Matteo Nobile, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
The Vancouver Warriors (2-5) hosted the Colorado Mammoth (1-4) on Saturday January 26th at the Rogers Arena in downtown Vancouver. The Warriors were able to display their white out jerseys for their home crowd. Oddly enough, both of their wins coming in white. This back and forth battle resulted in an overtime winner scored by Logan Schuss (4G, 1A) 44 seconds into extra time, giving the Warriors their first win at home. The Warriors had a slow start and had to crawl their way back in the game after coming up short on power play opportunities in the first half. The Mammoth were able to dominate the first half, leading 7-4. Eric Penney was the net minder for the Warriors and was able to make 34 saves on 44 shots on goal. The Mammoth went with Goaltender Dillion Ward, he faced 50 shots and was able to turn away 39. Final score OT: Vancouver 11, Colorado 10.
It took just over three minutes for Eli McLaughlin (2G, 2A) to open up the scoring giving the Mammoth the lead. This goal would come from an outside shot that hit the post, bounced off Penney then rolled into the net. After a checking from behind penalty the Mammoth got their first power play opportunity. After some beautiful passing Chris Wardle (3G) was wide open on the crease for an easy shot on net as Penney was sucked out respecting Ryan Benesch who was looking to shoot. Schuss broke his two game scoring slump in style with a crease dive goal after beating his defender down the alley. The Warriors were able to tie the game with some quick ball movement on the left side of the floor resulting in a power play goal from Jordan McBride (2G, 1A). But Benesch would send a pass across the floor and found rookie Kyle Killen (1G, 1A) who quickly got an outside shot off beating Penney short side, giving the Mammoth a one goal lead. Schuss would get his second of the night after a perfect pick set by Matt Beers (2A) giving him an open lane and was able to put the ball through the legs of Ward. The goal would tie the game at three after the first quarter.
The second quarter was dominated by the Mammoth as they would score four unanswered goals. McLaughlin picked up a loose ball right on the crease and took advantage of a flat footed defense, and with no one coming to play him he had all the time to put the ball in the net. Seven seconds later Brent Adams (1G) getting his first start after being reactivated would score off the faceoff and found a hole between Penney’s legs for Colorado’s second of the quarter. Both of the goals came after keeping the Warriors power play off the board for four minutes. Mammoth forward Ryan Lee (1G) would get open on the crease for a quick stick goal with the pass from McLaughlin; and Benesch (2G, 4A) would get his first goal of the night as he took an outside shot on his wrong side of the floor and found a way to bury it far side bottom corner. Tony Malcom (2G, 1A) would find an answer for the Warriors freezing his defender for a wide open shot running down the alley. Colorado would lead 7-4 after the first half.
The Warriors notched the first goal of the second half when James Rahe (1G, 1A) dove from behind the net and tucked it in glove side on Ward. On the next man up for the Mammoth they would score their second goal just the same as the first, passing the ball around and finding Wardle on the crease for a quick stick goal. Malcom would get one of his own for Vancouver with a short-handed goal using his quick feet to run past Mammoth defenders scoring with a bounce shot. The back and forth would continue as McBride scored his second of the night after picking up the rebound off of Ward and dove across crease throwing it overtop of Ward’s head catching him off guard as he was still recovering from his last save. The Mammoth went on the six on five when they pulled Ward for the Warriors delayed penalty, but it was unsuccessful. Wardle would close out the frame with his third of the night in a similar fashion to his other two goals, catching it wide open in the middle for a quick shot. The Mammoth would still hold the lead 9-7.
Vancouver would be the first to score in the final frame as Mitch Jones (1G, 3A) found himself with his hands free after Schuss set the pick and was able to find the top right corner for a Warriors power play goal. Benesch would get credit for the next Mammoth goal after his shot hit the leg pads of Penney and bounced off the helmet of Jarrett Toll finding its’ way to the back of the net. After a shot from Jones went wide, bouncing of the boards and right into the stick of Brandon Goodwin (1G, 1A), he would put the next one in the back of the net. Schuss would tie the game at 10 apiece with a sidearm rip coming across the top bringing it back short side high. The Mammoth would hit back with what they thought was a breakaway goal but it was waived off due to a crease violation. Score at the end of regulation: Colorado 10—Vancouver 10.
Vancouver had two very good scoring opportunities when Jones on both would hit back to back posts. But it was Schuss who picked up the loose ball and threw a prayer at the net putting it past Ward to win the game for the Vancouver Warriors. Final Score: Vancouver 11, Colorado 10.
After the contest and his game winning goal, Vancouver’s Logan Schuss said “We’ll sell you the whole seat, but you’ll only need the edge”. And that is definitely what the Warriors showed in last night’s contest.
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (1-4) head up to Buffalo to face the Bandits (5-2) on Saturday February 2, game time 7:30 p.m. EST.
Vancouver (2-5) heads over to Calgary to face the Roughnecks (3-4) on Saturday February 2, game time 9:00 p.m. EST.
Matteo Nobile, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©