2014 MLL CHAMPIONSHIP
one of a number of moves by a man who became the first coach to lead two different MLL franchises to a title, along with the Rattlers in 2008. Seaman elevated O’Hara, an assistant coach, to the head coaching job. O’Hara replaced Jim Stagnitta, the reigning MLL Coach of the Year who guided Denver to a 14-0 regular season mark in 2013. “We had great leadership,” Grant said. “B.J. and Tony really get what it takes to win in this league, how to organize guys and deal with guys with jobs, lives and commitments elsewhere. Being able to mesh that all together, and get it done on the weekend when you need to get it done.”
The Outlaws already were
MLL’s model franchise. They have led the league in attendance in eight of their nine years and made the playoffs every year with an MLL-best 83-31 record since 2006. But Denver’s postseason woes (4-8 overall and 0-4 in championship games) were worrisome.
“The front office and the
staff are by far the best in the league,’’ said Schwartzman, the second-longest tenured Outlaw behind veteran defenseman Lee Zink, who plans to retire. “And our fans have been great, supporting us for eight years, even though we hadn’t won. I want to say to our fans, ‘Thank you for being patient.’ We finally did this for everyone to enjoy.” LM
BOYS OF
SUMMER
Stories that shaped the MLL season
CP MVP With a franchise in his adopted home state of Florida, Casey Powell played his first full MLL season since 2008 and, at age 38, earned his first league MVP nod. The MLL’s all-time leading scorer finished with a league-high 63 points (30 goals, 33 assists) for the Launch.
SUCCESSFUL LAUNCH Florida also had the MLL Rookie of the
Year in Kieran McArdle, whom Powell took under his wing. The St. John’s product set MLL rookie records for goals (34) and points (49). Florida fizzled after a 4-2 start, losing seven of its last eight.
#OILUP
The Ohio Machine, an MLL bottom dweller going back to its days in Chicago, got a boost from LXM Pro Tour crossovers Kyle Harrison and Peter Baum and thrived behind the young attack line of Marcus Holman (league-high 37 goals), Logan Schuss and Steele Stanwick. Ohio won its last five games to make the playoffs for the first time in franchise history.
SPORTSMANSHIP One bright spot for Chesapeake, do-it-all midfielder Matt Abbott, won the MLL/US Lacrosse Sportsmanship Award. The Rochester Rattlers won the Team Sportsmanship Award. MLL and US Lacrosse struck a partnership to promote safety and sportsmanship.
ROOKIE RACE
Jordan Wolf (Rochester), Justin Ward (Charlotte), Mark Cockerton (Rochester) and Joe Fletcher (New York) also made impressive MLL debuts for the 2014 rookie class that came into the season obviously underrated.
BAYHAWKS BUST After acquiring Brendan Mundorf, Peet Poillon, Joe
Walters, Stephen Peyser and Brian Megill in the offseason, Chesapeake seemed poised for a title three- peat. But not even the late-season acquisition of Kevin Crowley, the 2013 MLL MVP, could bail the Bayhawks out from a 5-9 season.
46 LACROSSE MAGAZINE » october 2014
A Publication of US Lacrosse
©BILL DANIELEWSKI (CP, SP, MA); ©GREG WALL (KH, JW); ©LAUNCH (KM)
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