Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm
The Mammoth are not playing well. They’re not playing anywhere near their potential. This is a team stacked from top to bottom with talent and yet they have been bulldozed completely in three of their seven games.
The Colorado Mammoth announced this week that Bob Hamley was returning to the organization as assistant coach. Hamley was previously assistant coach under Bob McMahon before leaving mid-season to accept the head coaching position with the Edmonton Rush. Many fans were excited by the news.
Under Hamley and McMahon, the Mammoth went 5-1 but struggled after Hamley’s departure. Whether or not there was a correlation is the subject of much speculation. However, Hamley is a well-respected coach who has had success in the past.
Unfortunately, adding Hamley wasn’t enough for the Mammoth as they headed to Minnesota to face the Swarm who were hot off handing the division-rival Washington Stealth their first loss of the season last weekend. The Mammoth struggled against the Orlando Titans last weekend, but have typically played well against the Minnesota Swarm, even beating them in overtime earlier this season.
Obviously, there’s an elephant in the room. I can’t deny it and don’t want to skirt it, so let’s just get him out of the way.
The Mammoth are not playing well. They’re not playing anywhere near their potential. This is a team stacked from top to bottom with talent and yet they have been bulldozed completely in three of their seven games. Maybe that’s the issue though – there is too much talent causing players to not feel a need to prove themselves. Maybe there are too many egos. Maybe just not enough team mentality. Yes, there was a lot of changeover in the team which is going to mess with team dynamics, but the Mammoth aren’t the only ones who went through that this season.
One thing is for certain – the Mammoth are having serious issues. Captain John Gallant told me that fans need to stay calm and not panic because the team isn’t panicking. He also said “We want to be playing our best lacrosse at the end of the season. Not now. Not in the middle, but at the end.” Anyone who has followed this league has seen plenty of teams start off extremely strong, winning the majority of the first half of the season only to lose the majority of the second half. However, we’re at the midpoint of the season, and as fans, it’s extremely difficult to have patience.
It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that they seem to give up whenever their opponent starts developing a strong lead. Instead of getting fired up and working harder, they let their opponents get under their skin. Instead of shutting them up by playing more aggressively, they resort to fist-fighting instead. I remember previous Mammoth teams over the years that played consistently through thick and thin. It didn’t seem to matter if they were down by one goal or nine; they played as hard as they could with a ton of heart until the final buzzer. In many instances, they were able to come from behind huge deficits to win. For whatever reason, this team has not found its heart.
Now that I have that off my chest…
In the 1st Quarter, the Mammoth looked strong. After some back-and-forth, Alex Gajic was the first to score, assisted by his brother Nenad Gajic & by Nick Carlson. Ilija Gajic quickly followed up with the Mammoth’s second goal, also assisted by brother Nenad and by Brian Langtry. Langtry notched his own goal a few minutes later, shooting from the retention line, and was assisted by Nenad and Jed Prossner. Chris Levis looked strong in net, keeping the Swarm scoreless until about three minutes left in the quarter when Richard Morgan scored a shorthanded, but contested goal. Upon review, the goal stood and the quarter ended with the Mammoth up 3-1.
2006 Rookie of the Year, Ryan Benesch quickly started off a flurry of 2nd Quarter goals. In just under 6 minutes, the Mammoth scored once and the Swarm three times to tie the game 4-4. The Swarm finished the 2nd strong, notching two more goals to take the lead 6-4.
Jamie Shewshuck started off the 3rd Quarter by scoring a quick goal for the Mammoth after a minute of play. Unfortunately, that was the last time the Mammoth would find the back of the net. It seemed like the Mammoth defense was on the floor for the majority of the second half, and by the 4th Quarter, instead of dictating whatsoever where the Swarm were taking their shots from, it seemed like the Swarm were easily picking their shots – many right from the crease. Andrew Leyshon relieved Chris Levis midway through the 4th, but it didn’t stop the bleeding and the Swarm scored three more times. Coming into this game, the Mammoth led the league in shots on goal. This time the Swarm were able to keep them to only 30 shots, while Minnesota had 42.
Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 5, Minnesota Swarm 15.
Attendance: 9,223
Around the league:
Calgary Roughnecks 13, Washington Stealth 9
Boston Blazers 12, Orlando Titans 11 Dbl OT
Rochester Knighthawks 12, Philadelphia Wings 6
Toronto Rock 13, Edmonton Rush 14
