Mammoth Host Seals During NLL Quarterfinals Clash at LOUD HOUSE
NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Host Seals During NLL Quarterfinals Clash at LOUD HOUSE

Published on April 23, 2026 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


Traditionally speaking, the first few graphs of each weekend's Game Preview revisit the Mammoth's most recent matchups while offering a taste of how the team has been trending. We could 100% look back at the team's regular season finale against the Calgary Roughnecks. And we will, but in abbreviated fashion, as the Burgundy Boys have deeper depths to explore at this point.

Sure, the Mammoth dropped a close 9-8 decision to a physical, resilient squad. Jack Hannah recorded another hat trick amongst his five points (3g, 2a). Will Malcom notched a team-high six points (1g, 5a), while Dylan McIntosh netted a pair of conversions (2g, 2a). Hell, Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward only allowed nine goals against, stopping the other 40.

But that and the team's other 17 regular season results are out the window as this point.

The trials and tribulations the squad has experienced throughout the regular season will, of course, play a role in how Colorado is able to navigate postseason waters. But in a one-game, "Win or go home" scenario, the only thing that matters is a 60-minute showcase against the No. 7-ranked San Diego Seals, as the No. 2-ranked Mammoth are primed to host a former rival Saturday night at the LOUD HOUSE during the NLL Quarterfinals.

Colorado is 4-11 against San Diego in the regular season, yet the Mammoth enter this weekend's showdown with a 3-1 all-time record against the Seals within postseason competition. Those set of stats tell two separate tales - But the best book in the series is always the most recent one to get us turning pages, with quite the table set for Saturday's iteration of the former heated rivalry.

The 2026 regular season showdown between the two former foes resulted in a 14-12 win in Colorado's favor despite seeing goaltender Dillon Ward chased from net early on. That merely created an epic comeback opportunity and an eventual career-first win for youthful netminder Nathan Whittom, however, as the youngster stepped in and stopped 25-of-29 shots faced during his Week 14 masterpiece.

Knowing rookie defenseman Dylan Hess chipped in two goals during the two-goal win suggests the Mammoth transition game will need to come alive once again Saturday. Andrew Kew (4g, 2a), Jack Hannah (3g, 3a), Will Malcom (1g, 3a) and Owen Rahn (2g, 2a) enjoyed productive games just the same. As long as Kew is able to return from the Injured Reserve List ahead of the looming contest, Colorado should have most of its personnel available for the dramatic showcase.

Prior to Colorado's win at the LOUD HOUSE back in February, the Mammoth hadn't captured a win over the Seals in any fashion since the 2023 Quarterfinals, which eventually led to a second-straight NLL Finals appearance for Colorado. The two teams have vastly different rosters compared to three seasons ago, but enough personnel remains lurking in each locker room and throughout front office circles to understand how much this game means. Playoffs or not.

While the Seals and Mammoth are set to round out the four-game opening round Saturday night at 7 p.m. MT, six other teams will be in action throughout the weekend:

No. 8 Halifax Thunderbirds @ No. 1 Vancouver Warriors (Friday, April 24 - 8 p.m. MT)

No. 5 Buffalo Bandits @ No. 4 Georgia Swarm (Saturday, April 25 - 5:30 p.m. MT)

No. 6 Toronto Rock @ No. 3 Saskatchewan Rush (Saturday, April 25 - 7 p.m. MT)

Mammoth fans will, naturally, be locked into Saturday's all-out war between the No. 2 and 7 seeds, but would be wise to keep an eye on outside competition, as the Mammoth would face one of three other Quarterfinals victors should the Burgundy Boys be able to take care of business against the Seals Saturday night.

Each of the other seven qualifying units are more than capable of making an epic run. But if Colorado supporters have one team to root against, it would be the No. 1 Warriors, as Vancouver would host two of three NLL Finals games should both of the Top 2-ranked squads make their respective ways to the best-of-three finale.

After missing the postseason for each of the past two seasons, Mammoth fans will be supercharged to welcome playoff lacrosse back to Ball Arena Saturday night. Across the aisle, San Diego has now officially qualified for the postseason in each of the franchise's six seasons to date. That said, the Seals have never qualified for the NLL Finals, while Colorado's last two trips to the postseason resulted in a pair of trips to the cup-earning series.

In a Week 21 regular season wrap-up slate with each of the league's 14 teams in action, both teams will enter the Quarterfinals a bit banged up, if not tired. The main difference between Saturday's opponents revolves around the idea that Colorado played just one game against Calgary last weekend, whereas the Seals were forced to entertain the Las Vegas Desert Dogs twice last weekend in a home-and-home, which resulted in a 1-1 split between the two Joe Tsai-owned contingents. Which means most of those guys endured a plane ride to San Diego, another to Las Vegas, and a third either back to San Diego or to wherever throughout North America they call home. Sure, Colorado still took two plane rides, but bodies and injuries typically don't appreciate the added elevation associated with trips, so it'll be interesting to see how fresh the Seals are when they trickle into Denver Friday morning.

San Diego Seals Regular Season League Leaders

Goals: 31 - Tre Leclaire (T27th)

Assists: 48 - Wes Berg (T22nd)

Points: 74 - Wes Berg (27th)

Power-Play Goals: 9 - Ben McIntosh (T10th)

Power-Play Assists: 19 - Wes Berg (7th)

Shorthanded Goals: 2 - Connor Robinson (T6th)

Loose Balls: 200 - Zach Currier (2nd)

Caused Turnovers: 23 - Zach Currer (9th)

Blocked Shots: 16 - James Barclay (T13th)

Faceoff Wins: 327 - Trevor Baptiste (1st)

Faceoff Win Percentage: 75 - Trevor Baptiste (1st)

Saves: 576 - Chris Origlieri (11th)

Save Percentage: .782 - Chris Origlieri (13th)

Goals-Against Average: 10.18 - Chris Origlieri (8th)

Goaltender Wins: 8 - Chris Origlieri (T6th)

With 18 games in the books, San Diego's top offensive threats look pretty similar to when the squads clashed within the regular season. Wes Berg's 74 points (26g, 48a) and Tre Leclaire's 71 points (31g, 40a), however, are the only totals above the 70-point mark, confirming the idea that San Diego essentially paved its postseason path as a defensive-minded unit. Sure, the team spread the load around a bit more on average, with Zach Currier (22g, 35a), Connor Robinson (22g, 35a) and Ben McIntosh (28g, 24a) each ending their respective regular season campaigns with 50-plus-point efforts. But in a one-game series, teams need some sort of dominant scorer, if not a duo of stars, to take over. We'll see if Berg, who's enjoyed some standout games against Colorado in the past, can set the tone for the Seals.

Providing quite the advantage at the dot, DU product Trevor Baptiste brings an NLL-best 75% faceoff win rate to the LOUD HOUSE after capturing 327-of-437 opportunities this year, officially the fifth-most in single-season NLL history. Regardless of whether Tim Edwards, Tyler Garrison or Matthew Paolatto give it a go or share chances at the dot for Colorado, Baptiste will get his and provides quite the advantage in that phase of the game. That said, season-long statistics tip the hat in Colorado's favor when it comes to both goaltending and offensive expectations, with both squads bolstering potent defensive units, so it'll be interesting to see how many extra possessions Baptiste can earn for the Seals and exactly what San Diego will do with them. Baptiste won 22-of-29 attempts when the teams last went to battle, adding 14 loose ball scoops and three caused turnovers, suggesting he'll once again be all over Colorado's scouting efforts.

Fans will see a guy like Currier involved just about anywhere on the turf come Saturday, but it'll be Chris Origlieri who mans the nets for San Diego. Rocking just an 8-7 record, .782 save percentage and 10.18 goals-against average, he hasn't been "elite" by any means but, per his GAA, has been somewhat efficient when he's been between the pipes this season. He isn't likely to be the reason the Seals lose but if he shows up in a big way, could very well be the reason the Seals are able to squeak out a road win at the LOUD HOUSE.

Knowing the Seals were 5-4 on the road this season means they've held their own for the most part away from Pechanga Arena. That said, they were just 3-6 at home, so if anything, they may come into Ball Arena loose, 100% looking to play the villain.

Yet, it's the Burgundy Boys who are bringing playoff lacrosse back to the Mile High City alongside the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL) and Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association (NBA) who look to embrace the hero role while defending home turf during the opening round of postseason drama.

Colorado Mammoth Regular Season League Leaders

Goals: 45 - Andrew Kew (T2nd)

Assists: 58 - Jack Hannah (13th)

Points: 89 - Will Malcom (15th)

Power-Play Goals: 10 - Andrew Kew/Will Malcom (T4th)

Power-Play Assists: 20 - Jack Hannah (T5th)

Shorthanded Goals: 3 - Dylan McIntosh (T2nd)

Loose Balls: 160 - Robert Hope (5th)

Blocked Shots: 28 - Robert Hope (4th)

Faceoff Wins: 238 - Matthew Paolatto (5th)

Faceoff Win Percentage: 58 - Matthew Paolatto (5th)

Saves: 688 - Dillon Ward (4th)

Save Percentage: .810 - Dillon Ward (3rd)

Goals-Against Average: 10.04 - Dillon Ward (7th)

Goaltender Wins: 11 - Dillon Ward (T4th)

Coming off an eight-goal performance isn't exactly the way Colorado wanted to end its regular season. But maybe it was good to get a "meh" effort out of the way one week before the single-game elimination Quarterfinals rolled around.

All things considered, Colorado earned the second-most victories in Colorado Mammoth history this year by finishing the season at 12-6, officially tying 12-win seasons earned in both 2007 and 2017. But that record means nothing at this point. Hell, the No. 2 seed, itself, doesn't mean anything if the Burgundy Boys don't show up with a vengeance Saturday. Everything this group has worked for this year has been for the approaching 60-minute showdown. And wouldn't you know it, it's against a well-known group hailing from San Diego.

Despite playing in just 12 games, Andrew Kew finished the season with a career and team-best 45 goals, which ranked tied for the second-most goals amongst all NLL talent this season. However, it was Will Malcom who paced the Mammoth in overall scoring with 89 points (36g, 53a) in 17 regular season appearances. Fresh faces in Jack Hannah (27g, 58a) and Kew (45g, 39a) completed their respective campaigns with 85 and 84 points, confirming Pat Coyle and Brad Self have assembled themselves quite the Top 3. Better yet, they're capable of taking turns leading the way while staying involved even if they aren't wielding the hottest twig.

Dylan McIntosh blazed career-high marks across the board during his first season in Colorado just the same, ending the year with 40 points (26g, 14a), while first-year forward Braedon Saris chipped in a healthy 53 points (16g, 37a) as the team's No. 4 scorer. And for as impactful as the team's offense was this season, which was somewhat expected seeing the names and talents assembled, it's Colorado's back end which may have discovered a few gems in the rough.

Guys like Dylan Hess, Ari Stevens, Connor Nock seemingly stepped into starting roles and have only grown since their first professional reps earlier this season. Fellow rookie Matthew Paolatto recorded the fifth-most faceoff wins in the league while doubling down with the seventh-most faceoff wins in a single Colorado Mammoth season at 238 in just 17 (more like 16.5) games played. When Saturday's postseason shootout arrives, as many as 12 different Mammoth players will be making their NLL postseason debuts, including: Jack Hannah, Braedon Saris, Thomas Vela, Owen Rahn, Matthew Paolatto, Dylan Hess, Ari Stevens, Connor Nock, Jameson Bucktooth, Conner Cook, Nathan Whittom and Brian Simmons, pending availability.

So, whether the boys are able to block out the brightest lights on the largest stage of the game will ultimately tell tales for years to come.

On the opposite side of the spectrum, Colorado's defense features plenty of veterans, with guys like Robert Hope set to lead the pack into battle after pacing the team with a new personal-best 160 loose balls and 28 blocked shots, which ranked fifth and fourth amongst all NLL players, respectively. "Hopey" also tied his career-best helper mark at 13 while setting a new personal-best point total at 14 points (1g, 13a). If the Mammoth are to counter a "special teams friendly" squad like the Seals, Hope will need to be involved in creating transition while ensuring the defensive anchor is flying out of the gate for his D shifts. Hope tied fellow defenseman Connor Nock with a team-high 14 caused turnovers, which is a good sign for any fans believing Nock could be the organization's "Hopey in training."

Saturday's showdown will ultimately come down to coming up with a plan to offset a dominant Trevor Baptiste. Which very much includes being able to shut the faceoff specialist down when he decides to come barreling down the lane after a quick win. He's provided fireworks for the Seals in several of their regular season contests, but it'll be up to Hope, Warren, Gilles and friends to ensure he's limited to an off night. If Paolatto can make his way back into the lineup, Colorado will at least be able to split reps on defense with Edwards. But if the rookie isn't healthy enough to give it a go, Edwards will be back at the dot.

There's a chance Owen Down returns to the floor just the same, and would be a welcomed, big-body addition, but his status remains up in the air just the same.

Colorado goaltender Dillon Ward just put together another high-quality season en route to earning some consideration for both Most Valuable Player and Goaltender of the Year. Having made the exact same number of saves as he did during the team's eventual trophy-collecting campaign (688 saves logged in both 2022 and most recently 2026), Ward tied the mark, which represents the second-most stops made in a season (with 722 saves from 2025 the most).

He'll perhaps play the largest role of any individual come Saturday. Specifically, he needs to get off to a hot start, as the Seals have been known to force early goaltending changes against Colorado over the years. Nathan Whittom will be ready, but Colorado's truest shot at making a run starts and ends with the All-Pro between the pipes.

After seeing the dramatic spectacle that came to be the first time these teams met this season, we'd only expect another wave of chaos when Ball Arena hosts two former westerly rivals as the NLL begins its eight-team, three-round showcase April 24-25.

KSE Charities will also be present throughout the night as the non-profit arm sets up shop at section 142 for a Treasure Sale, which will feature a variety of former game-worn jerseys and beyond! Plus, fans can enjoy 30% off Mammoth jerseys at Altitude Authentics all night, so be sure to swing by and we'll see you at the LOUD HOUSE this Saturday night!

Get in the Game

Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude Sports and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Saturday's April 25 Quarterfinals showdown against the San Diego Seals can be viewed nationally on ESPNU and streamed live on ESPN+ and NLL+ beginning at 7 pm. MT.

Mammoth fans can keep an eye on coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2025-26 NLL season.

Limited tickets remain available for Colorado's April 25 Quarterfinals showdown at the LOUD HOUSE, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 23, 2026


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