A Canada native, Gallant has played defense for the Colorado Mammoth since they were the Washington Power.  Before playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) he played in Canada for Six Nations and the Victoria Shamrocks.

This is the second of two parts.  You can read the first part here.

MD: What would you tell a young student of the game who wants to improve his defensive play?

JG: I would tell them, get in shape.  You have to physically get in shape.  You have to mentally be in shape enough to be committed to do that.  Doesn’t mean you can’t go out with your friends on Friday night because you gotta practice on Saturday right?  I think every time you can go play, whether it’s buddies or whether it’s a practice, you have to commit yourself to be the absolute best that day.  It’s obviously it’s a very tough thing and it’s not always going to happen.  I think that you got to play as much as you can.  You got to commit to being the best you can all the time.

I think to be honest with you, you got to have something else.  You gotta whether it’s, you’re gonna work on your stick so you can shoot the ball, so you can be comfortable moving the ball, taking face-offs, you gotta have something else.  I think that’s the one key with anybody, you know.  Assuming I wanna play defense, ok, but can you run the wing on a face-off?  Can you transition the ball?  Can you transition the ball, stay up and play offense?  And that goes for field lacrosse too.  Can you shoot?  With a long pole?  I think for young kids, kids even if they’re just in high school, you gotta learn everything.  Learn how to play attack, learn how to play midfield, learn how to play defense, learn how to take face-offs.  Learn to play short man, learn how to run the wing.

That’s my biggest piece of advice, learn the whole game so that like, myself, when you get to a team and they say well do you want to be on this team or not?  You better have something there.  Right?  When I was 18 and I went to Six Nations, if I said no, I play offense and they said maybe, well can you play defense and I said no, or I did it and did it with a half heart, I wouldn’t be here.  Right?  There’s always going to be somebody better.  There’s always somebody better than you, so you gotta learn the whole game.

So that’s basically number one.  And then number two, I’d play other things.  Too many people focus only on one thing and play it like all year round.  I would do other things because you learn so much.  If you’re solely only playing lacrosse your whole life, by the time you get to high school, or I mean like college, you’re going to hate it.  You’re going to hate it.  There’s always got to be the joy to playing.  Because there’s going to be moments where you are going to hate playing whether it’s because coaching staff, coaching in a certain way or you know it’s because when you get to college and you’re playing every single day and you’re playing at six in the morning, well you’d better enjoy it.

MD: How do you keep from getting burnt out at this level?

JG: Doing other things.  Joel Rather is our strength and conditioning coach.  You trust him and you listen to what he says.  You do that and that physically prepares your body.  Right?  And then your mind, the mental part, you just have to get away from it.  You spend time during the day working on your skills and improving, but you spend time doing other things – whether that’s another sport, whether it’s spending time with your family and your kids, whether that’s reading a book.  You find something else that pleases you, because if it is your entire life, the rest of your life is not going to be successful.  Your relationships are not going to be successful, your business life is not going to be successful.   That’s what I’ve kinda learned, sometimes the hard way.  It’s like anything in life, any food, if it’s all your life, it’s only a matter of time before you burn yourself out.

MD: How much impact does a goalie have on the defense and vice versa?

JG: Tremendous.  A lot.  I don’t think I could give you statistical…a lot.  Because it’s confidence.  Listen, like we’re always getting scored on.  Right?  When there’s a goal it’s because we made a mistake somewhere.  Right?  So for us to be successful, we have to play with confidence.  We have to know that the goalie behind us is gonna stop the shots he’s supposed to stop.  Just stop the ones you’re supposed to stop.  Stop one or two that you know, you’re maybe not supposed to.  But if you just stop the ones you’re supposed to, I can play my game.

If I start getting worried about you.  Right?  I’m going to start doing things that I shouldn’t, that are out of our game plan and that can only cause more problems.  So they have a lot.  They’re obviously going to get shots, so our job is to limit their good shots.  Let them have shots from where we want them to have it.  The goalie’s job is stop the ball.  Stop the ones he’s supposed to stop.  They work together, but if he doesn’t trust us, or we don’t trust them, then you’re playing outside of the game plan and then you start doing too much.  You start doing too much outside of the game plan and they will score more goals.

MD: A lot of people have complained about Bob McMahon and his lack of emotion, how did that impact the team?

JG: I loved playing for him.  I really did.  I think I was a better player, playing for him.  I think his style may not have meshed with the personnel we had.  His style might’ve been more a veteran type team.  Right?  Perhaps.  But, you know he was very calm on the bench which I think is a positive.  I think you see that with Steve too.  He’s very calm and relaxed.  You have to be.  Just like anything else, you follow your leader.  If your leader is gonna be yelling and screaming, and if he’s going to be rattled, the players are gonna be.  Yeah he had a lack of emotion, but I don’t think it was a huge negative.  He was tough.  I loved playing with him.  The head coach or the boss is going to take the fall.  I think that was the disappointing part.  You feel like you let him down – someone who put in a lot of time and effort to make you and the organization better, and has to take the fall for it.  Especially for someone who you truly respect, it’s tremendously disappointing.

MD: A common comment from players on the 2006 team was about team chemistry and how there were no egos.  What do you think was the biggest factor in that team unity?

JG: I think leadership.  I think Gary.  A lot of it was Gary.  Right?  That’s it.  It’s Gary Gait, his mentality and how he ran it.  You knew where you stood and you knew what he wanted.  You knew what your job was and you knew if you didn’t do your job what the consequence was.  And you trusted and respected all the other guys there.

MD: Do you see that potential in this team?

JG: I think you do, I think if you didn’t there’s bigger issues.  I think that goes back to your rebuilding.  If you didn’t, you go, either you need to make a change with some of the other guys, or get me outta here.  You don’t want to be in a place where you know you’re gonna fail.  Right?  So I think there is.  It’s gonna be a lotta hard work.   But I think if guys are willing to commit to sacrifice personal goals for the betterment of the group, you’ll always have the potential to be great.

MD: What person have you learned the most from?

JG: There’s nobody coming to mind.  I think I’ve learned a little bit from everybody.  I learned a lot of how to play while playing in Victoria.  And that was a lot from playing with really good players and having a good coaching staff.  Right?  Playing in Six Nations, I learned a lot.  I learned how to be a good lacrosse player.

MD: How did it feel the first time you saw a fan wearing your jersey?

JG: It was good.  Like, I couldn’t tell you where.  It was good.  To be honest with you it was odd.  It was odd.  It felt odd because I wouldn’t put my personality to be very out there, to want attention.  It was odd because I was like wow.  Someone has my jersey, and it was kind of a realization that I guess, we are sort of important in some way and you kind of take that for granted sometimes.  That the influence, you know, the enjoyment people have you know, watching you.  We have other jobs so it’s not the same as some of the other sports, but the way we’re treated by our fan base is the same.  It’s flattering, I guess would probably be a better word.  It’s very flattering.

If someone is gonna spend the money – and enough to have your jersey, it’s for a reason.  A positive reason.  There are a lot of moments, especially in a season like this, where you start questioning yourself.  Questioning what you’re doing.  And you know a lot of times all it takes is for someone to just say, ‘No, no, you’re ok.  Just keep doing what you’re doing.  You’re fine.’  It’s very flattering.  I mean, and it’s odd.  [laughs]

MD: What made you want to be a teacher?

JG: I like teaching.  Enjoy helping children understand the fundamentals, and the basics, of what to do, of education, of life.  I enjoy that.  It’s just something I have a passion for, something I want to be better at.  I enjoy teaching.  I enjoy educating.  I never grew up thinking I wanted to be a teacher.  I had an opportunity to do it and I did it and I enjoyed it.  Went back to school to be able to teach.  I enjoy waking up knowing that I’m helping people learn the very basics of their education which they will then use the rest of their life.

MD: What did you think you were going to be?

JG: I thought I was going to be a chemist.  I wanted to be a chemist.  I wanted to be an environmental chemist.  A toxicologist.  That’s what I wanted to do.  It’s a little different, yes.  That’s what I went to school for.  You know, there was the idea of being a police officer.  And you know, it wasn’t necessarily for me and then teaching came up after that.

MD: What subject/grade do you teach?

JG: Kindergarten, 1^st and 2^nd grade

MD: What from teaching have you been able to apply to lacrosse and vice versa?

JG: Patience.  Patience dealing with people, dealing with different situations.  Absolutely, without a doubt, that’s it.  You gotta have patience.  You gotta have patience when teaching.  You gotta have patience when dealing with middle school, or teenagers.  You have to have patience when dealing with young kids.  Just different.  Patience, how to communicate.

MD: What did you grow up watching as a kid?

JG: I was a Transformers guy.  I loved it.

MD: Which Transformer would you be?

JG: I’d be Optimus Prime.  Without a doubt.  I’d be Optimus Prime because he’s the truck.  Solely cause he’s the truck.  The first game we had, they interviewed me then and asked me what I wanted to be and I said a garbage man.  I had a fascination with, still do I guess, with transport trucks.  That was my thing growing up.  Cause they were big, huge.  That’s why I liked them.  That’s why Optimus Prime, because he was the truck.  Not cause he was the leader or a cool guy, whatever.

MD: What’s the last book you read?

JG: I read Mitch Albom’s 5 People You Meet in Heaven, that’s probably the last one.  That was in the summer.  During the year, I read more magazines.

MD: What’s your favorite book?

JG: One book I read a lot in school is, The Little Engine That Could. I kinda enjoy reading it.  Obviously, with my job, I read it often.  So I enjoy reading it.  So I’d say go with that one.  [laughs]

MD: What’s your favorite movie?

JG: Ghostbusters

MD: What’s your dream car?

JG: I’d have a motorcycle if I could have anything.  I think I’d have a Harley.

MD: Where in the world do you most want to travel to?

JG: I’d probably go to Europe, to Spain.  I’d go to Spain.  I’d go to Ireland.  I’d go to Europe.

MD: Where’s your favorite place to travel to?

JG: You know, I like Mexico.  I do.  I liked Australia.

MD: What item can you not live without?

JG: These pants are ok.  TV.  Definitely need TV.  Need a DVR now too.  That and comfortable clothes.  Jogging pants.  Love jogging pants.

MD: What do you wish people knew about you?

JG: I wish…This goes to Josh Gross and some other people.  My last name is Gallant (Guh lant with a hard a like ant).  Not Gallant (Guh lont with a soft a like aunt).  Not Gallent.  So I wish people knew about me 1.  Say my name right.  2.  Just that I’m a normal everyday person, easy going, relaxed.  I wish they knew about me that I am a nice person, very approachable.  I’m a nice respectful person.    My mother and father did a good job raising me, and I’d like them to know.

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A Canada native, Gallant has played defense for the Colorado Mammoth since they were the Washington Power. Before playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) he played in Canada for Six Nations and the Victoria Shamrocks.

This is the first part of a two-part interview:

MD: What got you playing lacrosse?

JG: I needed something to do in the summer.  I was playing baseball and didn’t enjoy it.  A coworker of my father got me involved in it.  So I started at 7^th grade, maybe 8^th.

MD: If you weren’t playing lacrosse, what sport would you want to play?

JG: I’d play football.  We never had football in high school.  Never had football growing up.  Never had the opportunity to play.  I love watching it.  Particularly college football.

MD: Did you always want to play defense?

JG: No, I just wanted to play.  I generally played both, but when I started playing junior lacrosse, that’s where I was kind of put on defense.  I think being a defenseman in hockey, I was comfortable with that, so it made that transition easy.  But it wasn’t until I was 18 where I then focused primarily on defense.  I think I found out when I got to the level I was at, that if I wanted to play, that’s the position I had to play.

MD: If you didn’t play defense, what position would you want to play?

JG: I wanted to play both.  I always played both.  That’s just the way I was always taught.

MD: I’m assuming that since you’re from Canada you’ve played on both concrete and astro turf.  What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of playing on each?  Which do you prefer?

JG: There are real strengths and weaknesses to both.  The cement can be very slippery.  It’s easier to play defense on turf because you can react quicker.  Playing on the cement is….when it gets dusty, or it gets wet, or you know moisture builds up on it, which happens, but generally it can get dusty.  That fine layer of dust, of dirt, it makes it very slippery when trying to react.  Defensively you’re always reacting a lot, so it’s easy to do that on a more firm surface than cement.

Either one is fine.  Defensively, it’s easier to play on cement, but cement is easier to fall on.  When you fall on a hip, it’s like falling on a basketball court.  You can slide.  On the turf you’re kinda stuck there.  Generally there are more ankle and knee injuries on astro turf.  Once your foot’s there, it’s not moving.  There’s a little more give on cement.  Strengths and weaknesses to both but once you’re playing there’s not a big difference really.

John Gallant with the 2006 Champion's Cup

MD: What do you like most about playing lacrosse?

JG: The competitiveness.  The physicality of it.  I think it has a lot of different dynamics to it.  There’s also a lot of finesse to it.  The speed of it.  It encompasses a lot.  It’s a sport where you really rely on other individuals for your success.  Small mistakes that are made can be costly.

And you know, there is an aspect of it, it’s something different.  It’s not enormous. It’s not out there; it’s a little niche sport, and so there’s not a lot of people that can play successfully.  That’s always a nice thing you know, to be able to do something that not a lot of people can do.  It’s not baseball, or football or basketball.  Something that people can pick up and play whenever they would like and be successful at it.

MD: How would you describe an NLL game to someone unfamiliar with it?

JG: I think it’s an event.  I think the game itself, at times can be a controlled chaos of back and forth.  I think it’s going to be a mixture of the physicality of ice hockey with sort of the finesse and team-work of basketball.  I think the atmosphere is going to be a very loud, very blue-collar type atmosphere that is generated around a family event.  It’s affordable, so there’s room to bring your whole family.

MD: Who’s on your dream team, past or present?

JG: I can probably give your four or five.  I would play with Gary [Gait], Gary was pretty good.  Jim Veltman would be one.  Jon Tavares would be two.  Andrew Turner would be there.  I’ll give you guys I’ve just played with.  I’d rather go with that.

I don’t know.  I think [Jamie] Hanford would be there.  [He's] a face off guy.  He’s very good.  [Jay] Jalbert I’d put there.  Yeah, so I would put them.  Veltman.  I don’t know who I’d put in net.  Matt Roik.  Roik’s a good guy.  Probably put him or Anthony Cosmo in net.  I would put those two.  That would probably be it.  It’s a tough question.  Those ones.  The goalie was tough.  Just trying to not leave anybody out.  I think that’d be it.  We’ll go with those guys.

MD: Who is your favorite team to play against?  Why?

JG: I don’t know.  To be honest with you, I don’t know that there’s one that you really look forward to playing against.  You kinda look forward to playing everybody.  I think I’ve been around long enough now, there’s not one.  There’s not one particular team that you either enjoy playing against the most or not.  There’s obviously more difficult teams depending on the year.  But, I’d say there’s more places I like to go.

I enjoy playing in Buffalo.  I like that atmosphere.  As a team I don’t think there is one.  But as a place, I like going to Buffalo.  The flight there is terrible, but the actual game itself and the atmosphere is pretty good.

MD: Where’s your least favorite place to play?  Why?

JG: I think it all depends.  Like Rochester.  Rochester is not great.  Rochester is tough to get to, same thing with Buffalo.  I think the least successful is Toronto.  That’s the probably the one I least play….you know it’s very nice.  It’s a very nice building.  It has some history to it.  But I’d say we’ve had the least amount of success playing in Toronto.  We’ve had some very disappointing losses in Toronto.

So that’s probably one place, Toronto.  If you’re going to talk about crowd, I’d go to like Edmonton.  It’s just miserable.  If you’re talking about, just, you look on it and you know, you’re going to have to take connecting flights and it’s this and not a great city, that’d be Rochester.  But as a place that I’ve just had a lot of bad losses, that’d be Toronto.

MD: How did it feel to be named Captain?

JG: It wasn’t a surprise.  Well it was and wasn’t.  You kinda see the writing on the wall a little bit.  You know, you’ve been here a long time, you haven’t caused any disturbances really, or any problems.  Was I totally surprised?  No.  But I was very honored.  It’s a big responsibility.  I think I was ready for it.  I think I’ve learned a lot from captains I’ve had either in this organization or others.  And I was ready for it.

We want to win and we want to win now.  Can’t wait two years, three years, because we might not be here anymore.  So there’s that honor you feel but there’s also the excitement that, okay, now we can sorta get to work a little bit and right the ship per-se.  We have ideas and you want to try implementing them so that we’ll be successful.  So you know, yeah, I definitely was honored.  It’s been a lot of work, tell you what.  I didn’t realize it was going to be this much work.  You know?  Kinda have a little bit more respect for some guys that you’ve known in the past cause there’s a lot of stuff goes on behind the scenes.  It’s hard work.  You don’t kinda realize that sometimes.

MD: Do you want to go into what kind of extra work you have now?

JG: It’s like any business or job you’re in, you know when you’re management.  You’re managing.  I have to manage players now.  I have to manage egos now.  I have to manage personalities.  Guys get upset, you know, they come to me about it, and that’s fine.  So that’s been a learning experience, right?  So there’s managing people.  25 of them and a lot of them are young.  And a lot of them who are young and who are here for the first time have been elite players where they came from.  And now they’re no longer elite players and that’s a tough transition to make.  From being the main focal point of your team to now you’re not always gonna be.

Everybody’s good here.  So the management’s been tough.  It’s been fun.  I’ve enjoyed it.  Enjoyed the challenge of it.  So there’s managing and there’s mediating.  You’re sort of the liaison between two groups who don’t necessarily always see eye to eye.  And that can be a difficult thing to do, a difficult spot to be in.

MD: How has being Captain affected your approach to each game?

JG: You have to spend more time.  It’s definitely more time.  It means you have to be better with your time.  ‘Cause we do have a job, so you have to be better at time management.  Because you need to spend time each day talking to different players where in the past I didn’t have to do that, right?  So now I have to get myself ready, physically and mentally.  And then I also have to spend time with other players and via email or phone call so it makes it even more challenging.

MD: As someone known for having a subtle but huge impact on the floor, how does it feel to suddenly be in the spotlight?

JG: It’s interesting.  You know, it’s flattering, again.  But it’s rewarding a little bit that I’ve been able to be around long enough to sort of achieve that, right?  Obviously there’s a lot of guys that haven’t been able to do that.  It’s interesting.  Whatever I can do to help promote this game and promote this team I would be willing to do.  I am in the spotlight a little bit more.  And that’s fine.  But I also look at it as trying to grow this sport a little bit.  Being professional when I’m out in the public eye I think is a responsibility that I have, you know not even just for myself, but for the players on our team, and the players who will be on our team in the future.

MD: How did it feel to be nominated to the 2007 All Star Team?

JG: It was good.  [laughs]  I was proud to represent our team.  Any one of us who were playing coulda been in there and so it was an honor to represent not only like the fans, and the team but also the group of seven guys that play defense.  I think that was really rewarding.  It was an honor to participate and to represent the defensemen on our team.

MD: What made you represent all your fellow defensemen on your helmet before the All Star Game?

JG: I think I had the responsibility to do that.  Because we were a defensive unit.  I wouldn’t have had my success without those other players.  They wouldn’t have been successful without me.  So we all had to work together.  And we were a team.  And we were a unit.  And that’s how defense is played.  You need all five of you and the goalie to be playing well to be successful.  You can get away on offense a little bit, playing one on one.  You can’t do that on defense to be successful.  So that’s why I had the responsibility to make sure those other guys got some credit because they deserved it.

MD: Hopefully, it’s several years away, but have you given any thought to what you would like to do when playing lacrosse is no longer an option?

JG: A little bit.  You start thinking about it a little more and more each year.  You try not to, but, in time I’d like to stay in it in some form.  To be honest with you, I’d love to officiate.  I say that now.  I would seriously consider doing that – officiating.

I think for this league to be successful, one of the very many things it needs to be successful is to have officials who have had experience playing or participating at this level.  At the speed, at how physical the game is.  I think the officiating core as a group is very good, but you know, I think the officiating group as a whole would benefit from having some former players participate.

MD: What changes made in the off-season do you think had the most impact on the team?

JG: Obviously, we traded away our captain.  The guys that we brought in on the draft day.  Between Portland, the expanded draft, and the normal entry draft we brought in half a new team.  That’s the biggest change.  And you’re seeing that now because it’s taking time for guys to grow together.

MD: What changes do you think still need to be made?

JG: I think we have what we have.  There’s not going to be any changes.  That’s a tough question simply because we can’t make any.  We can get a piece here and there but there’s not going to be any major changes.  There just can’t be.  That would force a trade and to make a trade, you have to have someone to trade with.  What we’ve got is what we’ve got.

Changes that need to be made need to be made in the dressing room and not with the personnel.  And those changes are, you know, we need to trust one another.  We need to believe in ourselves, in our own skills, and then believe in the skills of the guy beside you.  And we just need time.  We need time to learn, and time to work with one another.  With all those new guys, they have to learn that this, the National Lacrosse League, is different than any other league they played in.  What has worked in other leagues, whether it be at the divisional college level, or the Canadian Lacrosse Association, the WLA, might not work here – because the talent is better here.  The depth of talent is better.

MD: What would you say to fans disappointed in the rough start the Mammoth are off to?

JG: I would say not to panic.  We’re not hitting the panic button.  We’re 2-4, fair enough.  It could be worse.  But it’s obviously not the start we’d want.  We’re not panicking on the team, so they shouldn’t be.  Our goal is to win the championship.   We want to be playing our best lacrosse at the end of the season.  Not now.  Not in the middle, but at the end.

From being around, I understand what it takes to get there.  I’ve been on teams here that have gone 14 and 2 and lose in the first round.  Right?  I’ve gone on teams here that were 4 and 4 and win a championship.  I say to be patient, I say not to panic.  I say to trust what we’re doing.  Everything we do is to win.  I don’t want to be part of a rebuild, that’s not why I’m here.  If I was, I’d ask to leave.  I don’t have the time to do that and neither do the majority of guys here.  Part of our teaching and educating is to really appreciate every opportunity you have.

You know, there was one question there… I don’t like playing in Toronto.  I lost an overtime game in Toronto.  Semi-finals.  Double-overtime game in Toronto the first year I played.  And you know, like Paul Gait, Gary Gait, Kip Fulks, Paul Cantabene, laundry list of guys.  Amazing prospects.  Double overtime.  And you know, we knew we were moving here, getting a fresh start.  Oh, we’ll be back.  We’ll be back again, this is easy.  Toronto went on to win the championship.  So you looked at it, you know, ok, we’re a goal away, we had plenty of chances, Paul Gait was hurt.  We lost this double-overtime game to the eventual champions, we’ll be back again.  And you know it took, until whatever it was, 2006 to get there and haven’t been back since.  Made the playoffs every year I’ve been in this league and have been in one Championship Game.

And so I don’t have the time, because I know how difficult it is to get back.  So what you try teaching the young guys is listen, like, you don’t know.  I thought I would be back to Championship Games, semi-final games every year and that hasn’t worked out that way.  So that’s the message you try to send to the young guys is that you gotta appreciate every opportunity you have because you may not get any more.  So we’re all working at, towards that one goal.  Patience and trust.

MD: After a game like the one against the Orlando Titans, how do you stay positive and motivated for the next game?

JG: I think you gotta be positive.  I believe you have to remember it, but you also have to forget about it.  Right?  I think you really gotta examine what you did positive and make that note.  Cause there were a lot of positives that we did out of that game.  As a leader you gotta remain positive because guys are going to doubt one another.  And that’s erasing a bit of trust.  You gotta be positive.  You gotta look at it and move on it.  And that’s it.  You can’t dwell on it.  You can’t pout about it.  You can’t get pissed and annoyed about it.  You can do that personally, but you can’t do that where other people can see it.  And you just move on.  Be positive and move on.

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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

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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.

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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

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After a tumultuous off season, the Mammoth open their 2010 season Saturday night (January 9) in Washington against the Stealth.  The Mammoth and Stealth have a rather cantankerous rivalry, which certainly wasn’t helped when the Stealth knocked the Mammoth out of the 2007 playoffs with a controversial overtime goal by Jeff Zywicki.

Both teams have a lot to prove after finishing 7-9 last season.  The Mammoth were knocked out of the playoffs in the first round, but the Stealth may have wished they had been as well after being crushed in the second round by the Calgary Roughnecks 17-5.

The Stealth, who finished third-best in goals in the NLL last season, will provide a good test for the Mammoth…who finished third worst in goals in the NLL last season.  The Mammoth intend to keep 2009 All-Star Goalie Andrew Leyshon starting in net with former Roughneck Goalie Curtis Palidwor backing him up.

Last year, the big question in fans’ minds was whether or not Leyshon could successfully fill the shoes of the popular long-time All-Star Goalie Gee Nash.  This year the big question in fans’ minds is whether or not the major changes made in the off season were good ones.  A lot of fan favorites, including Captain Gavin Prout, were let go in an attempt to make the team bigger, faster and younger.

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