield advantage with our great fans," said Director of Sales and Marketing Ted Tseng. "If we do host, we guarantee that the atmosphere at Barton Lacrosse Stadium will be exciting and electric."
Both MLL semifinal games will be broadcast live on CBS Sports Network on Saturday, Aug. 16. If the Outlaws host a semifinal game, it will be broadcast at 3:30 p.m. MST.
The Outlaws hosted the Lizards in Denver on June 14, posting a 16-11 win. Curtis Dickson had four goals and three assists on the night, and goalie Jesse Schwartzman had 15 saves on 21 shots, for an impressive .714 save percentage. With Dickson on the PUP, Denver will look to its top scorers-John Grant Jr. (51 points) Eric Law (48), and Jeremy Sieverts (46)-to have big games, and expect contributions from other key players.
Denver clinched a playoff berth for the ninth time in as many years as a franchise Week 12 of the 2014 MLL season. The Outlaws are the only MLL franchise to appear in the playoffs each year of existence. Denver has earned a No. 1 or No. 2 seed each year they've appeared in the playoffs except for 2007 (No. 4 seed).
Ticket information will be made available to Outlaws season ticket members and the general public later this week.
MLL Playoff Berths by Franchise
Franchise Postseason Berths Years as Franchise Pct.
Denver (2006-14) 9 9 1.000
Boston (2001-13)* 10 13 0.769
Chesapeake (2001-14) 9 14 0.643
New York (2001-14) 8 14 0.571
Rochester (2001-08, 11-14) 6 12 0.500
Charlotte (2012-14) 1 3 0.333
Ohio (2012-13)* 0 2 0.000
Florida (2014) 0 0 0.000
*possibility of 2014 playoff berth still undetermined
OUTLAWS PLAYOFF RESULTS BY SEED
Seed No. Year(s) W L
1 5 "Ë06, '08, '09, '12, '13 4 4
2 2 "Ë10, '11 0 2
3 0 - 0 0
4 1 "Ë07 0 1
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Major League Lacrosse Stories from August 4, 2014
- Outlaws Face Lizards on the Road with Homefield Advantage on the Line - Denver Outlaws
- Cockerton, Fletcher and Holman Named Players of the Week - MLL
- Machine's Marcus Holman Named Player of the Week - Ohio Machine
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