Princeton University Athletics
Sims' Big Weekend Falls Just Short As Denver Drops MLL Final
August 23, 2009 | Men's Lacrosse
Josh Sims had a pretty good first 113 minutes of the Major League Lacrosse championship weekend. The last seven didn't quite go as well as they could have.
Sims, a 2000 Princeton grad, scored six goals and set the MLL record for career playoff goals, only to see his Denver Outlaws come up one goal short of the championship. Toronto used a Shawn Williams goal with 45 seconds remaining to defeat Denver 10-9 in the MLL final at Navy-Marine Corps Stadium in Annapolis.
All three games on the weekend were decided by one goal.
Sims scored four goals, including three in the fourth quarter, to lead Denver to an 11-10 win over the Boston Cannons in the semifinals Saturday. Ryan Boyle '04 had two goals and an assist for the Cannons in that game.
Toronto, which relocated from Rochester after the franchise won the 2008 MLL title, then defeated Long Island 14-13 in the other semifinal.
Sims scored Denver's first goal of the final midway through the first, giving him 28 career MLL playoff goals, the all-time record. Sims, whose record is even more impressive given that he is a midfielder, is one of nine players who have played all nine seasons in the league's history.
Sims then snapped an 8-8 tie with an extra-man goal with 7:17 to play in the game, but Denver could not hold on. Toronto goalie Brett Queener, who played the second half with a broken hand, almost set up the winning goal in the final two minutes with an end-to-end rush, only to have Denver goalie Jesse Schwartzmann make a big save. Denver could not take advantage of its possession, and Toronto then called timeout 1:11 to play. Joe Walters then drew a double-team and fed Williams for the game-winner.
Toronto won the face-off and killed off all but the final five seconds.