MLL Week 13 Preview: Sorting Out the Seeds

It’s been a big year for parity in Major League Lacrosse, and the fact that the playoff seeds are still to be determined entering the last weekend of the regular season indicates that there is not a clear-cut dominant team or teams among the top four.

Denver and Rochester have clinched the Western and Eastern conference championships, respectively, while Los Angeles and the Barrage are guaranteed wild cards. Here’s how this weekend’s games shake out the seeds otherwise:

Denver Outlaws (8-3) at Boston Cannons (6-5)
Saturday, 7 p.m. Eastern
Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Mass.

The Western Conference champion Outlaws can clinch the No. 1 seed in the playoffs with a win or a Rochester loss. Boston, meanwhile, is locked into the No. 6 overall pick in the 2009 collegiate draft.

Washington Bayhawks (3-8) @ Long Island Lizards (5-6)
Saturday, 7 p.m. Eastern
Mitchel Field, Uniondale, N.Y.

The bad news? Both teams are on losing streaks, Washington at seven; Long Island at four. The good news? One of the streaks will end.

New Jersey Pride (5-6) vs. Barrage (7-4)
Saturday, 7 p.m. Pacific
Hillsboro Stadium, Hillsboro, Ore.

If the Barrage wants to be the third seed in the playoffs, it must win and hope that San Francisco upsets Los Angeles.

San Francisco Dragons (3-8) vs. Los Angeles Riptide (7-4)
Saturday, 8 p.m. Pacific
LeBard Stadium, Orange Coast College, Costa Mesa, Calif.

Los Angeles holds the tiebreaker over the Barrage, so if the Riptide wins, coach John Tucker and company will be the third seed. Los Angeles will only be the fourth seed with the combination of a loss and a Barrage win over New Jersey.

Rochester Rattlers (8-3) at Chicago Machine (3-8)
Sunday, 4:30 p.m. Central
Toyota Park, Bridgeview, Ill.

Rochester must win and Denver must lose for the Rattlers to secure the top seed in the playoffs. Either way, the Eastern Conference champion Rattlers will face Los Angeles or the Barrage.