Brandon Miller (lacrosse). Lacrosse goalie of the National Lacrosse League (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Although they showed glimmers of improvement, scoring nearly as many goals this game as they did the previous two, the Colorado Mammoth just could not pull out a win, falling to 2-5 as we move into the second half of the 2013 NLL season.
Goal tending proved to be a big factor once again as Matt Roik let in 8 goals on 22 shots. Dan Lewis, who replaced Roik late in the 2nd quarter, let 6 goals in on 25 shots. In comparison, Philadelphia Wings goalie, Brandon Miller, faced 57 shots, but the Mammoth were only able to score 12 goals. It boils down to against Roik, the Wings scored on 1 in 3 shots, and against Lewis 1 in 4 shots. Against Miller, the Mammoth scored about 1 in 5 shots.
The Mammoth defense allowed the Wings offense to take entirely too many shots from the crease, whereas the Mammoth offense was forced to take many of their shots from far outside utilizing screens to sneak the ball past Miller. Unfortunately, not a new issue in either respect. The Mammoth were a little more successful this game in getting rebounds than in previous games, but it remains an area with which they continue to struggle.
The Mammoth seem to treat each game as if it’s a sprint rather than a marathon. They start off very strong, very aggressive, but cannot maintain the pace. It seems if they are winning going into half time, they come out of the locker room sluggish without any aggression whatsoever as if the game is already won. If they’re behind, they have more fire, but they do not have the necessary staying power to finish the game.
Can the Mammoth turn it around? Yes. In this league, it almost always comes down to the wire, so just because they’re in last place now does not mean they can’t go to the Championship Cup. The Edmonton Rush are a perfect example of a team that started out with a losing streak, but finished strong. However, the Mammoth have a difficult road ahead of them.
Final Score
Colorado Mammoth 12, Philadelphia Wings 14
Attendance: 8,606
1st Star – Brandon Miller, with 45 saves, Miller was the biggest difference in the Wings win.
2nd Star – Kevin Ross, with three goals on nine shots and four assists Ross made his presence known.
3rd Star – Adam Jones, with four goals and three assists, he kept the Mammoth in the game.
Around the League
Friday
Minnesota Swarm 13, Edmonton Rush 8
Saturday
Philadelphia Wings 10, Rochester Knighthawks 8
Calgary Roughnecks 14, Washington Stealth 16
Sunday
Edmonton Rush 14, Minnesota Swarm 9
