When an opposing offense takes a shot on the Denver Outlaws, Ryan Terefenko’s mind goes to water polo.
A goalie in the pool from second grade through his sophomore year in high school, Terefenko remembers how every player starts swimming in the opposite direction the moment a shot is taken.
In the water, getting momentum going is crucial as everyone bursts towards the other end of the pool to either start or limit transition. His job, after saving the ball, was to hit those players with a pass as they swam towards the opposite goal.
That’s why, right when Terefenko sees a shot taken on Logan McNaney, he turns his head and explodes toward midfield.
“I’ve probably watched water polo two or three times in my life,” McNaney laughed. “But I can understand that mindset that he has.”
The 2025 George Boiardi Hard Hat SSDM of the Year, Terefenko is one of the fastest players in the league. With a step or two of a jump, he’s practically impossible to catch once his goalie throws an outlet pass.
“Flat out, he’s one of the most athletic guys in the league, super fast. He sees the field well,” McNaney said. “In the clearing game, he’s a guy that you can get the ball to off a quick save, and he can run it down the field and push transition and start the offense quickly.”
Terefenko leads the league in clears since 2022 with 290 (6.7 per game). The next closest is Patrick Resch with 201 (5.2 per game).
“It’s always been something that I really take pride in,” Terefenko said. “It’s just my job. My job is to take the ball from the defensive end as fast as I can and get it to the guys who score goals.”
With McNaney in the cage making clean saves, Terefenko has been unlocked. He’s consistently rewarded for the advantages he gets jumping up field. The rookie goalie leads the league in clean save percentage at 60.8%. That means he can get the ball up and out quickly, hitting Terefenko or Denver’s other defensive midfielders streaking up the field.
The Outlaws are the best clearing team in the league, getting the ball past midfield in under 10 seconds on 63.8% of their clears. Terefenko is a big reason why.
“As soon as I see a shot, I have the ultimate faith that Logan’s come up with the save,” Terefenko said. “I’m gonna be one or two steps in front of my guy. Then it’s up to Logan to decide ‘Is this worth taking a shot passing the ball?’”
Watch how, as Terefenko saw the ball head towards McNaney in the cage, he turned upfield and was already past the two-point line when McNaney started to throw the ball. He was past midfield within three seconds of the start of the shot clock.
