Colorado Lacrosse

on July 27, 2008

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Outlaws cream Chicago Machine, 15-13
DENVER—July 26, 2008—7,993 fans filled INVESCO Field at Mile High to watch the Denver Outlaws become the 2008 MLL Western Conference Champions. The Outlaws defeated the Chicago Machine, 15-13, in a nail-biting game that gave them an undefeated home game record, the only one in the league. With four goals and one assist, Brian Langtry was named the Bud Light MVP.

In a close game, Langtry opened up the field with two consecutive goals. The Leveille brothers teamed up to answer those goals with Mike on the assist to older brother Kevin. Matt Brown’s goal widened the Outlaws’ lead, but Chicago closed out the first quarter tying the game three all.

Ryan Powell showed up for the Outlaws scoring the first goal of the second quarter giving the Outlaws a 4-3 advantage. That lead was short-lived with three unanswered markers from the Machine by Jake Deane, Kevin Leveille, and Nicholas Schmidt. Like the first quarter, the second wrapped up with the game tied at 7-7 thanks to Outlaws goals by Drew Westervelt and Brendan Mundorf.

The Machine’s Terry Kimener came out of the locker room swinging with a goal at 1:22. Denver followed up that with a three-goal streak. Tying the game with a two-point goal was Machine midfielder Steven Brooks. In a four-goal performance, Kevin Leveille scored with 3:00 minutes left in the third, but Mundorf was quick to answer putting the Outlaws up by one going into the final quarter.

The Leveille connection stayed solid with yet another goal by Kevin, assisted by Mike. Outlaws attackman Mundorf completed his hat-trick thanks to a goal at 4:15. Sealing the deal for the Outlaws was a goal by Powell and Langtry with a final score of 15-13, the same as the first meeting between the Machine and Outlaws.

With the nearly 8,000 fans in attendance tonight, the Outlaws broke another attendance record. The Denver Outlaws tallied 65,118 total fans this season at INVESCO Field at Mile High, breaking the previous total attendance record that they set last season with 63,552 fans.

The Outlaws finish up their dominating season in Boston against the Cannons on August 9th before heading to Championship Weekend August 23rd and 24th.

GAME PREVIEW: CHICAGO

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on July 26, 2008

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The Denver Outlaws destroyed the San Francisco Dragons, 15-8, last Saturday with help from Matt Brown. For his season-high six goal performance, Brown was named the game’s Bud Light MVP and the league’s Offensive Player of the Week. The victory puts the Outlaws at the top of the MLL and gives them a 1.5 game lead over Los Angeles.

Even though the Outlaws had a game in California, it was far from quiet in Denver. On Thursday the best of the league convened at INVESCO Field at Mile High for the 2008 MLL All-Star Game. Outlaws coach Brian Reese and his coaching staff led the Western Conference to a staggering 31-15 win over the East. Denver’s own Ryan Powell received the Bud Light MVP honors for his record-tying six goals and one assist performance.

Mammoth player to retire

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on July 25, 2008

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The Colorado Mammoth lost all-star defenseman and assistant captain John Gallant in the National Lacrosse League expansion draft Thursday. Gallant, a Canadian native who teaches at Denver’s Stanley British Primary School, was selected by Boston with the fifth pick.

Before the draft, Gallant, 30, told Blazers management that he cannot travel weekly to Boston to play for the team because of his Denver-based career. Consequently, Gallant said he will reluctantly retire from the NLL. Unless, however, Boston picked him as a bargaining chip for a future trade with the Mammoth.

“Obviously, I’ve spent my entire career with this franchise and I would love to stay here,” Gallant said. “So I hope this is not the end of it.”

Mammoth general manager Steve Govett was not available for comment.

Gallant played six seasons for the Mammoth, enhancing his reputation for toughness when he returned from injury to play in the 2006 NLL championship game, which Colorado won 16-9 over Buffalo.

Toronto goaltender Mike Poulin was selected with the first pick in the draft. The Blazers chose 12 players, one from each team.

WEST TAKES ALL-STAR GAME, 31-15

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on July 21, 2008

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DENVER, Colo. – On a night where breaking records seemed to occur every few moments, attackman Ryan Powell put up a record-setting performance of his own as the Western Conference All-Stars defeated the Eastern Conference All-Stars by a 31-15 margin at the 2008 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game in front of 10,124 fans at INVESCO Field at Mile High on Thursday night.

It was the Western Conference’s first victory against the Eastern Conference in two All-Star meetings. The teams combined to score an All-Star Game record 47 points, eclipsing the previous record set in the 2001 LacrosseStar Game.

Playing in front of his hometown fans, Powell set an All-Star Game record by scoring six goals and also added an assist for a seven-point effort, matching the All-Star record. Attackman Kevin Leveille also matched the All-Star Game points mark by scoring three goals with four assists.

MLL ALL-STARS FACE-OFF TONIGHT

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on July 17, 2008

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DENVER—The best lacrosse players in the world will put their talent on display in Denver tonight at the 2008 Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game. Tonight’s game starts at 10 PM ET/8 PM MT and can be viewed live on ESPN2 and ESPN2HD with Joe Beninati and Quint Kessenich calling the action.

And don’t forget that halftime features the Bud Light Skills Competition which consists of a two-point shot contest, a fastest shot contest, and a freestyle contest.

Tickets to the All-Star Game are still available through Ticketmaster, by calling 303-830-TIXS (8497) or online at www.ticketmaster.com. Group tickets are available by phone by calling 303-OUTLAWS.

Prior to the game, the Denver Outlaws will team up with Esurance, the team’s official “green” sponsor, and The Park People to plant trees in a special ceremony at 6 p.m. at the Sports Legends Mall on the south side of INVESCO Field at Mile High. Local youth lacrosse teams and volunteers will also join the effort to beautify the stadium’s surroundings for future generations.

MLL Week 10 Feature: Stars Align

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on July 17, 2008

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Rookies, Outlaws litter rosters, with up to 12,000 fans expected for tonight’s MLL All-Star Game

It’s doubtful that tonight’s Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game will extend past 1:30 a.m. local time in Denver like Major League Baseball’s 15-inning midsummer showcase did late Tuesday at Yankee Stadium in New York.

But on the East Coast, it might get close. The MLL’s seventh all-star event begins at 8 p.m. Mountain time (10 p.m. Eastern) at Invesco Field at Mile High and will be broadcast live on ESPN2. Two-and-a-half hours are allotted on the television schedule for the game, which means a possible ending around 12:30 a.m. for Easterners.

So for those in the traditional lacrosse hotbeds, prepare for less shut-eye tonight if you plan on sticking out the entire game, which for the second straight year pits the Eastern Conference against the Western Conference. (But also take note of the growing popularity of the game, and the roughly 12,000 fans expected to attend tonight’s game.)

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Powells get kicks with sticks

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on July 17, 2008

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Overcoming the middle-child syndrome, Ryan Powell has earned recognition sandwiched between a brother who is a pro lacrosse league’s top scorer and another who is college lacrosse’s most decorated player.

There are studies that suggest a middle child can get lost in the shuffle. Yet the Denver Outlaws attacker has found an identity between big brother Casey, the all-time Major League Lacrosse scoring leader, and little brother Mikey, who set records while at Syracuse.

Tonight, Ryan Powell will stand alone at Invesco Field at Mile High and lead the West squad in the MLL All-Star Game. Mikey, 25, is recovering from a hamstring injury and was taken off the East squad, while Casey, 32, was left off the East roster.

But without his brothers, Ryan, 30, wouldn’t be an all-star tonight. Their friendship and competitiveness forged an incredible brotherhood in the sport’s history.

“Winning is very important to them,” their mother Sue said. “They love to win, so you always know if they lose, someone is going to be heartbroken.

Recharged Langtry leads 7 Outlaws All-Stars

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on July 17, 2008

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Don’t liken Brian Langtry to a fine wine.

Cheesy as it sounds, it’d be more apt to compare the Denver Outlaws midfielder to a new-model digital camera.

It’s not that Langtry has gotten better with age. It’s that he has an expanded focus and a better view of the big picture. And that’s how the 32-year-old enters the Major League Lacrosse All-Star Game Thursday night at Invesco Field at Mile High (8 p.m., ESPN2) tied for second in the league scoring race in what largely is a younger man’s game.

“I have refocused quite a bit,” said Langtry, the oldest of the 27 players on the Outlaws roster and one of seven Denver All-Stars. “I think I am seeing the game better, and I think I can keep doing it if I stay in shape. I just started a pretty intense program of running this week. It’s the first time I have really pushed myself in years.”

The results have shown on the field, where Langtry has compiled 36 points in helping the Outlaws to a Western Conference-best 6-3 mark.

Stars out at Invesco - Eight Outlaws, MLL’s best on display tonight

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on July 17, 2008

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Once a niche or East Coast sport, lacrosse over the past decade has grown tremendously in terms of becoming a mainstream sport like baseball, basketball and hockey in America.

This has especially been the case in Colorado since the 2006 expansion of Major League Lacrosse brought us the Denver Outlaws. And MLL has rewarded Colorado and the Outlaw fans with the hosting of the MLL All-Star Game, which will be held at 8 tonight at Invesco Field.

If that wasn’t enough, the Outlaws are tied for the league’s best record at 6-3, and have the league’s best eight players on the Western Conference roster.

OUTLAWS HOST 2008 MLL ALL-STAR GAME JULY 17

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