NLL Colorado Mammoth

Mammoth Wins Another One Goal Game

Published on February 8, 2004 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


Denver, Colo. – That old Pepsi Center magic is back. After suffering its first home loss of 2004 last weekend, the Colorado Mammoth returned to form Saturday night, continuing its dominance of the Vancouver Ravens with an 11-10 victory.

In front of a standing-room-only crowd of 18,290, Colorado beat its rivals from British Columbia for the fourth time in five games, improving its record to a National Lacrosse League-best 5-2.

The Mammoth has played six one-goal games, winning four of those.

The win keeps the Mammoth atop the NLL's Western Conference, thereby ensuring Mammoth coach Jamie Batley the post of coaching the Conference's all-star team at the NLL All-Star Game in two weeks.

Colorado goaltender Gee Nash played a superb fourth quarter and Gavin Prout scored the winning goal with 5:10 remaining in the game to elevate the Mammoth to its third win in three games all-time versus the Ravens at Pepsi Center.

After Nash stuffed Vancouver defender Matt Dwane on a breakaway, Prout put the Mammoth in the lead for good with his second goal of the game, a blistering game-winner from the high slot.

Ben Prepchuk, John Wilson and B.J. Potter also scored two goals apiece to lead the Mammoth offense. Rookie Craig Conn led the Ravens with three goals.

Potter's goals came in his first NLL game – he scored on the first shot of his first pro shift in his first pro game. "It's unreal to be on the field playing after having watched from the stands," Potter said. "This team is stacked with a lot of great players and I can't believe I got that chance."

Vancouver opened the second half with four consecutive goals by Dwane, Peter Morgan, Conn and Darren Reisig to take an 8-7 lead. Conn completed his hat trick moments later, scoring off of a broken play, but Prout finally broke the Ravens' run with a power-play goal to bring Colorado back within one at 9-8. Prout's first of the night, a scorching sidearm shot from the outside was followed by Potter's second goal of the game. Potter, playing in his first career NLL game, slid a low shot past Vancouver goaltender Dwight Maetche to tie the game 9-9 and cap the scoring in the third quarter.

The Mammoth then took advantage of Chris Prat's five-minute major penalty, as Wilson scored his second goal of the night early in the fourth quarter to reclaim the lead for Colorado at 10-9. The lead was short-lived, however, as Scott Whitley slipped a shot past Nash to even the score at 10.

In the second quarter Reisig drew the Ravens within a goal at 5-4, but Prepchuk and Brian Langtry responded with the final two tallies of the half. Prepchuk scored his second of the night after firing down the left wing and shooting a low shot to the far post. Then came time for Langtry's creativity: With his back to the cage Langtry fired backward over his shoulder as he took a hit and beat Maetche through the legs to put Colorado on top 7-4 at the break.

After Conn scored for Vancouver to tie the game at 3-3, the Mammoth built a two-goal lead on goals by Prepchuk and Wilson. Prepchuk ripped a sidearm shot from the high slot for a power-play goal and Wilson followed by hammering home a great feed from Del Halladay for a 5-3 lead.

Dwane scored on an outside shot early in the second quarter to draw the Ravens even at 2-2, but John Gallant put the Mammoth back on top moments later. Dave Stilley hit Gallant with a long pass and the speedy defender broke in alone on Maetche and beat him with a shot inside the left post.

Potter scored his first career goal on a give-and-go with Scott Stapleford to put the Mammoth up 1-0 with 13:45 left in the opening quarter. Less than a minute later Gary Gait scored a power-play goal to make it 2-0.

Prat followed with a breakaway goal to put the Ravens on the board and cut the Mammoth lead in half. Nash took over from there, helping the Mammoth kill off a Ravens 5-on-3 power play and shut out Vancouver for the remainder of the quarter.

The Mammoth plays in Calgary next Saturday night, looking to avenge its loss to the Roughnecks.

"Our ‘D' was embarrassing last time we played Calgary and we're looking forward to stepping it up," said the Mammoth's John Gallant.

The Calgary game is the last outing for the Mammoth before the NLL All-Star Game at Pepsi Center.

Check out the Colorado Mammoth Statistics

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National Lacrosse League Stories from February 8, 2004


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