Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Mike McGinnis
On Saturday April 29, 2023 the Colorado Mammoth (9-9) headed to Pechanga Arena to face their nemesis the San Diego Seals (14-4) in the hopes of taking home the win and moving back into third in the West where they would then face their other Western Division Rivals the Calgary Roughnecks (13-5) for Round One of the 2023 NLL Playoffs. As everyone knows there is no love lost between the two teams as was evidenced by the last game in Denver on Friday April 14, 2023 where the teams combined for 81 penalty minutes. This game got chippy, but not quite as bad with only 50 minutes of penalties between the two teams. The Mammoth couldn’t get their offense going during the game with the exception of one surge early in the third when they’d go on a five-goal run, but they’d also give up three short-handed goals against the Seals who led the league heading into the contest with 18 and would end the night with a season high 21, nine of which are attributed to Curtis Dickson. This win, some say could be bad for the Seals because they seem to head to the sin bin a lot. But the Seals also want to avenge their loss to Colorado in the postseason in 2022 when the Mammoth knocked them out of the playoffs in Round One where they were also the number one seed. The final score in the contest was capped with an empty netter by San Diego. Final Score: Seals 11—Mammoth 8.
The Seals would win the opening draw and strike first at 1:32 with Austin Staats (4g, 2a) on a near side twister that stung the inside pipe and it was 1-0. Zed Williams (3g, 3a) finally got the Mammoth on the board when he backed in, created separation and went high to low with a twister shot stick side at 3:22 for his 100th career goal and it was 1-1. It took just over a minute for Staats to get his second. He’d fly through the crease, come back across his body and dunked it in between the far post at 4:03 to make it 2-1. The Seals would go on their first man down of the contest with 6:33 left in the first and Dane Dobbie (1g, 3a) with 1:05 left on the penalty would throw a couple of fakes and ping the corner for a short-handed marker with 5:37 left in the first and the Seals would go up 3-1. This was the 19th short-handed goal for San Diego this season. With 3:06 on the ticker, Mac O’Keefe who had tried to get to Ward from in close, was able to find an opening through the defense and sent a low-to-low shot right by Ward’s foot and the Seals were up by three to close out the first. Score at the end of one: Seals 4—Mammoth 1.
San Diego was starting the second on the man up and Tim Edwards would win the draw. They weren’t able to capitalize. But at the 2:26 mark, they’d go man down again. It took Curtis Dickson (1g, 2a) just over 30 seconds to send a low-to-low shot five hole on Ward for another short-handed tally at the 3:10 mark to make it 5-1. About three minutes later, Colorado would go man up and they’d get a short-handed tally of their own. Connor Robinson (2g, 3a) on the run was sweeping across the floor, fired it back across his body and found the top corner over Scigliano’s left shoulder at the 5:48 mark and it was 5-2. The next goal was a Sports Center Top 10. Dobbie sent a BTB pass to Staats who was set up behind the cage, and Staats would get enough air to slam dunk it near side for a power-play tally with 7:57 to go. This was Dobbie’s 100th point of the season as well and the Seals pushed ahead 6-2. The Seals would put up their final tally in the second with 6:58 to go. Wes Berg (1g, 1a) would sting the far corner from way out with an overhand shot for his 39th of the year to make it 7-2. Colorado would close it out with Brett McIntyre (2g, 1a) dipping down away from his defender, and using a twister far side shot with 1:14 to go to get them to within three. Score at the end of two: Seals 7—Mammoth 3.
The Seals would get it started again in the third off a sloppy goal. Jacob Dunbar (1g) fired it at the cage, Ward made the initial save but while he was turning to scoop the ball, it trickled into the net at the 2:04 mark and it was 8-3. San Diego was once again on the man down situation and Staats from out in front threw a couple of pump fakes up high and fired it down low under the glove of Ward for another short-handed tally at the 2:49 mark to make it 9-3. That was it for a while for the Seals as the Mammoth did what they do and found their spark. This time, they were on the man up and Williams got the BTB flip from Tyson Gibson and his quick release shot found the top corner at the 5:16 mark for a power-play tally and the start of a five-goal run. Williams would score again when he made a hard right turn to the net, dove in front of the crease, reached around Scigliano and dunked it far side with 7:48 to go for a short handed tally to make it 9-5. It started getting real chippy with 4:45 left in the third. Multiple penalties were given to the Seals, including 16 minutes to Eli Gobrecht however none were given to the Mammoth players which sparked some dissention on the Seals bench. The Mammoth would go on a six-minute power play run which allowed them to score two man up goals. The first came from Eli McLaughlin (1g, 1a) when he was left all alone behind the net. Scigliano slid to the left which left the right side wide open and McLauglin popped in the open net from behind with 2:07 in the frame and it was 9-6. The next power play tally came from McIntyre with 27.2 when he was left all alone on the doorstep and he faked high and dropped it low five hole and the Seals saw their five-goal lead whisked away and all of a sudden the lead was two. Score at the end of three: Seals 9—Mammoth 7.
Unfortunately for the Mammoth, the stats have not been kind to them in the fourth as they are 0-8 when trailing at the end of three and tonight was no different. They’d get their lone goal with another from Robinson on the run much like his earlier goal and he’d fire this one back across his body but he’d go five-hole this time at the 4:36 mark and it was 9-8. For the next nine minutes both net minders were absolutely stellar making save after save. The Seals would break that silence with 1:02 on the clock. Staats found Patrick Shoemay (2g, 1a) on the fast break, he’d use a couple of pump fakes and as he was falling down, put it top right corner with 1:02 remaining putting them back up 10-8. This was the first goal by San Diego in almost 26 minutes. Colorado would go with the empty net for the last six seconds and one of the Seals would send the pass down the field, it hit the glass, bounced off and Shoemay was there for the rebound, grabbed the bounce and sent it into the empty net with 2.6 left on the clock to cap the win for the Seals. Final Score: Seals 11—Mammoth 8.
As Mammoth fans know this is exactly what played out last year with Colorado heading to San Diego to face the Seals in Round One. Last time they defeated the Seals and went onto win the NLL Championship. This time around the Seals want revenge so it’s not going to be easy. They will have to be firing on all cylinders. Hopefully Ryan Lee will be back in the line up as Mammoth fans know that he is the spark they need. Eli McLaughlin needs to find his groove as well as he was off his game tonight. They have to keep their cool and the men in stripes are going to have a battle in Pechanga on Friday night.
STATS:
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 57; Saves 30; Sv% .732; FO 19-23; PP 3-8; LB 76; TO 32; CTO 11; PIM 15
San Diego Seals—SOG 41; Saves 49; Sv% .860; FO 4-23; PP 1-4; LB 47; TO 28; CTO 5; PIM 35
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (W4) will head right back to Pechanga Arena on Friday May 5th, 2023 to face the San Diego Seals (W1) for Round One of the NLL Playoffs. The game can be seen on ESPN+ & TSN+. Fans in Canada can also see the game on the TSN app.
Next week’s winners advance to their respective best-of-three Conference Finals, with Games 1 and 2 scheduled for May 12-15, and any necessary Game 3 played between May 19-22. Conference champions will face off in the best-of-three NLL Finals starting the final weekend of May.
Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©