NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Home-Opener Is Playoff Rematch

Published on January 9, 2015 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - Following a record-setting road win to start the year, the Colorado Mammoth (1-0) returns to HealthONE Field at Pepsi Center to take on the arch-rival Calgary Roughnecks (0-1) on Saturday at 7pm MT in a rematch of last season's West Division Semifinal.

There's no love lost between the teams. In 32 regular-season head-to-head meetings, Colorado is one game above .500. Last year, the Mammoth took two of three from the Roughnecks in the regular season with both wins coming in overtime. The teams each scored the same number of goals in the series - 35.

In the postseason, the third overtime game of the year between the teams, Calgary's Shawn Evans netted the game-winner.

"That was then, this is now!" said Mammoth coach Chris Gill. "We're just going to play in the moment and stick to our systems and our principles and try to dictate the pace. Whatever happened last year or the year before or the year before that, it doesn't really matter. It's all about what's happening on Saturday night."

What's happening is a team playing in front of its home crowd for the first time in nearly nine months.

"We have to make Pepsi Center a tough place to play, like it used to be," said captain John Grant Jr. "That's one of our goals."

Another is to avoid long lulls offensively. Colorado didn't score in the first quarter a week ago, but poured in 11 goals in the fourth (a franchise record for tallies in a quarter).

"Consistency is a big thing on offense that we need to keep the ball moving and keep the bodies moving to tire out the other team's defense," said Grant.

In all, the Mammoth set or tied six franchise records in the 20-13 win last Saturday against the Swarm. Creighton Reid had a career night; Cam Holding tied a personal-best for assists in a game (4); and Sean Pollock recorded the 200th goal, 300th assist, and 500th point of his career.

While Gill talks about the here and now, the history between the teams speaks for itself. The Mammoth...back at "˜The Loudest House in Lacrosse'...taking on its biggest rival in the home-opener!

Tickets are on sale now at AltitudeTickets.com.

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 9, 2015


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