The Edmonton Rush have a lot to prove. They’re one of those teams whose records doesn’t really reflect the quality of the team. Underestimate them, and they’ll quickly capitalize on your mistake. For the Colorado Mammoth who had a win under their belts over the Rush two weeks ago and a 4-0 record, it would have been very easy to look past Edmonton. They didn’t however, and the game between these two teams was very aggressive and hard fought.

1^st Quarter

On a pass to center from Derek Hopcroft, Jordan McBride takes it to the net to start off the scoring for the Colorado Mammoth. The next play, the Rush on the power play, take it hard to Chris Levis peppering him with shots. Levis makes several difficult saves in a row, but the Mammoth fail to get the rebounds and Scott Evans is able to score on a screened shot after receiving a behind the back pass from Ryan Ward. Mammoth continue to struggle to recover the shot on goal rebounds. Chris Corbeil recovers one of these rebounds and does a long outlet pass to John LaFontaine giving him a 1:1 opportunity for a goal and what will be the Rush’s only lead. Aaron Bold has his own fair share of shots on goal to contend with despite John Grant Junior shooting several times wide of the net. Putting Bold to the test, he successively blocks several shots in a row until he blocks a shot from JGJ that bounces the wrong way off his leg pad and into the net for a Mammoth goal. With 2:15 remaining in the quarter, Edmonton scores but the goal is waived off for a shot clock violation.

Colorado Mammoth 2, Edmonton Rush 2

2^nd Quarter

Starting off the quarter with a highlight clip worthy attempt, Mat MacLeod gets a 1:1 opportunity against Bold after Jed Prossner grinds out the loose ball, gets slammed into the boards before sending the outlet pass down the floor. Running hard, MacLeod takes the shot from the left side of the crease but Bold is able to get across the net in time to make the save, making it look easy. Edmonton fail on their possession and Mammoth bring it right back down the field where Adam Jones takes a shot from around his defender and gets it past Bold for the goal. Aaron Wilson gets around his defender and catches the pass from Zack Greer at the crease, shoots and scores to tie the game again. The goalies continue to get peppered with shots but the offense for both teams just can’t seem to find the sweet spot. In one instance, Levis blocked a shot and remained on his knees, apparently thinking he had the ball, the Rush recovered and took a shot but with luck on his side, the ball ricocheted off both posts behind him and went out. After over eight minutes without a goal, JGJ finally breaks the scoring drought. He throws a swim move over his defender, attacks the net, and then fakes before shooting and scoring.

Colorado Mammoth 4, Edmonton Rush 3

3^rd Quarter

Adam Jones starts off the scoring in the second half, hitting the net from the outside. Play continues back and forth with the Rush heavier on the possessions but no scoring. Midway through the quarter in a brilliant play, Gavin Prout shoots, Bold blocks it but fumbles the rebound, Prout knocks the ball out of the crease into the corner where he and a Rush player fight over the loose ball. Prout manages to grind it out, he passes to JGJ who takes the shot, but Bold comes up with the save. With six minutes remaining, the scoring drought finally comes to an end with a goal from Wilson followed by on from Zack Greer on the power play to tie the game back up. Jordan McBride scores back to back goals, one a straight shot from the crease, the second also at the crease after faking twice before scoring. Closing out the quarter Scott Evans scores for Edmonton with a hard low right side arm shot.

Colorado Mammoth 7, Edmonton Rush 6

4^th Quarter

Scott Evans starts off the scoring six minutes into the final quarter, shooting outside, he hits the cross bar and the ball goes in to tie the game again. The play increases in aggressiveness from both teams, but in some questionable calls and no calls (but seriously, when is that not the case?), the refs attempt to keep control of the game. It would appear that Chris Levis has studied some Judo, after Scott Evans crashes into Levis, Levis uses Evan’s momentum and flips him to the ground. Both players get penalties – Evans for goalie interference and Levis for roughing. Adam Jones manages to score in traffic on the power play giving the Mammoth back the lead with under 5 minutes remaining. In an unusual side arm shot around his defender, JGJ also manages to score. In a beautiful play, Dan Coates in a 1:1 opportunity scores on a running behind the back shot. As the clock wound down, the Rush began to pull Bold from the net for the extra attacker. Mammoth recover the ball and Jarrett Park manages to beat Bold to the net scoring in a not quite empty net goal.

In a show of class (which from comments I received on Twitter is typical of him,) after Evans was sent to the box on a 5 minute major high sticking penalty to Rory Smith’s chin, (Smith himself got a roughing major after trying to get Evans to throw down the gloves, but Evans refused,) Evans proceeded to get into it with the fans behind the penalty box, Smith, and the fans. He continued to shout and taunt the fans all around the arena after game’s end. Apparently Scott Evans is the Draco Malfoy of lacrosse. It should be interesting when these two teams face off again April 20.

Final score:

Colorado Mammoth 11, Edmonton 7

Attendance: 14,055 (actual appeared closer to 8,000 due to the snowy conditions)

1^st Star – Chris Levis, with 44 saves on 51 shots, Levis was an important factor in the Mammoth’s win.

2^nd Star – Aaron Bold, with 38 saves on 49 shots, Bold was standing on his head. He kept the Mammoth to a low scoring game until the final minutes of the fourth quarter. Which, when you’re facing the offensive talent that includes John Grant Jr, Ilija Gajic, Gavin Prout, Adam Jones, Jamie Lincoln and Sean Pollock, that’s saying something.

3^rd Star – John Grant Jr, with eight points on the night, JGJ was a part of almost every goal the Mammoth scored. Although, with 13 shots on goal (23%) and 7 shots completely wide on the goal, JGJ was also part of why the Rush had as many possession as they did. But then, JGJ has always had a high shots to goal ratio.

Around the League

Toronto Rock 15, Philadelphia Wings 6

Washington Stealth 11, Buffalo Bandits 10 OT

Minnesota Swarm 14, Rochester Knighthawks 16

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In what could be viewed as a potential playoff match-up, the Colorado Mammoth and Minnesota Swarm closed out the regular season at Xcel Energy Center.   Despite the Swarm really being the only team still with something to play for, (second place in the Western Division and a home playoff game), play for most of the first half was rough and aggressive from both sides with the Swarm knocking several Mammoth players on their butts.

It felt like a playoff game instead of just the final game of the season.

For the first twenty minutes of game play, the Mammoth looked dominant keeping the Swarm to two goals while scoring four. Levis made several difficult saves including a one on one breakaway from Richard Morgan in the first quarter and then one from Joe Cinosky in the second as he was released from the penalty box after his illegal equipment penalty.

Unfortunately for Mammoth fans, their team either decided to take a step back in intensity, or the team simply fell apart.  Regardless of why, the Mammoth were held scoreless after 5:30 into the second quarter until the start of the fourth quarter when Langtry notched his first of the night.  The Swarm on the other hand went on a 10 goal run beforehand with four of those goals scored in about two and a half minutes to close out the second quarter.

After letting in two goals early in the third quarter, Matt King is called on to replace Chris Levis.  Swarm don’t give King any reprieve though and quickly pepper him with shots.  The Swarm score on him four times in the third, and then proceed to sit on the lead in the fourth. 

The Mammoth defense which has been strong all season seemingly disappeared midway through the second and failed to reappear.  The Mammoth offense which has continued to struggle all season didn’t help matters any.  Between failed acquisition of rebounds and loose balls, poor shot selection and shot clock violations, the Mammoth defense spent the majority of their time on the floor.

This game may simply have been a blip for the Mammoth heading into the playoffs against the Calgary Roughnecks.  The Mammoth simply may have gone into this game with the attitude it didn’t matter and that they didn’t want to risk injury heading into the Saddledome. Without knowing what was going through the players’ and coaches’ minds, it’s really hard to say.  But, heading into Calgary next week with a solid win against another playoff team would have made them both more formidable and given them a confidence boost.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 8, Minnesota Swarm 12

Attendance: 9,623

MVP: Ryan Benesch

Around the league:

Rochester Knighthawks 15, Buffalo Bandits 9

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The Colorado Mammoth beat the Calgary Roughnecks in Denver to clinch a playoff spot on Friday night.  The two may meet up in the postseason.

It’s not unusual in the National Lacrosse League for teams to have somewhat wonky schedules with several back-to-back games or to play the same team several times in a row as Colorado did against the Edmonton Rush.  What is interesting about this occurrence though is how different each game truly can be.

Sometimes the teams look so different you almost feel like you’re watching a different set of teams.  Often when teams play one another in such quick succession, there’s often an extra level of chippiness.

Heading into Friday’s game against the Calgary Roughnecks, many Mammoth fans wondered if Kaleb Toth might be on the receiving end of extra Mammoth aggression after his hit from behind last Friday that momentarily knocked out Mammoth captain John Gallant.

Surprisingly, the game was relatively reserved in all aspects.  Outside of Geoff Snider, who got into it with Ilija Gajic in the second quarter and then ejected in the final minutes of the fourth after putting Matt Leveque in an MMA style guillotine, both teams could almost be described as aloof.

On the one hand, Calgary not playing super-hard isn’t too surprising, as they really didn’t have much to play for. With the playoffs starting in two weeks, why push yourself and risk injury right beforehand against the team you’re most likely facing?  On the other hand, these guys are competitors and no one likes to lose.

The Mammoth did have something to play for.  If they won, not only would they clinch the final playoff spot in the West, they would also have beaten the team for the second time this season they would be facing in the playoffs.  Watching their play though, you wouldn’t have known it.

The Mammoth made mistakes left and right all game and once again the offense barely moved the ball. Colorado scored four of their goals on the power play, one with an extra attacker and one empty netter.  They even scored a short-handed goal in the fourth.  Calgary only scored on one of their seven power play opportunities, and scored two short handed goals – one in each half.

Mammoth fans couldn’t help but be at least slightly nervous after Chris Levis failed to block the first shot he faced from Brandon Ivey.  Levis has been playing strong all season, but incidents like that definitely make some goalies crumble.

The Roughnecks won’t play again until the playoffs when they face the Mammoth in Calgary in two weeks.  The Mammoth though will head to Minnesota to face the Swarm in a game that may very well determine who takes second in the West.  If the Swarm wins, they will be tied with the Washington Stealth and the Swarm holds the tie breaker.

>Needless to say, the playoffs are going to be interesting.

Final Score:

Colorado Mammoth 11, Calgary Roughnecks 7

Attendance: 17,841

MVP: Chris Levis

Around the League

Boston Blazers 16, Buffalo Bandits 9

Philadelphia Wings 9, Minnesota Swarm 11

Toronto Rock 14, Edmonton Rush 18

Rochester Knighthawks 18, Washington Stealth 10

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The Colorado Mammoth headed into this weekend with their playoff destiny squarely on their shoulders. If they won both games, they would clinch the fourth and final spot.  If they lost both, the Edmonton Rush would clinch that spot.  And if they split the games, things wouldn’t be as simple.

Their destiny still is in Mammoth hands, now it’s just a matter of Colorado either winning in Denver against Calgary April 15 or in Minnesota April 23.  For the Rush to get that fourth spot, they need to beat the Toronto Rock and the Mammoth need to lose both games.

The next two weeks will be pivotal.

The rivalry between the Calgary Roughnecks and the Colorado Mammoth is long-standing with much of it stemming from playoff battles.  This year might not be any different.  With the Mammoth and Roughnecks facing off twice in a week and the potential of playing a third time two weeks later in the playoffs, both teams will be giving it their all once again.

Friday, April 8 vs Calgary Roughnecks

The Mammoth started the game very strong with John Grant Jr scoring in the first 40 seconds followed quickly by a goal from Ned Crotty a minute later.  Midway through the first, Daryl Veltman scored with Geoff Snider winning the subsequent faceoff and taking it down and immediately scoring and unassisted goal.  Dan Carey scored for the Mammoth on the power play followed by another goal from JGJ.

Penalties and therein power plays had a big impact in the second quarter.  Calgary capitalized three times while the Mammoth scored once on the power play in addition to two short handed goals.  Starting shortly after the 5 minute mark, a flurry of goals began with one scored almost every minute.  Heading into halftime, the teams were only separated by one goal.

Curtis Dickson scored for the Roughnecks off the opening faceoff but like in the in the second quarter, penalties were the big factor in the third as well.  The Mammoth scored twice on the power play while the Roughnecks scored one power play and two short handed goals.  The Roughnecks outscored the Mammoth 7-3 in the third giving Calgary a three goal cushion heading into the fourth.

Neither team was going down without a fight though. Early on, the Gajic brothers each score a goal to bring the Mammoth within one but unfortunately for the Mammoth, on the faceoff immediately following Alex Gajic’s goal, Geoff Snider managed to snag another face off which he then preceded to run down the field with and score to give the Roughnecks back a two goal lead.  The remaining eight plus minutes were intense with both goalies standing on their heads blocking shots on goal. With eight seconds remaining in the game, Carey manages to get his third goal of the night past Poulin, but it wasn’t enough and the Roughnecks hold on to their lead.

Final: Colorado Mammoth 13, Calgary Roughnecks 14
Attendance: 12,213

MVP: Daryl Veltman

Saturday, April 9 vs Edmonton Rush

The Mammoth played a hard fought game the night before and lost.  The Edmonton Rush were well rested and playing in front of their home crowd.  Playoff implications were on the line.

Brian Langtry, who has been relatively quiet on the goal front this season, started off the scoring with trademark style. Leaping from the left side of the crease he pulled his stick around his body and shot from behind as he dove through the air, scoring before hitting the ground in a highlight real worthy goal.

Corey Small snuck a low shot past a screened Chris Levis a few minutes later to put the Rush on the board.

Nick Carlson has taken a lot of flack this season with many fans frustrated by his lack of production on the floor and mistakes resulting in goals.  Many have even speculated that this is probably Carlson’s last season. But looking like the Nick Carlson of old, he runs down the field on a breakaway with a one on one opportunity against Matt Disher and scores.

A few minutes later, in a beauty of a goal, Joel Dalgarno manages to step around Kyle Sweeney, fakes a couple of times before shooting on net for the score to start off a flurry of goals.  Mac Allen scores on a one on one opportunity from a turnover from Scott Evans for the Mammoth.  It’s quickly followed by a Rush goal by Ryan Ward less than thirty seconds later.  John Grant Jr scores his first goal of the night a minute later to give the Mammoth a three goal lead heading into the second quarter.

After an offensive end to the first quarter, the second quarter was decidedly defensive with only two goals scored for each side as the quarter wound down.  Three of the goals were scored in under 90 seconds starting with a power play goal from Ward cutting through the center.  Dalgarno makes use of a solid screen to shoot around Sweeney for the score followed by another diving across the crease goal from Langtry.   With two minutes remaining and the Mammoth on a power play, Rush have the ball.  Ward takes a shot, Levis blocks but Brodie Merrill gets the rebound.  He passes to Bill Greer at the center of the crease line who puts it past Levis for the goal.

The third quarter starts off with frenetic play from both sides until the Mammoth begin to find their groove with John Grant Jr scoring on a pass from Gavin Prout.  A minute later, Dan Carey scores undefended from the left side on a cross crease pass from Dalgarno.  Scott Evans scores for the Rush on a low hand shot around Ian Hawksbee that hits the pipe before going in.

After several minutes of defensive play and many blocked shots from both goalies, Brian Langtry manages to notch two more to finish out the third quarter giving the Mammoth a five goal lead.

The Mammoth finish off the fourth quarter with solid defensive play but a relatively mellow offense.  Alex Gajic scores on the power play mid way into the fourth while JGJ scores his third goal of the night a couple minutes later.

Final: Colorado Mammoth 13, Edmonton Rush 6

Attendance: 7,164

MVP: Chris Levis

Around the League

Friday, April 8

Buffalo Bandits 11, Toronto Rock 8

Saturday, April 9

Philadelphia Wings 7, Boston Blazers 9

Buffalo Bandits 9, Rochester Knighthawks 8

Minnesota Swarm 15, Washington Stealth 16 OT

Sunday, April 10

Rochester Knighthawsk 10, Philadelphia Wings 6

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When discussions turn to the Mammoth, a lot of it revolves around Levis and his goal tending abilities.  Many people around the league do not believe Chris Levis is a starting caliber goalie and would use games such as Friday’s match against the Rush to bolster their points.  However, on the flip side, many other people around the league believe he is seriously underrated and doing a phenomenal job keeping a lackluster team in the playoff hunt.  Saturday’s game against the Rush would provide ample support for their argument.

Coming off a long awaited win at home over the Boston Blazers, Mammoth fans were hopeful heading into the weekend.  I think few people expected the Mammoth to win both games, but many did pick the Rush to win both, or for the teams to split as is relatively common in back to back games.

Friday, the Mammoth offense really started to step up and they looked much better than they have in some areas, but continued to struggle in others.  The offense showed more movement in this weekend’s games than I think they have for the entire season up to this point.  Shot selection, shot clock management, dropped passes, interceptions and rebounds continue to be an issue.

However, the Mammoth defense was another story.  In Friday’s game, they looked complacent with several goals the result of blown coverage giving the Rush offense one on one opportunities against Chris Levis and Matt King.  Steve Forsythe especially looked lost on the floor.

I don’t know if for some reason the Mammoth defense thought the Rush were going to be an easy win or what.  Regardless, they didn’t give the Rush much of a challenge Friday.  Thankfully though, they decided to show up and play hard Saturday.

As Saturday’s game wound down, many wondered if it might just be one for the record books.  With five minutes remaining in the final quarter, the combined score of both teams was only 9 goals.  The last five minutes kept fans on the edge of their seats with four goals scored – two by each team.

Next weekend the Mammoth head up North for their own Battle of Alberta facing the number one team, Calgary Roughnecks Friday, and to Edmonton Saturday to face the Rush for a third time.  The results will mostly likely determine both the Mammoth and Rush fates.

Scoring Summary
Friday
Colorado Mammoth 10, Edmonton Rush 14
Mammoth: Alex Gajic 4, John Grant Jr 4, Joel Dalgarno 2
Rush: Scott Evans 4, Corey Small 3, Andy Secore, 2, Brodie Merrill 1, John LaFontaine 1, Ryan Ward 1, Dean Hill 1, Zack Greer
Attendance: 7,092
MVP: Matt Disher

Saturday
Colorado Mammoth 7, Edmonton Rush 6
Mammoth: Joel Dalgarno 2, John Grant Jr 2, Alex Gajic 1, Nick Carlson 1, Jed Prossner 1
Rush: Ryan Ward 2, Brett Mydske 1, Scott Stewart 1, Corey Small 1, Bill Greer 1
Attendance: 15,027
MVP: Chris Levis

Around the League

Friday, April 1
Washington Stealth 12 , Toronto Rock 13 OT
Minnesota Swarm 12, Calgary Roughnecks 15

Saturday, April 2
Toronto Rock 11, Philadelphia Wings 12
Rochester Knighthawks 19, Boston Blazers 8
Washington Stealth 10, Buffalo Bandits 9 OT
Calgary Roughnecks 8, Minnesota Swarm 13

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As much as I wish I could say otherwise, there really isn’t much for me to say about this weekend. The same Mammoth offense showed up with the result being identical to every other game this season save one. Friday night, the Mammoth defense played on par with the offense and needless to say, the Washington Stealth made them pay.

But, when your defense spends the majority of the time on the floor, your goalies face a total of 64 shots and your defense is playing exhausted trying to stop some of the best offensive talent in the league, is it any surprise the Mammoth got their butts whooped?

No, it really isn’t.

I’ve said it elsewhere, but the Mammoth offense needs to get over themselves. I don’t care who you are, where you’ve played, what accolades you’ve received or what trophies you’ve won. If you’re not scoring, there are issues. If you can’t play hard for four quarters, or play as a team, or actually play intelligently, then sit your ass down.

Some people speculate we have too many egos on the team. Some think it’s a lack or issue of leadership. Fans are certainly calling for firings all the way from top with GM Steve Govett down to everyone on the bench and everywhere in between.

Maybe they’re right. Maybe they’re wrong.

What I see is an offense more interested in the name on their back than what’s on the front trying to be heroes and since everyone is trying to be an individual hero, no one is doing jack as a team.

On paper, we have one of the most talented teams in the league. Unfortunately, that’s not what wins games.

The Mammoth run the most stagnant predictable offense I think I have ever seen. Occasionally we get lucky and score, which probably reinforces this bad play.  But it’s no wonder we can’t score half the time when the goalie doesn’t have to work to block it and the defense doesn’t have to work to keep our guys away from the front of the net. If your fans, many of which have never played the game and are only slightly knowledgeable, know where and when you’re going to shoot, then the defenders with years of pro experience probably do too.

Usually teams get better as the season progresses, but this one seems to be getting worse. When a team is given multiple 5:3 opportunities and still can’t score, you really need to take a step back and ask yourself why. This is one issue I put squarely on the Mammoth; this is not a case of opponents doing that great of a job.

The Games

Friday vs the Washington Stealth

The Washington Stealth essentially put on a shooting clinic against the Mammoth with ten different players, three of them defenseman, scoring goals.  D man, Jeff Moleski had a hat trick along with Forwards, Rhys Duch, Joel Dalgarrno, and Lewis Ratcliff. Luke Wiles and Craig Conn each scored two with Paul Rabil, Mike Grimes, Eric Martin, and Cam Sedgwick each scoring one a piece.

For the Mammoth, John Grant Jr‘s 55 game scoring streak was finally broken. Alex Gajic scored three goals, Ilija Gajic two and Dan Carey and Mike McClellan each with one. Mammoth D man Mac Allen received a 2 minute Unsportsmanlike Conduct, a 10 minute Misconduct and a 10 minute Game Misconduct resulting in his ejection in the second quarter. Captain John Gallant received a 10 minute Game Misconduct in the third quarter resulting in his ejection. Unfortunately, the game feed had several visual issues and the Washington Stealth announcers are more interested in what’s happening on Facebook than what’s going on in the game so I really can’t tell you much more than that about what Allen or Gallent did to warrant ejections.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 7, Washington Stealth 20

MVP: Tyler Richards

Attendance: 3,160

Sunday vs the Minnesota Swarm

The first quarter, the Mammoth actually showed up and looked like they might have a strong showing with two goals from John Grant Jr. and one each for Jed Prossner and Connor Martin while Ryan Benesch was the only Swarm goal. Excitement was high and it was feeling a bit like the Pepsi Center of old heading into the second quarter, especially after Mac Allen scored 17 seconds in to give the Mammoth the lead, 5-1.

In the second, the Swarm showed they weren’t going to go down without a fight with Kevin Ross, Andrew Watt, Richard Morgan, and Matt Giles scoring before Brian Langtry was able to stop their run with his own goal that was quickly countered by Minnesota who pulled the goalie for the extra attacker. Benesch was able to capitalize and the half ended tied at 6.

And then things got crazy. Possibly stemming from an early cheap shot Brian Langtry gave to a Swarm player that may have been in retaliation for some in-net aggression by the Swarm…Pushing and shoving ensued and turned into punching and general chaos with all the players involved in one way or another. At one point it looked like there would be a rare goalie fight between Chris Levis and Nick Patterson. For the most part, none of the skirmishes got anywhere but Mac Allen and I believe Shane Bennet dropped their gear and went toe to toe. The refs finally got everything under control and the players went back to their dressing rooms.

The start of the third quarter brought out several penalty assessments.

For Minnesota, Travis Hill was given a 2 min Unsportsmanlike Conduct, a 10 minute Misconduct and a 10 minute Game Misconduct resulting in his ejection. Shane Bennett received a 5 minute Fighting and a 10 minute Misconduct. While Rory Smith only received a 10 minute Misconduct.

For Colorado, Mac Allen received a 5 minute Fighting and a 10 minute Misconduct. Brian Langtry was given a 2 minute Unsportsmanlike Conduct and a 10 minute Misconduct and finally, Cliff Smith received a 10 minute Misconduct. While I haven’t heard anything yet, I won’t be surprised if the league hands down additional penalties and/or fines.

The third quarter in comparison was quiet with the Mammoth once again being held scoreless for a quarter while Ryan Benesch notched two and Jamie Schewchuck notched oen for the Swarm. Andrew Watt continued the scoring streak into the fourth followed by one from Aaron Wilson before the Mammoth could finally stop their run. Cliff Smith scored followed by power play goals from Dan Carey and Alex Gajic. Ryan Benesch scored his fifth goal of the night with a minute and a half left. Carey scored again on an extra attacker play, but yet again, the effort was too little, too late.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 10, Minnesota Swarm 12

MVP: Nick Patterson

Attendance: 15,825

The Mammoth head into their first of two long breaks. The NLL All Star Game will be held Sunday. The Colorado Mammoth will be represented by John Grant Jr, Mac Allen, and Chris Levis. They will return home to face the Swarm again March 4.

Around the League

Friday

Rochester Knighthawks 5, Toronto Rock 10

Saturday

Philadelphia Wings 10, Buffalo Bandits 9

Toronto Rock 13, Rochester Knighthawks

Boston Blazers 14, Minnesota Swarm 11

Calgary Roughnecks 12, Edmonton Rush

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At the beginning of the season, many people picked the Boston Blazers to finish number one or pretty close to it. With a talented offense compromised of Casey Powell, Dan Dawson, Josh Sanderson and now Ryan Powell, they’re certainly a force to be reckoned with. The Mammoth kept Sanderson to three goals, and Dawson and Casey Powell to one goal each. (Ryan Powell was a healthy scratch.)

One would think that if your defense can put the kibosh on your opponent’s leading scorers, you stand a pretty good chance of winning. Unfortunately, once again, the Mammoth offense didn’t do their part.

Einstein defined insanity as doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.

Apparently the Mammoth offense suffers from insanity. How else can you explain their same predictable play every game? They play flat, pass the ball around a few times and as the shot clock expires pretty much shoot at the goalie’s chest or 5-hole. As you might expect, a professional lacrosse goalie blocks such weak attempts every time. The Mammoth don’t work as a team to make things happen. They don’t cut, they don’t pick and roll, they don’t move. Yet they expect to score. Yep, this team must be insane.

The Game**

1st quarter

Ryan Dilks gets the first goal of the night scoring a short-hander just under six minutes in to the game to give Boston the lead. Dan Carey ties the game a minute later. The rest of the quarter ends up being very defensive and it looks like it may end tied at one each but that’s not the case. With 22 seconds left, Nick Cotter scores followed by a power play goal from Josh Sanderson 21 seconds later.

Mammoth 1, Stealth 3

2nd quarter

Cotter scores his second goal of the night under eight minutes into the second giving Boston its second short-handed goal followed a few minutes later by a goal from Jack Reid. The Mammoth swap Matt King in for Chris Levis but Sanderson scores on him a minute and half later folowed by a goal from Dan Dawson.

Mammoth 1, Stealth 7

3rd quarter

Casey Powell gets the first goal of the second half, extending Boston’s lead to seven. Mike McClellan finally breaks the Mammoth’s scoring drought 35 seconds later. Sanderson scores his third goal a few minutes later. Ilija Gajic finally notches a goal while Carey follows up with his second goal with a couple minutes remaining in the quarter.

Mammoth 4, Stealth 9

4th quarter

The fourth quarter stays tight until John Grant Jr. scores eight minutes in. Damon Edwards quickly follows up with Boston’s third short-handed goal of the night followed by an empty-netter with just over a minute left. With 32 seconds left, Grant scores his second goal of the night.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 6, Washington Stealth 11

MVP: Anthony Cosmo

Attendance: 8,462

Around the League:

Friday

Washington Stealth 12, Edmonton Rush 14

Saturday

Buffalo Bandits 16, Philadelphia Wings 7

Calgary Roughnecks 8, Toronto Rock 9 OT

Minnesota Swarm 10, Rochester Knighthawks 12

Edmonton Rush 15, Washington Stealth 14

The Mammoth head to Washington to take on the Stealth Friday night followed by a game against the Minnesota Swarm in Denver on Sunday.

** I apologize for the lack of details in the game summary this time around.

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Despite a very busy schedule and recently moving to Colorado, John Grant Jr gave me some of his time the week before the Colorado Mammoth played the Philadelphia Wings for a second time in a week. As many lacrosse fans know, he holds several records and awards across several lacrosse leagues.  I was really glad I got the opportunity to sit down and chat with him.

MD: How are you finding Denver?

JG: I think it’s pretty amazing to be honest. I was a little worried the day before I flew in it was a bad, bad snow storm a couple weeks ago. But every day since it’s been in the 40′s and 50′s. Can’t complain. It’s been -27 back home. Being this high, I thought it would snow all the time. I mean, until you actually deal with it yourself, you never know. I always thought people just, everyone always exaggerates how awesome their home town is, right?

MD: You did actually move here, right?

JG: I have moved here. I moved here earlier in the season, but I couldn’t stay. My daughter had an ear infection so she couldn’t fly. So had to fly home for a week, tend to her and then I moved back here. I’ve basically been here the whole month of January.

MD: What made you decide to move to Denver?

JG: Well, I was traded here and I really like living in the city I play in. I think it’s better for the team as far as community relations go. I feel more comfortable, you know, kind of, just playing here and you know being here. I don’t know. It’s something I did in Rochester. And obviously I wasn’t going to live in Rochester while I was playing here. I thought it was a good opportunity to see a great place and I wasn’t really tied down with any other work right now so I thought it was a good time to come out and give Colorado a try.

MD: I’ve noticed a difference in play for the players who live and play here with the altitude. Have you noticed that impact on yourself?

JG: Oh, the first game, yeah, definitely. Especially the first quarter. I felt like someone was holding me under water the whole time. But, the longer I’ve been here and now that I’m kind of training here and stuff, it’s become less of a, I don’t even notice it now. The first I think, two weeks I was here I was probably drinking like three gallons of water a day, which I never drink really drink water, which is probably wrong being an athlete but, you know, just always dehydrated and dry, and short of breath, but I’m completely acclimated to it now and don’t really notice it.

MD: What about Denver have you been most surprised about?

JG: Well, first and foremost the weather. I don’t even think I’ve even worn my coat yet. But just, how clean the city is and everyone just seems so happy and fit. And I think that’s probably because of the sun. I mean, where I come from, everyone just basically bundles up for four months because it’s so miserable cold you don’t ever want to go outside. I’ve noticed everyone biking and walking and even myself, instead of getting in the car and driving I just kinda get the running shoes on and go for a walk or go for a jog. I think so far, the atmosphere and the weather which I think definitely go hand in hand.

MD: What about the fans and the Pepsi Center?

JG: I mean, that’s something, playing against them, I knew the place was pretty raucous to begin with. I was excited to come here and have them cheer for me as opposed to 18,000 people booing me out of the barn. It was something I knew was going to happen, was going to be the case. So it wasn’t like a huge surprise to me, I’ve played down here a couple of times. But that’s definitely another advantage to being with the Mammoth. The fan support that we get, at the Pepsi Center and I mean just the way people in Colorado treat their sports teams. It definitely makes it more worthwhile to be a professional athlete, that’s for sure.

MD: Your father was a well known lacrosse player in his own right. How does it feel to follow in his footsteps?

JG: That’s what I did growing up. I followed him around like a shadow. You know, growing up, pro lacrosse wasn’t really a big deal, so you know, it wasn’t like, not. It was something obviously I always wanted to do, second behind playing in the NHL, but what Canadian kid doesn’t think that? But you know, basically I got some high school and I realized there was a possibility lacrosse could take me down steps further for a scholarship so that was the most important thing, and then you know, pro lacrosse was there and then it started to really grow into what it is now right around the time I was in college. I kinda caught, got in at the right time where I got drafted and the league kinda picked up, got to ten teams. It’s kinda the league it is now. So I’ve been very fortunate and I owe everything about my lacrosse career to my father. He was my idol growing up and I’m sure he’s excited to see me play as well.

MD: Was there ever a time you didn’t want to play lacrosse?

JG: No, I don’t think so. I think, uh, he tells a story of when I was in tykes, 4, 5, 6 years old where I pretended to be sick to my mom so I didn’t have to go to practice but what he says is that everyone else had just begun playing so guys couldn’t catch and throw and I guess at 5 I was really bored with practices cause I was already doing that, basically since birth. So I don’t remember ever not wanting to play, but that’s the only kind of incident that he remembers. It’s basically all I did when I was a kid. The stick was basically a third arm. I’ve always been playing and I just feel blessed that I’m able to do it professionally and I hope to do that for four or five more years.

MD: What do you like most about playing lacrosse?

JG: You know, that’s a tough, you know what, I don’t think I’ve ever been asked that. I love everything about it. I mean, I love how rough it is. Obviously scoring goals is something I love. I love you know seeing the expression on a teammate’s face when he does something beneficial for the team. I love seeing the look in a young kid’s eyes when they haven’t seen something before. You can just tell, you see the look of awe on a fan’s face. I love just being on a team. If I wasn’t playing pro lacrosse I’d be playing lacrosse in some league or sport, any sport, some sort of league. Just the camaraderie, just, battling with teammates for a common goal is something I find exhilarating. I’m gonna be playing some kind of sport until the day I die. To call yourself a professional is definitely the icing on the cake when it comes to that.

MD: Who’s your favorite team to play against?

JG: Good one. It was the Mammoth because I loved coming to Denver and playing in the Pepsi Center. But now that I’m a Mammoth, I really look forward to playing the Knighthawks down the road. But you know, now that it’s kinda a new career for me since I just started, I look forward to playing Philly, I always do. That’s where my dad played, so I’m pretty excited to go to Philly this weekend and battle them again. That was usually one of the biggest games of the year for me and one I get pretty jacked up for and it’s going to be no different now that I’m playing for a Western Coast, er Western Division team. I think with just what’s going on with our team right now being 1-2 I think this is a huge game for us so I think everyone is going to be extra fired up for this one. You know, always in the back of my mind is, like in Philly, the fans are very smart, are very intelligent of the history of the game, so there’ll be a lot of signs – “Junior Sucks”, “Your Dad Was Better” lot of, you know, there’s a lot of stuff. They’re pretty wily fans and get right in your face so it makes it extra special when you win there but it also makes it awfully tough when you lose there because they get right on you.

MD: What team to you hate to play against?

JG: I’d have to probably say the Rock. They’ve beaten me in two NLL Championships and I think two NLL semi-finals so obviously they have my number and they have the Knighthawks number. They’re always a team, I mean, I actually relish playing them because of that, but I’d have to say they’re the team that’s broken my heart the most so I have to say them.

MD: If you could go back and tell your younger self something you’ve learned, what would it be?

JG: Train harder. You know, I spent so much time just playing lacrosse, I never trained when I was younger, you know, the way the young guys train today with you know, in the gym, plyometrics, and just all the great stuff we’re learning about your body and nutrition. It wasn’t something I concentrated on I just basically worked so hard on making my stick skills great but if I was able to go back in time, that was something I would definitely do and it probably would’ve helped me not accumulate the injuries I have. That’s what I tell a lot of the young people when I’ve had camps. Keep your body, your body is your best weapon, it’s not your stick, it’s your body. If you can keep that finely tuned you’re going to have a long career and lot of success.

MD: No one can argue your skill on the field, but it seems you’re quite the polarizing player. You have a bit of a negative reputation and a temper. There are rumors that you’ve insulted and flipped off fans, mooned people and even pulled down your shorts. How would you respond to that?

JG: Well, as far as the temper, I won’t deny that. As the guys at the Golf Galaxy in Rochester can attest to, I come in with clubs in half at times. It’s something I’ve definitely worked on. I’m my own worst critic and I always have been. I get down on myself way more than any fan could. But you know, there’s times where I’ve let it get the better of me. Some things have definitely been taken out of context and misconstrued and you know, that’s what, I’ve put myself in certain positions. I just chalk that up to being younger and not very in control but I’ve put all that stuff behind me and dedicated myself off the field to being an ambassador of the game and I try to do my absolute best to give back to kids and to fans. And you know, that is something that took a little bit but it’s something, I’ve taken great control of and I’m pretty proud to say that I think I’m a great player off the floor for fans to encounter. Before I was pretty, pretty I’d say antisocial, a little bit insecure, and that was misconstrued as being a snob or whatsoever. And some of the other things, like I said, it got taken out of context and you know, it can happen where some people think they see something and with technology now, it can get around the internet or whatsoever and people don’t know the true story and assume what they’ve heard and run with it. But there’s a time where you gotta realize, my mom used to say when I was a kid, ‘keep your temper, no one else wants it’. So I kinda take that advice to heart now and try to keep it to myself as I was told so wisely before to do.

MD: There are definitely still some Denver fans that are upset you’re playing here because of your hit on John Gallant a few years ago. How would you respond to them?

JG: Well, I’m good friends with John Gallant. I actually just spent an hour with him. You know, he was able to forgive and forget. It was something that was in the heat of the moment thing, and I don’t want to belittle what I did. I mean, I was suspended for it, one game for it. But in my defense I take those kind of hits probably 25-30 times a game. You know, it was something I shouldn’t have done and I apologized to him and to both organizations for it. There’s not really a forum for me to get in there to apologize to the fans. It was a one time thing. I’d never really acted out in that sort of aggressive violent way before. It’s something, I’ve always been kinda well known for is, the abuse I take in games is quite well known. And I usually never retaliate. My penalty minutes are usually within 20 in a season. Johnny and I had a long standing history of battling each other in the summer and winter and he took some liberties with me that game and I kinda got back with one something I shouldn’t have done. But it’s the same thing I tell younger kids. You gotta be in control of yourself at all times. One split second of a mistake can cause a lot of problems. Like, I was fortunate he wasn’t injured and I was suspended for one game and could’ve possibly hurt my team for the season. As I try to say, it’s tough to talk about it now because you know, I’ve decided I’d never do it again but you just never know with the game of lacrosse, there’s a lot of heat of the moment stuff that happens. And you know, I regretted it, and I’ve moved on with it. I know Johnny has and I consider ourselves friends and teammates now. But I know, there is a few fans out there still that are still pretty miserable about it  And you know, in one regard I’m a little bit bothered by it but in the same respect I appreciate that there’s fans that are that loyal to this team, and that knowledgeable about something that happened four, five whatever years ago. It kind of works both ways when you know fans are that loyal and that intelligent. ……. One thing I can do for them is help them win a championship. And that’s what I’m here to do. Hopefully at the end of the season if we hold the trophy above our heads, they might forget about that incident. Who knows.

MD: You were forced to sit out the 2009 season with an injury and subsequent infection. Was it a staph infection?

JG: Yeah, I had bursitis in my elbow. My elbow was the size of a soft ball. And I kept playing throughout the season. I was getting it drained by a doctor before every game and I think some bacteria must’ve got in there from my elbow pads and so I got staph infection, or whatever it’s called when it gets blood borne, it got into the blood stream and like any infection it searches through the body for something foreign and I had a cadaver ACL graft from a previous injury and it went right there and basically turned my ACL in to applesauce and almost killed me. I went from almost, it becoming fatal to almost losing my leg and then I had some great doctors who were able to pull me out of the fire and you know I spent a month in the hospital, three months on antibiotics and four or five months later I put the new ACL back in. You know, some doctors said I’d never play again, but obviously I enjoy the challenge of proving people and doctors wrong. I’m on my second season back from that and hopefully I can continue to play for four or five more years.

MD How did that experience impact you on and off the field?

JG: It was pretty devastating to be honest. I mean, I’ve had knee surgeries before, I had back surgery in college but you know that was a one night stay at the hospital. 30days, I lost almost 45-50 pounds. I basically turned my phone off, wouldn’t talk to anybody, wouldn’t you know deal with anybody. I’d stop people from coming to visit. You know, when I heard my career was over, I was like, when I originally got put in the hospital that morning I had a game that night. That’s game 7 of the Canadian Eastern Championship and alls I was saying to the doctor was ‘Can I play tonight? Can I play tonight? Can I play tonight?’ So it made me after this whole situation start to realize that there is life out there above and beyond lacrosse. And I’ve never ever lived that way. I’ve never really ever thought that way but it was a truth serum so to speak that you know what, getting closer to the end and I gotta start to worry about friends and family and a life after lacrosse and you know I think part of what made me kind of excel was that I put everything I absolutely had into lacrosse whether I was injured, or not injured and you know, as I said, it almost killed me  So I learned to be a little smarter and down the road I’m injured and I need to sit out, maybe I will instead of playing through stuff. And hopefully with my coming back and success it can help younger players that are going through similar circumstances and let them realize that you can sit out a bit of time and come back and be fine or if you’re injured sit out like you’re told to do and not try to force it. If my bad luck can help somebody else down the road than that’s part of being a role model as well.

MD: It seems like a lot of expectations and hopes have been placed on your shoulders. How does that impact your play?

JG: It doesn’t. I mean, I know what I’m here to do and I know what the team needs me to do. Their expectations they have will never even match what I have for myself. So for myself, expectations I have as I said before. Doubt is usually stronger than the outside forces so I play every game like it’s a Championship and you know, I will not be happy unless you know we win one. And whether that’s what other people are expecting of me well, I mean I’m not foolish, I know kinda why I’m here. And you know, people think I’m only here for one or two years to try and help them win, well I’m here to tell them I’m gonna be playing a lot longer and I hope to win quite a few. That said, expectations, I mean, I don’t know what, I don’t really remember what it’s like to not have those playing lacrosse it’s just something I’m used to and I just kind of except it and thrive off it.

MD: What expectations do you have for this season?

JG: Same as I have every season. Championship. Anything less is unacceptable. You know, I don’t, at my age now concentrate on personal accolades or scoring titles or MVP trophies or any of that stuff. I mean I’ve had those before and without, and been very unfulfilled with no Championship. The only season I can truly say I was satisfied is 2007 and that’s when I got a ring out of it. So, that’s my goal every season, every time I lace up my shoes. It’s no different here. I’m hungry for another one. It’s been a few years and I’m excited with this bunch of guys we have here. I think we have a great team and we’re on the right track.

MD: Unfortunately, despite a very talented team, the Mammoth are having another rough start. What do you think needs to happen to turn things around?

JG: I think it’s a confidence thing myself. Everyone is getting bogged down with this whole losing streak and I think it’s affecting these guys negatively. I think, guys got to realize we got a great team. It’s a new team. We’ve got a lot of new guys on this team and we’ve got a lot of great guys that have been here before. We gotta focus that, focus on it’s 2011 and we’re one game out of second place and maybe one game out of first in our division. And you know, the wins will come. I mean, the last thing younger guys need is added pressure and I think once we get on a bit of a roll, I think we’re going to be like a snowball rolling downhill. We’re gonna be tough to stop. I think we’re on the right track. We got a great staff assembled and probably the best coaching staff in the league and I think they’re gonna start steering us in the right direction. And once, as I said, once this team gets on a roll we’re going to be very dangerous to handle.

MD: You were originally drafted by the Buffalo Bandits in ’95. Do you ever wonder about how different your lacrosse career might have been if you’d signed with them instead of going back to college?

JG: Yeah, I keep forgetting about that. Well, I don’t know it’s tough to say. I mean, I definitely know I made the right decision. I think getting a college education is beyond important and it was one of the best decisions I made was to kind of put lacrosse away and go and get the degree and the league was going to be there when I was back. It was a great decision I made and you know what, who knows what would’ve happened. I’m just glad that I did what I did. Being in Delaware was a great place. I was extremely happy to go down there. I had some good times in Rochester and met some great people, but who knows.

MD: Do you ever regret passing up the opportunity to play regularly on the same offense as John Tavares?

JG: That definitely would’ve been a bit surreal. I mean, he’s definitely one of the two best players to ever play. I was able to play in Rochester for one year with one of them. You know, I got to play with John Tavares this summer. So that’s the one thing I got to check off my list.

MD: How was it for you to play on the Knighthawks with Gary Gait?

JG: Oh, like any kid that gets to play with their idol. It’s a thrill. I was extremely excited to go to the rink. Every time I did it was like a 15 year old, or 13 year old that basically wins a prize. It was like a fantasy draft. I was excited and it’s too bad we didn’t have a good season last year but you know it was definitely a thrill. I mean, I got to play with him before on Team Canada and stuff. So yeah, it was an amazing experience.

MD: Is it kinda strange knowing that most people expected you to retire with the Knighthawks and you’re not?

JG: No, I mean, you gotta put that stuff behind you. Lacrosse is a business. You know, they had to make a move and it just kinda worked out. I was hoping to get here a few years earlier but you know it worked out they needed a young goalie and he wasn’t gonna come out here so it just kinda worked for both parties.

MD: Besides your father, who has had the most impact on you?

JG: His impact is just head and shoulders above anyone else so it’d be tough to say. Obviously I idolized Gary Gait as a young guy. I wanted to go down to school in Gainesville and do a lot of things he did. But you know those things as far as lacrosse as you are well aware probably now by doing this interview lacrosse has been pretty much 98% of my life, so any other influences outside of lacrosse are too minimal to even speak of.

MD: What did you think when Conner Martin approached you to sign with the Conbro Chill Brand?

JG: You know, I think he’s a great guy. And he’s lot of fun to be around. You know, I was impressed with, I was like anyone else I’d see him on the internet and the kind of stuff he’s been doing and everything, it’s funny and I think it’s great for lacrosse. And what people should start to recognize is he’s actually a good player. He’s a hard working guy, got his military degree in a* sport he’d never played before so I know I was quite impressed with the way he was playing. He carried himself as a true professional and I know the team did too. I’m more than happy to help him out with anything that he wants to do. He’s great for the game of lacrosse and he’s the kind of thing that this sport needs. And as I said, anytime I can help a young guy out, I’m willing to do that.

*I listened to what he says several times & although this doesn’t quite make sense, I’m pretty confident it was what he said.

MD: Very few players in any sport get the opportunity to work with a major company to design their own line of equipment. What was it like working with Adidas on your signature line?

JG: It was good. Obviously I worked with different companies in the past for various reasons. But you know, I had the opportunity to meet with these people. They were just starting out. That was one of the things they really wanted to, they wanted a guy with a lot of experience and they wanted to have a guy help design the line. Obviously that’s something that every lacrosse player dreams of doing. I was thrilled to do it. It was pretty cool to actually see my name on sticks and gloves and shoulder pads and the rest and you know I was quite proud of some of our parts. I think we came in with some pretty cool stuff. And uh yeah, I’m just hoping down the road I’m that I’m able to continue to do that with them, or whoever.

MD: I read that you have a degree in Physical Education, but was unable to find out much more. What is your weekday job? Are you teaching?

JG: I was teaching for a little bit but you know, it wasn’t for me. And I stopped pretty much right away. When I do something I want to give it all I have and I wasn’t fully dedicated to it and I don’t think that’s right to be. I know when I was a student, I could tell there were teachers that weren’t fully into it and you know what, it just wasn’t for me, and I was… It was good to have to fall back on in case something else didn’t happen but I’m going to do my absolute best to continue to try to hold a career in lacrosse, through manufacturing and camps and clinics. It’s my passion, it’s what I love to do, it’s all I think about. It’s kind of what my career path is gonna probably lead me after playing. Coaching obviously and being involved with manufacturing and teaching the kids lacrosse. For now I think I’ve made the right decision. It’s afforded me the opportunity as I said to you know move to Rochester, move to Denver. I get a chance to travel to a lot of great places through lacrosse. So I wouldn’t have been able to do that had I been teaching. I think I made the right decision and yeah, there’s no looking back at this point.

MD: What’s the last book you read?

JG: I think I’ll have to go back to college for that one. I think the Gold Standard by the coach from Duke. I think it was called the Gold Standard.

MD: What’s the last movie you saw?

JG: Takers

MD: Favorite movie?

JG: These are tough. Let me think. Slapshot… no. I’ll just say, I’ll be cheesy and say The Hangover, I guess. That’s probably everyone’s now.

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

JG: Eastern Europe which I will be heading to in May for the World Indoor Championships. I’ve been to a lot of places in the world and that’s the only place I haven’t been.

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

JG: I’ve been very fortunate to travel to Hawaii 8 or 9 out of the last 10 years. It’s a pretty nice place to go but I wouldn’t say it’s my favorite. I don’t know. I guess I’ll have to say Ireland.

MD: What item can you not live without?

JG: My lacrosse stick

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

JG: It used to be hockey but now it’s definitely golf.

MD: What’s your dream car?

JG: I’d have to say probably…uh, I don’t know. Car. Probably a Porsche Cayenne, I guess. [I responded that's an interesting choice mostly because I'll admit I was surprised by the Cayenne as I would've expected Carrere in combination with Porsche] Nah… I don’t want one of those, never mind. Um, I gotta think of something. Car. That’s a tricky one. Laughs. A 70′s Cadillac Deville. I’d say like a 60′s Porsche. I seem like I’m a Porsche guy, I guess. I’d have to try to learn standard though because I only drive auto, I don’t know how to drive standard. I’d have to learn that if I ever got one.

MD: What advice would you give to young lacrosse players?

JG: Your stick is your best friend. It should be treated as, like your best friend. It should never…. um… I used to always say, you never leave it in the trunk of your car. You never leave it in the car. You never leave it in the closet underneath all your other stuff. Stick stays beside the bed when I go to sleep and it’s usually beside me on the couch during the day. You treat it well, it will treat you well in overtime when you need it.

MD: What do you wish people knew about you?

JG: What I wish people knew about me? Oh, I don’t know. That’s a good one. Who gave you these questions? Geez. That I’m actually a nice guy.

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Outside of maybe Edmonton Rush fans, Colorado Mammoth fans are probably the most frustrated in the league right now.  Time and time again this season they see a win within their grasp only to leave without any satisfaction.

Emotions are running high with very few positive outlets.  A lot of people keep complaining that this Denver team sucks.  But while some will call me a homer, I just don’t believe that.  If this team truly sucked, I think it would be so much easier to accept our defeats, but there’s so much potential and there are improvements each game.

The Mammoth offense finally seems to understand that they need to expect a potential pass from John Grant Jr. at any time from any direction.  Now if only we could get them to understand the benefits of movement on the floor.

Both the Mammoth power play and penalty kill have improved.  They went 4 for 9 and kept the Stealth to 1 for 5, although they did allow a shorthanded goal.

Considering the offensive talent on this Stealth team, the Mammoth defense did a good job keeping any one player from running the board. Chris Levis did a good job in net, although he and the defense were unable to stop the tide when it counted most.

Mammoth have improved on getting to loose balls, but were unable to get some important rebounds that led to Stealth possessions and goals.  One thing is for sure though, Levis really needs to quit with the outlet passes.  While it can be very beneficial to transition as Gee Nash proved, when you pass it directly to your opponent, you’re not helping.

Some would argue luck just hasn’t been on the Mammoth’s side this season.

For one thing, there was a questionable penalty called with 7:30 left in the second quarter. JGJ scored, but the goal was called back for too many men. Even after watching the play several times, I could only count five.  Two men went off, two came on. When the camera panned the field to the other side to follow Toll’s pass to JGJ, and it appeared there were only five Mammoth players on the field. I can’t help but wonder if because of the way JGJ came on to the field at just the right time to catch the pass, the refs made an assumption.

Did the refs lose the Mammoth the game? NO. You have to factor in there’s always going to be some bad calls and some of them will have an impact on the game.  You have to step it up and the Mammoth didn’t do that.  I won’t deny it’s possible having three goals called back for various reasons impacted the Mammoth mentality, but I know a lot of fans are pulling the ref card and I don’t agree.

The Game

1^st Quarter

The first quarter proved to be a very defensive one with a lot of back and forth, some blocked shots, and a lot of penalties.  A total of 10 penalties for 20 minutes were given out across both teams. Nearly 9 minutes in, Rhys Duch notches the first goal on a power play but his would be the only goal.

Mammoth 0, Stealth 1

2^nd Quarter

A little over a minute and a half in, Brian Langtry scores his own power play goal to tie the game followed by one from Jamie Shewchuk several minutes later to take the lead.  Eric Martin scores with five minutes left to tie the game. John Grant Jr. scores his first of the game to take the lead back but it doesn’t last long as Lewis Ratcliff scores a short hander with 1:19 remaining in the half to tie the game again.

Mammoth 3, Stealth 3

3^rd Quarter

The third quarter saw quite a few lead changes.  JGJ scored a couple minutes in on a power play, the Mammoth’s third, to take the lead, but Luke Wiles is able to score a couple minutes later to tie it back up.  He’s quickly followed by Rhys Duch’s second goal to take the lead.  Tom Johnson scores on a pass from Duch to take the lead to two but Alex Gajic quickly scores followed by one from Cliff Smith to tie the game again.

Mammoth 6, Stealth 6

4^th Quarter

Brian Langtry scores his second goal of the night quickly followed by JGJ’s third goal.  Unfortunately for the Mammoth, the Stealth would go on a four goal run with three of them in the last three minutes of the game.  Wiles notched two more, along with Johnson’s second and one from Cam Sedgwick to take the lead.  The Mammoth scored as the clock ran out, but it was too little too late and was called back although most fans didn’t realize it at the time.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 8, Washington Stealth 10

MVP: Tyler Richards

Attendance: 14,091

Around the League:

Friday

Minnesota Swarm 12, Buffalo Bandits 15

Saturday

Philadelphia Wings 6, Rochester Knighthawks 11

Toronto Rock 7, Boston Blazers 9

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As a fan, it’s always difficult to watch your team lose. But is it harder to watch them get solidly beaten, or barely beaten?  The Colorado Mammoth are essentially one goal away from being 0-4 and three goals away from being 4-0.  Instead, they are now 1-3.

In fighting, you need more than just skill.  You also need heart and a killer instinct.  The true test of a fighter is how they handle the situation when they’re losing.  Do they give up and accept their fate?  Or do they do whatever it takes to win?

This Mammoth team is talented but they just can’t seem to win.  They’re not giving up, but they’re also not going in for the kill.  They continue to struggle to play four solid quarters and it shows in their record.  Every game so far this season has been decided by one goal.  Every game so far has been within their reach, but they just couldn’t close the door.

Yes, the Mammoth have faced tough opponents, but in this game, it didn’t look like it was Philly that played the night before.  Granted, putting Rob Blasdell in for Chris Levis in the 2^nd quarter certainly didn’t help since on the five shots he faced in seven minutes, he only made one save.

Looking ahead, the schedule isn’t going to be any easier so if the Mammoth don’t find in themselves what it takes to win, it’s going to be a long and disappointing season.

The Game

1^st Quarter

Max Siebald scored the first goal of the night five and a half minutes in to give the Philadelphia Wings the lead.  Brian Langtry tied it up a few minutes later on the power play. Play continued for several minutes with neither team able to capitalize until with a couple minutes remaining, Athan Iannucci scored his first goal of the night to take the lead back, quickly followed by a goal from Matt Alrich.

Mammoth 1, Wings 3

2^nd Quarter

The Mammoth scored a pair of quick goals in the first two minutes from Cliff Smith and John Grant Jr. to tie the game again.  Unfortunately for the Mammoth, the remainder of the quarter would not go so well.  Within a minute and a half, Ryan McClelland, Athan Iannucci and Drew Westervelt each notched goals for the Wings. After only five minutes of play, Chris Levis was pulled and replaced with former Philadelphia Wings back up Rob Blasdell… still wearing his Wings helmet.

Jamie Shewchuck was able to stop the Wings run and scored his only goal of the night on a power play.  Shewchuck’s goal wasn’t enough though as the Wings took advantage of Blasdell being in net. Alrich scored his second of the night followed by a short-hander from Brendan Mundorf and a pair of goals in quick succession from Iannucci and Westervelt.  With a little over two minutes remaining in the half, Blasdell was pulled and Levis put back in.

Mammoth 4, Wings 10

3^rd Quarter

The third quarter has not been kind to the Mammoth the last two games as they were held scoreless by their opponents.  This time however, it was the Wings who were held scoreless in the third.  Although quiet so far this season, four minutes into the second half, Alex Gajic scored, followed by a second goal from Langtry and two more from Alex.  One of those was on the power play.

Mammoth 8, Wings 10

4^th Quarter

Kyle Sweeney breaks the Wings’ scoring drought two minutes in followed by Westervelt’s third goal a few minutes later.  Westervelt’s goal would be the last for the Wings while Grant, Steve Toll and Smith, on a power play, would each score for the Mammoth.  With the fourth quarter winding down, Grant scored what would be the tying goal, but it was called back on a crease violation.

Final Score: Colorado Mammoth 11, Philadelphia Wings 12

MVP: Athan Iannucci

Attendance: 8,616

Around the League:

Friday

Philadelphia Wings 11, Boston Blazers 5

Calgary Roughnecks 15, Edmonton 11

Saturday

Buffalo Bandits 5, Toronto Rock 8

Boston Blazers 16, Rochester Knighthawks 7

Washington Stealth 10, Minnesota Swarm 11

Edmonton Rush 11, Calgary Roughnecks 12

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