The Denver Outlaws won their first Major League Lacrosse championship in 2014. They scored the first goal of the game 19 seconds from the start. The Rochester Rattlers tied the game four minutes later, and Denver would not take the lead again until Drew Snider scored the game-winner with 56 seconds remaining. Despite being down the majority of the game, the Outlaws used a 6-1 fourth-quarter advantage to win the game 12-11 at Fifth Third Bank Stadium in Kennesaw, Ga.

In 2016, after beginning the season 2-6, Denver won its final six regular season games to reach the playoffs and then won their two postseason games to earn the second MLL title in franchise history. Denver overcame two seven-point deficits — and some severe weather that forced a 90-minute delay — to defeat the Ohio Machine 19-18 in the same stadium.

Entering Saturday’s MLL championship game at The Star in Frisco, Texas, Denver now has the chance to join the now-defunct Philadelphia Barrage and the Chesapeake Bayhawks as the only teams in league history to win back-to-back titles. The Outlaws once again showed their ability to finish strong in the MLL semifinals, outscoring the Rochester Rattlers 8-4 in the final quarter to win the game, 15-8. They will face the Machine in a highly anticipated rematch.

Eric Law, who was drafted by the Outlaws in 2013, has played through it all, and previous experiences have taught him to expect the unexpected.

“It’s a long game and anything can happen,” he said. “If you’re up by a couple goals, anything can happen. And if you’re down by a couple goals, you’re not out of it.”

“Any given moment the game can turn in a positive way or a negative way,” he added. “It’s a belief the person next to you will do their job so you can do yours.”

That kind of trust isn’t built overnight, especially considering MLL teams don’t get much time to practice. But Denver has managed to maintain relatively consistent since Tony Seaman took over as the team’s general manager before the 2012 season. B.J. O’Hara took over as head coach in 2014 and became the first coach in MLL history to lead two different teams (Rochester 2008) to titles. The Outlaws retained five players from the 2014 championship team — Law, Matt Bocklet, Jeremy Sieverts, Drew Snider and Michael — and also have John Grant Jr. on the coaching staff. Of the 19 players that dressed for the 2016 MLL championship game, meanwhile, 14 are still on the Denver roster.

“Consistency helps get new faces in the lineup easier,” O’Hara said. “We have a system and style of play. The veterans can break the new guys in. It seems to go smooth as a result. There’s nothing magic about it. We’ve guessed right on some guys we thought would fit in with our group that would help us.”

“Any time you’re getting more than a couple games to play with someone, you can generate that chemistry,” Law added. “You can figure out how certain people play and their strengths and how to play off it. In the league, you get one practice before the game. It’s tough to put things in scheme-wise. We take pride in having a lot of guys in the lineup, so each week we’re not trying to draw something new up.”

The Outlaws’ commitment to roster consistency has helped them remain a consistent title contender. Denver has reached the playoffs 11 times in 12 seasons of existence. Its seven MLL championship game appearances are the most in league history.

“There’s expectations with how you handle yourself on and off the field,” Law said. “If you’re not following the team guidelines or team culture, you won’t be here long, or you’ll be asked to switch over and follow how this team plays.”

“I’ve never seen anyone come to this organization and not be wowed how everything is run and want to be a part of that culture,” he added. “We missed the playoffs one time. There’s an expectation we’d get there, and after 2014, that we’d also succeed.”

The Outlaws missed the playoffs in 2015, the season after they won their first championship. Law said it was the team’s goal to do a better job defending the title this time around.

“We had a bunch of guys ready to roll and with another chip on their shoulder, to prove we could do it again and it wasn’t a fluke,” he said. “We wanted to put our foot in the ground and prove we’re a legitimate team. We wanted to prove we were for real and could play with anyone. People came back ready to win another title.”

Denver peppered in some fresh faces to the lineup, including starting defenseman Finn Sullivan and rookie midfielders Zach Currier and Romar Dennis. O’Hara is counting on the experience from those championship-winning players to help the newcomers adapt to the pressure of playing in a final.

“They’re used to the routine with what goes on,” he said. “Hopefully they can share that wisdom with the new guys. It will be exciting. You have to make sure all the excitement around you doesn’t distract you from the way you’re performing in a big game.”

The Outlaws finished second in MLL in goals scored during the regular season and had three players finish in the top 10 in points. Michael Bocklet tied for second in the league in goals scored (37) and Law, who had an MVP-worthy season, tied for the league lead in points (52).

It was the team’s defense, however, that was most impressive. Two defenders from the 2016 championship team, Max Schmidt and Michael Skudin, retired, leaving the team thin at the position coming into the year. But players like Sullivan and B.J. Grill stepped up into bigger roles in 2017 and 2016 Rookie of the Year Jack Kelly proved his outstanding first season didn’t happen by accident.

Kelly finished second in the league in goals against average and was named a finalist for Goalie of the Year.

“The piece that holds it all together is Jack Kelly,” O’Hara said. “He’s in my mind the best goalie in the world. Game after game, he’s been steady and consistent and spectacular. He’s even got a goal under his belt.”

“[The defenders are] smart and play together well and believe in their goalie,” he added. “They’ll play hard for him.”

After closing out 2016 with eight straight wins, Denver picked up where it left off, starting this season 4-0 and winning eight of the first 10 games. The Outlaws stumbled down the stretch, however, losing three of their final four games.

O’Hara would have preferred not to back into the playoffs, but he knows his team has been through the ringer before and is just glad to play on the season’s last day.

“It’s been a different kind of ride than last year, but it certainly hasn’t been any easier,” he said. “You have to close games out. There’s always pressure. It’s all worked and we’re just excited and appreciative of the opportunity we have in front of us.”