Colorado Opens Final LOUD HOUSE Homestand against Calgary Roughnecks
NLL Colorado Mammoth

Colorado Opens Final LOUD HOUSE Homestand against Calgary Roughnecks

Published on March 19, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


Despite wielding an opportunity to secure a postseason berth for the second-straight weekend, the (9-5) Colorado Mammoth dropped a 13-10 road battle to the (7-6) Buffalo Bandits at KeyBank Center Saturday.

Down 6-1 midway through the opening quarter doesn't bode well for any team's hopes of picking up a win these days. Doing it on the road against the three-time defending NLL Champions certainly isn't the start Colorado imagined to begin the Week 16 showdown, but the important part of the slow start was that the Mammoth were eventually able to kick things into gear while limiting the Buffalo offense to just seven goals throughout the final 51-plus minutes of play.

After forcing the Bandits' top scoring threats to off nights during Colorado's 20-9 win at Ball Arena in January, Dhane Smith (4g, 5a) and Josh Byrne (4g, 5a) went on to combine for 18 points (8g, 10a) during the second iteration of the two-game regular season series.

Meanwhile, it was rookie forward Braedon Saris who paced Mammoth scoring efforts for the first time this season courtesy of a six-point (2g, 4a) effort. Jack Hannah (3g, 2a), Andrew Kew (2g, 2a) and Will Malcom (2g, 2a) eventually put the groggy first quarter in the rearview, coming to life throughout the duration and even creating a 10-9 deficit thanks to a Malcom conversion midway through the third. But with Colorado able to find twine just twice during the final 22 minutes of play, while allowing the Bandits to piece together a four-goal run, the team's slow start ended up being the ultimate difference-maker as the team fell to 9-5, now on a two-game losing streak.

Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 13-of-20 in just under 17 minutes between the pipes, while sophomore netminder Nathan Whittom stopped 24-of-30 in just over 43 minutes of relief play. Matthew Paolatto won 14-of-27 faceoff opportunities at the dot, so despite the team dropping the contest, there were plenty of resilient efforts on display.

Thankfully for the Mammoth and squads around the National Lacrosse League (NLL), seven of the league's eight postseason berths are still up for grabs. And with the Mammoth remaining ranked a Top 3 squad, down from No. 2 to No. 3 as the (10-4) Vancouver Warriors picked up a win last weekend, the Burgundy Boys very much remain in the driver's seat when it comes to a earning a spring trip back to the postseason.

The (11-3) Saskatchewan Rush became the first team this season to capture a spot in the eight-team showcase and remain atop the NLL standings ahead of the approaching Week 17 slate. From there, it's the Vancouver Warriors who sit in the best position and have the best odds of securing a playoff berth with 10 wins and just four losses to their name. Ranked No. 3, the Burgundy Boys are just behind Vancouver with nine wins and five losses, albeit holding a head-to-head tie-breaker over the Warriors, should the Mammoth end the season with the same record as Vancouver.

Just below Colorado in the standings sit the (8-5) Georgia Swarm and (8-5) Toronto Rock, who have been trending in opposite directions, as the Swarm have dropped two-straight decisions while the Rock are riding a two-game win streak. Sitting in fourth and fifth place, respectively, alongside the No. 3 Mammoth, each team is likely in the picture but the grouping needs a few more wins or needs to see a variety of scenarios play out for teams ranked 6-10 in order to secure their spot in the postseason.

Just a slight tier below the aforementioned trio, the (8-6) Ottawa Black Bears and (7-6) Buffalo Bandits represent the final two teams sporting records above the .500 mark, with the (6-7) San Diego Seals the current No. 8 seed if playoffs were to begin today. Each of the league's 14 teams mathematically remain in playoff contention, for now, but it's really the (5-7) Las Vegas Desert Dogs, (5-7) Rochester Knighthawks and (5-8) Halifax Thunderbirds which find themselves fighting for one of the league's last few piece of the playoff puzzle. The (3-11) Philadelphia Wings will become the first team officially eliminated from playoff contention should any of the Bandits, Roughnecks or Knighthawks secure a victory in Week 17 despite the Wings enjoying a bye week of rest.

Colorado's path to securing a home game at Ball Arena remains to be seen, with zero of four opening round home games claimed just yet. However, the Mammoth have an opportunity to secure one of the seven remaining prized postseason spots with an outright win over Calgary Saturday night, meaning no other team win/loss combinations are needed. The boys just need to show up and take care of business.

That said, with just 13 games played, the (4-9) Calgary Roughnecks still have a sliver of hope remaining, and would see their odds of returning to the postseason increase if they were able to steal a win against the Mammoth Saturday night at Ball Arena. Just 2-4 on the road this season, the Roughnecks understood they wouldn't likely be amongst the season's top contenders, specifically after the team's slow start, as the squad dropped seven of its first eight matchups. Yet, the team has experienced a bit of a resurgence since the March to May began heating up, officially 3-2 over Calgary's last five games.

Currently riding a two-game win streak, coming off a 13-9 win over the Ottawa Black Bears, who defeated the Mammoth two weeks back, before knocking off the Rochester Knighthawks the weekend before, 14-7, they are far from an "easy" matchup on paper despite the season-long statistics and record which may suggest the team is in rebuild mode. That statement still may be true, but after watching the Roughnecks defeat a playoff-caliber squad in Ottawa a week after doubling up Connor Fields and a high-powered Rochester squad, it sure seems like Calgary is making a late-campaign push for a playoff spot. Knowing Colorado hasn't played lower-ranked competition super well over the years, rather rising to the occasion against higher-ranked opponents, certainly sets up a bit of a "trap game" scenario at the LOUD HOUSE Saturday.

Five weeks of regular season NLL action remain. Colorado has four contests to play, and wouldn't you know it, two of those four games come against a former rival in Calgary. Just like the team returning to embrace its patented shades of red within the team logo and uniforms, a rivalry is set to be reignited in Week 17 as the noted foes open up the two-game regular season series at Ball Arena March 21.

Tanner Cook sits atop the Roughnecks' scoring chart with 13 games in the books. Up to 69 points on the season, which ranks as the 13th-most in the league, he's operating at a near 1:1 scoring ratio thanks to his 35 goals and 34 assists. Cook has shown off his skillset throughout the year and most recently recorded six points (3g, 3a) against Ottawa to notch another hat-trick effort. Tyler Pace, sitting at 66 points (19g, 47a), just three behind Cook, remains the team's quarterback and No. 2 scoring option thanks to his generous assist total. Pace is coming off a six-point (1g, 5a) game of his own as one of the final remaining personnel pieces on the old-school Roughnecks roster.

Tied at 49 points each, both Haiden Dickson (24g, 25a) and Brayden Mayae (20g, 29a) continue to blaze career-high figures as legitimate scorers this season. Mayae (3g, 3a) and Dickson (4g, 2a) played substantial roles in the team defeating the Black Bears last weekend just the same, solidifying themselves alongside Pace and Cook as the team's Top 4 talents highlighted in Colorado's scouting sessions this week. Goaltender Aden Walsh will need to show up in a big way for Calgary if he's to solve the Mammoth offense, which has been operating in a bit of hot and cold fashion as of late. Entering the week 17 showcase with a 4-9 record, 11.60 goals-against average and .784 save percentage suggests Colorado has a bounce-back opportunity waiting. Yet, Walsh, just like the team overall, has shined bright lately, allowing just seven and nine goals against, respectively, during Calgary's last two outings.

Averaging 10.31 goals per-game through the team's first 13 outings is a respectable mark considering the team lacks superstar ceiling. At the same time, the team has logged 14 and 13 goals during its last two contests as the late-season ramp-up rages on. Directly compared to Colorado's five and 10-goal showings the past two weeks, those totals suggest Saturday's showdown will be a lot closer than the squads' records prove.

However, the home team, which has earned a 5-2 record at Ball Arena so far this season, will be the favorite for a variety of reasons. The first and foremost appears atop the league's goal-scoring charts once again this week, as Andrew Kew remains tied with Ottawa's Jeff Teat at 37 goals (despite Kew achieving said total in 10 games played compared to Teat's 14 regular season appearances). Sporting 68 points (37g, 31a) overall, he's been Colorado's primary life force this season and managed four points (2g, 2a) on what was considered a down night for the Mammoth offense. He's scoring on the power play, within 5-on-5 sets and just about once every third time he shoots, which is an impressive clip considering he's fired 103 shots on goal.

Colorado Mammoth League Leaders

Goals: 37 - Andrew Kew (T1st)

Assists: 45 - Jack Hannah (T12th)

Points: 68 - Andrew Kew (14th)

Power-Play Goals: 8 - Andrew Kew (T5th)

Loose Balls: 117 - Robert Hope (4th)

Blocked Shots: 22 - Robert Hope (3rd)

Penalty Minutes: 30 - Ari Stevens (T7th)

Faceoff Wins: 207 - Matthew Paolatto (5th)

Faceoff Win Percentage: 60 - Matthew Paolatto (5th)

Saves: 518 - Dillon Ward (4th)

Save Percentage: .811 - Dillon Ward (3rd)

Goals-Against Average: 10.06 - Dillon Ward (4th)

Goaltender Wins: 8 - Dillon Ward (T3rd)

Will Malcom (24g, 40a) and Jack Hannah (17g, 45a) join Kew as Colorado's three forwards above the 60-point mark as the top-tier trio continues to share the O-zone workload. Each of the three forwards managed a pair of conversions last weekend against Buffalo, just as rookie scorer Braedon Saris did, who's now up to 40 points (12g, 28a) during his inaugural campaign as the team's fourth player at or above 40 points. With Thomas Vela remaining on the team's Injured Reserve List, it'll be up to the likes of Dylan McIntosh (20g, 11a), who has the third-most goals on the squad entering Week 17, and Owen Rahn (13g, 4a) to provide some secondary scoring efforts if the Mammoth are to make the most of their remining four games, beginning Saturday night.

Netminder Dillon Ward hasn't had the most productive starts the past two games, eventually creating opportunities for second-year goaltender Nathan Whittom to soak up some valuable experience. That said, Ward still ranks Top 4 in the big four netminding categories, including wins (8: T3rd), goals-against average (10.06: 4th), save percentage (.811: 3rd) and saves (518: 4th) and will again be called upon to get the team off to a hot start as the team looks to secure its 10th win of the season en route to securing a postseason berth.

Get in the Game

Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude Sports and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Saturday's March 21 showdown against the Calgary Roughnecks can be viewed locally on Altitude TV and streamed live on ESPN+ and NLL+ beginning at 7 pm. MT.

Mammoth fans can keep an eye on coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2025-26 NLL season.

Limited tickets remain for Colorado's approaching March 21 showdown against the Calgary Roughnecks, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from March 19, 2026


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