Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome
Photos Courtesy of the Vancouver Stealth
The Colorado Mammoth saw many changes during the off-season starting with new management in the head office. Dan Carey was promoted from his role as the team’s director of player personnel, a position he assumed in October, 2015 to the position of GM, and only the second General Manager in team history. Carey had also served as the team’s Eastern scout. Carey replaces Steve Govett, who was the team’s president, general manager and governor since the team relocated to Colorado in 2002. In the injury category, Colorado Mammoth will be without not only last year’s Team Captain Dan Coates who suffered an ACL injury, but the same injury will prevent defenseman Cameron Holding from playing in the NLL during the 2017-18 season. GM Dan Carey knows this is a blow to the team, so he will have to prepare for the upcoming season to fill those spots. The Mammoth team captains were chosen this past week. Defenseman, Robert Hope is the new Team Captain; Defenseman Joey Cupido shall serve as Alternate Captain; and Forward Zack Greer will also return as Alternate Captain.
Colorado has made several roster moves in the hopes of moving past the first round of the play-offs in 2018. Callum Crawford and Alex Buque were traded to Buffalo for left-handed Forward Ryan Benesch 
and a 2018 conditional draft pick from Buffalo. The Mammoth recently signed Scott Carnegie to a one year agreement on their practice roster; Carnegie had been a Calgary Roughneck since 2008, when he signed with the team as a free agent. Goalie Steven Fryer, who spent last season with the Toronto Rock, put in the necessary work during training camp to join Dillon Ward on the 2017-18 roster taking over for Alex Buque.
On Friday December 8, 2017 the Mammoth would head to Langley Events Centre in Vancouver to face the Stealth. There were 3,201 fans in attendance hoping their team would come away with the victory and although Colorado had a slow start, they would win the contest. Final Score: Mammoth 15—Stealth 8.
Starting out the first the Mammoth would strike with Chris Wardle (assist Ryan Benesch, his first as a Mammoth) less than three minutes in. A tennis match would ensue with the ball moving up and down the field for almost four minutes before the Stealth would strike. Back-to-Back goals from Justin Salt (assist Ian Hawksbee); and Logan Schuss (assist Rhys Duch) would put Vancouver up 2-1. Jeremy Noble would tie the game less than 30 seconds later (assist Jacob Ruest). But again, Vancouver would hit with another set of back-to-back goals taking the lead 4-2. Schuss would score again, followed by Evan Messenger (assist Corey Small) at 11:11. The Mammoth would go with the extra attacker and 44 seconds later Benesch would score his first goal in a Mammoth jersey (assist Noble). Vancouver struck back with less than three minutes remaining with an unassisted goal by Brandon Goodwin. Colorado would tie the game up with two goals within eight seconds. Wardle would get his second on the night (assist Benesch) at 14:31; and Tim Edwards (assist Benesch) at 14:39. The quarter was penalty free and the clock would wind down with the score at the end of one tied at five apiece.
The second quarter was the Colorado Mammoth show. Dillon Ward and the Mammoth defense were spot on holding the Stealth scoreless in the second. Eight and a half minutes would tick off the clock before the drought was squelched. The Mammoth would start with two short-handed goals one from Jordan Gilles (assist Taylor Stuart); and the other from Joey Cupido (assist Scott Carnegie). The last two would come at 13:05 off Bryce Sweeting (assist Ryan Lee); and the final goal of the first half with 50 seconds remaining Lee would get his first goal of the night (assist Wardle). The Mammoth would be hit with three penalties in the second: All penalties were two minutes—Slashing; Illegal Substitution; and Delay of Game. Score at the end of two: Mammoth 9—Stealth 5.
There would be eight goals in the third. Colorado would take the scoring streak into the third with Jeremy Noble (assist Ruest) at 2:36 making the score 10-5 in favor of Colorado. Vancouver would strike back with 
Joel McCready (assist Goodwin) bringing them back to within four. But the Mammoth who seemed to find that extra burst of energy and power in the second, continued in the third with back-to-back goals Lee getting his second at 5:23; and Wardle notching the hat-trick at 6:17 putting them ahead by six. It took four minutes with no goals before the Stealth would score their last goal of the frame. Travis Cornwall would hit net (assist Andrew Suitor) at 10:14. The Mammoth would dominate the remaining three and a half minutes of the third. Eli McLaughlin would score unassisted one minute later; Wardle would get his fourth on the night; and Benesch would score the final goal for Colorado with eight seconds in the quarter. Again we’d see no penalties in the third. Score at the end of three: Colorado 15—Vancouver 7.
The fourth quarter was a battle of the net-minders with outstanding work between the pipes; the defense covering their man; both teams were fantastic on transition; and Vancouver would finally break the silence scoring the only goal in the fourth. McCready would hit net at 9:21 (assist James Rahe). Only one penalty occurred in the fourth, a two-minute slashing. Final Score: Mammoth 15—Stealth 8.
Here your game stats:
Colorado: 46 SOG; 17 SOFF; 47 LB; 13-27 on face-offs; 0-1 on PP
Vancouver: 56 SOG; 19 SOFF; 51 LB; 14-27 on face-offs; 0-3 on PP
Net Minder Stats:
Colorado—Dillon Ward: 8 GA; 48 Saves; .857 SV%
Vancouver—Tye Belanger: 14 GA; 23 Saves; .609 SV%
Vancouver—Brodie MacDonald: 1 GA; 8 Saves; 1.25 SV%
Stars of the Game:
- Ryan Benesch (2G, 6A)
- Chris Wardle (4G, 1A)
- Jeremy Noble (2G, 3A)
The Mammoth (1-0) have two weeks off and will host the Georgia Swarm (0-1) at the Pepsi Center on Saturday December 23, at 7:00 p.m. MST. The Stealth (0-1) head out on the road December 15, to face the Calgary Roughnecks (0-1) at the Scotiabank Saddledome at 9:00 p.m. EST.
Di Miller, Beat Writer Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome