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Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth suffers road loss

March 27, 2010 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


DENVER - The Colorado Mammoth lost to the Washington Stealth for the second time in as many nights on Saturday evening in Everett, Washington on the tail-end of a home-and-home. Tonight's 12-9 final dropped the Mammoth's record to 2-9 on the season, while the West Division-leading Washington Stealth improved to 9-3 and clinched a playoff berth.

The Mammoth came out strong to start the first quarter as Colorado transition player Jed Prossner got on the board first just over one minute into the game with a bounce shot coming off a high screen. A Stealth turnover led to a fast-break goal by Mammoth forward Cliff Smith to give the visitors a 2-0 lead at the 9:44 mark of the first. Washington then cashed in on a Colorado penalty as forward Lewis Ratcliff scored a power play goal at the 6:48 mark, cutting the Mammoth lead in half before the end of the quarter, as the Mammoth held a 2-1 lead through fifteen minutes of play.

Second quarter scoring took more than six minutes to get started as Stealth transition player Paul Rabil beat his defender, then took to the air to wrap a dive shot around Mammoth goalie Chris Levis at the 8:54 mark. The Mammoth answered as Prossner tallied his second of the night with an outside shot at the 6:23 mark. Washington evened the score again with a bounce shot from Ratcliff for his second at the 3:37 mark, then took the its first lead, 4-3, with a goal from defenseman Curtis Hodgson with 2:33 left in the half.

The Stealth didn't waste much time getting on the board in the second half as Ratcliff completed a hat trick on the evening as he scored 1:32 into the third. Prossner, not to be outdone, contributed with his third goal of the evening at 12:11. Soon after, Colorado's main offensive threat, Alex Gajic, was ejected from the game for a high sticking and game misconduct penalty. The penalty resulted in an open outside shot for Ratcliff who scored a power play goal at the 9:37 mark. An aggressive penalty-kill unit for the Mammoth resulted in Colorado defenseman Chris McKay converting a Stealth turnover into a fast break as he beat Stealth goalie Matt Roik for the short-handed goal. The Stealth added two more goals to push its lead to three, bringing the score to 8-5.

In the fourth quarter, Colorado forward Brian Langtry brought the Mammoth to within two with a rocket from outside at 11:42, but the Stealth responded with a goal from Rhys Duch 78 seconds later. With 2:57 remaining in the game, the Mammoth pulled its goalie in desperation to add an extra runner. The move paid dividends as forward Jamie Shewchuk snuck a shot far-post into the net to cut the Stealth lead to just two. But Ratcliff was simply too much for the Mammoth defense, as he dashed the Mammoth hopes of a comeback with two more goals before the end of regulation, completing the allusive sock trick with six goals on the night. His six-goal performance came one night after Gajic did the same for Colorado. The Mammoth made things interesting as Mammoth forward Chad Culp added a late goal with just over a minute left; then Jed Prossner scored a power play goal with 46 seconds left to bring the Mammoth to within two. But, an empty-net goal by Washington forward Jeff Zywicki, his first of the night, brought the final score to 12-9.

The Mammoth has three road games before returning to Denver to face the Boston Blazers on April 16 at 7pm at Pepsi Center on Animal Lovers' Night. Tickets are on sale now.

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National Lacrosse League Stories from March 27, 2010


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