Mammoth Score Three-Straight Late as Zed Williams Provides Game-Winner at Rochester

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NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Score Three-Straight Late as Zed Williams Provides Game-Winner at Rochester

January 25, 2025 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - The Colorado Mammoth completed a late comeback with less than three seconds remaining on the clock as Zed Williams slammed a late game-winner home, solidifying an 11-10 victory over the Rochester Knighthawks Saturday night inside Blue Cross Arena.

Scoring the final three goals of the game after seeing Rochester take a 10-8 advantage with five minutes remaining in the game, Colorado's veteran core came together and got the job done.

Matching the team's win total from last season while surpassing the unit's road win total from the 2023-24 season, Colorado picked up a HUGE comeback win en route to advancing to 5-3 on the season.

Eli McLaughlin (4g, 1a) paced Mammoth scorers with four goals amidst his five points, while both Ryan Lee (0g, 5a) and Connor Kelly joined him in the five-point club. Will Malcom scored another hat trick while earning four points (3g, 1a) on the night, while Connor Robinson (0g, 3a) rounded out primary scoring efforts.

Left wide open after the Mammoth offense had a successful set land in their favor, Will Malcom galloped inside the restriction line and launched a fierce shot past Rochester goaltender Riely Hutchcraft to give Colorado an early advantage five minutes in.

The Knighthawks' Ryan Smith quickly answered two minutes later by finishing a back door look that found its way past Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward midway through the second to tie the contest as 1-1.

Drawing a late power play chance, Colorado struck with under 10 seconds remaining in the first, as Lee sent a swing pass across the set to Eli McLaughlin, who instantly received and found twine to net his 12th goal of the season.

Two in a row now for the man they call "Liger," the veteran came screaming out of the box in transition, accepts the feed from a surging Owen Rahn and converts top ched to give the Mammoth a 3-1 lead two minutes into the second.

Bringing Rochester back within one via an extra-man look after defenseman Conner Cook was called for a penalty, Thomas McConvey finished another back door effort as the Knighthawks were keeping Ward moving side to side.

Doubling down for the home team, forward Ryan Lanchbury sent an overhand strike past Ward's left side to even the game at 3-3 with nine minutes remaining in the half as the physical battle continued.

Momentum was building inside Blue Cross Arena as Lanchbury snuck his way across the crease before accepting a pass from Smith and burying his second-straight midway through the period as the Knighthawks earned their first lead of the night.

Dancing his way around some traffic before gaining some space on the high side of the set, Malcom swept around to his left before launching a saucer on net, which beat Hutchcraft and tied the game once more just 57 seconds later as the scoring began to pick up.

On quite an odd play, a penalty-killing clear that was meant to travel far into the corner hit the back of a referee. Rookie D-man Owen Rahn saw that as an opportunity, who collected the rock and slammed one past Hutchcraft as the first-year defenseman recorded his third of the year and first shorthanded effort of his career.

That would serve as the final tally of the first half, with Colorado taking a 5-4 lead into the break.

Wasting little time getting his team on the scoreboard when play resumed, Ian Llord finished a transition look 47 seconds into the third quarter as the game was tied at five per side.

Two in a row for the Knighthawks, McConvey logged his second of the night after accepting a flip from Connor Fields and burying one past Ward to give Rochester the lead. The fancy play was Fields' fifth assist of the night as he was associated with five of the team's first six conversions.

Afforded some space at the top of the set, Connor Kelly pun a spin move on his defender before sending one flying past Hutchcraft from distance as he recorded his team-high 22nd goal of the season.

The goal-heavy third raged on as Kyle Waters established his team another one-goal lead four minutes into the quarter as the Rochester offense got Ward moving once more.

Finishing his hat trick rolling around a natural pick Malcom caused, McLaughlin rolled high and fired hot as he tied the game for Colorado midway through the quarter.

Fields waited until the third to convert - but he was saving it for a sincere top ched effort as he regained his team a one-goal advantage with three minutes remaining in the third.

Suddenly another two-goal run developed for the guys wearing green as Waters doubled down, left alone outside the crease to beat Ward in close quarters while restoring some roar in the home crowd. Rochester would eventually carry a 9-7 lead into the fourth.

Tim Edwards accepted a mid-turf pass from fellow defenseman Warren Jeffrey before notching his first goal of the season to start the fourth-quarter scoring, roughly seven minutes into the final frame.

Curtis Knight re-extended Rochester's lead to two with five minutes to play as the Knighthawks worked the ball around the set. Firing a quick shot, he beat Ward over his left shoulder as it was getting late out east.

But a resilient McLaughlin effort kept Colorado in the game, as Lee sent a quick pass across the set to McLaughlin who immediately fired it past Hutchcraft. Bringing the Mammoth back within one with 3:30 to play, he scored his game-high fourth of the night.

Scoring two goals in 29 seconds, Colorado tied it up as Malcom sent a long-range laser into the back of the night rolling to his left. The building was deflated but the Mammoth were soaring high as they were drumming up a scrappy late-game push.

With less than three seconds remaining on the clock, Zed Williams completed the 6-on-5 look by burying from just outside the crease as the Mammoth completed the stunner on the road Saturday night, solidifying the 11-10 shocker.

Eli McLaughlin (4g, 1a) and Will Malcom (3g, 1a) netted hat tricks while Ryan Lee (0g, 5a) and Connor Robinson (0g, 3a) had big nights as distributors. Defensemen Owen Rahn (1g, 1a) and Tim Edwards (1g, 0a) chipped in much-needed tallies, while Zed Williams (1g, 0a) got on the board when it mattered most.

Set to return to Ball Arena for a showdown against the Toronto Rock next weekend, the squad will once again embrace the LOUD HOUSE and LOUDEST fans in lacrosse on Saturday, Feb. 1. Limited Tickets remain for Colorado's Y2K Night at the LOUD HOUSE, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!

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