When Major League Lacrosse announced in July that the Denver Outlaws would host the MLL All-Star Game in 2021 — the league’s 20th-anniversary season — a rival owner had no issue with the selection.

“They’re the No. 1 team in the league,” Chesapeake Bayhawks owner Brendan Kelly said.

And when the Atlanta Blaze stared down a do-or-die scenario against Denver in their regular-season finale in August, Blaze general manager Spencer Ford knew the opponent’s pedigree would present a major obstacle.

“We’re going up against the kings of the MLL,” Ford said.

Forgive Kelly, Ford and the rest of MLL for having Denver envy. It’s justified. In 13 seasons in the league, the Outlaws have made the playoffs 12 times. They’ve played in eight championship games, including the past three, and won the Steinfeld Trophy three times. They also have led the league in attendance each of the past six seasons, thanks largely to their annual-record breaking Fourth of July fireworks game.

No matter how successful the team is, however, the individuals always seem able to view themselves as the underdog. In fact, it’s a characteristic they actively look for in constructing the roster.
 

“We go after guys that really want it. Being overlooked gives you a push,” said John Grant Jr., the former Outlaws attackman and now the offensive coordinator. “When an organization believes in you when others don’t, it’s a boost. It’s immeasurable. They say, ‘These people believed in me when no one else did, so I’ll do whatever I can.’”

“I love guys that have things to prove,” Outlaws general manager Tony Seaman said. “I love guys who don’t have the accolades that others have.”

Many of the players that made up Denver’s championship roster were overlooked at some point. Eric Law and Chris Cloutier were both fourth-round draft picks, as was Romar Dennis. Kylor Bellistri, acquired in a midseason trade, was undrafted. Drew Snider and Mikie Schlosser were sixth-round draft picks.

Faceoff specialist Max Adler, a product of Division II Bentley, and goaltender Jack Kelly were seventh-round draft picks. Dillon Ward, Finn Sullivan, Eli Gobrecht, and Nick Tintle — who was going to retire, according to Seaman — all were supplemental draft picks. Japanese goalie Kaisike Iwamoto made the team out of an open tryout.

Even Matt Kavanagh, who was a first-round draft pick, had some extra motivation over the summer after not being selected to play for Team USA in the FIL World Championship.

“We’ve been very fortunate to have the people that built our roster, from [former GM and coach] Brian Reese to Tony Seaman and [assistant GM] Jon Cohen,” Outlaws president Mac Freeman said. “I’m confident we spend more time watching tape, grading out players, looking through the supplemental draft and identifying guys who might not have played at the biggest programs or been the biggest names. … We put more time into it, and we have great folks putting together rosters. The hard work pays off.”

Sullivan is the perfect example of this approach. Undrafted out of Hofstra in 2016, he was selected by Denver in the fifth round of the 2017 supplemental draft. He has started every game the last two seasons and emerged as the Outlaws’ top defenseman.

“I had to prove I did belong and prove everybody that passed on me that they made a mistake,” Sullivan said.
Grant, who has now won a championship as both a player and a coach for the Outlaws, added it’s not just the front office that puts in countless hours of work.

“I know these guys go to work all week to be ready on the weekend,” he said. “There’s no fakers in this league. If you go out and you’re not in shape, you’ll know pretty quickly. If you don’t work on your stick, you’ll know pretty quickly. We believe guys will do the right thing during the week, and the 60 minutes over the weekend are pure joy for our guys. They’ll do whatever it takes to keep it going for their teammates.”

In addition to the players, coaches and front office staff, Freeman also gave credit to owner Pat Bowlan, who is also majority owner of the NFL’s Denver Broncos. Freeman said the Outlaws attempt to replicate the atmosphere the Broncos have, where the only goal is to win the championship that year — a culture that in term permeates the locker room.

Whether it’s Lee Zink, Jesse Schwartzman or Matt Bocklet, Grant explained that having players that have been a part of the team’s success for several years not only adds invaluable experience, but also it creates continuity.

“It’s easier to fill holes when guys aren’t leaving or quitting,” he said. “It’s cool to have that family atmosphere around something people would say is part-time. It’s awesome to get to go to the field with a bunch of guys that care about each other first. The results are a byproduct of the culture that was built before I even got here.”

All the success Denver has had during its existence would make you think it’s easy, but the Outlaws have had to overcome several obstacles, especially in 2018. A 1-4 start put the Outlaws behind the eight ball. The team endured a season-ending injury to its starting goaltender when Kelly tore up his knee playing for Team USA in Israel.

Dillon Ward, twice relegated to the supplemental draft, made 16 saves in a 16-12 victory over the Dallas Rattlers in the championship game at MUSC Health Stadium in Charleston, S.C. And according to Seaman, Adler “blew the tendons in his foot” in the second quarter but played injured the rest of the game.

What made Freeman call the 2018 season a “special year with a special team” is what Grant described as the team’s grit and camaraderie. 

​“You count on everyone doing their job,” Grant said. “That’s the most important thing. In team sports, if one or two guys don’t do their job, that’s it. You lose. If you put a team that works [together], you’ll do well. Guys refuse to give up.”
 

This article appeared in our November edition of US Lacrosse Magazine.