With Denver Outlaws in Premier Lacrosse League championship for first time, local great Eric Law readies for what’s next
On a rain-soaked evening in Kennesaw Georgia Eric Law cemented his legacy as one of the greatest scorers in the history of field lacrosse Law netted five goals in the Major League Lacrosse championship that night including the game-winner with seconds left on a diving over-the-shoulder shot with two defenders draped all over him It earned Law MVP honors in the Denver Outlaws epic - comeback win over the Ohio Machine the second of three MLL titles for the Outlaws that Law played a central role in Fast forward to this season and Law remains ready to do whatever it takes to help the Outlaws win another championship Only this time it won t be with a stick in his hand as the Outlaws face the New York Atlas in the Premier Lacrosse League championship next Sunday I m going to do anything and everything I can besides stepping on that field to help out Law explained Whether that be giving guys advice on the sideline if I see something that I think we can exploit and attack helping the coaches out if there s tricky plays where we have to make a split-second decision if we re going to challenge or not If I need to be the person filling up water bottles and passing them out that s what I ll do Any and all tasks to help the club win I m ready for it One of Colorado s all-time lacrosse legends Law hasn t communicated his retirement yet but the end is likely next Sunday The Arapahoe High School and DU Pioneers product has only played in one event this season and won t play in the championship He s taken on a mentorship role on the roster for the reborn Outlaws who are in their second year as a PLL franchise He s been such a great leader for us over the last two years Denver Outlaws coach Tim Soudan announced He was vocal in our training camp he s been vocal on our video chats We had a ton of young guys last year who needed a kick in the butt and selected leadership and to be shown how to do things the right way Coming from the coaches it s not inevitably received as well as when it comes from a veteran like Eric Law It s another part of the recipe that s got us into the championship Guys really respect him Law a five-time MLL all-star and the league s offensive player of the year in will finish his career seventh all-time in one-point goals with He s also the all-time field lacrosse leader in shooting percentage among players with at least career shots His is nearly higher than the next-closest athlete on the list Sunday marks Law s fifth title contest in his eight seasons in the organization with five years playing for the Atlas sandwiched between his two stints for Denver Last year Law had points goals in six games for Denver but saw his role diminish this year due to the potency of four young stars who are headlining the Outlaws offense Pat Kavanagh points goals leads the Outlaws attack while Brennan O Neill and Logan Wisnauskas have also been key Midfielder Jared Bernhardt has added points goals Denver traded for Kavanagh the younger brother of former Outlaws star Matt Kavanagh in the offseason The club signed Bernhardt as a free agent just after the start of the season and drafted Wisnauskas first overall in and O Neill first overall in All four players won the Tewaaraton Award for the the greater part outstanding athlete in college lacrosse and the quintet was a primary motivation for Law to return to the gang in That and the chance for Law to play in front of his -month-old son Welles a feat he accomplished on Aug during the league s stop at Peter Barton Stadium at DU One big reason I yearned to come back at least for one more year is because I knew the talent we had on this club and I knew how young we were going to be on offense Law announced I craved to be that guy to help guide these guys along especially with the resurgence of the Outlaws coming back as a PLL gang This brand this gang means a lot to me and who I am as a lacrosse person It s been an identity for myself for a handful of years so I still sought to be a part of it And being a new dad I really requested to play in front of my kid at least one time Helen H Richardson The Denver PostDenver Outlaws attackman Eric Law motions to a teammate during their home opener against the Charlotte Hounds at Mile High Stadium on May Photo by Helen H Richardson The Denver Post Now Law has one final box to check Helping his Outlaws beat the Atlas next Sunday at Sports Illustrated Stadium in Harrison New Jersey Denver topped New York in a thriller in the battle Law played in - as Jared Bernhardt scored the game-winner in OT to clinch the Western Conference s No seed Former DU star Trevor Baptiste is one of the Atlas headliners The Outlaws are making their first PLL championship appearance and th overall after title games in the MLL But unlike the MLL days the club is presently Denver in name only The PLL is a touring league with a model that Denver veteran defenseman Jesse Bernhardt who also played in the MLL believes has reinvigorated men s professional outdoor lacrosse The way we ve been operating has been great because it allows people from all across the country to see our product and maybe expose it to people who haven t gotten the chance to experience it Bernhardt reported We re bringing the show to them and it s been a good change for the players too Still both Soudan and Law hope that geographically-based teams with local owners home schedules and public ties are on the horizon During the Outlaws -year tenure in the MLL the organization was primarily owned by the Bowlen family and played its home games at the Broncos stadium Prior to the relaunch of the Outlaws in the PLL company was known as the Chrome Lacrosse Club At the end of the day when it really comes down to it the reason the PLL assigned home cities to teams is to move that direction eventually Soudan disclosed It s just a matter of when is the right time to do it Related Articles Nuggets Journal Denver s th roster spot is open Are there still weaknesses to address Rockies late rally falls short against Padres who pound out hits at Coors Field Carmelo Anthony says I know what I gave to the championship in night of tears memories for Hall of Fame class CSU Rams total in final minute survive massive upset scare from Northern Colorado Keeler Coach Prime shouldn t dream of starting any other CU Buffs QB at Houston than Ryan Staub When that time comes E Law could find himself back with the Outlaws He s been getting into broadcasting over the last decade calling games for DU as well as the National Lacrosse League s Colorado Mammoth Law also serves as the director of lacrosse maturation for Denver City Lax which aims to expand opportunities in the sport for youth in underserved neighborhoods in the city But a professional coaching job could also be in his future In various avenues this role with the Outlaws this season has been a preview of that possibility As long as they ll have me I d love to keep representing the Denver Outlaws after I m done playing Law commented Want more sports news Sign up for the Sports Omelette to get all our analysis on Denver s teams
