Mammoth Secure 10-7 Season-Opening Victory Over Vancouver Warriors
NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Secure 10-7 Season-Opening Victory Over Vancouver Warriors

Published on November 29, 2025 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - The Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League secured a 10-7 season-opening victory over the Vancouver Warriors Saturday night inside Rogers Arena.

Advancing to 1-0 on the young 2025-26 campaign, Colorado has now successfully begun its past two seasons with opening night wins against the Warriors.

Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 37-of-44 on the night, while forward Will Malcom led all scorers with eight points (6g, 2a) en route to recording the third sock trick effort of his career.

Recording five loose balls in Week 1, Mammoth captain Robert Hope secured his 1,300th career loose ball while adding three blocked shots and two penalty minutes.

Following a scoreless opening sequence of play as both squads found their respective footings, Mammoth forward Andrew Kew broke the silence by firing a low, long-range shot on net which beat Warriors' goaltender Christian Del Bianco at the 14:56 mark of the opening quarter to grant Colorado a 1-0 advantage.

Despite seeing both teams draw penalties throughout the first frame, the low-scoring affair featured a mixture of slow developing offensive sets and stellar goaltending from both Ward and Del Bianco.

Needing less than four minutes to strike when the second period rolled around, forward Will Malcom stepped around his defender and sent a bouncer flying past the goal line to make it two-straight for the visiting Mammoth in shorthanded fashion.

As the result of a Conner Cook penalty, the Warriors cashed in on via a 5-on-4 look moments later as Ryan Sheridan accepted a crease-side pass, spun around and found twine 37 seconds later to bring Vancouver back within one.

That wouldn't stop Flyin' Ryan Lee who dove across the crease while fielding a pass from Kew before slamming one home far side as the alternate captain reinstated Colorado's two-goal lead 5:53 into the second as the scoring intensified inside Rogers Arena.

Jesse King recorded his first conversion as a Warrior courtesy of a man-up look to establish some late-half momentum for Vancouver. Hesitating with a fake before beating Ward, King made it a 3-2 contest with 62 seconds remaining in the opening 30, which would serve as the score as teams headed in for the break.

Ryan Lee paced the scoresheet with three points (1g, 2a) in the opening half, while Ward was credited with stopping 19-of-21 Vancouver attempts, including 19-of-19 5-on-5 looks.

Courtesy of a penalty called on Colorado prior to the half, Vancouver's Curtis Dickson tied the game at 3-3 via a 5-on-4 conversion 1:22 into the third, his first since joining the Warriors.

Earning Vancouver's first lead of the night, forward Adam Charalambides converted a third-consecutive tally for the Warriors while falling to the ground two minutes later during another successful power play set.

But a quick retaliation strike from Malcom created a 4-4 scenario just 24 seconds later. Turning on the boosters, he sped towards the net and fired one past Del Bianco to tie the game.

As the special teams spectacle continued, Malcom completed his hat-trick performance with some top-shelf cheddar from afar as Colorado jumped back in front nearly six minutes into the frame.

Three-straight and now four overall, Malcom stayed hot midway through the third with another man-up conversion. Sending a nasty fireball from distance on net, he beat Del Bianco and extended Colorado's lead to two once more.

During a delayed penalty 6-on-5 look moments later, Kew logged his second of the night sporting a burgundy sweater as No. 42 dialed up from long range with a successful side-armed bid.

As the scoring flurry raged on, Malcom registered his fifth goal of the night by slipping through a pair of opposing defensemen and finding twine again. Rocking quite the mustache to start the season, he was letting it be known the Mammoth offense came to play.

It wasn't until the 2:25 mark that Ward surrendered a 5-on-5 goal - and even that was technically during another delayed 6-on-5 look for Vancouver, as Charalambides doubled down late in the third to stop Colorado's five-goal run.

When the fourth quarter dawned, the Mammoth owned a three-goal advantage, 8-5.

Just over four minutes into the fourth, Dickson pivoted with a jab step before firing one past Ward as the Warriors climbed back within two.

A second-straight shorthanded conversion positioned Vancouver for a comeback, as Keegan Bal made his way to the scoresheet. But with Malcom able to complete his sock trick a mere 22 seconds later, the Rogers Arena crowd was quieted as No. 4 was absolutely ON FIRE.

Serving as Malcom's third career sock trick, the New Westminster, B.C. native was truly putting on a show in his home province.

Providing some additional late-game insurance, former Warriors' forward turned Mammoth scorer Dylan McIntosh sped around his defender outside before creeping back inside and beating Del Bianco to give Colorado a three-goal cushion at 10-7.

Which would serve as Saturday night's final as Colorado improved to 1-0 and Vancouver fell to 0-1 to begin the 2025-26 NLL season.

Mammoth rookies Braedon Saris, Connor Nock, Matthew Poalatto and Dylan Hess each made their respective NLL debuts Saturday night. Paolatto won 16-of-20 faceoff opportunities Saturday.

Will Malcom paced all scorers with eight points (6g, 2a), while Ryan Lee (1g, 6a) and Andrew Kew (2g, 5a) each enjoyed seven-point outings. Dylan McIntosh (1g, 1a) and Tim Edwards (0g, 2a) rounded out multi-point performers for Colorado, while Dillon Ward stopped 37-of-44.

Keegan Bal (1g, 6a), Jesse King (1g. 3a), Curtis Dickson (2g, 1a), Adam Charalambides (2g, 1a) and Ryan Sheridan (1g, 1a) handled the scoring for Vancouver, while Christian Del Bianco stopped 36-of-46.

Colorado now prepares for a Week 2 bye before getting back into the swing of things Saturday, Dec. 13 during an 11 a.m. MT road showdown against the Philadelphia Wings.

Mammoth fans can stay tuned to coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels throughout the season for the latest league updates, team transactions and beyond.

Limited tickets remain for the Mammoth's Dec. 27 LOUD HOUSE Home Opener showdown against the Georgia Swarm, so be sure to lock in your tickets and get ready to TUSK UP!

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from November 29, 2025


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