By: Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
On New Year’s Day the Colorado Mammoth faced the Georgia Swarm at the infamous Loud House in the Pepsi Center in Denver, Colorado in front of a crowd of 15,090 fans. They were pumped and so were the players. This year the Mammoth have brought in seven new players to the roster and have numerous returning veterans, including John Grant, Jr.; Danny Coates; Cam Holding; and Adam Jones to name a few. They also signed Callum Crawford and Greg Downing both from the Swarm. The Mammoth would go on to win the contest by the score of 16-15.
Alex Buque #27 net minder for the Mammoth would start 2016 in goal. I spoke with Dillon Ward #45 starting goalie for Colorado as to why he wasn’t starting in net. He explained that he has been extremely busy with coaching and sat out the game. Buque who blogs for Lacrosse is Awesome was amazing in net giving Colorado the victory in their home-opener.
The Mammoth would have three different players taking the face-offs. Danny Coates #37 and new Team Captain handled the majority, winning 16 of 28. Colorado also saw Ilija Gajic #15 returning after two years and Jackson Decker #90 taking the remaining face-offs.
The game would start out with Creighton Reid #62 of the Mammoth scoring 5:33 into the game. Jeremy Noble #45 would follow up with a goal less than 60 seconds later. Johnny Powless #93 of the Swarm would put the ball in net, followed by David Earl #33 a little over a minute later tying the game at 2-2. The tie was broken when Callum Crawford #98 formerly of the Swarm would score his first regular season goal as a Mammoth player followed by Jackson Decker #90 to close out the first with the Mammoth leading by the score of 4-2.
Heading into the second quarter, Jones would score 30 seconds into the period, only to be followed 26 seconds later by Randy Staats #83 of the Swarm finding net the first of two times in the quarter. The next goal scored would come from Chris Wardle #17 of the Mammoth with an amazing diving goal catching air through the crease 3:43 into the quarter. We also saw Mammoth goals by John Grant, Jr. #24; and Mike Burke #61. The Swarm would see three other players hit net in the second: Jesse King #19; Shayne Jackson #32; and Jordan MacIntosh #24. The first half would end with the Mammoth still up 8-7.
The second half was definitely exciting as the offenses started kicking in full gear; the net minders making amazing saves; and both defenses tightening up. Colorado would see Jones score twice; and Decker once. Lyle Thompson #4 would get his first regular season goal in the National League at 3:04 into the third quarter. Staats would get his third of the game; MacIntosh and Powless both getting their second of the game. This barrage by the Swarm made the Mammoth fans heart skip a beat as the Swarm would tie up the game. The third quarter would end with the score 11-11.
The fourth quarter started out just as exciting as the other three, when Jordan Gilles #23 playing in his first NLL regular season game would score only 47 seconds into the quarter on a break-away with the assist going to Alex Buque #27 when he sent the ball down the field, Gilles at full speed and hitting net. Noble would be the next to score followed by three unanswered goals by the Swarm. Chad Tutton #44; L. Thompson; and Kiel Matisz #46 who would get his only goal of the game. The Swarm would take the lead with the goal by Matisz at 7:28 in the fourth. The game would teeter back and forth, but with only 45 seconds left on the clock John Grant, Jr. would score yet another GWG, with the assist going to Jones and Reid breaking the tie. Although the Swarm pulled their goalie with less than 30 seconds left on the clock in the hopes that an extra man on offense would give them the upper hand to tie the game, the Mammoth would keep them out of net. Final Mammoth 16—Swarm 15.
Player of the game is a tough one. The Mammoth would see two players with seven points: Jones; and Grant, Jr. The Swarm had Staats with seven as well. But in the end I would have to say that the star of this contest goes to Alex Buque #27 net minder of the Mammoth whose .737 SV% on the night and the number of shots on goal from the Swarm (57) allowed the Mammoth to win the contest.
On Saturday January 9, 2016 the Mammoth head to Rochester to take on the Rochester Knighthawks at Blue Cross Arena. Let’s see if the Mammoth can go 2-0 on the season.
Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome