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Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Win Home-Opener in Overtime over Roughnecks

January 10, 2015 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - Sometimes a game fails to live up to the hype. Not when that game is Mammoth-Roughnecks. Colorado's Joey Cupido tied Saturday's contest at 16 with 1:25 remaining in regulation, then John Grant Jr. scored the game-winner just 31 ticks into the extra frame on HealthONE Field at Pepsi Center in the home-opener.

"Both home barns are incredible," said Grant. "We get fired up to go there. They get fired up to come here. The tradition of games between the two [teams] has gone on for so long."

And that tradition seemingly always includes bonus-lacrosse. The 15,107 fans at Pepsi Center on Saturday witnessed the fourth overtime game between the teams in their last five meetings. Three of the four have been won Colorado (2-0).

"That was amazing!" said defenseman Dan Ball. "Really intense there in the second half..."

A 10-7 Mammoth lead at halftime evaporated in the third quarter as Calgary scored five of the seven goals in the frame. The fourth quarter saw Calgary's Shawn Evans score all four of his team's goals. Colorado's scoring came from Drew Westervelt, Creighton Reid, Grant and Cupido.

In a face-off battle between brothers, Calgary's Geoff Snider won 27 of the first 36. But the one that mattered most was won by younger brother, Bob (Colorado).

"It was the game-winning goal," said coach Chris Gill of the face-off win. "If we didn't get that face-off, it might have been them (winning). That was the biggest play of the game, the biggest face-off of the game, and once again there was no panic."

The Mammoth now has an early two-game lead in the West Division on Calgary (0-2) and Edmonton (0-2), the teams that finished one-two in the standings a season ago.

"It was a huge win for this team," said Gill. "There's times in the years past where this team would have folded. [Now] there's just too much character."

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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 10, 2015


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