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MLL Game Photos: Denver Remains Unbeaten

I took in the New York Lizards – Denver Outlaws game on Sunday evening, and a couple of things really stood out to me. I’ll go through some of the bigger story lines for the game, and provide a couple of Game Photos to support each avenue of discussion:

Jeremy Sieverts – Best Player in MLL?

A couple weeks ago I was complimenting the Outlaws on their team assembly, and made the remark that few would trade a guy like Max Seibald away and then hand the reins over to Jeremy Sieverts. Now that I have seen Sieverts play in person in 2013 however, I may have to change my tune. This guy is, quite simply, a dominant force out on the lacrosse field. He is HUGE, runs hard, had lots of confidence, can shoot the daylights out of the ball, and he brings an added level of toughness for Denver. He scores goals AND he does dirty work. Jeremy Sieverts might just be the best player in the MLL right now.

jeremy_sieverts
I’m actually a little intimidated right now.

GREAT Crowd on Hand!

I have never seen a crowd like the one below at a Lizards game. Never out in LI, never in NYC. Half of Hofstra’s Shuart Stadium was packed to the gills, and when goals were scored, the crowd responded. Not bad for a team that had already been eliminated from the playoffs.

mll_crowd

Eric Law – Baller Alert

Eric Law is a great player to watch, and I absolutely love his game. For any kids out there who fear they will be limited by their size, just take a good, long look at Law. He’s not physically imposing (like Sieverts), and he’s not exactly Mike Powell when it comes to quickness, but he scores, contributes, and gives opposing defenses headaches. It’s IQ and stick skills with Law, and he is proof that this combination works at any level.

Jesse Schwartzman – VOCAL

Schwartzman is extremely vocal. I remember this from the Duel in Denver game, but it really came across last night. Schwarty would yell at opposing players when they scored, his own defense when they missed an assignment, the refs… all the time. It’s great to see a field general like that take control, and for his D to buy in. It speaks volumes about Denver’s record this year. Their D plays together, and Schwartsman forces them to!

jesse_schwartzman
Schwarty plays a big game in cage.

New Faces

It was great to see a couple of new faces make their MLL debuts. Fairfield’s Sam Snow made his 2013 debut with Denver, rocking #58, and Joe Vitale (out of Adelphi) got his first burn as a NY Lizard (having played two games for Charlotte last year). With guys like Brendan Mundorf (Denver), Max Seibald (NY), and CJ Costabile (NY) out of this game with injuries, or resting, a few spots opened up for the new guys, which was good to see, especially for two teams whose playoff fates are sealed.

Of all the “non-regulars” to play in the game, Jeff Tundo for NY looked the best. He rang one bouncer off the pipe, and moved the ball well. He looked very at home on the field, and from minute one.

joe_vitale_mll
Joe Vitale driving on Sam Snow.

Records Continue To Fall

Yes, Denver now has the most wins ever, at 13. That’s HUGE. Equally huge? Anthony Kelly setting the Denver single season face off win record, at 189. Stephen Robarge took the majority of the draws for the Outlaws, but Kelly still won 4, and set the new record. Congrats, A-Train!

anthony_kelly
Licking his chops, Kelly is ready to roll.

Bocklet Family Scoring

Chris Bocklet had three goals and three assists. Matt Bocklet had a goal with his long stick, and picked up four ground balls. These guys are ballers, and like Law, they are both great examples of IQ and stick skills above all else. Are they both athletes? Of course. It’s just the best parts of their game are coming from their brains.

Hello, baller.
Hello, baller.

Welcome to the MLL, JoJo!

JoJo Marasco finally scored his first career MLL goal in this game. And then he scored his second career goal. And then his third. It’s definitely a case of too little, too late this year, but it does show that Marasco could have a successful career as an MLL player. Honestly, I was a little bit worried about his performance so far, but this is a good sign for the future.

Better late than never...
Better late than never…

Overall, I had a great time at the game, and I was really impressed at the size of the crowd that turned out. People were there early, in their seats for the opening face off, and packing one side of the stadium. It was a fine sight to see! If you want to go to MLL Championship Weekend, in Philly, and you’re looking for a discount code, Tickets can be purchased by Clicking Here, use the discount code “COMMISH“.

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