Major League Lacrosse (MLL) 2009 Playoff Bracket
12 Aug
The field has been set for the New Balance Championship weekend in Annapolis, MD. We’ll take a look at the match-ups below. If you’re not in Maryland that weekend, be sure to tune into ESPN2HD to watch the 12pm semifinal game live on Saturday (August 22nd), followed by the finals on Sunday (August 23rd) at 1pm.
MLL 2009 Playoff Bracket
#1 Denver Outlaws vs. #4 Boston Cannons
Match-up: Denver was hot all season, finishing with a league best nine wins, and only three losses. One of those losses was to Boston in week 8 in a one-goal game. The two teams also faced eachother in week 2, and that time Denver came out on top, but it was also a one-goal game. The semi-finals will be the rubber-match, and it should be another close one.
Players to watch: The Cannons rely heavily on scoring from the midfield with Paul Rabil (33 goals), Poskay, and Downing. The Outlaws top-three scorers are their attackmen – Brendan Mundorf, Drew Westervelt, and Matt Brown – who combined put up 84 goals in the regular season.
#2 Toronto Nationals vs. #3 Long Island Lizards
Match-up: Just like the Denver/Boston matchup, Toronto and Long Island both are 1-1 against each other this season. In Week 3 the Lizards took home the win by a score of 13-9. Seven weeks later, the Nationals had their way with the Lizards and rolled to a 19-9 victory. Toronto has been hot as of late, and capped off the season with an impressive win over #1 seeded Denver. Toronto has also been sparked by the return of 2008 MVP John Grant Jr. who just came back from reconstructive knee surgery.
Players to watch: John Grant Jr. put up five goals in the first half against Denver last week in his first game back. Look to see if his knee is capable of going a full game, keeping in mind that the semi-finals are on Saturday and the finals are on Sunday – affording no time for rest. Merrick Thomson has been incredible at attack with 44 goals, while Joe Walters has been tearing up the midfield. Tim Goettelmann leads the goal scoring at attack for the Lizards, with Danowski leading in points with 14 assists. Peyser and Berger lead the scoring from the midfield, who combined scored 35 goals this season.
