The offense ran through O’Neill the rest of the way, as he finished with a game-high six points (4G 1T, 1A). It’s been an impressive second pro season for the 2023 Tewaaraton Award winner, and this was his biggest performance yet.
But Goliath was only half the story.
The Denver defense is often overshadowed by the offensive starpower, but the veteran-laden group shut down the Redwoods to put the game on ice in the second half. From 2:22 left in the second quarter to 5:26 left in the fourth, California was held without a goal.
That’s more than 20 full minutes of game action without a goal on the board. In that time, Denver went on a 6-0 run to secure its first PLL Western Conference title.
“Having that trust in those guys on the other end, as an offensive player, is huge,” O’Neill said. “It allows you to not think so much and not second-guess.”
Logan McNaney played one of his best games as a pro, making 11 saves at 64.7% in his PLL playoff debut. After struggling with Dylan Molloy in single coverage in the first half, Denver adjusted its slide packages to turn California into a passing team.
JT Giles-Harris won his individual matchup against Chris Kavanagh (1G, 1A), and Mike Manley continued to dominate Ryder Garnsey, who was held without a point.
The Outlaws will now play for a championship for the first time since 2020, and the first time in the PLL. Head coach Tim Soudan returns to the championship game for the first time since he led the Rochester Rattlers to the MLL final in 2015.
Phil Shore: Ice-cold third quarter does in California
For all of the late-game heroics the Redwoods provided this season, especially during a four-game winning streak that brought them to the semifinals, they still were prone to long scoring droughts. That didn’t change in the semifinals, and it ultimately ended the team’s season in a 12-7 loss to the Outlaws.
The Outlaws kept the Redwoods scoreless for 21 minutes, from Molloy’s goal to take a 6-5 lead with 2:22 left in the second quarter until Kavanagh’s long-range shot at the 5:26 mark in the fourth quarter.
“A couple times, guys were trying to do too much,” Kelly said. “I think they got on a little streak where they were winning some faceoffs. We didn’t have a ton of touches. We were rushing a few possessions, threw the ball away. I don’t think they were doing anything different. I think it was a lack of execution.”
The Outlaws shut out California in the third quarter, during which the Redwoods committed seven turnovers while only getting three shots off, zero of which were on goal.
During the 21-minute Redwoods scoreless streak, the Outlaws scored six consecutive goals to put the game out of reach. Brian Tevlin, a finalist for the George Boiardi Hard Hat Award, given to the league’s best short-stick defensive midfielder, said the mindset during that time was to just get a step to get the offense another opportunity.
“Our offense has bailed our defense out a number of times this season,” he said. “We have all the confidence in the world that they can get hot whenever. Our focus is always get a stop, get the ball back to them and let them settle back into the game. … In our mind, it’s just continuing to make stops to put them in the best position where they can get as many touches as possible and as many shots as possible, because when they get hot, it’s really hard to stop.”
California was in a good position for an upset throughout the first half. The Redwoods got on the board first thanks to a two-point goal from Chris Fake, only the second goal of his professional career.
From there, they were powered by Molloy, who had three of the team’s first six goals. Molloy used his size advantage against Jesse Bernhardt early on to attack from behind the cage.
Denver made sure to slide to Molloy better in the second half. He didn’t score again for the remainder of the game, and no one else on the Redwoods was able to capitalize. Molloy was their only multi-goal scorer in the loss.
“He really sets a calming presence on our offense,” Kelly said. “The days he’s been able to go off and score some goals, everyone seems to follow him. He was the guy today, but we didn’t get a lot of production from the rest of the group, but I’m really proud of him for what he’s meant to this group and this organization.”
Chayse Ierlan did his part and continued his strong play in the second half of the season, making 16 saves with a 59.3% save percentage.
While the team’s season ended in a game where Tevlin said the team didn’t have its “best stuff,” he was able to take a look at the big picture and was pleased with the progress the group had made this season.
“At this point last season, the feeling was a lot different,” Tevlin said. “Coming off this field, as terrible as the feeling is losing in the semifinals, there’s a ton to build off of, and there’s a ton to be really excited about.”
