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The team members of the Denver Outlaws are back and ready to rumble toward a third playoff season and the MLL championship.
First, a little history about Major League Lacrosse.
Major League Lacrosse was founded in 1999 by lacrosse aficianados Dave Morrow, Jim Davis, Tim Robertson and Jake Steinfeld (You might recognize Steinfeld for his line of fitness equipment: Body by Jake).
The league consists of 350 players, the majority of whom played for major U.S. universities. The MLL season runs from May to August, is played outdoors, and features several rules that differ from traditional lacrosse.
To encourage faster, higher scoring games, a two-point line was created 16 yards from each goal, and a 60-second shot clock was instituted in 2005. The league also limits each team to three long-stick defensemen, eliminating the "long-stick midfielder" as a fourth long pole defenseman, common to traditional lacrosse.
The league began with six teams that started play in June of 2001. In 2006, the Denver Outlaws were added along with the San Francisco Dragons, the Los Angeles Riptide and the Chicago Machine, all of which comprise the Western Conference. The league's growth will continue, with plans for two new teams in the West to even out the teams in each conference. For added exposure, MLL recently signed a 10-year television deal with ESPN.
The Outlaws made the playoffs its first two seasons, and with key off-season acquisitions, high hopes abound this summer.
New to the Outlaws are two-time league MVP attack man Ryan Powell and midfielder Nate Watkins. The Outlaws acquired the pair via trade with the San Francisco Dragons in exchange for three draft picks. Powell, along with fellow attack man and 2007 Outlaws scoring leader, Brendan Mundorf, should prove to be a lethal 1-2 offensive punch this summer.
Powell has been a household name in MLL since the beginning. He started his career in 2001 after he was a three-time All-American at Syracuse University. He spent the majority of his career with the Rochester Rattlers and the past two seasons with the Dragons. He won the MVP award in 2001 and 2006. Powell also plays in the National Lacrosse League (indoor lacrosse) for the Portland LumberJax and is Nike"˜s first fully endorsed lacrosse player.
"I'm super excited about just coming to Denver," said Powell in a recent press release. "To be able to play at Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium is incredible. I grew up idolizing John Elway. To call the stadium my home is something I'm excited about."
"The Outlaws are such a great group of guys," he added. "They are definitely contenders for a championship, and hopefully we will bring that championship back to Denver in summer 2008."
Watkins brings a wealth of experience and speed to the Outlaws' midfield. He started his career with the Rattlers and was selected to play with San Francisco in the 2006 expansion draft, so this will be the third team he'll play on with Powell.
"We were able to get two experienced and extremely talented players to add to our team," Outlaws head coach and general manager Brian Reese said of the new additions.
"Ryan is one of the best players in the league and brings a ton of leadership to our attack unit, which is relatively young. He really makes his teammates better. Nate is just as valuable. He is one of the fastest players in the league and can play both defense and offense at the midfield position. We want to play a fast-paced style of lacrosse and Nate fits that style perfectly."
Following a 2-3 start to the 2007 season, Reese stepped in and took over coaching duties. He led the team to five victories in its last seven games. As a result, the Outlaws, again, made the playoffs. Reese is no stranger to lacrosse, playing professionally in both the MLL and NLL from 1998-2005.
"I am really excited about this season," said Reese. "This is probably the most talented roster we have had from top to bottom. We just need to establish confidence in each other and play together to create chemistry. In this league, everyone has talent so it comes down to who wants it more and who plays best as a team."
This year, Invesco Field at Mile High hosts six games (the first two were held in May). Denver, which led the league in attendance last year, was also selected to host this year's MLL All-Star Game on July 17.
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