NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Crowd Sees Loss

Published on January 31, 2004 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


Denver, Colo. – The biggest crowd in Colorado Mammoth history saw another one-goal game, but this time the Mammoth was on the losing end.

A standing-room only crowd of 18,305 packed Pepsi Center on Friday night as the Mammoth lost to the Calgary Roughnecks 14-13 with just 19 seconds left in the game on Kaleb Toth's fifth goal of the game.

Entering Week 6, 40 percent of National Lacrosse League games this season had been decided by one goal or less. All but one of the Colorado Mammoth's games this season have been decided by one goal.

Gary Gait led the Mammoth with four goals and one assist and Gavin Prout added three goals and four assists.

The Colorado Mammoth (4-2) falls to second place in the NLL's Western Division for the first time this season. The Roughnecks (2-2) are in fourth place.

The game was an exercise in frustration for the Mammoth which never led. In spite of tying the game five times, the Roughnecks always answered.

"We've been living on the edge and playing too much catch-up," said Colorado Mammoth forward Brian Langtry. "Nobody's got their head down, we've got to put this game behind us."

Calgary also got four goals from Lewis Ratcliff, whose final goal put the Roughnecks ahead 13-12. The Mammoth answered quickly, however, and Del Halladay brought the crowd to its feet when he casually walked into the high slot and launched an overhand rocket that tied the game at 13.

Moments earlier, Ben Prepchuk corralled the carom of a Gait blast then fed the ball to Prout, who ripped a shot from the slot to even the score at 12. It was Prout's third goal of the half and third consecutive time his goal had tied the game.

Toth made it 12-10 for Calgary with his third goal of the night but Halladay answered with a rocket to the upper corner that made it a one-goal game.

After Calgary extended its lead to 11-9 on goals by Kyle Goundrey and Andrew McBride, Mammoth forward John Wilson took a razor sharp feed from Prout and fired over Calgary goaltender Matt King's shoulder for his second goal, bringing the Mammoth back within one. Prout's goal early in the fourth quarter had made it a 9-9 tie.

After trailing 6-2 in the first half, the Mammoth fought all the way back to tie the game 7-7, but two quick goals by Toth and Ted Dowling put Calgary on top 9-7. Gait answered, pulling the Mammoth within one with his fourth goal of the game to cap the third-quarter scoring.

Prout scored his first goal of the game after he took a feed from Scott Stapleford and beat King to the short side to tie the game 7-7. The Mammoth had trailed since early in the first quarter.

Earlier, Gait scored his third of the night to bring the Mammoth within one goal, prompting Calgary coach Chris Hall to replace starting goaltender Curtis Palidwor with King. The goal marked the third time this season that Gait has scored at least three goals in a game.

MAMMOTH CROWD SEES LOSS Add One

Ratcliff began the scoring in the second half with his third goal of the game, pushing the Roughnecks into a 7-5 lead.

Colorado's Jay Jalbert capped the first-half scoring with his second unassisted goal of the night. Jalbert drove around a Calgary defender and dove across the crease while he shot the ball past Palidwor to send the Mammoth to the locker room down 6-5.

In the second quarter Wilson converted a cross-crease pass from Halladay on the power play to bring the Mammoth within three and Gait followed with his second goal of the night. The Colorado captain scooped up a loose ball after Prout was stripped in the low slot and deposited it in the net to make the score 6-4.

Jalbert broke a Mammoth scoring drought with 11:07 remaining in the first half, scoring a shorthanded goal with a perfect shot to the upper right-hand corner of the cage as he slid down the left side of the crease. Ratcliff answered with a power-play goal on the next possession and Goundrey extended Calgary's advantage to 6-2 when he broke in alone on Colorado goaltender Gee Nash and scored with a bounce shot.

Dowling picked up a loose ball in front of the crease and stuffed it home to put Calgary up 3-1 with 45 seconds left in the opening quarter. After a Mammoth goal was disallowed for a crease violation on the ensuing possession, Toth beat the buzzer with a behind-the-back goal that put the Roughnecks up 4-1 heading into the second quarter.

Ratcliff put the Roughnecks up 2-1 moments after Gait scored the Mammoth's first goal, tying the game at one with a power-play goal.

Toth opened the scoring less than a minute into the game when he broke in alone and beat Nash with a shot over the goaltender's left shoulder.

The Mammoth takes on the Vancouver Ravens next Saturday at Pepsi Center.

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



National Lacrosse League Stories from January 31, 2004


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central