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NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth-Bandits Match-Up Features Two of League's All-Time Greats

March 2, 2012 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - The West-Division-leading Colorado Mammoth (6-1) will face off against the Buffalo Bandits (2-4), currently in last place in the East Division, on Saturday at 5:30pm MT at First Niagara Center in Buffalo, N.Y. Colorado, which set a franchise record with six straight wins to start the season, is coming off a 21-10 home defeat to the Calgary Roughnecks.

"We have to move forward and learn from our loss on Friday," said Mammoth head coach Bob Hamley. "We obviously were not at our best and it is on us to now respond with a positive effort in Buffalo."

Since the Mammoth franchise relocated to Colorado in 2003, the team has split six regular-season meetings with the Bandits. Buffalo is 3-1 at home against Colorado in the regular season. The Mammoth defeated the Bandits, 16-9, in Buffalo in the 2006 Champion's Cup Final and claimed the franchise's lone NLL title.

Last Saturday, Buffalo hosted the 2012 NLL All-Star Game. Five Mammoth players led the West All-Stars to a 20-18 victory. Colorado forward Gavin Prout scored four goals for the West.

The Mammoth-Bandits match-up on Saturday pits two of the league's all-time top scorers, Bandits forward John Tavares and Mammoth forward John Grant Jr. Tavares, 43, holds the NLL record for career goals, assists and points, while Grant, 37, is third all-time in goals and fifth in points.

The Mammoth star leads the NLL this season in goals (27) and points (59), and is on pace to shatter Tavares' single-season points record (115 in '01). Grant is also just four career goals shy of becoming the third player in NLL history with 500 (Tavares and retired Mammoth forward Gary Gait).

Buffalo, which has lost four straight games dating back to January, hasn't played a game in nearly three weeks. During their hiatus, the Bandits acquired Anthony Cosmo, the 2007 NLL Goaltender of the Year, from the Minnesota Swarm. Cosmo, 34, has been named an NLL All-Pro in four of the past five seasons. He is expected to make his 2012 debut on Saturday night.

Colorado's next home game is Saturday, March 10 at 7pm MT against the Washington Stealth. Tickets for all remaining Mammoth regular-season home games are on sale now at the Pepsi Center box office, all Colorado Dick's Sporting Goods retail kiosks, online at TicketHorse.com, or by calling 303.53.HORSE.

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