Colorado Drops 14-9 Decision to Ottawa Black Bears Sunday

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NLL Colorado Mammoth

Colorado Drops 14-9 Decision to Ottawa Black Bears Sunday

March 23, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - The Colorado Mammoth dropped a 14-9 decision to the Ottawa Black Bears Sunday afternoon, falling to 8-6 on the season and into the league's No. 5 rank.

With Mammoth All-Pro goaltender Dillon Ward moved to the team's Short Term Hold Out List as his family awaited the birth of their second child, 19-year-old rookie Nathan Whittom got the nod for Colorado.

Representing the second round selection's (2024 NLL Entry Draft) first start, the Elimira, Ontario native put together a quality performance, stopping 39-of-53 on the afternoon.

Ryan Lee paced scoring efforts for the Mammoth via an eight-point (3g, 5a) outing, while Will Malcom (2g, 3a), Connor Robinson (0g, 3a), Tyson Gibson (1g, 2a), Thomas Vela (1g, 1a) and Ben McDonald rounded out the scoresheet.

Flyin' Ryan Lee only needed two minutes and change to get his high-flying act underway, as No. 16 accepted a high pass from forward Thomas Vela before diving across the crease and beating Ottawa netminder Zach Higgins to grant Colorado an early lead.

Taking advantage of a delayed penalty, 6-on-5 look, forward Ben McDonald rolled high and fired hot, netting his first of the night by beating Higgins to make it two-straight for the Mammoth.

There's never a fun aspect about allowing your first goal, but when it's a star like Jeff Teat beating you, all you can do is nod your cap and get back to work, as Whittom allowed the Black Bears' forward a long-range conversion with 5:30 to play in the opening quarter.

The second one, specifically to the same guy, starts to sting, as Teat started to roll high before pulling up and launching a fierce shot at Whittom. Finding a lucky post bounce, Teat tied the game at twos with 38 seconds remaining.

Colorado restored a one-goal lead with less than six seconds to play after Thomas Vela beat Higgins on a last-second scramble. Now his ninth of the season, No. 17 has stepped up with some clutch goals lately, this one being a crucial momentum swinger for the road team.

After setting quite the physical pick on Mammoth defenseman Owen Down, which knocked the big man to the ground, Black Bears' scorer Reilly O'Connor peeled crease side, accepted the lob from Teat and beat Whittom up high to knot the game at 3-3 three minutes into the second quarter.

Completing his hat trick in just 20 minutes 45 seconds into the contest, Teat managed his third goal of the night, this time in transition. His eighth three-goal effort of the season, he's leading the team in scoring for good reason.

But a star on the other side of the equation answered with his own transition effort just moments later, as Lee notched the game at 4-4 a mere 18 seconds later following a scrappy faceoff play-out. Accepting the rock from defenseman TJ Comizio, Lee did his thing as he earned his fourth point of the afternoon.

Following a scoreless eight minutes of play, Ottawa forward Travis Longboat swept around a set of picks all the way across the set before beating Whittom up high to give the home team a 5-4 advantage heading into the break.

Getting the Black Bears on the board to start third period scoring efforts, Ottawa forward Larson Sundown converted a dunk effort to earn the home squad its first two-goal lead of the game just three minutes into the second half.

Responding just under two minutes later, Mammoth forward Will Malcom pulled off a bit of an outdoor "jumper" shot, turning around and firing one low past Higgins to bring Colorado back within one at the 4:33 mark.

Nearly mirroring his conversion from the first quarter, McDonald netted his second of the night from distance as he beat Higgins via five-hole bid as the game was tied once more, this time at six per side.

Three in a row now for the surging Mammoth, Malcom stepped around his defender and converted far side as he netted his second en route to earning Colorado a one-goal advantage.

Evening the score again, Ottawa's Eric Fannell collected his own shot which banged off the glass and turned the rebound effort into a game-tying effort as he beat Whittom to notch the game at 7-7 with four minutes to play in the third.

Collecting a rebound effort, albeit not his own, Black Bears forward Taggert Clark scooped up an errant shot and slammed it home to get the home squad back in front by one less than two minutes later.

Three-straight for Ottawa, Connor Kearnan finished a tic-tac-toe effort after establishing himself inside, receiving the rock and finding twine as the Black Bears gained the two-tally advantage with 20 seconds remaining in the third. The scoreboard read 9-7 in favor of the home team when the 15 minutes of play dawned.

Which only meant more time for Teat to impose his will in the matchup. Needing just 25 seconds to get the scoring started, No. 51 landed home his fourth of the night while giving his team its first three-goal lead of the afternoon.

Battling back with another 6-on-5 extra-man look during a delayed penalty, Tyson Gibson brought the Burgundy Boys back within two via a pretty strike. Just 38 seconds later, Lee completed his hat trick courtesy of a patented Leezer Lazer as Colorado was heating up during the final frame.

As the result of an illegal substitution call on the Mammoth, the Black Bears quickly restored its two-goal lead a mere 30 seconds later as the scoring continued to intensify.

A game-high fifth goal for Jeff Teat confirmed the talent came to play during the Sunday Matinee, as the Ottawa captain stung a corner while getting his team in front by three with just under 11 minutes remaining in the contest.

Three in a row once more for the Black Bears, Fannell sprung free in the two-man game as Colorado prioritized Teat's presence before slamming home his second of the game.

Putting the nail in the coffin, Longboat converted from afar to solidify the 14-9 final.

Ryan Lee notched a team-high eight points (3g, 5a) in the loss, while Will Malcom (2g, 3a), Connor Robinson (0g, 3a), Tyson Gibson (1g, 2a), Thomas Vela (1g, 1a) and Ben McDonald provided secondary scoring efforts.

Set to conclude its three-game road trip, Colorado will now prepare to head north for a Saturday night showdown against the Saskatchewan Rush March 29 before returning to Ball Arena for the first time in a month.

Limited Tickets remain for the Mammoth's April 5 Rumble at the Loud House matchup against the Buffalo Bandits, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!

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