Di Miller, Correspondent Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Kyle Hess
In the first and only meeting of the two teams; and an East vs. West battle, the Colorado Mammoth (2-1) headed to Georgia to face the Swarm (2-1) on Saturday December 28 at Infinite Energy Arena in front of 5,724 Georgia fans. The Mammoth were coming off a “high” from their recent OT victory against the reigning NLL Champion Calgary Roughnecks the week before and were looking to bring that momentum into tonight’s contest. The game would see the leagues two top net-minders, Dillon Ward .862 Sv% for Colorado; and Mike Poulin .831 Sv% for Georgia in between the pipes. In addition, some of the league’s leading scorers were on hand including Lyle Thompson (8g, 6a) and Shayne Jackson (6g, 6a) on the floor. The contest would be a back and forth battle, but in the end Colorado would come out on top. Final Score: Mammoth 13—Swarm 11.
It took Georgia only 23 seconds to get on the board when Miles Thompson (2g, 1a) would use the screen and score from distance hitting net inside the post. The net-minders stood strong on both ends and it took a full eight minutes before another point would go onto the board. Chris Wardle (2g, 4a) would score unassisted when Kyle Killen would get the takeaway, flip tossed to Wardle who scooped the loose ball and dove cross crease and hit far side for the equalizer at the 8:20 mark. The Swarm would reclaim the lead as Shayne Jackson set up the pass to Zed Williams (3g) drawing Ward right, Williams made the shot at 9:09 putting them up 2-1. But it only took 26 seconds before the Mammoth struck back with another from Wardle. With a little hesitation, he cut back pump faked right-left-right and buried it on the door step to tie it back up. About a minute and a half ticked off the timer before the Swarm would pull Poulin in favor of the EA and Shayne Jackson (3g, 3a) on the far side would hit the inside pipe negating the delayed penalty putting them back up to close out the first with 3:53 to go. Both Ward and Poulin would keep the rubber out of the net for the remaining minutes. Colorado would lead in SOG 13-11 and in FO 4-6. Georgia would lead in LB 24-11. Score at the end of one: Swarm 3—Mammoth 2.
Although Georgia would start the scoring in the second, Colorado would outscore the Swarm 3-2. Bryan Cole (2g, 1a) would get it going 44 seconds in with a bounce shot pump fake high to low five hole on Ward. Jacob Ruest (5g, 2a) fired off the next two for Colorado. The first at 1:12 top corner far side off the screen; and the second on the power-play at the 7:14 mark off the feed from Wardle on the door step he’d find the opening five-hole on Poulin tying the game at four apiece. Again, both goal keepers were as good as it gets and held each side to no goals for over four minutes before the scoring drought ended. Williams would notch his second on the night straight up the middle with a low shot around his defender through the five-hole with 3:35 left in the half. Ryan Lee (2g, 6a) with one second remaining on the shot clock, got the cross crease behind-the-back pass from Wardle and with the quick stick found the net short side to tie it yet again with 1:50 in the half. SOG were even at 14; but Colorado had taken the lead in LB 28-24 and still led in FO 4-6. Score at the end of two: Swarm 5—Mammoth 5.
The third would start out with four goals in less than two minutes. The Swarm would get the first two and start it off with a behind-the-back pass from Randy Staats to (M) Thompson and he’d bury it far side on Ward at the 2:24 mark to break the tie; and Bryan Cole (2g, 1a) would get on the board next only 28 seconds later, circling back through and in front, diving through the crease he laid out with the extension giving them a two goal lead 7-5. The Mammoth would score the next two, one from Lee on the backside, he’d lay out in front of the crease after a beautiful pass from Will Malcolm at 3:24; and Ruest with another crease dive goal, he’d hesitate step and freeze the defender flick his wrist and shoot five hole at 3:53 for another tie 7-7. Exactly four minutes went off the ticker and the Swarm would put up two more. Williams for the hat-trick with an over the top shot at 7:53; and the highlight reel goal from Shayne Jackson as he’d chase the loosie around the boards come from behind the cage for a beautiful wrap around goal hitting inside pipe on Ward with 6:39 to go in the quarter. Colorado would score on the breakaway in transition from Danny Coates (1g) on the glove side with 3:10 remaining putting them back to within one; but Lyle Thompson only 14 seconds into the man-up would get the behind-the-back pass from Staats and shoot far side low with 2:26 remaining. Georgia had taken the lead in SOG 11-10 and LB 21-13. The teams were tied at FO 4-8. Score at the end of three: Swarm 10—Colorado 8.
The Mammoth would outscore the Swarm 5-1 in the fourth including two man-up goals; while the only goal for Georgia would come on the power-play. Ruest would start it off at the 1:07 mark finding an opening on the near pipe; and with some trickery, Ruest would make the behind-the-back pass to Lee who would make the behind-the-back pass to Kyle Killen (1g, 2a) and with a hesitation stutter step on the crease would freeze Poulin and he’d hit far side to tie it at 10 apiece 30 seconds later. In an almost repeat of last weekend’s game against Calgary, Jordan Gilles (1g) on the breakaway would head down the field and fire it across his body right to left hitting the left side pipe for the go ahead goal at the 3:50 mark 11-10. Georgia would get their only goal in the fourth at the 4:43 mark but couldn’t muster another. The Mammoth would put the final two up with another from Ruest on the give-and-go off the behind-the-back pass from Lee at 6:29; and the last goal of the game and first of the season for Jeff Wittig (1g) at the 9:26 mark he’d fight his way to the crease through traffic, use the defenders as the screen and somehow found an opening far side. Although the Swarm tried, they could not break through the defenses of Ward. Final Score: Mammoth 13—Swarm 11.
TEAM STATS:
Colorado—46 SOG; 14 SOFF; 65 LB; 16-28 FO; 3-5 PP; 14 PIM
Georgia—51 SOG; 21 SOFF; 90 LB; 12-28 FO; 3-6 PP; 12 PIM
NET-MINDER STATS:
Dillon Ward Colorado—47 SOG; 36 Saves; 11 GA; .766 Sv%
Mike Poulin Georgia—46 SOG; 33 Saves; 13 GA; .717 Sv%
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (2-1) head back home after an extended absence and will host the Vancouver Warriors (1-1) on Saturday January 4, 2020, game time 9:30 p.m. EST.
The Georgia Swarm (2-1) have a bye week and will be back in action at home on Saturday January 11, 2020 when they host the Buffalo Bandits (1-1), game time 7:00 p.m. EST.
Di Miller, Correspondent Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome©