Mammoth Head Back East to Conclude Road Trip in Rochester Saturday

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NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Head Back East to Conclude Road Trip in Rochester Saturday

January 22, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


Sometimes the best way to get over an old flame is to start a new fire. But when the new site is a mere 225 miles from where you last set up camp, some feelings could linger. Which can only help the Colorado Mammoth at this point, who bring a 4-3 record into this weekend's showdown against the (3-5) Rochester Knighthawks after dropping a dramatic 13-10 effort to the Albany FireWolves last weekend as the squads closed out the home and home series.

In control most of the way, Colorado was leading at the conclusion of each of the contest's first three quarters. But after seeing the FireWolves outscore the Mammoth 6-2 over the course of the final 15 minutes of play, it was the home team who completed the comeback win just seven days after seeing Colorado complete an epic comeback of its own inside the LOUD HOUSE.

Splitting the two-game series overall 1-1, each team won their respective home game while keeping things spicy during their away battles. Set to face the Georgia Swarm, Saskatchewan Rush and Calgary Roughnecks twice this season, the home and home completed Colorado's first double-down duel of the season, with a rematch looming against the Georgia Swarm right around the corner and a pair of competitions to come against former westerly rivals in Calgary and Saskatchewan. However, it's the team's most recent loss which could serve as some additional motivation during Week 9's upcoming showdown.

Ryan Lee (3g, 4a) and Will Malcom (4g, 2a) both still enjoyed productive nights for Colorado as the team's overall point and goal-scoring leaders. But with Eli McLaughlin, Connor Kelly and Connor Robinson each being held to three points (1g, 2a), respectively, it was a down night for Colorado's offense compared to most nights, as the team only managed 10 goals in Week 8, the fewest in a game this season.

Knowing Albany was 1-5 coming into the showcase meant their season was essentially on the line. And after having their way with the Albany defense the weekend before, this was supposed to be another win for Colorado at a quick glance. The results obviously offered a different path, so the Mammoth will be ready to right their ship as they travel to Blue Cross Arena for a showdown with the current-day Rochester Knighthawks for the first time.

Sitting at 4-3 on the year, it's not quite time to press the reset button on the season, as the team has provided plenty of competitive efforts, including a trio of close calls which ended up becoming losses. Set to square off against the Knighthawks Jan. 25 as one of just four games decorating the NLL's Week 9 schedule, and just one of two set to take place Saturday, the burgundy boys know they need to take care of a 3-5 Rochester unit. But a closer look reveals the Knighthawks may have put part of its slow start in the rearview.

Originally beginning the season with a rough 1-4 stretch, the team is now 2-1 during its last three games, claiming victories over the Georgia Swarm and most recently the Halifax Thunderbirds. Knowing the squad outlasted Halifax last weekend, eventually claiming a 10-9 final, just one week after dropping an equally dramatic 19-18 decision to the Thunderbirds suggests the team isn't afraid of a close clash. It also means we have no idea which version of the Rochester offense will show up Saturday. Averaging 11.25 goals per-game this season, math suggests it will be the iteration closer to the team's 10-goal performance last weekend. But seeing the team post 16 and 18-goal efforts during the two contests prior means they're more than capable of opening things up should the game flow require them to. At the same time, Rochester is the only team who's allowed 100 goals coming into the Week 9 showdown, 101 to date, meaning Colorado's O-Unit should have a chance to set the tone if they get rolling early.

In context, the Mammoth have only allowed 83 goals against (averaging 11.86 per-game to Rochester's 12.63), albeit in one less contest, while having produced 93 goals for (13.29 goals for per-game) to the Knighthawks' 90 goals for (11.25 conversions per-contest) in seven games to Rochester's eight. On average, allowing one fewer goal and scoring two more tallies than Rochester, the Mammoth should be slightly favored in this game when it comes to the sportsbooks. At the same time, averages are averages for a reason, typically dismissed when a sizable outlier or two is taken into account. A goal or two here or there comes pretty easily these days in the league, so Colorado won't be counting any chickens this week by any means. Throw in a little home-field advantage for the Knighthawks and a bit of a cross-country trip (which may have also played a small role in the team's collapse last weekend) and we wouldn't be surprised to see the lines damn even come Saturday.

With eight of the league's 14 teams set to qualify for the postseason here in a few months, it's never too early to start taking a peek at the standings. Colorado is currently safely nestled into the No. 7 spot at 4-3 on the season. A few games back, currently two games outside the playoff picture, lurks the Knighthawks at 3-5. We've still got a good dozen weekends of action when this specific contest comes to an end. But teams will slowly see their odds diminish, eventually deleted, as the season continues. Just the same as teams like the 5-0 Buffalo Bandits and other chart-topping squads begin to secure their spots in the postseason via consistently collecting wins. As long as the teams occupying the basement stay down there for the most part, including units like the Toronto Rock, Las Vegas Desert Dogs, Albany FireWolves and Halifax Thunderbirds, Colorado still has favorable odds to make their way into the postseason. However, they'll need to take care of business while keeping an eye on squads both below and above them in the leagues unified standings. Ten wins likely earns a spot this season, suggesting Colorado needs to win at least six of its final 11 matches to stay competitive.

Which shouldn't be a problem if the team can get back to sharing the rock as it has during a majority of their first few games. It was nice to see Ryan Lee (3g, 4a) and Will Malcom (4g, 2a) explode last weekend with respective hat tricks. But the team typically is closer to firing on all cylinders when there are four or five guys at or above the two-goal mark. With the amount of offensive firepower on this team, they're capable of keeping up with the highest-scoring squads in the league. And remain one of them this season. Albany did a good job of limiting secondary scoring opportunities last weekend, a model their in-state rivals from Rochester may borrow a page or two from on Saturday. But that won't stop guys like Connor Kelly and company from rebounding from oddly quiet performances.

Remaining tied with Philadelphia's Mitch Jones for the second-most goals in the league (21), Kelly continues to lead the way for Colorado when it comes to goals and points (40), while trailing only team quarterback Ryan Lee in assists (19 to Lee's team-best 23). Kelly only produced three points (1g, 2a) last weekend, which means he's due for another HUGE performance Saturday in Rochester as the team travels to Blue Cross Arena to face the current-day Knighthawks for the first time out east. Tied for the tenth-most points in the league, Kelly will look to fire the team up alongside Will Malcom (currently ranked No. 12 in overall NLL scoring), who's just a few points behind with 36 (17g, 19a) to his name so far during his first season back in Colorado. On the other end of the floor, defenseman Robert Hope continues to give his all as he remains ranked atop the NLL's loose ball chart, now with a league-high 74 through seven games. He also remains tied with Rochester's Matt Gilray for the sixth-most caused turnovers in the league with six, while Hope's 12 blocked shots is still good for a second-place tie, now six behind the Knighthawks' Ian Llord, who leads all players with 18 blocked shots.

As for Rochester's offense, both forwards Connor Fields and Ryan Lanchbury remain tied with Buffalo's Josh Byrne with matching 45-point efforts through eight games. However, it's Ryan Smith's 21 conversions which pace the team while qualifying as the fourth-most amongst all league scorers. They've got quite a few personnel pieces that can operate quite efficiently.

Bringing 45 points (17g, 28a) into this weekend's game, forward Connor Fields continues to operate as one of the most skilled American-born box players in the league. He's technically only leading the team in loose balls, with 72 to his name, but his 45 points have been crucial in keeping Rochester competitive more nights than not. Coming off a healthy six-point (4g, 2a) performance during the team's most recent win, he's the definition of shifty and flexible while remaining one of the league's most talented assist-men. The same could be said for Ryan Lanchbury, who brings an identical 45 points (12g, 33a) into the Week 9 game, albeit with more helpers than Fields and fewer conversions. Leading the team with 33 assists, he owns the fourth-most in the NLL before this weekend's slate begins. Flanking Fields as the only other man to earn four points (0g, 4a) in Halifax, he remains a threat and likely towards the top of Colorado's scouting report alongside the likes of Thomas McConvey (33 points: 12g, 21a) and Ryan Smith (32 points: 20g, 12a). These four have primarily carried Rochester all season long, with Curtis Knight's 17 points (8g, 9a) representing the only other figures above the 10-point mark this year so far.

Stopping 43-of-52 shots on goal during his most recent performance against the Thunderbirds, Knighthawks' goaltender Riley Hutchcraft now prepares to face one of the league's most potent offenses after securing his third win of the season in Halifax. His 11.48 goals-against per game is respectable and very comparable to Mammoth netminder Dillon Ward's 11.23 mark. Having made 319 saves to Ward's 288 means he's been seeing A TON of shots against, especially considering Colorado's defensive approach typically allows more shots on goal (albeit long-range looks) than most units around the league. Despite being peppered regularly, Hutchcraft's save percentage lurks just below the .800 mark, officially .796 through the team's first eight games. He's had some good games and he's had some great games this year but only time will tell which version of the up-and-down Knighthawks shows up inside Blue Cross Arena Saturday.

Get in the Game

Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude TV and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Saturday's Jan. 25 showdown against the Rochester Knighthawks can be viewed on Altitude TV and streamed live on ESPN+ and NLL+. Mammoth fans can keep an eye on the team's social media channels and coloradomammoth.com for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2024-25 NLL season.

Limited Tickets remain for Colorado's Y2K Night at the LOUD HOUSE showdown against the Toronto Rock Feb. 1, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

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