ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Denver Outlaws are back in the Major League Lacrosse championship game. It didn't happen quite like they thought it would, though.
Denver was scheduled to play its first playoff game of the shortened 2020 season on Saturday afternoon against the Boston Cannons in the MLL semifinals. Instead, both that game and the other semifinal matchup between the Chesapeake Bayhawks and Connecticut Hammerheads were canceled -- allowing the Outlaws to advance.
The semifinal games were canceled after one of the players on either Chesapeake or Connecticut tested positive for COVID-19, which led to both teams forfeiting from the postseason.
"The most important priority is the health and wellness of our players," Commissioner Alexander (Sandy) Brown said in a statement.
"We have been prepared, thorough and measured in our response and have followed league protocol. It is thanks to our medical and COVID teams that we have had a rapid and exhaustive response. We look forward to taking the field tomorrow and rounding out our 20th anniversary season."
Saturday's semifinal matchup between Denver and Boston will now be the slate for the title game on Sunday at the United States Naval Academy. The 2020 MLL championship game will be aired on ESPN at noon MT.
It's a shot a redemption for the Outlaws, who lost in the 2019 MLL championship a year ago. It's also an opportunity to avenge their only loss of the regular season (4-1 overall), which was dealt by the Cannons on Friday night.
Denver is seeking its fourth MLL championship title (2014, 2016, 2018).
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