Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: C. Shaw
The Colorado Mammoth (3-6) headed to Ft. Worth, TX to face the Panther City Lacrosse Club (4-4) on Friday February 9, 2024, hoping to regroup after the tough loss last weekend in San Diego. What started out to be Déjà vu as the score was almost identical to the Seals loss at halftime, Colorado would put one up with 2 seconds left in the half to make it 8-6. A couple of milestones occurred during the game as well. Tim Edwards would notch 1,200 career face-off wins and Callum Crawford would score his 980th goal in his career, making him the 9th player in NLL history in goals scored. Although there would be 8 ties in the contest and the Mammoth would shut out Panther City in the third, they could not keep PC out of the net in the extra frame and Jonathan Donville would put one five-hole just 29 seconds into OT for the win. Final Score OT: Panther City 14—Mammoth 13. It took a few minutes to get things going in the first and PC would be the first to find twine. With only 3:11 off the ticker and only two seconds left on the shot clock, Jason Knox (2g, 2a) stepped in and put it top corner 1-0 PC. On the ensuing draw, Tim Edwards (1g), popped it out in front, broke down the floor all alone and fired it past Nick Damude glove side to tie it up 45 seconds later 1-1. A little over a minute later, Will Malcom (3g, 4a) made a quick move, face dodge and fired a twister shot near side bottom corner 4:26 and it was 2-1 PC. Once again, neither team found the net for a few, but PC came through with 7:18 on the timer. Knox made his way to the doorstep, used a couple fakes to get Dillon Ward to move and he popped it over his shoulder, and it was 3-1. The final point to go up on the scoreboard would come from Colorado. Tyson Gibson (2g, 3a) got the cross-field pass from McLaughlin, he used a quick stick, Damude couldn’t slide fast enough and he put it near side with 4:41 to go. Both teams’ defense was on point for the remainder of the first. Score at the end of one: Panther City 3—Mammoth 2.
The second quarter started quickly. Colorado won the draw, Zed Williams (3g, 2a) got the feed from Gibson, he slipped to the inside off the pick and fired it five-hole 24 seconds in to tie it up at 3’s. But PC would take back the lead. Jonathan Donville (2g, 3a) used his defender as a screen and threw a bounce shot five-hole 1:47 in giving them the lead 4-3. With 4:14 off the clock, Connor Kelly (4g, 4a) cut to the inside with the defender all over his back, fired on Damude who made the initial save, but it would end up rolling in tying it once again 4-4. That would hold for only 14 seconds. Ryan Sheridan (5g, 1a) who scored more goals in the game than he had all year (4g prior to tonight’s game). He used his lane shot over the top of his defender and went top corner 5-4. Four minutes later, Sheridan would notch his second. He carried his defender on his back all the way to the crease while protecting his stick, leaned in, jumped and put a bounce shot five-hole and it was 6-4. PC would continue their run with Sheridan putting up a true hat-trick with 6:20 to go in the half. He used a spin move, backed away the defender, switched his stick to the other hand, leapt and put it over the shoulder 7-4. About 30 seconds later, the Mammoth would stop the run. Kelly was all alone out in front, used the off-ball cut, jumped and with the quick stick finish went over the left shoulder and it was 7-5. Unfortunately, the Mammoth would lose possession at midfield, Patrick Foley (1g) recognized the over and back, scooped the loosie, headed down the floor, faked and got Ward off his line and went glove side 8-5. Mammoth fans were seeing a possible repeat from a week ago. But there was plenty of time left in the half with 5:41 remaining and neither team could score. However, with 10.3 seconds on the clock, Colorado would call for a time out. They set up the six on five and Ward stayed on the bench. The next play was a beauty. Williams passed to McLaughlin, and he popped it to Gibson who found the inside of the near post with 1.5 seconds on the clock. Score at the end of two: Panther City 8—Mammoth 6.
Only two goals went up on the scoreboard in the third and both came at the hands of the Mammoth. It was a defensive battle throughout and mostly a track meet. The first goal came at the 4:08 mark. Panther City would go man down on a holding call. Eli McLauglin (2g, 3a) would put up his first. He got his hands free, had a ton of room and let it rip 4:02 in for the first power-play goal of the night. Neither team could muster up any real offense, Panther City had some major offensive issues from how well they played in the first half, they had errant passes, were holding the ball far too long, were really stagnant and it showed. The final tally in the third came with 4:11 in the frame. Kelly made his way underneath, faked, pushed to the cage and fired it back across his body up top near pipe for his hat-trick goal and a tie game 8-8. With 23 seconds in the third, Colorado would go with the empty net and PC almost scored on the open net, but the shot went wide. Score at the end of three: Mammoth 8—Panther City 8.
Fans would see the score tied five times in the fourth. Just as the second had started, Colorado would score first 44 seconds in and get their first lead of the contest. Dylan Kinnear (1g, 2a) used a hesitation move to set up Damude, Kinnear backed into his guy, shot around the defender and went right side 9-8 Colorado. Again, PC would tie it up 2:40 in. On the man up, with a flick of his wrist, Callum Crawford (1g, 2a) used a toe drag, a nice fake and finish from in close giving him his 980th career goal putting him in 9th place for goals scored in NLL history and it was 9-9. W. Malcom who has scored in every game he’s played in a PC uniform, used a jab step, came in up tight and went over the top against the pipe 4:12 in for the go-ahead goal 10-9. But the Mammoth would strike back with a transition goal. Williams came out of the gate, brushed off his defender, used a nice fake and finish down low 6:21 in and it was tied 10-10. They’d follow it up with 7:47 to go and McLaughlin notching their second power-play tally on the night. There was some nice off ball movement, and McLaughlin put it far side up top 11-10 Mammoth. PC would notch back-to-back tallies less than a minute apart giving them the lead once more. Sheridan fought his way through the crowd, sold the face dodge and dunked it over the shoulder with 5:54 to go. At this point in the contest, he had scored his fourth on the night, more than he had scored all year. Less than a minute later, he made his way to the cage again. With a fake, fake, fake, he hit far pipe for his 5th on the night and it was 12-11 PC. Once again only a minute later, Williams would jam it in past Damude for Colorado’s second man up tally 12-12 with 3:53 to go. Colorado would tal
ly another with 2:15 left. On the tic-tac-toe, Kinnear passed to Gibson who passed to Kelly who was on the doorstep, and he found twine for his 4th on the night 13-12 Mammoth. With 52.1 seconds in the contest, Panther City Bench Boss Tracey Kelusky called for a timeout to set up the play. They’d go six on five and on the give and go, W. Malcolm pulled his defenders to the left and tagged the top corner for his hat-trick and 33.2 seconds in regulation tying it up again 13-13. It was then Colorado’s time to call for the TO. With 27.1 seconds left, Ward came out and the Mammoth went with the empty net. They waited until there was about 10 seconds on the game clock, fired on Damude and he made the save forcing the game into overtime. Score at the end of four: Mammoth 13—Panther City 13.
As we all know, typically whoever wins the draw heading into the extra frame will win the contest and tonight was no different. Panther City won the draw, Donville headed to the net, sold the face dodge, used a couple of pump fakes, got Ward to go high and his bounce shot went five-hole for the GWG only 29 seconds in. Final Score OT: Panther City 14—Mammoth 13.
STATS:
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 47; Saves 37; Sv% .725; LB 70, PP 2-4
Panther City Lacrosse Club—SOG 51; Saves 34; Sv% .723; LB 40; PP 1-3
STARS OF THE GAME:
Ryan Sheridan—Panther City: 5g, 1a
Connor Kelly—Colorado Mammoth: 4g, 4a
Will Malcom—Panther City: 3g, 4a
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (3-6) are still on the road for their final game of their away stance and will head to MVP Arena to face the Albany FireWolves (6-2) on Saturday February 17, 2024, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to see the action on TSN+.
Panther City Lacrosse Club (4-4) have a bye-week and will be back in action on Sunday February 25, 2024, and will play host the Georgia Swarm (5-4)** at home in Dickies Arena, game time 4:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to see the action on TSN+.
Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
**Score at the time of article.