The intimidation factor seems to have been diluted greatly, and not just by the losing record.

Whereas it was once overwhelming to play in what is often cited as the loudest house in lacrosse, as players have matured and played here more frequently, it became less of a factor. Especially after it was eventually proven that the Mammoth could be beat at home and their fans silenced.

The Colorado Mammoth’s final game against the Calgary Roughnecks was hard-fought, with several reviewed goals so close they required an astute eye and easily could have gone either way.

The Mammoth went into the game fighting to end their season on a high note and break their home losing streak. The Roughnecks on the other hand were fighting to stay in the race for a home playoff game.

Chris Levis really seems to have found his groove in the second half of the season, making unbelievable saves left and right throughout this game. Whereas it seemed like the Mammoth offense gave Mike Poulin more easy goals to block than not, the Roughnecks made Levis stand on his head all game.

Power plays have been the Mammoth’s bane this year. They have been unable to convert when on the power play (worse, they have given up fourteen short-handed goals this season), and unable to kill the penalty. Last night was much better. They went 2 for 3 and kept Calgary to 1 for 3 including a 5 minute major given to Ryan McFadyen for high sticking in the 4^th quarter.

Jed Prossner continued to look strong, notching three goals on 10 shots.  Meanwhile Jamie Shewchuck, Cliff Smith and Jamie Floris each scored twice. In his second game back, Ilija Gajic went 1 for 2.

Overall, the game remained close, never getting more than a couple goals either way in either team’s favor.

As the clock wound down, it certainly looked like it was going to truly come down to the wire and head into overtime after Jed Prossner scored on an extra attacker play to tie the game with only 47 seconds left. Unfortunately for the Mammoth, in what is bound to be considered a controversial review, Scott Ranger’s goal with 15 seconds left was determined to be good and the Mammoth were unable to tie it up despite winning the face off. Final score, Calgary Roughnecks 11, Colorado Mammoth 10

While the Mammoth were unable to give their fans a win, they certainly made Fan Appreciation Night special by going above and beyond just the usual in-game giveaways. To start off the night, the fans who purchased the charity auction Blackout jerseys got to run out on the field with their respective players and even run down the line fist-bumping everyone. To end the night, 23 lucky fans won the season worn jerseys right off the players backs.

Despite losing, the players ran a lap around the arena to lots of applause from their loyal fans. Cliff Smith threw his lacrosse stick into the lucky hands of a four year old boy who apparently was so ecstatic, he not only didn’t want to put it down when he got home, he slept with it. Definitely a future Mammoth player in the making.

Attendance: 15,727

Around the League:

Friday

Orlando Titans 11, Philadelphia Wings 5

Saturday

Orlando Titans 12, Minnesota Swarm 11 OT

Rochester Knighthawks 9 , Washington Stealth 14

Boston Blazers 10 , Buffalo Bandits 13

Articles similar to this:

• April 19, 2010 -- Mammoth Notch Another First in Franchise History (0)
  After a tumultuous season, it's official – The Mammoth ...
• April 4, 2010 -- Mammoth Finally Break 7 Game Losing Streak (0)
  The Mammoth must have an overtime fairy. How else can y...
• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...

Although a slow start, heading into the second half of the season, the Mammoth had the potential to turn it around. But despite the amount of control and influence they still held over their playoff potentials, when it really came down to the Mammoth needing to step up… they just couldn’t seem to do it.

Winning the game against the Calgary Roughnecks last week would’ve had a positive effect on their chances. Not only because they notched one more win, but because the Minnesota Swarm lost,it wouldn’t have made their game against the Boston Blazers a must win combined with a Swarm must lose situation.

The game between the Mammoth and the Blazers could be described with several words – calamity, circus, disaster, contentious, defensive, offensive, disturbing, wild, questionable… and the list goes on. However, none of them accurately depicts the game.

The game was certainly defensive. Going into halftime, the score was Blazers 3, Mammoth 2.* The first goal wasn’t scored until just over 4 minutes remained in the first quarter, the second three minutes later; both by Boston. With the quarter almost over, the Mammoth went on the power play but were unable to convert.

Unfortunately for the Mammoth, while Chris Levis and the Mammoth defense kept the Blazers scoreless for 11 minutes, Anthony Cosmo and the Blazers defense kept the Mammoth scoreless for over 21 minutes until Jed Prossner broke the scoring drought.

It certainly didn’t help the Mammoth that the offense struggled much in the first quarter, dropping several passes and giving Cosmo easy shots to block. Missing rebounds and loose balls resulted in the Mammoth defense being on the floor more than the offense.

While some fans were excited to see Ilija Gajic back in the line-up after fighting illness, many others couldn’t help but question the coaches’ decision. After all, the team finally seemed to be clicking, it was a pivotal game and Ilija hadn’t played since early in the season. It could be argued that Ilija had such a large impact in the first few games that not playing him now that he was better didn’t make sense. However, he looked rusty and was a big part of the passing issues.

Overall, other than a couple of minor skirmishes with one resulting in matching penalties as the second quarter wound down, the first half was pretty quiet. The second half was anything but.

*To begin with, as halftime ended, in an extremely questionable call, it was announced that Crew Chief, Chet Couture, had re-reviewed Alex Gajic’s goal during halftime and determined that it was not a goal. The goal in question had originally been determined good upon review, overturning the call on the floor. Couture’s reasoning behind the re-review behind closed doors? He claims he was not provided the correct footage for review.

Regardless of whether this was for or against the Mammoth, Couture’s decision completely undermines the purpose of the replay system. The first question one has to ask, if he didn’t recognize it as being incorrect footage at the time immediately after it happened, how would he recognize it as such several minutes later? The second question has to be, is that even within the scope of the official rules?

In what seems to have become the NLL standard this season, inconsistent refereeing reared it’s ugly head once again. Minor calls are one thing (and there’s often some fan bias) however, watching players picked up and tossed to the ground in front of the ref, players hit from behind, again in front of the ref… with no call? Although, in a rare call, Boston received a penalty call for “diving”.

The third quarter remained relatively defensive, with Jamie Shewchuck, Cliff Smith and Jed Prossner each scoring once for the Mammoth. Mat Giles notched one and Dan Dawson two for the Blazers to end the third quarter Boston 6, Mammoth 4.

The fourth quarter is when the melee started.

At the request of the Colorado Mammoth, Boston Blazer goalie Anthony Cosmo’s equipment was checked by the refs, overseen by Mammoth Assistant Captain, Bruce Murray, and Blazers Captain, Dan Dawson.

Cosmo’s equipment was found to be illegal. He received a 2:00 illegal equipment penalty in addition to a 10:00 game misconduct which resulted in him being ejected from the game.

It’s interesting to note that the Mammoth have now faced 8 goalies in four consecutive games.

It became apparent two minutes in to the fourth quarter that the refs were rapidly losing control of the game. As sometimes happens, between plays, several fights broke out although penalties were only handed out to five players. At one point Paul Dawson swung a right hook at Jamie Shewchuck, missed and hit the ref trying to break it up. Amazingly enough, neither of them received a penalty.

At another point Jonathan Dumo, who had received a penalty for fighting, nearly came to blows with the Mammoth announcer Willie B. One of Dumo’s teammates (Greg Downing or Kyle Ross) temporary tempered the fight by separating the men by pushing the penalty box door between them. However, even while sitting on the bench, Dumo didn’t want to let it go and while Dumo didn’t seem to receive any further warnings, Willie B mentioned after the game that he was threatened with a 5:00 penalty against the Mammoth if he continued.

Needless to say, the fracas brought to mind the Mammoth’s final home game of their inaugural season against the Albany Attack which resulted in a bench clearing brawl close to the end of the game.

Alex Gajic, Jamie Shewchuck and Rich Catton all scored goals for the Mammoth. Although the Mammoth kept him from shooting from the crease, the defense struggled to completely stop “Dangerous” Dan Dawson. He scored twice more from further out to bring his total to five. Jon Harnett also notched a goal as the clock wound down to end the game Blazers 9, Mammoth 7.

Adding insult to injury, the Minnesota Swarm lost their game againt the Philadelphia Wings in overtime.

The Colorado Mammoth play their final game of the season against the Calgary Roughnecks, Friday, 7 pm MDT at the Pepsi Center.

Attendance: 15,104

Around the League:

Buffalo Bandits 7, Orlando Titans 9

Rochester Knighthawks 7, Toronto Rock 15

Calgary Roughnecks 15, Edmonton 14 OT

Philadelphia Wings 13, Minnesota Swarm 12 OT

Edmonton Rush 14, Washington Stealth 13

Articles similar to this:

• April 26, 2010 -- Despite Loss, Mammoth End Season With Fans Cheering (0)
  The Colorado Mammoth's final game against the Calgary R...
• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• April 11, 2010 -- Mammoth Keep Playoff Hopes Alive (0)
  While the Colorado Mammoth may not have had a perfect w...

Last night was no different.  For the second time in two weeks the Mammoth played the Minnesota Swarm.  The end result was the same…the Swarm won.  However, the Mammoth looked substantially better than they have in weeks.

A frequent complaint has been that the Mammoth offense have been playing very flat, and not playing hard for all four quarters.  The Mammoth scored more goals in this game than they did in the last two games combined.

In a season already marked by big changes, the Mammoth have recently made two more.  Last week they added Bob Hamley as assistant coach, this week they released forward Peter Veltman and signed 11-year veteran forward Derek Malawsky.  Seeing as how the Mammoth have been playing extremely hot and cold, it’s possible that the change in last night’s team was coincidental.  It’s also possible that the Mammoth finally found the last components of some much-needed leadership both on and off the field to balance out a talented but young team.

The Mammoth had 50 shots on goal this game against the Swarm compared to 30 shots on goal when they met last week.  But it wasn’t just that there were more shots on goal this game.  The shots were smarter.

In entirely too many games, the Mammoth offense seemed to be aiming at a target right on the goalie’s chest, or shooting completely wide getting nowhere near the goal.  Last night the Mammoth offense (and even some of the defense) were making Swarm goalie Nick Patterson work hard for his saves including several shots he missed but that hit the post and bounced out.

Mammoth goalie Chris Levis was certainly no slouch either making 31 saves on 44 shots.

Another huge difference between last week’s game and this week’s game was shot selection.

Last week, the Swarm seemed to dictate where most of their shots were coming from (aka the crease) whereas the Mammoth barely moved, and certainly didn’t come close to the crease.  This week the Mammoth were successful in both controlling where most of the Swarm’s shots were taken from, and taking it to the crease for their own shots.

Power plays continue to be the Mammoth’s bane – both capitalizing on them and defending against them.  The Mammoth went 1 for 5, and were unable to score even when they had a 5 on 3 opportunity.  The Swarm went 4 for 6.  Although the game was marked by reffing inconsistency, the Mammoth were mostly in control of their own destiny.  The Swarm had some lucky breaks but so did the Mammoth.

Unfortunately, some key mistakes are probably what cost Colorado the game.

Nick Carlson started off the goal scoring a minute into the game, taking an unassisted goal to the net to take the lead for the Mammoth 1-0.  Ryan Sharp immediately followed up with his own unassisted goal for the Swarm to tie it up.  Alex Gajic scored the Mammoth’s second goal on the power play. However, Sean Pollock and Ryan Sharp each notched goals for the Swarm, making the score at the end of the 1st quarter Mammoth 2, Swarm 3.

The 2nd quarter started off with the Mammoth offense looking lackluster like they have the previous two games and the defense spending the majority of the quarter on the floor.  The Swarm however looked strong, scoring four goals (3 of them power play), before the Mammoth were finally able to stop their run when, assisted by Jamie Shewchuck, Brian Langtry successfully scored on a well-timed shot as he dove across the crease.

The Mammoth were able to score twice more causing Swarm goalie Nick Patterson to briefly be replaced by Kevin Croswell. The Swarm scored the final goal of the half and Patterson returned to the game. 2nd quarter ended Mammoth 5, Swarm 8.

Proving they came to play, the Mammoth came out for the 3rd quarter fired up.

Jed Prossner scored the first goal of the second half 1:30 in. The Mammoth subsequently dominated the 3rd quarter.  The Mammoth kept the Swarm to one goal scored midway through the quarter while they tallied a total of five of their own.  Ilija Gajic scored twice, his brother Alex scored once, and Langtry added his third goal of the night.  The Mammoth took the lead for the second time in the game, ending the quarter with 10 goals to the Swarm’s 9.

The Swarm tied the game early in the 4th quarter scoring their fourth power play goal.

The Mammoth followed immediately with their own goa,l again taking the lead.  The Swarm tied the game again midway into the 4th, but the Mammoth were able counter with another strike, regaining the lead one more time.  Unfortunately for the Mammoth, Ryan Benesch, who was a thorn in the Mammoth’s side last week, scored the game-tying goal on a screened shot.

With about 30 seconds left in the game, the Swarm won the face off and forward Tim Campeau scored on a bounce shot from the crease.  The game ended Mammoth 12, Swarm 13.

The Mammoth don’t play again until March 13th when the Edmonton Rush come to the Pepsi Center.

However, they have lots of positives to consider going into that game.  Not the least of which is the expected return of Mammoth captain John Gallant who was out for 6 weeks with a damaged hand that required surgery.  You can read more about John Gallant here.

Attendance, 15,427

Around the League:

Edmonton Rush 12, Rochester Knighthawks 11 OT
Washington Stealth 9, Boston Blazers 11
Philadelphia Wings 15, Buffalo Bandits 11

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• April 19, 2010 -- Mammoth Notch Another First in Franchise History (0)
  After a tumultuous season, it's official – The Mammoth ...
• April 4, 2010 -- Mammoth Finally Break 7 Game Losing Streak (0)
  The Mammoth must have an overtime fairy. How else can y...

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 2^nd 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 2^nd strong, notching two more goals to take the lead 6-4.

Jamie Shewshuck started off the 3^rd 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 4^th 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 4^th, 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

Articles similar to this:

• February 28, 2010 -- Colorado Mammoth – A Tale of Two Teams (0)
  The Colorado Mammoth are playing so inconsistently that...
• February 2, 2010 -- Mammoth Don’t Go Down Without a Fight (2)
  Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over ...
• January 25, 2010 -- Big Week for Mammoth (2)
  After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mam...

Going into Friday night’s game against the Orlando Titans, there was a lot of excitement despite losing to the Washington Stealth last week. Steve Govett made some key changes, reacquiring goalie Chris Levis and veteran forward Chris Gill. Both were key players in the Mammoth’s 2006 Championship season.

Unfortunately, that excitement didn’t last long.

With the loss of Captain John Gallant from defense with a broken thumb for an estimated 6 weeks, and Curtis Palidwor still out on injured reserve, goaltending has proven to be an issue. Despite a strong season last year that resulted in being named to the Western Division All Star team, Andrew Leyshon has struggled this year, recording the worst save percentage in the league. Neil Tyacke breifly replaced Leyshon in the 1^st quarter against the Stealth, but wasn’t able to make much of an impact. Leyshon’s struggles have proven to be anything but temporary.

To say the Mammoth got off to a slow start against the Titans is an understatement. Within the first six minutes of the 1^st quarter, Leyshon only blocked 2 of 6 shots, although one of the the Titan goals was called back due to a crease violation. Unfortunately for Leyshon, he was replaced by Levis to the sounds of tumultuous applause. Ryan Boyle was able to score a power play goal, bringing the score to Mammoth 0, Titans 4 at the end of the 1^st quarter.

Ilija Gajic finally got the Mammoth on the scoreboard, netting a short-handed goal 6 minutes into the second. Chris Gill scored the Mammoth’s second goal 6 minutes later, but the Titans were able to score two power play goals bringing the score to Mammoth 2, Titans 6. Levis successfully got the crowd fired up as the half wound down when he came out of the net and checked Pat Merrill to the ground, stopping the Titan forward’s breakaway.

It was announced at the start of the third quarter that Jamie Shewchuck had received a game misconduct (which results in ejection from the game) after a brief altercation in the end of the 2nd quarter with a Titan player who was holding on to his face mask.  The Titan player, Rory Smith,  received two face mask penalties for 4 minutes in the penalty box.

The Titans kept the Mammoth scoreless through the 3^rd quarter and most of the 4^th until under 5 minutes remained. Jed Prossner was finally able to find the back of the net. Pulling the goalie and utilizing extra attackers, both Cory Conway & Prossner were able to score but it was nowhere near enough. The Mammoth looked defeated early in the third quarter and a crowd known league-wide for their loudness was silenced.

The Mammoth didn’t lack for shots on goal. Matt Vinc, the number two goalie in the league, faced 52 of them while Levis only faced 35. Vinc did a good job blocking almost every shot, but the Mammoth helped him by shooting many of them at his chest and 5-hole. When the Mammoth were in front of the net, it looked more like a practice session than a game with frequent passes back and forth and little headway toward the net. The Titans defense did a good job keeping the Mammoth from getting close to the crease to take a shot, whereas the Mammoth defense found it much harder to prevent the Titan offense from doing the same. Final score Mammoth 5, Titans 12.

The Mammoth have a lot to think about over the upcoming break. They don’t play again until February 20th when they will head to Minnesota to face the Swarm.

Attendance: 13,953

Around the league:

Edmonton Rush 8, Calgary Roughnecks 13

Philadelphia Wings 11, Toronto Rock 19

Minnesota Swarm 9, Washington Stealth 12

Toronto Rock 14, Buffalo Bandits 10

Rochester Knighthawks 8, Boston Blazers 14

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• February 2, 2010 -- Mammoth Don’t Go Down Without a Fight (2)
  Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over ...
• January 16, 2010 -- Mammoth Face Former Captain in Home Opener (2)
  As would be expected, the Mammoth hate to lose. They es...

Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over the weekend, they didn’t give the Washington Stealth another easy win.

In the season opener the Stealth handed the Mammoth a 17-8 loss. Washington also steamrolled the Edmonton Rush in week 2, following that with close games over the Buffalo Bandits and the Calgary Roughnecks last week.

Many thought the Stealth would decimate the Mammoth again. However, Colorado put in a strong showing against a strong team. Some kinks still need to be worked out, but Saturday’s Mammoth team was a completely different team than the one the Stealth faced earlier in the year.

Jed Prossner scored the first goal of the game a minute in, putting the Mammoth up 1-0. But after a very defensive back and forth, the Stealth were able to tie it up half way through the 1^st quarter. With about three minutes left in the quarter, Cory Conway scored his first goal of the evening, giving the Mammoth the lead 2-1. Although Stealth Goalie Tyler Richards’ Goals Against Average of 10.11 compared favorably to Andrew Leyshon’s 13.32, it was Leyshon that had the stronger quarter. The Mammoth goaltender only let in 1 goal on 12 shots while Colorado went 2 for 9 against Richards.

The 2^nd quarter started off with a controversial goal by Jamie Shewchuck.

Initially it was ruled a crease violation negating the goal. New Mammoth head coach Steve Govett threw the challenge flag and upon review the goal was ruled good. Compared to the 1^st quarter, the 2^nd quarter was very high scoring with Tom Ethington, Prossner & Nick Carlson adding goals for the Mammoth. Meanwhile, Rhys Duch, Jeff Zywicki x 2, Tom Johnson & Luke Wiles notched scores for the Stealth, ending the half tied at 7.

The 2^nd half remained very defensive, but many of the Mammoth’s weaknesses became more evident as the game progressed. A lot of the Mammoth passes went wide, and so did a number of their shots. Ilija Gajic, who has been very strong on offense the past few games, went 0 for 12 with only 1 assist.

In the 4^th quarter, the Mammoth had 18 shots on goal compared to the Stealth’s 8, but both teams scored 3 each. The first couple of games, a lack of hustle and transition game seemed to be problematic for Colorado. That didn’t seem to be the case as the Mammoth played a very aggressive game, especially in the 4^th quarter. Some might say the Mammoth played too aggressively in the 4^th, failing to set up plays and forcing shots. Some might also try to pin the game on the inconsistent reffing. (While there were some questionable calls and inconsistencies, both teams were on the receiving end.)

In the end, the Power Play was the Mammoth’s killer.

Although they had five opportunities, the Mammoth’s Power Play definitely struggled against the Stealth, who are ranked number 1 in the league on the PK at 84%. The Mammoth’s Penalty Kill, ranked 9^th in the league, was able to kill 4 of the Stealth’s 6 power plays. Penalties really hurt the Mammoth in their first matchup against the Stealth, with four players being ejected for fighting. The Mammoth played a much cleaner game without their tempers besting them, keeping the game within reach to the end.

Friday, the 3-2 Orlando Titans come to Denver to face a Mammoth team that, despite their third loss, is starting to find their groove.

Attendance – 15,242

Around the League:

Rochester Knighthawks 8, Orlando Titans 13

Calgary Roughnecks 11, Edmonton Rush 14

Minnesota Swarm 7, Buffalo Bandits 11

Philadelphia Wings 9, Boston Blazers 11

Toronto Rock 8, Rochester Knighthawks 16

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• January 25, 2010 -- Big Week for Mammoth (2)
  After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mam...
• May 3, 2010 -- NLL 2010 Quarterfinals (4)
  Image via Wikipedia Edmonton Rush at Calgary Ro...

After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mammoth fans were rife with frustration.  It became apparent that the Mammoth were frustrated as well when President and General Manager, Steve Govett, shocked everyone by firing Coach Bob McMahon.

Many fans have been clamoring for McMahon’s dismissal since the end of his first season, especially so after his second season last year when the Mammoth went 7-9.  But Govett stood behind McMahon, fiercely defending him… until now.  According to the Mammoth website, Govett was quoted as saying, “I have a standard and a vision for this team, and sometimes it’s hard to have others buy into that vision and carry it out if they’re not 100% in sync with what I’m looking for. I think our fans deserve better than what we’ve shown on the field so far.”

The coaching change came as quite a surprise, especially since Govett, who has no coaching experience, will be filling in as interim coach.  While Govett doesn’t claim to be the best choice, he also says he won’t be afraid of firing himself from the position if it seems that is what’s needed.  In response to fans’ speculations he responded, “No one says it will be easy and I may end up firing myself and hiring someone that better suits the job, but I will put the effort and work in to turn our ship in the short term. I won’t hand over the reins of an 0-2 team that has fallen short of expectations to someone that has little knowledge of the players and landscape of the situation or organization. That wouldn’t be fair to the team, the players, the coaches or the management and especially the new coach.”

Following closely on the heels of the coaching announcement, the NLL announced Ilija Gajic earned “Rookie of the Week” honors, despite the Mammoth losing their first two games.

With a new coach at the helm, the Mammoth went uncertainly into the weekend facing back-to-back games against two different teams.  They emerged victorious.

First up, they faced the Minnesota Swarm, a team they had both beaten and lost to in the preseason.  Because the Swarm is also in the Western division, the game was very important.  If the Mammoth lost, not only were they 0-3, they were 0-3 in their division.

The first half of the game was very high scoring with 17 goals, and the result that all four goalies had seen playing time in the game.  Andrew Leyshon was briefly replaced in the first quarter by rookie Neil Tyacke but returned at the beginning of the second quarter.  Swarm Goalie Nick Patterson was replaced in the second quarter by Kevin Croswell after the Mammoth scored four goals in a minute and a half.  Going into half time, the Mammoth had 8 goals on 22 shots to the Swarm’s 9 goals on 21 shots.

The second half was much more defensive and lower-scoring with only 11 goals on 53 shots.  The Mammoth were able to score 3 shots to the Swarm’s 2 in the third quarter, tying the game.  Both teams scored 3 goals a piece in the fourth quarter, forcing the game into overtime where Mammoth Defenseman Tom Ethington scored the game winner.

Brian Langtry, Jamie Shewchuk and Cory Conway led the team with 3 goals each, 2 assists for Langtry, 3 for Shewchuck and Conway.  Ilija Gajic had 2 goals and 2 assists and Cliff Smith 2 goals as well.  Although Chad Culp only had 1 goal, he had a huge impact on the game, notching 6 assists.  The game ended with the Mammoth at 15, the Swarm 14.

Back-to-back games are always hard on a team, especially when they’re playing different teams each night.  Following their win in Minnesota, the Mammoth headed to Philadelphia to take on the 1-1 Wings.  On an ordinary night, the Wings would be a strong opponent.  Would the Mammoth be up to the task after a tough game against the Swarm?

Compared to the previous night, Saturday’s game was low-scoring with a total of 23 goals compared to Friday’s 29.  Although many fans speculated that the games might be split between Leyshon and Tyacke, Leyshon started in goal both nights.  The Mammoth led at the half with 6 goals to the Wing’s 5.  The second half was a battle with the Wings scoring 6 goals to the Mammoth’s 5, sending the game in-to overtime tied at 11.

Although the Wings won the faceoff, Leyshon successfully blocked the shot on goal.  Much to the Wing’s fans dismay, Bill McGlone received a two minute goalie interference penalty immediately after that first shot for colliding with Andrew Leyshon.  After a little bit of back-and-forth, the Mammoth were able to capitalize on the power play with the winning goal scored by Alex Gajic, assisted by his brother Ilija.

Final score, Mammoth 12, Wings 11.

Around the League:

Buffalo Bandits 11, Washington Stealth 13

Rochester Knighthawks 3, Toronto Rock 17

Buffalo Bandits 7, Edmonton Rush 11

Orlando Titans 9, Boston Blazers 13

Washington Stealth 16, Calgary 15

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• February 2, 2010 -- Mammoth Don’t Go Down Without a Fight (2)
  Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over ...
• January 16, 2010 -- Mammoth Face Former Captain in Home Opener (2)
  As would be expected, the Mammoth hate to lose. They es...

Although the Mammoth lost in their home opener 13-14, and still have plenty of kinks to work out, they also had a strong showing with many positives.

To begin with, rookie Ilija Gajic had a strong showing.  He had 7 points on the night made up of 4 goals and 3 assists.  The Mammoth worked very hard to acquire Ilija, including trading captain Gavin Prout to the visiting Edmonton Rush in the off season.  Prout also had 7 points, all from assist, in his return to Denver.

Fan favorites Brian Langtry and Jamie Shewchuk also had 7 points each, with Langtry finding the back of the net 3 times and Shewchuk twice.  Alex Gajic also had a strong showing with 2 goals and 4 assists.  Although Cory Conway only had 1 goal, he still left his mark on the game with 7 assists.

Last week, penalties proved very costly to the Mammoth. Whether or not the Mammoth could’ve beat the Stealth is subject to debate. However, taking 62 minutes worth of penalties certainly didn’t help, especially when losing four players to ejection.  This week, the Mammoth were able to stay out of the box fairly well, only racking up 5 penalties for 13 minutes. Unfortunately, Edmonton was able to capitalize on two of them for power play goals.  The Mammoth’s power play proved to be very inconsistent, turning Edmonton’s 7 penalties into 6 goals…4 scored by the Mammoth and 2 by the Rush.

One large problem facing the Mammoth is, for the second week in a row, they had more shots on goal than their opponent and they still lost.  This may be a matter of the Mammoth offense not choosing their shots well, or they are having the misfortune of facing two goalies who were playing at the top of their game.  54 shots on goal against the Rush certainly is telling that they had their opportunities. However, Edmonton goalie Matt Disher was able to stop 41 of them.

The other large problem facing the Mammoth appears to be goaltending.  It is unknown whether Curtis Palidor started last week because Coach Bob McMahon felt he was playing stronger than Andrew Leyshon, or because of something else. What is certain is that Leyshon didn’t play either game at the level he did last season.  Against the Stealth, Leyshon had a weak showing, letting in 13 goals on 36 shots. Against the Rush, Leyshon didn’t prove to be much better, letting in 14 goals on 37 shots.

This upcoming weekend may prove a rough one for the Mammoth as they play back-to-back games on the road.  Friday night they play in Minnesota against the Swarm, and Saturday they play in Philadelphia against the Wings.  With Curtis Palidwor now on injured reserve, Mammoth fans may get to see rookie goalie Neil Tyacke tested for the first time in an NLL game. Tyacke had a 78% save percentage with his former Canadian team, the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

Attendance – 15,178

Around the League:

Calgary Roughnecks – 10, Minnesota Swarm – 12

Edmonton Rush – 7, Washington Stealth – 15

Boston Blazers 7, Toronto – 8 OT

Rochester – 13, Buffalo Bandits – 11

Boston – 8, Philadelphia Wings – 12

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• February 2, 2010 -- Mammoth Don’t Go Down Without a Fight (2)
  Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over ...
• January 25, 2010 -- Big Week for Mammoth (2)
  After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mam...

Some Mammoth fans will be in for quite a surprise Saturday when the Edmonton Rush visit the Pepsi Center for Colorado’s home opener. As part of their off season overhaul, the Mammoth traded Captain Gavin Prout to the Rochester Knighthawks. The same trade that brought Ilija Gajic to Colorado. Rochester later traded Prout to the Edmonton Rush.

As would be expected, the Mammoth hate to lose. They especially hate to lose at home. After last week’s devastating loss to the Washington Stealth, the Mammoth have a lot to prove. What better place to do it than one of the loudest houses in the NLL?

The Edmonton Rush, playing the second game of a back-to-back series, also have a lot to prove.

In four seasons, the Rush have yet to make it to the playoffs, but after making numerous changes in the off season as well, they are hoping to change that this year. Ironically enough, two of their biggest acquisitions were former Mammoth players, although Prout was the only one who wore a Mammoth jersey. The second acquisition, Ryan Powell, was not a Mammoth player for long. Powell was originally acquired during the off season by the New York Titans in the dispersal draft after the Portland Lumberjax disbanded. He was then traded to the Mammoth who later traded him to the Rush.

The Rush will be opening their season against the Stealth, who will be playing their second home game of the season. In the NLL it’s not uncommon for teams to play what’s referred to as a “barn to barn” where the same teams play back to back games, one in each “barn”. However, once in awhile a team gets the short end of the stick and plays two different teams back to back.

This could either be good or bad for the Mammoth.

Because the Rush have not played yet this season, their game against the Stealth will provide them an opportunity to work out any kinks before coming to Denver. However, playing back-to-back games against two strong opponents can also make for an exhausted team. Because of that, it’s not uncommon for a team to split a few of their key players, only having them play in one game or the other.

Curtis Palidwor, who started last week against the Stealth was put on injured reserve after taking a ball to the face mask that damaged its cage and broke the bone surrounding his left eye. This leaves the Mammoth with last year’s starting goalie Andrew Leyshon and 3rd-string rookie Neil Tyacke. Although a rookie, many Mammoth fans are curious to see how Tyacke will do in net after recording a 78% save percentage with a Canadian team, the New Westminster Salmonbellies.

With one of the highest average attendances in the league, the Mammoth expect a packed house. Tickets may still be available and start at just $5 per seat. Game time is at 7 pm MST, and will also be aired on Altitude.

Articles similar to this:

• February 22, 2010 -- Addition of Bob Hamley not enough for Mammoth in loss to Swarm (0)
  It’s not just that the Mammoth are losing. It’s that th...
• February 2, 2010 -- Mammoth Don’t Go Down Without a Fight (2)
  Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over ...
• January 25, 2010 -- Big Week for Mammoth (2)
  After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mam...

Mammoth goalie Andrew Leyshon did not start at Washington, but was forced into action after an injury to Curtis Palidwor

It was expected that Andrew Leyshon would be starting in goal, however, for reasons unknown, Curtis Palidwor was in net. Jeff Zywicki scored the Stealth’s first goal of many, but Palidwor and the Mammoth defense were able to keep the Stealth to three goals in the first quarter.  Zywicki’s second goal stirred some controversy as it appeared the shot clock sounded before he scored, but the ref called it good and Colorado Coach Bob McMahon chose not to challenge.

Unfortunately, the Mammoth’s offense was unable to produce and the first quarter ended Stealth 3, Mammoth 0.

By the end of the second quarter, with the help of two goals by Jamie Shewchuk (one of them on a power play) and one by Ilija Gajic, it appeared the Mammoth might be finding their stride and were going to make it a game.  Yet the Stealth were able to match every Mammoth goal.  Zywicki scored two more goals and Tom Johnson netted one, ending the half at Stealth 6, Mammoth 3.

Adding to the frustration going into halftime, Palidwor took a shot that got through his face mask and was taken to a local hospital. While nothing has been made official, rumor is that after having surgery he will be out for at least six weeks.

The Stealth really opened it up in the 3^rd quarter with six goals scored by six different players. The Mammoth got two goals from Ilija Gajic and Jamie Shewchuck.  The 4^th quarter was much of the same with five more Stealth players notching goals while the Mammoth were only able to notch three.  The Mammoth defense seemed to have a hard time stopping the Stealth, but Leyshon also seemed to be off his game.  Although there has been no official word, many fans are speculating he was under the weather, which would explain Palidwor getting the start.

When these two teams play, it’s not uncommon to have a chippy game. For whatever reason, the refs seemed to have their own excessive agenda for dealing with the issue. Mammoth player Brad Richardson and Stealth player Eric Martin had a skirmish in the 2^nd quarter that resulted in matching 5 minute penalties.  It certainly didn’t help the Mammoth that by the end of the 2^nd half they had lost Alex and Ilija Gajic, Cory Conway, and David Morgan to game misconducts resulting in ejection from the contest, while the Stealth only lost Travis Gillespie and Matt Beers.

With a final score of Stealth 17, Mammoth 8, Colorado has a lot of things to examine before their home-opener Saturday, January 16 against the Edmonton Rush.  This game may prove to simply be a bump in the road to the championship, or it may be a reflection of a team overhauled in the off season.  Regardless, with 15 more games left in the season, it’s entirely too soon to tell.

Around the League:

Philadelphia Wings – 8, Orlando Titans – 13

Buffalo Bandits – 5, Rochester Knighthawks – 10

Toronto Rock – 17, Boston Blazers – 7

Minnesota Swarm – 7, Calgary Roughnecks – 12

Articles similar to this:

• February 2, 2010 -- Mammoth Don’t Go Down Without a Fight (2)
  Although the Mammoth dropped to 2-3 on the season over ...
• January 25, 2010 -- Big Week for Mammoth (2)
  After losing their home opener and dropping to 0-2, Mam...
• January 16, 2010 -- Mammoth Face Former Captain in Home Opener (2)
  As would be expected, the Mammoth hate to lose. They es...