NLL Colorado Mammoth

Rochester edges Mammoth in regular season finale

Published on April 15, 2005 under National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth News Release


ROCHESTER, N.Y. – Rochester's John Grant scored his third goal of the game with 49 seconds remaining to lift the Knighthawks to a 13-12 victory over the visiting Colorado Mammoth on Friday night.

Seconds earlier, Mammoth forward Gary Gait silenced the Blue Cross Arena crowd of 9,342 with what appeared to be a go-ahead goal. Rochester's Pat Cougevan was assessed a penalty for checking Gait from behind, but the Mammoth captain was ruled to have interfered with Knighthawks goaltender Pat O'Toole and the goal was wiped out.

The loss was Colorado's third straight and dropped the Mammoth to 8-8. The team finishes the National Lacrosse League's regular season in third place of the West Division and will open the playoffs next weekend on the road against the No. 2 seed, either Calgary or Arizona. Calgary (9-6) can clinch the division title and a first-round bye with a win Sunday against Toronto or an Arizona (8-6) loss in either of its two games this weekend against Anaheim. The Storm and Sting meet in a home-and-home series Friday and Saturday.

Rochester (10-6) finished third in the East Division and will open the playoffs on the road against No. 2 Buffalo (10-5) next weekend. No. 1 Toronto (12-3) will host the winner of that game.

Gait led the Mammoth with five goals and finishes his 15th and final season with 33 goals and 48 assists. He will retire as the NLL's all-time leading scorer with 596 goals and 1,091 points.

Gavin Prout led the Mammoth with seven points on two goals and five assists. Goaltender Gee Nash made 31 saves and took the loss.

Grant added six assists to lead Rochester with nine points while Shawn Williams and Ryan O'Connor also scored three goals apiece. O'Toole, who entered the game trailing only Nash for the league's best goals-against average, stopped 36 shots to earn the win.

The Mammoth led 9-7 at halftime and 10-8 in the third quarter but the Knighthawks rallied with three consecutive goals to take an 11-10 lead. Gait tied it at 11 and Prout answered Grant's second goal to tie it at 12 with 4:20 remaining.

Grant could win the league scoring title with 49 goals, but Arizona's Dan Dawson has 45 goals with two games left to play.

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National Lacrosse League Stories from April 15, 2005


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