Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Caroline Sherman
On Friday the 13th, March 2026, the Colorado Mammoth (9-5) had a chance to defeat the Buffalo Bandits (7-6) for the second time this season. But their evil twins showed up and in front of over 17,000 loyal Buffalo fans, they allowed the Bandits to notch four in the first four minutes as well as controlling the majority of the game, they chased Dillon Ward from the net 2:03 into the second, and would go onto win their third in a row. Final Score: Bandits 13—Mammoth 10.
Buffalo would win the opening draw and get on the board first. Dhane Smith (4g, 5a) used a nifty spin move from the left wing and put a side arm shot far side to get the Bandits on the board 2:15 in. A little over a minute later, Smith struck again. This time he got in close and with a fake, fake, twister finish bounced it five hole and they were up 2-0. And they were just getting started. It took less than 30 seconds for Josh Byrne (4g, 5a) to strike. He took a jab step and put a BTB shot over the shoulder of Dillon Ward for a 3-goal lead. Mammoth Bench Boss Pat Coyle immediately yanked Ward from the net so he could regroup. Nathan Whittom went in between the pipes and almost immediately, Tehoka Nanticoke (3g) faked a pass and fired it over Whittom’s shoulder and just like that, in 4:45 seconds they had taken a 4-goal lead. Ward came back into the contest and Mammoth fans were hoping he had settled down. The change did give Colorado a bit of a spark. Andrew Kew (2g, 2a) who leads the league in points per game with 7.1, halted the Bandits run. Kew came from behind the net, got the dish from Will Malcom, pulled a fake, fake up close and buried it far side 5:14 in and they were finally on the board 4-1. But Buffalo would quickly erase the tally when Byrne fought past a defender, got into the slot, fired it around another defender and tucked it inside the far post just 30 seconds later and once again, they were up by four. With 8:33 left in the first, Colorado went man down and Buffalo would tally their only power play marker on the night. Just 20 seconds into the man up, Smith took a couple of stutter steps, got Ward to drop to his knees, he made the initial save, but the ball ended up trickling over the line giving Smith not only a power play goal, but also his hat-trick on the night and the lead was five. The Mammoth would get their first man up with 6:42 left in the frame and they’d capitalize. Colorado used a beautiful tic-tac-toe play, a nice BTB pass from Jack Hannah to Braedon Saris who was set up behind the net, he flipped to Will Malcom (2g, 2a) and he quick sticked his shot top corner 20 seconds in for their one and only man up marker on the night and the score was 5-2 still in favor of Buffalo. The final tally in the frame came in transition. Braedon Saris (2g, 4a) from way out in front went five-hole and his shot trickled past Vinc with 4:43 left in the quarter. They had closed the gap to 5-3. For the remaining four and change, the teams ran up and down the floor without finding twine. Score at the end of one: Bandits 5—Mammoth 3.
Colorado would start the second on a man up off a goalie interference call on Smith with 39 seconds left in the first, a call he tried to argue, and he went to the sin bin for a minimum of two. With Buffalo having the number one PK in the league at 61%, they’d keep Colorado out of the net so the score remain unchanged. But Buffalo would quickly change that 1:50 into the second. Nanticoke got the feed from Smith, dove across the crease and as he was falling down, shot low and got the ball past Ward to re-establish their four-goal lead. It took only 13 seconds for them to strike again. Smith fired a step-down shot top cheddar and they were up 8-3. It was then that Pat Coyle had seen enough, and Ward made his exit from the game to the bench and Whittom got the nod. At this point in the contest, Buffalo’s defensive sets were on point and was not allowing Colorado to find any shooting lanes, while the Mammoth couldn’t complete passes and had multiple missed opportunities to get on the board. But the change in net did help them a bit. Whittom made multiple amazing saves over the next three minutes which allowed Colorado to settle down, and it worked. Hannah (3g, 2a) fired a laser at Matt Vinc, it hit his shoulder, rolled down his back and dropped into the net 5:5o in and the score sheet showed 8-4 still in favor of Buffalo and this started the Mammoths’ three-goal run. Two and a half minutes later, Owen Rahn (1a) was set up behind the cage, got the dish from Hannah, fed to Dylan McIntosh (1g) who was on the doorstep, he dunked it past Vinc and they were within three. With 5:06 to go in the half, the teams would have off setting minors for roughing so the teams would go four on four and the Mammoth took advantage. Hannah on the run, fought his way around a pick, and fired a low skip shot with 4:11 on the ticker and they had closed the gap 8-6. And just like the first, neither team found twine for the last four and the half would end. Score at the end of two: Bandits 8—Mammoth 6.
HALF TIME STATS:
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 28; Saves Ward 13; Sv% Ward .650; Saves Whittom 11; Sv% Whittom .917; FO 6-16; PP 1-2; PIM 4; LB 32; TO 10
Buffalo Bandits—SOG 32; Saves 22; Save % .786; FO 10-16; PP 1-1; LB 30; TO 12
Scoring slowed drastically in the second half as the Bandits tried to figure out Whittom. But the third would start out quick. Byrne fired an off-speed shot, got Whittom to drop to his knees and his shot went five-hole 43 seconds in. But Colorado answered back just as quickly. Saris was on the left side and ripped an overhand shot top corner 1:06 in and it was 9-7 with Buffalo on top. As the track meet ensued for five minutes of scoreless lacrosse and a goalie battle, the Mammoth would break through. Malcom pulled away from his defender, found a shooting lane and put a side arm shot hip high on Vinc getting Colorado within one 9-8. But that tally was the last for Colorado in the third as Buffalo would put up three in a row. Smith got the turnover at the Buffalo crease, fired a long outlet pass to Nanticoke on the run, he sprinted the floor, faked once and popped it top corner for his hat-trick tally and it was 10-8. T
he next goal was “perfect place-perfect time”. Smith fired a shot on cage, it hit the boards, Byrne caught the rebound in the air and with Whittom on the other side of the pipes anticipating a Smith shot, he buried it into the open side of the net with 7:07 in the third. Whittom would hold strong in cage for the next five before the Bandits found twine. On the pick and roll, Byrne fed a BTB pass to Clay Scanlan (1g, 2a) who was all alone in front, he hopped and put it into the back of the net with 2:03 left in the frame. The clock wound down and at the end of three the score was: Bandits 12—Mammoth 8.
Colorado would outscore Buffalo 2-1 in the fourth, but with a healthy lead heading into the final 15, two would not be enough. The Bandits tallied early, just 29 seconds in. Buchanan tip toed the crease, pump faked, brought it back across his body, found the inside pipe and they were up 13-8. Thirty seconds later, Hannah stutter stepped, then jab stepped, faked out his defender and pinged far side top corner and the score board showed 13-9. Neither side could find the back of the net for the next 13 minutes while the fans watched each net minder stand on their heads. Finally, with 1:11 left on the clock, Kew was out in front and fired a side arm shot low past Vinc getting them within three. The Mammoth would pull Whittom in favor of the EA hoping they could put up at least three. But things did not play out the way they hoped, and they’d drop their second in a row. Final Score: Bandits 13—Mammoth 10.
With the loss, Colorado still has not clinched a play off spot and if Vancouver defeats Georgia on March 14, 2026, they will move into second place in the league. If Georgia wins, they would still be behind Colorado as they have played one additional game over the Swarm.
STARS OF THE GAME:
Jack Hannah – Colorado Mammoth: 3g, 2a
Dhane Smith – Buffalo Bandits: 4g, 5a
Josh Byrne – Buffalo Bandits: 4g, 5a
GAME STATS:
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 55; Saves 37; Combined Sv % .740; FO 13-27; PP 1-3; PIM 6
Buffalo Bandits—SOG 50; Saves 45; Sv % .818; FO 14-27; PP 1-2; PIM 8
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (9-5) will host the Calgary Roughnecks (3-9)*** at Ball Arena in Denver on Saturday March 21, 2026, game time 9:00 p.m. EST. Colorado must play every game for the remainder of the season as if it was a playoff game if they want to stay near the top of the standings. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to see the action on TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
The Buffalo Bandits (7-6) head to the west coast to face the San Diego Seals (6-6)*** at Pechanga Arena also on Saturday March 21, 2026, game time 10:00 p.m. EST. Both teams are fighting to move up in the standings, so the stakes are high. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to see the action on TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
***Record at the time of the article