Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Scott L. Thomas
The Colorado Mammoth (3-7) headed to MVP Arena to face the Albany FireWolves (7-2) on Saturday February 17, 2024. This is the first time the two teams have gone head-to-head since the 2018-19 season when the FireWolves were the New England Black Wolves. Although the game became a mirror image of itself with the teams matching goal for goal for much of the contest, the mirror shattered in the fourth when once again, the Mammoth offense could not find the back of the net in the last few minutes and the FireWolves young guns broke the 11-11 tie with six minutes left in the contest and Colorado was unable to answer back. The Mammoth would take the lead only once in the contest with 1:55 left in the third and there was a total of seven ties in the game. Final Score: FireWolves 13—Mammoth 11.
Albany would jump out to an early 1-0 lead off an odd goal. Alex Simmons (4g, 1a) from way out in front, fired a laser beam that hit the cross bar and spun into the net just 2:59 in. Tye Kurtz (3g, 4a) from almost the same spot as the Simmons goal, bounced a shot five-hole with 6:35 left in the first and it was 2-0 FireWolves. Colorado finally got on the board with 5:42 left in the first. Zed Williams (2g, 2a) whipped a shot past the defender, and it went under the leg of Doug Jamieson, and it was 2-1. It took only 17 seconds for the Mammoth to tie it up. Tyson Gibson (2g, 1a) notched the equalizer and pinged the top corner at the 5:25 mark and it was 2 all. The next five minutes saw stellar net minding with both Dillon Ward and Jamieson standing on their heads. Unfortunately for Colorado, with 10.5 seconds on the ticker, Ethan Walker (3g, 2a) would get the rebound, Ward had dropped from the previous shot and Walker was able to put it in on the near side to end the first. Score at the end of one: FireWolves 3—Mammoth 2.
The teams would match goal for goal in the second. Albany had a nice pick and roll, and Travis Longboat (1g, 4a) would dish to Kurtz who was on the doorstep, and he put it far side 1:17 in increasing their lead 4-2. Less than a minute later, Simmons on the run turned the corner and went five-hole and it was 5-2. Colorado would go on their first man up opportunity 4:09 into the second and they’d capitalize. On the give and go, Connor Kelly passed to Eli McLaughlin (3g, 3a), he fired around his defender and found the far side of the net for a power play tally 20 seconds into the man up and it was 5-3. Another three ticked off the timer before Albany would notch their only power-play tally on the night. Walker got a nice feed from Simmons and fired a snipe shot down low with 7:39 left in the half giving them another three-goal lead 6-3. The Mammoth would have their second man up opportunity with 5:08 left in the half and would score again. McLaughlin stepped down and fired short side top corner 14 seconds later for his second power play tally on the night and it was 6-4. Colorado would be the last ones to find twine in the first half. Connor Kelly (2g, 3a) tip toed the crease and put a quick stick shot over the left shoulder with 3:25 left giving him his first goal against his former team. Once again, the net minders stood tall in their respective cages for the remaining minutes. Score at the end of two: FireWolves 6—Mammoth 5.
In the third, the fans would see Colorado outscore their team 3-2 and the Mammoth taking their first and only lead on the night. Connor Robinson (1g) cut through the middle and on the run, put one in the back of the net 2:38 in to tie it back up 6-6. About two minutes later, Travis Longboat (1g, 4a) was on the move, circled around the defenders and fired it far side low and once again, Albany had the lead 7-6. Scoring came to a halt for the next eight minutes and during that time something strange happened. With 9:51 left in the frame, Warren Jeffrey was called for a five-minute major penalty from a hit on Marshall Powless. The penalty was under review and when all was said and done, the penalty was “rescinded”, and play resumed. The next tally would come from Colorado. McLaughlin fired on the cage, Jamieson made the initial save, McLaughlin scooped his own rebound, headed to the cage and put it near side for his hat-trick with 2:38 left in the quarter and it was tied again 7-7. With 1:55 on the timer, the Mammoth would take their only lead on the night. Tim Edwards headed down the floor on a breakaway, slowed up as he got past the restraining line and saw Williams heading out the door, Edwards made the flip toss and Williams from out in front, fired a bullet stick side and it was 8-7 Colorado. While Colorado thought they were safe taking a lead into the final frame, Simmons used some fancy footwork, spun away from his defender, used Robert Hope as the screen and fired it down low for his hat-trick with 11 seconds left in the third for yet another tie 8-8 to end the frame.
The fans would see the game tied three more times in the final frame. Albany used some nice tic-tac-toe passing and found former Mammoth player Sam Firth (1g, 2a) out in front, he tip toed the crease and deposited the shot over the shoulder 1:57 in and it was 9-8 Albany. The Mammoth would tie it up 17 seconds later. Kelly started out at the center line, turned and headed to the net which opened up his shooting lane, and on the run went five-hole and it was tied again 9-9. Once again, the FireWolves broke the tie. Simmons ran around the floor and as he was falling down, fired a bounce shot into the back of the net for his fourth on the night 4:08 into the fourth and it was 10-9. But Colorado would score right back in transition on the odd man rush. Brett Craig (1g, 1a) was on the receiving end and he bounced his shot five-hole at the 5:12 mark to tie it at 10’s. Less than a minute later, out of nowhere, Kurtz crashed the cage, leapt to stay out of the crease and with a nice twister shot put it top shelf for his hat-trick marker with plenty of time to go. The Mammoth would put up their final tally on the night with 6:53 remaining. Kelly looked like he was going to take a shot on net but used his left hand to feed to Gibson out in front, he tip toed the crease and found an opening on the near side to tie it up 11-11. Albany would take the lead and hold onto it for the remaining five minutes. Marshall Powless (1g, 1a) muscled his way through a couple of defenders and with a one-handed shot buried it near side for the GWG with 5:08 left in regulation. The final goal came from Walker when he used a quick stick and went five-hole with 4:13 on the clock and it was 13-11 Albany. Although Colorado tried again and again to find the back of the net, Jamieson stood on his head and the Mammoth would lose their third straight.
STARS OF THE GAME:
Alex Simmons—Albany FireWolves: 4g, 1a
Tye Kurtz—Albany FireWolves: 3g, 4a
Eli McLaughlin—Colorado Mammoth: 3g, 3a
FINAL STATS:
Colorado Mammoth: SOG 60; Saves 36; Sv% .735%; FO 14-29; PP 2-3
Albany FireWolves: SOG 49; Saves 49; Sv% .817%; FO 15-20; PP 1-4
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (3-7) return home and will play host to the New York Riptide (5-5) on Friday February 23, 2024, game time 9:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA get to see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+.
The Albany FireWolves (7-2) will head to KeyBank Center where they will go up against the defending NLL Champs, the Buffalo Bandits (5-4) on Saturday February 24, 2024, game time 7:30 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA get to see the game on ESPN+. Fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+.
Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©