WHO

Denver (9-5) vs. Rochester (8-6)

WHEN

Saturday, 4:30 p.m. ET (Lax Sports Network/Twitter)

WHERE

Peter Barton Stadium at the University of Denver

SEASON SERIES

May 27 – Rochester 16, Denver 15
July 20 – Rochester 18, Denver 12

Rochester attackmen Ty Thompson and Conor Gately are the only two players on the team to have scored in both games against the Outlaws. Three of Gately’s 10 goals and four of his fourteen points came against the Outlaws.

MVP BUZZ

Denver – Eric Law, Attack

Law tied for the league lead in points (52) and scored in all 13 games he played. Only once did he put up fewer than three points in a game. In two games against Rochester, he combined for seven points (five goals, two assists).

Rochester – Jordan Wolf, Attack

The Rattlers’ leading scorer (29 goals, 15 assists, 44 points) missed the second matchup between the two teams, but in the first contest he put up nine points (five goals, four assists), including an assist on Jeremy Boltus’s game-winning goal.

X-FACTOR

Denver – Thomas Kelly, Faceoff

In the first game, a one-goal contest, Kelly won 20 of 33 faceoffs. On the season, Kelly, an all-star, won 56.7 percent of his faceoffs. He did not play in the second game, and as a team, Denver only just 47 percent of the faceoffs. Denver went 1-2 in games without Kelly.

Rochester – Jordan MacIntosh, Midfield

In the second matchup against Denver, Rochester was without two of its top three scorers, but the team still put up its second-highest goal total of the season. MacIntosh led the way with four goals and an assist.

UNDER THE RADAR

Denver – Finn Sullivan, Defense

Three other members of the Denver defensive unit (Jack Kelly, Michael Simon, and B.J. Grill) have been named Defensive Player of the Week this season, but Sullivan is just as valuable to Denver. He has started all 14 games, led the team in caused turnovers, and — according to statistics compiled by Moneyball Lacrosse — he was tied for fourth in the league in end-line run-outs.

Rochester – Drew Simoneau, Faceoff

Yes, he was an all-star in 2017, but he still did not get the notoriety he deserved. The second-year player improved his winning percentage from 53.8 percent to 57.0 percent, which was second amongst players who took at least 40 faceoffs. He also was second in the league in ground balls (117), one of just two players to eclipse 100.

NOTEWORTHY

Denver

The last time the Outlaws hosted a playoff game at Peter Barton Stadium, they defeated the Lizards 14-13 and advanced to the 2015 championship game, where Denver won its first MLL championship. Five players from that team (Law, Matt Bocklet, Jeremy Sieverts, Drew Snider and Michael Simon) are still with the team.

Rochester

The Rattlers enter the playoffs as the league’s hottest team, riding a four-game winning streak. In that stretch, they defeated the top two teams in the league standings and held opponents to 10.25 goals per game. They had allowed 13.30 goals per game in the previous 10 games.