Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome
On Saturday December 23, 2017 on a cold and snowy night in the Mile High City, the Colorado Mammoth (2-0) would host the 2017 World Champion Georgia Swarm (0-2). The cold weather didn’t stop Mammoth fans from heading down to the Pepsi Center to see their team’s home-opener; in fact attendance was amazing with 13,125 in the “Loud House”. The game had some of the best lacrosse fans could hope for and the Colorado Mammoth would not disappoint. Final Score: Mammoth 14—Swarm 11.
The first quarter was dominated by the net-minders, Dillon Ward for the Mammoth and Mike Poulin for the Swarm. In the first quarter each of them would make 9 of 10 saves on goal only allowing one goal apiece for each team. Mammoth forward Jacob Ruest (2G, 3A), assist to Ryan Benesch would get it started at 4:13 blowing it past Poulin in between the five-hole. A little under 10 minutes would tick off the clock with ping-pong lacrosse until Georgia would tie it up on the power-play at 10:01 off a behind the back pass from Lyle Thompson to Randy Staats sending it cross crease to Shayne Jackson (3G, 2A) beating Ward right side low. That would be it for the scoring and the clock would wind down. The Swarm would be called for two penalties in the first—Leo Stouros (holding stick); Jerome Thompson (too many men bench minor); and Chris Wardle for the Mammoth (delay of game) which allowed the man up goal for Georgia. Score at the end of the first: Mammoth 1—Swarm 1.
The second would be completely different with a tennis match between the two teams. Georgia would go ahead by one 2:48 with Jesse King (1G, 1A) diving through the crease and hitting net right side Ward. But Colorado would tie it back up with the feed from Ruest to Benesch (3G, 3A) sending it past Poulin lower right side at 3:56. The score would not change for another four and a half minutes as the goal keepers were again staving off shot after shot. Staats would break the tie with a right handed shot hitting top right corner (1G, 3A) at 8:27. But Lightning Joey Cupido would get the turnover and on the fast break sent it down field to Ryan Lee (1G, 1A) hitting top right corner and giving him his first goal in the “Loud House” and three goals apiece for each team. Almost two minutes later the Swarm would come back with a feed from Kiel Matisz to (L) Thompson faking the behind the back shot on goal passing to brother Miles Thompson (1G, 1A) with yet another right side low shot on Ward. At 13:34 in the second the Mammoth would tie it up again, this time Jeremy Noble (2G, 3A) would be the one to hit net, assist Zack Greer giving him his 400th career point in the NLL. The tie would not last long with only 36 seconds remaining on the clock (L) Thompson (2G, 5A) would come around the back of the net on Ward’s left side diving through the crease sending it between the pipes stick side. We’d see only one penalty in the second when Georgia’s John Ranagan was nailed with an illegal cross check only 21 seconds into the frame. Ward was 3-8 on saves, with Poulin going 8-12. Score at the end of the first half: Swarm 6—Mammoth 5.
In the beginning of the third, Greg Downing would hit net his only one of the game, with the assist to Cupido at 2:02 tying the game at six apiece. But Georgia would not allow the Mammoth to jump ahead and (L) Thompson would hit net unassisted at 4:18 starting a three-goal run for the Swarm. Matisz (2G, 2A) would fake the pass to Powless diving across the crease hitting stick side low on Ward. The fake was played so well that Ward didn’t even know it was coming. Colorado would throw the challenge flag as they thought Matisz’s toe touched the crease. After further review, the goal stands. The final goal of the run would come off a pass down field from Poulin to Zed Williams (1G) giving the Swarm their biggest lead on the night 8-5. The Mammoth would stop the run with a cross field pass from Wardle to Greer (2G, 2A) who would fake right, go left hitting lower left side on Poulin. At 2:26 into the third, shots on goal were in favor of the Mammoth 36-32. Benesch would notch the final goal in the third with the assist to (Noble, Cupido) at 14:41. Penalties in the third—one apiece for each team, Mammoth defenseman Scott Carnegie (slashing); and Swarm forward Staats (roughing). Score at the end of three: Georgia 8—Mammoth 7.
The Mammoth completed dominated the fourth outscoring the Swarm 7-3. Eli McLaughlin (1G, 2A) would tie up the game for Colorado off a nice pump fake only 40 seconds having ticked off the clock. But again the Swarm would go ahead by two with back-to-back goals from Matisz (2:16) and Jackson (7:22). Shots on goal with 13:44 remaining were still in favor of the Mammoth 42-36. It was then that the gloves came off and Colorado would go on a six-goal run. Josh Sullivan (1G) assist to Ward at 8:04; Benesch (hat-trick) at 8:25; Greer at 10:33; and Ruest at 12:23. The last two goals for the Mammoth were both short-handed. The first on the down field pass from
Ward to Cupido at 13:37; and the second an empty netter when the Swarm pulled Poulin in favor of the EA and we’d see Ward again pass the ball downfield to Noble at 14:26 giving the Mammoth the lead at 14-10 putting the icing on the cake for Colorado. In one last ditch effort, Jackson on the power-play (assist L. Thompson) would score with nine seconds remaining. Penalties in the fourth—Georgia’s Frank Brown (checking from behind); and for the Mammoth Carnegie (holding) and Robert Hope (checking from behind). Final Score: Mammoth 14—Swarm 11.
RECAP:
Colorado—56 SOG; 23 SOFF; 66 LB; 17-29 FO’s; .586 FO%; 0-4 PP; 37-48 Saves; .771 SV%.
Georgia—48 SOG; 18 SOFF; 50 LB; 12-29 FO’s; .414 FO%; 2-3 PP; 42-55 Saves; .766 SV%.
This past weekend, each losing team was held to 11 goals. This is the second loss for the World Champion Swarm who have only scored 22 goals this season as opposed to Colorado’s 29. Every team playing Georgia will have one goal in mind…beating the defending 2017 NLL Champions.
Both net minders, Ward and Poulin played well between the pipes with the exception of the fourth period for Georgia. Colorado must capitalize on their power-play opportunities as they are 0-5 on the year. Transition for both teams was played to perfection and had Poulin not had a rough fourth, the way the first three frames were played, the game could have very well gone into OT.
Next up for the Mammoth (2-0) they’ll head to the Great White North to face the Calgary Roughnecks’ (1-1) at the Scotiabank Saddledome on Friday December 29 at 9:00 p.m. EST. The Swarm (0-2) head home to Infinite Energy Arena on Saturday December 30 to take on the red hot Rochester Knighthawks (2-0) at 7:05 p.m. EST.
Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome