On an emotional night at Pepsi Center when the theme was to ‘Lacrosse Out Cancer’, the Colorado Mammoth brought awareness to the disease, raised funds to find a cure, and knocked off the division-leading Saskatchewan Rush, 14-11.
Colorado used a 5-0 run in the second quarter to build an 8-3 cushion. Forward Jeremy Noble, who led all scorers with seven points (4g, 3a), scored a natural hat trick (three straight tallies) in a five-minute, 18-second span. When the game might have looked out of reach, Saskatchewan responded in a big way.
The Rush scored outscored the Mammoth, 7-1, in a 12-minute stretch from the third quarter into the early-fourth to take an 11-10 lead. Then, an illegal substitution/too many men penalty flipped the script. Noble’s fourth of the game came just 16 seconds into the power play to tie things up. Jacob Ruest, Zack Greer and Callum Crawford made it four straight for Colorado to end the game.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NwG-YPjbt58
“For us to give up the lead and then come back and be in a tight game in the later parts of the fourth quarter, it shows the resiliency of the team,” said defenseman Robert Hope, who recorded his 100th loose ball of the year.
The Mammoth had lost its first two games this season against the West Division rivals. On Saturday, Colorado defended its home turf.
“Nice to beat those guys,” said Greer, who was traded from Saskatchewan in the offseason. “Two tough ones earlier in the year – we were close but didn’t come out with a win. We’re fighting for that first-place spot so this is a big win.”
Colorado scored a season-high five power-play goals. Crawford’s second assist of the night was the 500th of his career. He finished with three goals and three assists.
Goaltender Dillon Ward recorded his career-best eighth win of the season, making 46 saves in the process. Greer was good for a hat trick and three helpers. Chris Wardle set a single-game career-high with four assists.
The Mammoth moved to within one game of the Rush in the West standings, and the team’s eighth win of the year is tied for the most in the NLL.
Players wore helmets that were designed by pediatric cancer patients at Rocky Mountain Hospital for Children. Each child whose art was featured received a helmet from the team.
Featured Image Credit: Colorado Mammoth