Shawn Palmer, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Di Miller
The Ottawa Black Bears (8-5) traveled west to Colorado to play the Mammoth (9-4) on Saturday night March 7, 2026. The Mammoth had a chance to move into first place in the NLL, and the Black Bears were hoping to move up in the standings as they were sitting in sixth place at the start of the contest. Both teams came into this game after “come from behind” wins last week and each wanted the same results tonight. Colorado started strong with Andrew Kew (4G, 1A) scoring three goals in the first half, but they could only manage a 4 – 3 lead at the end of the first half, had trouble finding the back of the net for most of the third and all of the fourth. Kew scored his fourth goal early in the third and that was all the offense they could muster as Zach Higgins (31 saves) and the Black Bears defense shut the door for most of the third and blanked the Mammoth in the fourth. Ottawa’s seven goal run, Jeff Teat (4G, 3A) scoring a natural hat trick in the fourth quarter and the final nail in the coffin was an empty netter would help lead Ottawa to a 10 – 5 win.
The game got off to a slow start with the first tally going up on the board almost six minutes in. Ottawa opened it up on the power play when Reilly O’Connor (1G, 1A) passed behind the net to Larson Sundown (2G) who dove in front and tucked it in over the leg pad of Dillon Ward (41 saves) for the early 1 – 0 lead. Colorado would answer back just over a minute later when Kew fired a mid to low sidearm shot that beat Higgins to the glove side to tie the game at one. The Mammoth took their first lead with just over six minutes left in the first. Kew’s fired on the net; his shot was saved by Higgins, Dylan McIntosh (1G) grabbed the rebound and his quick stick shot beat Higgins just under the arm to give the Mammoth the 2 – 1 lead. The shots at the end of the first quarter were Ottawa 16 and Colorado 12.
Ottawa tied the game up less than a minute into the second quarter when Connor Kearnan (1G, 1A) passed to Rob Hellyer (5A) on a give and go and when he received the return pass his quick stick went stick side to tie the game at two. A little over two minutes later, while in transition Jake Stevens (1G), came right down the middle of the floor, faked far and shot to the short side beating Ward stick side to give the Black Bears a 3 – 2 lead. As the teams ran the floor, Ottawa would be hit with a holding stick call putting Colorado on their first of two man ups in the frame. Halfway through the quarter while on the power play Kew fired a high to low shot that went under the glove to tie the game at three. Once again, the teams would battle until the Mammoth took the lead, this time on a five on three power play. Jack Hannah (3A) found Kew cutting across the floor, and he fired a shot over the shoulder into the top corner giving him a hat trick power play marker and Colorado had taken the lead 4 – 3 heading into the half. The shots on goal at the end of the first half were Ottawa 28 and Colorado 22.
After another slow start, Ottawa would go man down again and once again, Colorado would take advantage. Kew was on the right side, stepped and fired a mid to low bounce shot that beat Higgins five hole with only one second left on the shot clock and it was 5 – 3 Mammoth. Unfortunately for the Mammoth that would be their final tally on the night as they watched the Black Bears take charge for the remaining 23 minutes. They started their seven-goal run while on the power play. Ottawa had some nice ball movement as Kearnan fed the ball cross floor to Sundown and his quick stick beat Ward to the short side, and it was 5 – 4 for Colorado. A minute later Hellyer fed a cutting Jeff Teat, and his quick stick went short side to tie the game at five halfway through the third. Fans would again watch the teams run the floor without finding the back of the net for almost eight minutes. At the end of the third quarter the shots on goal were Ottawa 40 and Colorado 34.
Ottawa would shut out Colorado in the fourth and put up five tallies. They started it early on the power play when O’Connor took a high to low shot that Ward got a piece of, but it fell behind him and over the line to give Ottawa a 6 – 5 lead two minutes into the final frame. After another five ticked off the clock, Teat came alive as he went around his defender and his bounce shot went five-hole extending their lead to 7 – 5. Ottawa put another one in when Hellyer passed to a cutting Teat, he faked far side and shot short side to beat Ward and give Ottawa a three-goal lead at 8 – 5 with five minutes left in the game. A minute later Teat would complete a natural hat trick with a side arm shot that had Ward leaning to the outside, the shot went inside and it was 9 – 5 for Ottawa. With just over two minutes left in the game, Mammoth Bench Boss Pat Coyle pulled Ward for an extra attacker, but Colorado turned it over on the other side of the floor, Brent Noseworthy (1A) scooped the ball, passed to Matt Marinier (1G) he headed down the floor all alone and deposited the ball in the empty net to double the score at 10 – 5 for Ottawa. Although Colorado tried, they couldn’t get any other chances and Ottawa pulled off the upset. Final Score: Black Bears 10—Mammoth 5.
The three stars of the game were:
Jeff Teat – Ottawa Black Bears: 4 goals, 3 assists
Andrew Kew – Colorado Mammoth: 4 goals, 1 assist
Zack Higgins – Ottawa Black Bears: 33 saves
GAME STATS:
Ottawa Black Bears—SOG 51; Saves 33; Sv% .868; FO 4-19; PP 3-6; LB 66; PIM 14
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 38; Saves 41; Sv% .804; FO 15-19; PP 3-6; LB 61; PIM 13
NEXT UP:
The Ottawa Black Bears (8-5) will travel to the Scotiabank Saddledome to face off against the Calgary Roughnecks (2-9)*** on Saturday March 14, 2026, game time 7:00 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
The Colorado Mammoth (9-4) will head east to take on the Buffalo Bandits (6-6) at Key Bank Centre on Friday March 13, 2026, game time 7:30 p.m. EST. Fans in the USA can see the game on ESPN+, while fans in Canada get to catch the action on TSN+. The game will also be televised on NLL+.
Shawn Palmer, NLL Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
***Record at the time of the article