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OUTLAWS LOOK TO RECOVER

07/16/2009 9:43 AM

Brian Langtry is a leader for the Outlaws

By: Jessica Fadale

Denver Outlaws at Washington Bayhawks

Saturday, July 18^that 7 PM ET

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD

After a bye week for both teams, the Denver Outlaws (6-2) will travel to Annapolis, Maryland to take on the Washington Bayhawks (5-3). The last time these two teams met, Denver emerged victorious by a score of 20-16. However, since that meeting in week three, both teams have changed drastically.

Last Week:

Putting it Behind Them

On a July Fourth event, the Denver Outlaws lost to the Boston Cannons in a heartbreaking one-goal defeat in front of their home crowd. It was the Outlaws first loss since week one of the season.

After getting off to a strong start, the Outlaws were stopped in their tracks by the Cannon’s big guns Kyle Sweeney, Ryan Boyle, and Paul Rabil. While the game went back-and-forth throughout the remaining quarters, it was Boston that ultimately sealed the deal.

“I think it helps bring us back to reality a little bit,” said Coach Brian Reese about the recent loss. “It wasn't really emotional, but just helps us realize that you need to bring your ‘A’ game every night.”

Reflecting on their latest loss, Coach Reese believes that his team did not play their best offensive or defensive game.

“We didn't move the ball or our feet off ball enough on offense. We settled for decent shots instead of working to get great shots,” said Coach Reese. “Defensively, we had a few mental lapses. Some times we played bad individual defense and some times we played poor team defense.”

In the upcoming meeting with the Bayhawks, the Outlaws are going to be sure not to take this comeback team lightly.

Two in the Bag

The Bayhawks recently picked up their second victory in a row, showing signs of life late in the season. After taking down Chicago in week seven and crushing Long Island on the Fourth of July by a decisive score of 14-7, the Bayhawks are on a roll.

Coach John Tucker talked about how he attributes the turnaround to having a consistent lineup. Both the players and the coaches have a better understanding of the roles of each player. He also credits the victory to improved management of the clock as well as limiting the number of turnovers.

Facing the top team in the league, the Bayhawks know this one is going to be a battle.

“It’s going to be tough to control their offense,” said Coach Tucker about facing the Denver attack. “We need to play at a slower pace to have any chance for success.”

After two straight weeks of triumph, the Bayhawks are going to put up a fight against the leading Denver Outlaws.

Huntley is hungry for a goal

This Week:

Getting Back on Track

After the bye week, the Outlaws are going to have to refocus as they travel to Annapolis, Maryland to take on the Bayhawks.

This week, the Outlaws will be looking to their veterans to step up and lead the team. “Guys like Langtry, Zink, and Sims need to get our team to put that last loss behind us and learn from it and play much more intense and focused,” said Coach Reese.

The Denver defensive unit will have their hands full with Bayhawk scorers Kyle Dixon and Kevin Huntley. The Outlaw D-men will have to play sound one-on-one defense to limit their production. It is also important to keep an eye on Dixon at all times—this guy can easily bank one in from outside of the 2-point arc.

“They also have good role players like Spencer Ford who always seems to make the right play,” said Coach Reese about the Bayhawks strengths. “They also have the best FO guy in the league so everyone on the FO unit has to be ready to compete and not let Alex Smith get into a groove.”

While it is clear that the Outlaws are going to have some stiff competition, Denver boasts one of the strongest offensive units in the league. Drew Westervelt, Brendan Mundorf, and Matt Brown have proven to be a formidable attack. With Josh Sims and Brian Langtry in the midfield and Lee Zink, Thomas Garvey, and Tom Ethington at defense, the Outlaws are a solid team from end line to end line.

Goalkeeper Jesse Schwartzman is the final link to the Denver lineup. With the second most saves after playing the most minutes out of any goalie in the league, Schwartzman has proved to be a valuable asset on the field each game for the Denver squad.

Looking for Their Third W

After taking home two big victories, the Bayhawks will push this week to keep the momentum going as they take on the top-ranked Denver Outlaws.

“We’re going to prepare for a well coached team that doesn’t make a lot of mistakes,” said Coach Tucker about what he will be focusing on in practice this week. “All of them score; we have to play team defense and try to manage the game.”

Washington will focus on the biggest threats on the field—the fearsome Outlaw offense.

“We expect certain players to score two goals a game,” said Coach Tucker. “Westervelt, Matt Brown, Mundorf—those are the biggest problem for us because any one of them can get six goals in a night.”

When facing the Outlaw all-star attack, the Bayhawks will be relying on players like goalkeeper Chris Garrity and D-man PT Ricci to come up with big games.

The goal scoring won’t be all one-sided though, Kyle Dixon and Jed Prossner will be heading up the Bayhawks offensive drives. The team will be looking to them to bring some firepower throughout this matchup.

With leading 2-point scorer Kyle Dixon and all-star faceoff guy Alex Smith, the Bayhawks have some weapons on their roster they will use to take on the number one team in the league. Don’t count the underdogs out just yet.

Make sure you watch this exciting matchup between the Denver Outlaws and the Washington Bayhawks! Follow the game live on PointStreak or check back with the MLL website for the post game recap Saturday night. For tickets, call 866.99.HAWKS (42957) or go to http://www.washingtonbayhawks.com/tickets/season/.

The New Balance Major League Lacrosse Championship Weekend is August 22-23 at Navy-Marine Corp Memorial Stadium in Annapolis, MD. For tickets call 1-866-MLL-TIXX or visit www.mllchamps.com for more information.

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