Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©
Featured Image Photo Credit: Heather Barry
Colorado Mammoth (8-5) started their three-game road trip with their first win in Philadelphia against the Wings (5-8) in five years. The Mammoth would be without Eli McLaughlin who is on the holdout list as he is starting his career as a fire fighter in Vancouver, BC; they would also be without their leading scorer Connor Kelly due to an injury. TJ Comizio would make his debut for the Mammoth today after having played his entire NLL career with Georgia. This meant that other players not used to being on the offensive end would have to pick up the slack and they did just that. The Mammoth would hold the Wings to only two goals in the first and shut them out in the second. But a five-goal third quarter run by Philadelphia made things interesting as they would tie the game halfway through the third with the teams going back and forth for the remainder of the contest. But in the end, Ryan Lee (4g, 2a) would be the hero on the night, scoring not only the GWG but also the final tally in the last 33 seconds to seal the win. Final Score: Mammoth 10—Wings 8.
After a scuffle on the opening draw, the Wings would get possession, but in the process would go man down on a boarding call just 16 seconds in. The Mammoth would quickly capitalize with some great ball movement. Connor Robinson (1g, 2a) got the feed and put a stick side high laser top cheddar just 53 seconds in and it was 1-0. On the ensuing draw, Wings face-off specialist, Steve DelleMonache who was making his NLL debut would notch the first face-off win of his NLL career. Play would slow as the defense on both ends, including the keepers of the cage played spectacularly not allowing anyone to find the back of the cage. There would be a Wings goal by Phil Caputo that was challenged and overturned, but it was a beauty. Caputo got the rebound that popped out in front, he scooped and nailed a BTB shot glove side, but during the review, it was found the Blaze Riorden had his hand on the crease and it was a “no goal”, but still a pretty goal! Shortly thereafter, as Robert Hope was coming out of the box on his holding penalty, he was in the perfect spot, got the loose ball, saw Thomas Vela (2g, 1a) on the run, fired a cross floor pass, and Vela shot a laser inside the right pipe and it was 2-0 Colorado. In the next 60 seconds, the Wings would put up two in a row. The first was a power-play tally by Mitch Jones (1g, 7a) from out in front, through traffic, and he’d go five-hole for their first and only power play tally on the night with 1:34 left in the first. The next came 23 seconds later. Brennan O’Neill (2g) got the rebound off the glass, saw the loosie, scooped and fired inside the left post to tie it at 2-2. Colorado would close out the frame with 34.5 seconds on the clock. Jalen Chaster (1g, 2a) got the flip toss from Will Malcom, drove to the net, jumped and put it over the shoulder of Damude for his first goal of the year. Score at the end of the first: Mammoth 3—Wings 2.
The second was all defense. Damude would face 12 shots on goal with 11 saves for a .917 Sv%, while Ward would face 14 shots, making 14 saves for a 1.000 Sv%. The fans watched the teams run up and down the floor firing bullets, but the net minders would not give in until there were only 3.1 seconds on the clock. The Mammoth ran a perfect play, got the lefty cut, Will Malcom (1g, 3a) got the feed, turned and fired a quick release high to low shot just before the buzzer sounded. This would turn out to be the lowest scoring first half for the Wings this season and only the second time this year that they were held to only two goals in the first half. Score at the end of two: Mammoth 4—Wings 2.
HALFTIME STATS
Colorado Mammoth—SOG 26; Saves 20; Sv% .909; FO 2-7; PP 1-2; LB 36; TO 13
Philadelphia Wings—SOG 22; Saves 22; Sv% .846; FO 5-7; PP 1-3; LB 40; TO 17
Colorado would open up the third at the 2:16 mark. After a rebound came right out in front, Ryan Lee (4g, 2a) scooped the loosie, dove in front and put it past Damude far side pipe and they were up 5-2. Less than two minutes later, Ben McDonald (1g, 2a) got the dish, face dodged his defender, went to the net, fired around his defender and found the back of the net for his first goal of the season and the lead was four 6-2. Then, the Wings came alive, scoring five in a row.
Sam LeClair (1g) was on the doorstep, showed Joe Resetarits his stick, got the feed, turned and put it far side on Ward 5:09 in to make it 6-3. Fifty seconds later, Jones got the feed, passed to Resetarits (3g, 4a) and he bounced one low five-hole, and the gap was two at 6-4. O’Neill would put up his second tally with an inside roll and somehow found a way to bounce one in uptight nearside pipe and it was 6-5. It took only 24 seconds for the Wings to tie it up. Resetarits rushed to the net unimpeded, got to the doorstep, found a tiny sliver on the nearside pipe and with a fake, fake, finish put in the equalizer, and we were all tied up at 6’s with 6:34 left in the frame. The Wings would notch the go-ahead tally for their first lead of the game with 4:07 on the ticker. Phil Caputo (1g, 2a) bulldozed his way to the net, got to the front using a face dodge, toe drag, fake, fake, fake and put it near pipe capping their run. Then with 3:33 left in the third, Philadelphia would get hit with a holding call sending the Mammoth to their third man up opportunity on the afternoon. The Wings left Lee all alone on the left side, and he fired a bouncer low and away under the glove of Damude for a power-play marker to tie it up again 7-7 which closed out the third with 1:59 left. Score at the end of three: Colorado 7—Wings 7.
The fourth got off to a slow start where fans would see a total of four goals in the frame and lots of great netminding. The first tally didn’t come until there was only 3:21 left on the clock. Vela from way outside found a way to put a high to low shot past Damude to make it 8-7. Philadelphia would tie it up with 1:40 to go. Caputo set the pick for Resetarits, and he would fire one from up top bouncing it far side past Ward and we were tied again 8-8. The final two markers on the night came from Ryan Lee. As the shot clock was winding down, Lee was at the restraining line up near the wall by the benches, and fired a long distance shot down low to find the back of the net with 1:14 remaining for what turned out to be the GWG. On the ensuing face-off and another scrum after the draw, TJ Comizio came up with the loose ball giving the Mammoth possession with 55.6 on the ticker. They’d set up the play with Lee turning out to be the hero. He set up behind the net, got the backhand pass from Tyson Gibson, reached out and tucked it into the nearside corner for the insurance goal. The Wings would get the ensuing draw, call a timeout with 25 seconds on the clock hoping to set up another tally. But Colorado held tough not allowing their shooters an open lane and time would run out. Final Score: Colorado 10—Wings 8.
This would turn out to be for the Wings, the longest active losing streak in the NLL this season, while the Mammoth would finally get their first back-t0-back wins since the opening of the season.
STARS OF THE GAME:
Ryan Lee—Colorado Mammoth: 4g, 2a
Joe Resetarits—Philadelphia Wings: 3g, 4a
Mitch Jones—Philadelphia Wings: 1g, 7a
GAME STATS:
Colorado Mammoth—55 SOG; 33 Saves; .808 Sv%; FO 11-21; PP 2-5; PIM 6
Philadelphia Wings—41 SOG; 45 Saves; .818 Sv%; FO 10-21; PP 1-3; PIM 10
NEXT UP:
The Colorado Mammoth (8-5) will head north of the border to face the Ottawa Black Bears (6-6) at Canadian Tire Centre on Sunday March 23, 2025, game time 3:00 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 is also available on NLL+.
The Philadelphia Wings (5-8) will head north of the border and will face the Toronto Rock (4-9) on Saturday March 22, 2025, 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 is also available on NLL+.
Di Miller, Colorado Mammoth Correspondent
Lacrosse is Awesome©