NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth rallies for first win of season

Published on January 7, 2006 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - The Colorado Mammoth overcame a six-goal effort by one of the game's best players and erased two four-goal deficits on Saturday night to earn its first victory of the 2006 National Lacrosse League season.

Brian Langtry scored his second goal with 4 minutes, 57 seconds left in the game and the Mammoth shut down the Rochester Knighthawks the rest of the way to preserve a 12-11 victory in front of a raucous crowd of 16,850 at Pepsi Center.

Rochester forward John Grant, the NLL's second-leading scorer in 2005, racked up six goals and the Knighthawks - playing their season-opener - built first-half leads of 4-0 and 6-2, but the Mammoth answered with a terrific relief goaltending performance by Chris Levis and timely scoring in the second half.

"Even after digging quite a hole, the team never panicked," coach Gary Gait said. "It's a satisfying win because we worked so hard to come back." It was Gait's first NLL win as a head coach.

Emotions were high in the arena all night, including during a heartfelt halftime salute to Denver's police and firefighters. Squads of police and firemen faced off against each other and the Mammoth presented jerseys to the family of slain Denver police officer Donald Young, who had worked Mammoth games in the team's first seasons at Pepsi Center. Donations will be made to the Denver Police Officers Foundation and to the Denver Firefighters Burn Foundation.

After Grant scored his fourth goal of the game to put Rochester up 8-5 in the third quarter, the Mammoth went on a four-goal run to take its first lead of the game. Ben Prepchuk scored to cut the lead to two before rookie Dan Carey added the second and third goals of his career to tie the game at eight. Carey, who notched a goal in his NLL debut in the Mammoth's opener last week against Philadelphia, scored on a hard shot from the outside then knocked in a loose ball as it lay in the crease to even the score.

Mammoth captain Gavin Prout scored his second goal of the game to put the Mammoth back in the lead, but Grant tied it at nine with his fifth goal. The teams traded goals to open the fourth quarter before Mammoth defenseman Rich Catton scored his first goal of the season on a fast break to put the Mammoth ahead 11-10. Grant answered 91 seconds later to tie the game for the fourth time in the second half.

With Catton in the penalty box for holding the Knighthawks could've regained the lead but Langtry scored the game-winner instead, powering through the slot and firing a low shot for the score.

Levis replaced Gee Nash in goal with 11:56 to play in the second quarter after the Mammoth starter allowed six goals on 15 shots. Levis, who immediately helped the Mammoth turn the momentum in its favor with several big saves, allowed just four goals and made 28 saves to earn his first NLL victory since 2000. He outdueled the Knighthawks' All-Pro goaltender, Pat O'Toole, who made 37 saves in taking the loss.

Josh Sims, Andy Glen and Jay Jalbert each added one goal for the Mammoth. Shawn Williams scored twice for Rochester and Mike Hasen and Mike Accursi scored once. Steve Toll scored an empty-net goal as time expired in the second quarter to give the Knighthawks a 7-5 halftime lead.

In the first half Prout's first goal cut the Rochester lead to 6-3 before Glen scored his first career goal on a breakaway after Jamie Hanford made a steal in the Mammoth end and fed the ball upfield to the streaking rookie. Jalbert then cut the lead to one after scooping up his own rebound and scoring as he dove across the crease. Hanford, the NLL's top faceoff man the last four seasons, won 20-of-27 draws.

The Knighthawks raced out to a 4-0 as Grant opened the game with two goals followed by a pair from Williams. Sims finally got the Mammoth on the board after taking a pass from Carey and darting through the middle by two Rochester defenders.

With John Gallant in the box serving a five-minute major penalty for high sticking Carlson cut the lead to two, scoring a shorthanded goal off of a field-length pass from Pat Coyle. But the Mammoth soon found itself down two men after Sims was called for holding. The Knighthawks capitalized on the 5-on-3 advantage on a goal by Accursi. Grant scored his third moments later to push Rochester's lead to 6-2, leading the Mammoth to make the change in goal.

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National Lacrosse League Stories from January 7, 2006


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