Di Miller, Correspondent Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Feature Image Photo Credit: Sara Schmidle
On a frigid Saturday night in Buffalo, the Colorado Mammoth (1-5) would face the Buffalo Bandits (6-2) on Tucker Out Lymphoma Night, in honor of Tucker Williams who died of Lymphoma four years previous. The tradition has been carried on for six years and for the first time, both teams would meet at center field for a group picture in honor of Tucker, and donning special jersey’s which would be auctioned off after the game. The 10,766 Bandits fans would not be disappointed as their team would win their fourth consecutive game at home defeating the Colorado Mammoth for the only meeting of the two teams during the 2018-2019 season. Final Score: Buffalo 15—Colorado 12.
Colorado would be without Jeremy Noble as he’s been struggling as of late and Stephen Keogh would return to the line-up after missing the previous contests due to an injury; also out the Mammoth line up yet again, Brent Adams. Buffalo would go without Matthew Bennett and Matt Spanger.
Heading into tonight’s contest, the Bandits were the first team in the league with 100 goals scored; Ryan Benesch of the Colorado Mammoth lead the squad with 25 points and was five points away from landing in the Top Ten all-time points list in NLL history; and Shawn Evans led the league in points with 48.
After tonight’s contest, Benesch would achieve that spot as he made it into the top ten in the National Lacrosse League’s top-ten all-time points list reaching 960 regular season career points during the game against the Bandits with one goal and four assists.
Buffalo would win the opening face-off with Steve Priolo getting the clamp and flip toss allowing Shawn Evans (3G) to get this 13th of the season with the two man game, pick and roll giving him enough room 49 seconds in sending one through the five hole on Ward. For the next five minutes Ward was defending his net well and only allowed one goal on seven shots. Then at the 5:50 mark Evans would get his second on the night as he snuck it by Ward with the no look shot far post putting Buffalo up 2-0. Buffalo was on a roll and with a nifty move by Jordan Durston (1G, 3A) unassisted at 8:04 as he scooped the ball and swam through two defenders diving across the crease scoring on Ward. The run would continue as Chase Fraser (3G) did a 360 spin shot using the defender as a screen hitting net stick side low to put the Bandits up 4-0. Colorado was trying to push the ball in transition but Buffalo played tight defense to keep them scoreless in the first. Shots on goal would see Buffalo leading slightly 15-13. Score at the end of one: Buffalo 4—Colorado 0.
Colorado would start the second man up as Shawn Evans would get hit with a two-minute ‘unsportsmanlike conduct’ as the buzzer sounded at the end of the first. This would give the Mammoth a man-up to begin the frame and started their four goal run. Eli McLaughlin (2G, 5A) would get it going for Colorado notching his 11th of the season scoring glove side with an overhand high to low laser shot on Matt Vinc at 1:02. The Mammoth were playing good defense not allowing Buffalo to set up. Colorado was knocking on the door as they were closing the gap with shots on goal 16-18 at the five minute mark. About six minutes would tick off the clock before the fans would see another point go on the board and it would be Colorado as Ryan Lee (2G, 3A) cut through three defenders with a quick stick shot on the door step far post right to left on Vinc at 7:09. The run would continue for the Mammoth as rookie Kyle Killen (3G, 2A) came off the bench and with four steps got the quick catch scoring on Vinc at 7:56. Colorado would get their second man up opportunity as Ethan O’Connor went to the sin bin for holding at 8:09 and Killen would get his second on the night far side low with another laser at 9:33 as Vinc missed the slide tying the game at four apiece. At this point in the game, the first quarter was all Buffalo and the second was all Colorado. However, the remaining five minutes would be all Bandits as they would score the final three staring off with a straight shot on the pick and roll with Dhane Smith setting up just enough screen for Matt Gilray (2G) to find an opening on the door step at 12:03; Smith (3G, 5A) would be next to score as he took one out front while double teamed, his back to the net spun and hit stick side low at 13:35; and Nick Weiss (1G) scored from the outside on a three on five snapping a shot between two defenders through the five hole with 39.9 seconds remaining in the first half. Shots on goal had evened up 28 apiece. Score at the end of two: Buffalo 7—Colorado 4.
The Bandits on the season were 5-0 when leading at the half and if they continued to contain the Mammoth, they would be 6-0. But Colorado wasn’t ready to give up yet as Killen would get his first career hat trick 29 seconds in as he baited Vinc with a twister short side to put it stick side between the post bringing them to within two. Smith would hit net through the wickets on a high to low shot beating Ward at 3:46 to put the gap back to three. But the Mammoth would get fired up going on a three goal run of their own as Jacob Ruest (2G, 1A) would get the feed from behind the net hitting Vinc straight on through the five hole at 4:18; Ryan Benesch (1G, 4A) looked and scored as he threaded the needle with a bouncer at 8:25 giving him his 13th on the season; and Chris Wardle (1G, 2A) would tie the game as he went glove side left right left over the shoulder of Vinc at 9:37. The Bandits would match the run with three of their own with Mitch deSnoo (1G) on the odd man rush straight up the middle depositing the shot behind Ward at 10:00; Fraser would turn and fire scoring the next left side on Ward at 11:47; and Smith with a short-handed goal in transition would bounce it past Ward stick side low at 13:36 putting the Bandits ahead 11-8. Colorado would break the run as Ruest somehow found a slot, stutter stepped turned around and fired far post catching Vinc off guard at 14:28, but it would be short lived. Buffalo would close out the frame with two quick goals at 14:42 and 14:58, both on successful face off wins, the first from Fraser as he broke down the field caught the pass and shot on an off guard Ward; and the final only 14 seconds later when Gilray would get the break as he shot on Ward who made the initial save, but with English on the ball it would trickle in as Gilray pivoted to stay out of the crease with two seconds on the clock. Buffalo would still lead in the shots on goal 40-39. Score at the end of three: Bandits 13—Mammoth 9.
It was do or die for Colorado as they certainly didn’t want to end the night going 1-5 and although they controlled the final 15 outscoring Buffalo 3-2, they could not overcome the stellar defense of the Bandits. As the frustrations began, the Mammoth would find themselves on their first man down situation as Dan Coates would head to the box at 1:04 for a two minute holding call. Colorado was third in the league overall in man down situations at 55%; and Buffalo was fifth overall in power play ranking. With 15 seconds left in the power play, McLaughlin would get hit with another Mammoth penalty and was called for ‘checking from behind’ at 2:49. This gave the Bandits a five on three opportunity and with two seconds left in the first penalty would score with a quick stick shot from Evans off the cross crease pass as he went left right left at 3:02 and the 114th goal for Buffalo this season putting them up 14-9. But there was still a lot of lacrosse left and Colorado would go on their third three goal run of the contest. The first would come off the short-handed goal in transition as Lee would shoot low on Vinc who didn’t move as he thought the ball was in his equipment as it rolled across the line at 3:40; and McLaughlin would score seven seconds in on the power play off the Buffalo illegal substitution taking two strides hitting Vinc short side over the shoulder 11:45. The Mammoth would pull Ward in favor of the extra attacker allowing Stephen Keogh (1G) to send a laser shot straight on blowing it past the defender short side low at 13:27 bringing them to within two 14-12 with 1:33 remaining. The Mammoth would get two resets of the shot clock and continued to fire bullets at Vinc, but he stood tall in net not allowing a goal. Colorado would pull Ward again in the hopes of another EA opportunity paying off, but Buffalo would get the break and with the Tic-Tac-Toe, Smith and Priolo would team up with Ethan O’Connor (1G, 2A) for the empty netter as Taylor Stuart couldn’t block the shot with 15 seconds remaining. That would put the final nail in the coffin. Final Score: Bandits 15—Mammoth 12.
Game Stats:
Colorado—57 SOG; 23 SOFF; 72 LB; 14-30 FO; 3-3 PPG
Dillon Ward—14 GA; 48 SOG; 34 Saves; .708 SV%
Buffalo—49 SOG; 12 SOFF; 73 LP; 16-30 FO; 1-2 PPG
Matt Vinc—12 GA; 57 SOF; 45 Saves; .789 SV%
Stars of the Game:
Colorado: Kyle Killen (3G, 2A) and his first career hat trick
Buffalo: Dhane Smith (3G, 5A)
UP NEXT:
Colorado (1-5) heads to Philadelphia to face the Wings (1-6) for the final game of their three game road trip on Saturday February 9, game time 7:00 p.m. EST.
Buffalo (6-2) will head down to Georgia to face the Swarm (7-2) on Saturday February 9, game time 7:05 p.m. EST.
Di Miller, Correspondent Colorado Mammoth
Lacrosse is Awesome©