Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Jenn Pierce
On Saturday February 11, 2023 the Colorado Mammoth (4-4) headed to the Scotiabank Saddledome to face their Western Division Rivals the Calgary Roughnecks (6-3) for the second meeting of the two teams. Calgary had just come off a decisive victory the night before against another Western Division opponent, the Saskatchewan Rush 13-6 so they were pumped and ready for more. Unfortunately for the Mammoth they were down another one of the stellar offensive performers, Connor Robinson who was scratched before the game and were still without Ryan Lee. Plagued by injuries on both sides of the floor, it really showed tonight as it did the weekend before. The Roughnecks were so overpowering in the first half that they chased Dillon Ward from the cage twice, with the final time coming with 4:20 left in the second. On the positive side, Eli McLaughlin would notch his 200th career goal in the closing minutes. With the loss the Mammoth fall to fifth in the West. Final Score: Roughnecks 13—Mammoth 9.
The Roughnecks got it going early with Tyler Pace (4g, 3a) getting the feed from Jesse King out in front, and with the inside cut he’d go over the shoulder 49 seconds in 1-0. It didn’t take long for Dan Taylor (2g, 1a) to shoot around his defender and go five-hole on Ward at 2:16 and Calgary was up 2-0. Josh Currier (4g) wanted in on the action as well and deposited one in the wide open side of the cage over the left shoulder at 3:46 and just like that the Mammoth were staring down a three goal deficit 3-0. Things slowed drastically as neither team did anything but run up and down the field for the next seven minutes. Until the ticker hit 1:56 when J. Currier threw a couple of fakes, fooled Ward and got him to drop then fired one from long distance top corner and it was 4-0. The frustrations would build for Colorado and they’d get hit with a cross-checking penalty with 1:19 in the frame. Calgary who is only 30% on the man up would make them pay with 12.4 seconds in the first. The Roughnecks used some nifty passing and great ball movement, and Pace fired one off the post for a power play tally to close out the first. They’d shut out the Mammoth as well. Score at the end of one: Roughnecks 5—Mammoth 0.
The Mammoth would win the draw to start the second, in fact it was their sixth win at the face-off dot. But not having scored in 15 minutes was taking its toll. At 2:27 into the quarter, Ward would throw a slash on J. Currier right in front of the crease and was immediately called for the penalty and Calgary would make them pay. It took only 13 seconds into the man up and Pace would beat Ward far post at 2:40 for their second power play tally on the night and it was 6-0 Roughnecks. The Mammoth would finally catch a break. At 3:15 they’d get a man up opportunity of their own and would capitalize. Ty Thompson would feed to Chris Wardle (1g, 1a) who was set up behind the net, he’d jump and dunk it from behind for an over the shoulder shot on Christian Del Bianco at the 3:44 mark to finally get Colorado on the board with a power-play marker 6-1. But it was short lived as Haiden Dickson (1g, 1a) would shimmy and shake and put one under the legs of Ward at 4:25 sending him to the bench. At this point in the game, Ward has faced 24 SOG and had 17 Saves for an .708 Sv%. Tyler Carlson would head to the cage for Colorado with 10:35 left in the half. After a couple of minutes, Ward was back in the net and it didn’t take long before Calgary would score again. Taylor would stop, fake a pass then dive around from the back of the cage for a wrap around goal on the right side of Ward with 7:20 to go in the half and it was 8-1. Colorado was at its wits end. It could not put together any type of offense and they couldn’t break through the brick wall that Del Bianco had put up. Finally at the 6:11 mark, Eli McLaughlin (4g, 2a) would cut across the crease and found a tiny opening off side on Del Bianco between the pipes and it was 8-2. The goal was once again erased when J. Currier would go up top at 4:20 for his hat-trick on the night. At that point, Mammoth Bench Boss Pat Coyle had seen enough and pulled Ward for good with the score 9-2 in favor of Calgary. They’d put up two more before the half. Del Bianco sent a beautiful outlet pass to Tanner Cook (2g, 4a) all the way down the floor, he’d head to the cage with a Mammoth defender draped all over him and as he was falling down in front of the crease fired it far side with 3:00 on the ticker and it was 10-2. But they weren’t finished. With 2:08 in the half, J. Currier in front of the crease found twine for the fourth time to close out the quarter. The tensions mounted for Colorado and they would get hit with double penalties with 55 seconds left, a checking from behind and an illegal substitution. They were able to stave off the Roughnecks until the buzzer sounded. Stats at the end of two: Colorado—SOG 23; FO 14-15; Saves 25; PP 1-2. Calgary—SOG 36; FO 1-15; Saves 21; PP 2-4. Score at the end of two: Roughnecks 11—Mammoth 2.
It seemed hopeless for the Mammoth for the last 30 especially since they had to start the third with 1:06 left on a three-on-five. But they were able to kill the double penalties and it seemed to give them new life. Ty Thompson (1g, 3a) out in front ran at the crease and dunked it over the shoulder 2:32 in and it was 11-3. Cook would score the lone goal for Calgary in the third. With room out in front, he created a distraction and fired it at the cage, hit the right post and it ricocheted into the net giving them back the nine goal lead 12-3 at the 4:00 minute mark. On the next possession, Calgary would turn it over and Evan Downey (1g, 1a) would grab the loosie, headed down the floor in transition and fired it five-hole with 7:22 in the third 12-4 Roughnecks. Rhys Duch (1g, 1a) finally got in on the action with 6:57 in the quarter when he fired it near post before Del Bianco could make the slide and it was 12-5. The next goal by Calgary was called back by challenge or the score would have been 13-5, which put another spark in the Mammoth offense. McLaughlin would notch his hat-trick from the left wing with a step down shot and a laser through traffic with 3:51 on the timer and the score was 12-6. The challenged, over-turned goal was huge at that time as the score would have been 13-6 if it hadn’t been successful. At this point in the game, Colorado was on fire in the face-offs and Tim Edwards (23-36 FO; 14 LB) has been burning down the floor as soon as he gets possession. In the last four minutes in the third, they had a new purpose and actually made it a game versus a blowout. They had stopped the Roughnecks first half blitz after allowing 11 goals in 30 minutes they only allowed one goal in 15. Score at the end of three: Roughnecks 12—Mammoth 6.
Colorado took that momentum into the fourth. It started 2:23 in with McLaughlin scoring from goal line extended, he got the cross field pass from Thompson and dunked it over the shoulder far side and it was 12-7. The Roughnecks offense had left the building at this point in the game and the Mammoth offense had taken over the floor. Shortly after the McLaughlin goal, the Mammoth would score another but just as Calgary had one challenged, so did Colorado and this one too was called back. Instead of a 12-8 score, it stayed 12-7. Three and half later, Zed Williams (1g, 3a) figured it was time to get in on the scoring. He had his back to the cage, turned right, then left, fired it around his defender and went five-hole at the 4:58 mark and it was then 12-8. Colorado had scored five unanswered goals in the last 13:20. The Roughnecks would finally score again and for the last time with 5:29 in the contest. Pace would float one in past Carlson’s shoulder top shelf and it was 13-8. It took 27 seconds for the final tally to go on the board. McLaughlin would notch his 200th career goal with 5:02 on the ticker fighting his way to the net he bounced it in and it was 13-9. But that would be it for either side. Colorado would try the six-on-five for the rest of the frame and Calgary did not attempt any empty netters to avoid any turnovers allowing Colorado any further scoring chances. Final Score: Calgary 13—Mammoth 9.
With the loss, Colorado falls to fifth in the Western Division and Calgary makes the jump to second.
STATS:
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 52; FO 23-26; Saves 41; Sv% .759%; PP 1-2
Calgary Roughnecks—SOG 54; FO 3-26; Saves 43; Sv% .827; PP 2-5
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (4-4) will head to Ft. Worth, TX to face the Panther City Lacrosse Club (5-4) at Dickies Arena on Saturday February 18, 2023, game time 8:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada can see the action on TSN.ca or the TSN app.
The Calgary Roughnecks (6-3) will head to Vancouver, BC to face the Vancouver Warriors (1-7) at Rogers Arena on Friday February 17, 2023, game time 10:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. This is the Game of the Week in Canada so fans can see the game for free on TSN or the TSN app.
Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©