MAMMOTH STILL NUMBER ONE IN THE NLL AFTER
DEFEATING CALGARY 2/13/16
By: Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
On Saturday February 13, 2016 the Colorado Mammoth (6-2) took on the Calgary Roughnecks (3-4) at the Scotiabank Saddledome in front of a crowd of 9,888 screaming Roughnecks fans. This would be the first of three meetings against the Roughnecks and the Mammoth were bound and determined to keep that Number One spot on top the Western Division and first in the league. Both teams had just come off of spectacular victories with the Mammoth defeating the Saskatchewan Rush on February 11 by the score of 9-7; and the Roughnecks with their comeback versus the Georgia Swarm on February 6 in the final quarter by the score of 12-11. Final Score Mammoth 13—Roughnecks 8.
In the first quarter, Calgary would come out guns a blazing with three unanswered goals, the first by Wes Berg only 45 seconds into the quarter. He would score again at 3:53; with the final goal of the quarter coming from Tyler Digby at 6:53. The Mammoth were held scoreless in the first and wanted to change that in the second. Although the Roughnecks dominated the quarter in scoring, they also were called for three of the four penalties in the period. Bob Snider received a two-minute tripping call at 5:52; Ethan O’Connor would be hit with a two-minute slashing at 10:37; and Peter McFetridge received the final penalty when he was nailed with a two-minute hit from behind at 10:37. The only Mammoth player to be called for a penalty in the first was Jeremy Noble with a two-minute checking from behind at 8:25. Score at the end of the first would see the Roughnecks up 3-0.
The Roughnecks would start out the second with a goal from Curtis Dickson at 3:55, but the Mammoth would quickly hit back when Adam Jones hit net less than 30 seconds later with the assist to Callum Crawford. The Mammoth would serve up two more goals against the Roughnecks when Mike Burke would score at 5:49. Calgary was not ready to give up the lead and Digby would get his second of the game at 6:19. But Colorado came back with three more points, when Jones would get his second of the game at 13:12 assisted again by Crawford; Ilija Gajic could score at 13:46; and the final goal of the first half would come from Eli McLaughlin with only 55 seconds remaining on the clock, assist to Greg Downing. Calgary again would lead with penalties in the period, the first by Scott Carnegie for a two-minute delay of game at 3:27; and Lyle Thompson called for a two-minute goalie interference at 9:40. Jeremy Noble would receive his second penalty of the game this time a two-minute holding stick at 8:38. The Mammoth had struck back tying the game 5-5.
Going into the third, the Mammoth weren’t done yet. They would hold the Roughnecks scoreless in the quarter with back-to-back goals from Jones (giving him the hat-trick), his first one at 8:23 followed only 23 seconds later by his fourth goal of the game. The goalies were on fire in the third and the fans were witnessing a battle of the net-minders. There would be only one penalty in the third, again from Calgary when Jeff Shattler received a two-minute tripping call at 3:43. Score at the end of the third: Mammoth 7—Roughnecks 5.
The fourth quarter was altogether different than the first three. Calgary would score 23 seconds in when Ryan O’Connor blew it past Mammoth goalie Dillon Ward bringing them to within one. But the Mammoth had other plans in mind when they went on a four goal run. Jeremy Noble would get his first of the game at 1:52; followed by back-to-back goals from Crawford; and Burke for his second of the game at 4:07. Digby would put another on the board for the Roughnecks less than a minute later. The next two and final goals by the Mammoth would come from John Grant, Jr., assist to Noble; and Crawford with his third also giving him a hat-trick. Calgary would hit net one final time when Berg who scored the first goal of the game would hit net with only nine seconds remaining in regulation. With all the scoring action going on in the fourth, oddly enough there were no penalties. Final Score: Mammoth 13—Roughnecks 8.
Game Stats:
Colorado Mammoth: 52 SOG; 21 SOFF; 69 LB; 18-25 on face-offs; .720 FO%; 3-4 PP
Calgary Roughnecks: 46 SOF; 19 SOFF; 77 LB; 7-25 on face-offs; .280 FO%; 1-5 PP
Goalie Stats:
Colorado Mammoth—Dillon Ward: 60 minutes; 38-46 saves; .826 SV%; 8 GA
Calgary Roughnecks—Frankie Scigliano: 56:11 minutes; 37-49 saves; .755 SV%; 12 GA
Calgary Roughnecks—Mike Poulin: 3:49 minutes; 2-3 saves; .666 SV%; 1 GA
With Team Captain Dan Coates back in uniform, he would dominate in the face-off position winning 18-23. As I’ve said so many times before, face-offs are the key to winning the game and with Coates back in the line-up it was obvious that was a boost the Mammoth needed.
The Mammoth (6-2) are going into the bye-week and will head home to the Pepsi Center on February 27 to face their Western Division rivals the Vancouver Stealth (2-4) who are sitting at the bottom of the division. The Mammoth are ready to avenge their loss to the Stealth on February 6, 2016.
Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
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