Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome
Saturday Night February 4, 2017 the Colorado Mammoth (3-3) would host the undefeated Eastern Division leaders the Georgia Swarm (4-1). Colorado was desperate to get back to 500 and be the first team this season to defeat the undefeated. All 15,254 Mammoth fans would not be disappointed and witnessed an amazing game. Colorado was without Jeremy Noble for another week with an injured hand. We reported on this after the Roughnecks game where Noble was slammed into the boards by Greg Harnett who left the game when he chalked up 15 penalty minutes on the infraction. Harnett would receive a one game suspension for the hit on Noble. Fans would also see yet another contest without John Grant, Jr.; Ilija Gajic was back in action; and local boy Nick Ossello 
a graduate of Wheat Ridge High School here in Colorado as well as a college graduate of Notre Dame would get his first NLL career start. The game was hard fought on both sides, but the Mammoth would come out victorious. Final Score: Colorado 14—Georgia 10.
The first quarter would be a defensive battle between the net-minders, Dillon Ward for the Mammoth and Mike Poulin for the Swarm. Both stood tall and wide between the pipes and would only allow one goal against. Colorado forward Callum Crawford would be the first to notch a point with his first of three at the 3:57 mark. For the next 11 minutes the fans would watch the defense on both sides guard their men and keep either team from finding the twine. Finally, with only 42 seconds left in the frame, Swarm forward Lyle Thompson would get the feed from Kiel Matisz and John Ranagan and put it between the pipes, his first of four in the contest. Shots on goal would be even at 10 apiece. Score at the end of one: Mammoth 1—Swarm 1.
Now, the second quarter was a much different story with 11 points showing up on the board. Colorado would break the tie when Eli McLaughlin would hit net first at 11 seconds in only to be answered by Randy Staats less than two minutes later. McLaughlin would answer back with Shayne Jackson firing another only 37 seconds later. The game would remain tied until Colorado went on a four goal run with Crawford notching the hat-trick; Zack Greer would notch two (one on the power-play); and Lightning Joey Cupido a fan fave in Colorado would have an amazing, unassisted breakaway goal on man down at 7:34 when he quick shot stick side on Poulin. 
Miles Thompson would stop the run on a power-play goal with assists from brother Jerome and Randy Staats; then another Thompson brother Lyle would hit net with the assist again coming from J. Thompson and Staats. Colorado would close out the half with Greer on the power-play with 1:08 left in the quarter. Shots on goal in the second quarter tilted in favor of the Mammoth 25-19 over the Swarm. Score at the end of two: Colorado 8—Georgia 5.
Heading into the third, the fans were hoping for another 15 of fast paced action. Only two players would hit net. Chris Wardle would notch one at the 3:24 mark with the assist going to McLaughlin and in his debut in a Mammoth jersey, Brent Adams. Miles Thompson would get his second and final of the night at 3:56 (assist Jordan MacIntosh). That would be it for scoring in the third. Although the scoring barrage was not there, they would again be treated to watching the keepers of the pipes hold strong in their positions. Shot after shot was deflected on each end. Players would dive across the crease in the hopes they could squeak one by the arm of Ward or Poulin; behind the back shots and passes were seen all around, but neither net-minder would give in so easily. Shots on goal again in favor of the Mammoth 37-26. Score at the end of the third: Mammoth 9—Swarm 6.
Zack Greer would start the fourth notching the hat-trick at 1:08 (assist Crawford and Mike Mallory). But Lyle Thompson would come back firing at 4:19 with a beautiful behind-the-back shot catching Ward off guard and blew it past an off guard Ward. Jacob “The Rooster” Ruest would strike next with back-to-back goals at 5:32 and 5:58 (assist to Crawford on both). It was then that the Swarm made a change in net, pulling veteran net-minder Poulin in favor of Brodie MacDonald. Jackson would get his second and final of the night less than two minutes later. Colorado would light up the board with another from Wardle. Joey Cupido would head down the field on a breakaway, feed the ball to Dan Coates who would catch the Swarm off guard as they had temporarily pulled MacDonald for the extra attacker and although he tried to get back in net to set up for the save, the speed of Cupido and Coates was too much and Coates would find twine at 10:19. 
Georgia would put two more on the board in the final frame, one off Matisz and the fourth on the night a shorthanded unassisted goal from Lyle Thompson at 12:51. During the Mammoth possessions in the last two minutes, they would burn off the clock, while the Swarm were desperately trying to close the gap. Unfortunately, the Swarm would fall short and Colorado would end up the victor. Final Score: Mammoth 14—Swarm 10.
MVP’s of the contest go to:
Georgia Swarm: Lyle Thompson (4 G, 1 A)
Colorado Mammoth: Callum Crawford (3 G, 5 A) and Zack Greer (3 G, 1 A)
Next week Colorado (3-3) heads to Vancouver to face their Western Division rivals the Stealth (2-4) on Sunday February 12, 2017 and Georgia (4-1) will face their Eastern Division rivals the New England Black Wolves (2-3) at the Infinite Energy Arena in Atlanta.
Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome