NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Falls Short Against Knighthawks, 16-12

Published on March 21, 2003 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


Denver, Colo. – Team captain Gary Gait matched his season-high goal total Friday night at Pepsi Center against the Rochester Knighthawks in front of 16,820 fans. But, his six goals and single assist for the Colorado Mammoth (5-7) weren't enough to down the streaking Knighthawks (9-4).

It was Gait's third consecutive game of five goals or more – he's scored 17 goals in the last three games, but Colorado never led in the game and Rochester won 16-12.

"We're searching for what makes us gel," said Gait. "We need to find the keys. We keep digging ourselves a hole because of mental errors."

Although giving up an early 2-0 lead to Rochester, Gait took matters into his own hands and tied the game up with goals at 9:53 and 4:39. The Knighthawks looked to re-take the momentum two minutes later though as they found net at 2:44. Pace in the quarter slowed until the last six seconds, when John Rosa drove home a short-handed shot. The tie was short lived, as Rochester's Chris Schiller scored directly off the ensuing draw to end the quarter with a 4-3 advantage. Miller was the star of the quarter with 16 saves.

The Knighthawks carried the momentum into the second quarter, scoring the next three goals, putting the road team up by four. Curt Malawsky scored twice in the second quarter, eventually leading the Knighthawks in scoring (5g, 1a).

The Mammoth showed they were still in the game at 10:16 though when Del Halladay found Gait who spun towards the net and fired a laser past the dazed Rochester defender. Sensing a lapse in the Rochester defense, Colorado rallied the herd to score three of the next four goals within a four minute span, including Gait's early hat trick tally (4:20), to pull within one. The Knighthawks would again finish strong in the quarter though as the team netted two more goals to end the half with a 10-7 lead.

Defenses prevailed in the third, with both teams scoring only two goals. Ben Prepchuk scored first for the Mammoth, followed by a Ted Dowling goal 38 seconds later. The two netminders put on separate clinics, with Miller stuffing nine shots and Knighthawks' Pat O'Toole accumulating 16 saves.

The Mammoth needed a spark heading into the fourth, and Gait obliged. The Colorado forward dominated the offensive flow in the stanza with two goals and an assist. His first was fired in off tic-tac-toe passing from Prepchuk and Halladay at 14:32 and his second came from a rink-wide pass from John Gallant at 10:56 to pull his team within two. Rochester regained its feet with ten minutes to go and scored the next three marks to put the Knighthawks up 15-11. Halladay ended the Mammoth's scoring with an outside goal from Gait with 1:21 remaining in the game.

The Mammoth plays the New Jersey Storm on Sunday on the road. Coach Jamie Batley believes there's still a chance to make the National Lacrosse League playoffs. "Take away the mental errors and it betters our chances," Batley said. "We still have a chance to make the playoffs."

The Mammoth's next home game is Friday, March 28 at 7:00 p.m. versus the Albany Attack.

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National Lacrosse League Stories from March 21, 2003


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