Round 2 of the Rocky Mountain Rivalry between the Utah Archers and Denver Outlaws kicked off Week 10 in the PLL, albeit a little later in the evening due to a lightning delay. The Archers were coming into the game on a two-game winning streak, with a chance to take the outright lead in the Western Conference. The Outlaws were looking for that top spot as well, although they have seemingly been unable to find any sustained level of consistency throughout the season.
It would be the Archers who continued their consistency on offense, winning 16-11 to improve to 5-4 on the season. It’s the third straight game in which Utah has put up 16 or more points; however, their reward is a matchup with the East-leading Maryland Whipsnakes on Saturday night. Denver falls to 4-4 but remains in second place in the West; they face Philadelphia on Saturday night in the back end of their doubleheader.
Steady offense gives Archers halftime lead
Mac O’Keefe opened the scoring at the 2:59 mark for Utah, but Denver countered with goals from Pat Kavanagh (3:51) and Dalton Young (4:53) for a 2-1 lead. Archers then went on a three-goal run, with goals from Ryan Ambler (7:37) and Beau Pederson (8:02), and a 2-point goal from O’Keefe (11:10) making it 5-2. Denver cut the lead to two on John Dunphey’s first career goal with 14 seconds left in the first quarter. Logan Wisnauskas (1:12 second quarter) pulled the Outlaws within 5-4, but Tre Leclaire (3:10) and Sam King (6:26) pushed the Archers’ lead back to three. Jared Bernhardt (6:48) and Ryan Stines (11:35) traded goals, and Utah led 8-5 going into halftime.
Archers pull away in second half for third straight win
O’Keefe fired in his second 2-point goal of the game (3:36 third quarter) to extend Utah’s lead to 10-5. Following a Justin Anderson goal for Denver (7:34), Aidan Maguire (8:21) and Leclaire’s second (9:28) gave Archers a 12-6 lead. Jake Piseno scored a 2-pointer (10:58) to cut into the lead before King beat the buzzer (11:58) with his second of the game, as Archers went into the fourth quarter leading 13-8. Anderson again cut the lead to four (2:01), but a power play goal from Stines (5:44) and a 2-pointer from Leclaire (9:04) put the game out of reach, 16-9. Kavanagh scored a 2-pointer for the Outlaws with 20 seconds left to close the scoring.
Other Stats Of Note
Archers: Leclaire (2g, 1 2-pt g, 2 a); O’Keefe (1g, 2 2-pt g); Stines (2g, 2a); King (2g, 1a); Pederson (1g, 1a); Maguire (1g); Ambler (1g); Leo Johnson (2a); Connor Fields (2a)
Outlaws: Kavanagh (1g, 1 2-pt g, 2a); Anderson (2g); Young (1g, 1a); Piseno (1 2-pt g); Wisnauskas (1g); Bernhardt (1g); Dunphey (1g); Brennan O’Neill (2a); Zach Geddes (1a); Graham Bundy Jr. (1a)
Luke Wierman (Outlaws): 13-23 Faceoffs, 5 Ground Balls
Mike Sisselberger (Archers): 12-12 Faceoffs, 7 Ground Balls (led all players)
Brett Dobson (Archers): 11 saves; Logan McNaney (Outlaws): 7 saves
