The crowd response stemming from pre-game ceremonies, celebrating the Colorado Mammoth’s 2006 National Lacrosse League championship, was surprisingly surpassed Saturday night by a spectacular performance by Brian Langtry.
Langtry delivered the third sock trick in the Mammoth’s fifth year, burying six goals, including a pair within 20 seconds, to give Colorado the lead for good in a 20-15 victory over the Rochester Knighthawks.
After nine ties and five lead changes, Langtry’s goals swung the momentum for Colorado in the NLL season opener before 15,670.
After a first half featuring a combined 23 goals, scoring slowed considerably in the second half until Langtry took over.
Moments after Mike Law’s left-handed “Air Gait” goal was waved off for breaking the crease, Langtry scored his fifth goal by diving in front of the crease and shooting around Rochester goalie Mike Miron for a 16-15 edge with 9:43 left.
Before fans had time to peel off their socks in anticipation, Langtry struck again from the middle for a 17-15 advantage as hundreds of socks were tossed by fans onto the floor, never mind the cold walk to their cars awaiting them.
With 7:17 left, Rochester’s Marshall Abrams was sent to the penalty box for five minutes and the rout was on as forward Dan Carey sandwiched two goals around one by Colorado native Law. The 20 goals set a Mammoth single-game record.
Langtry’s performance, which included three assists, began with a trio of goals to give Colorado a 3-1 lead.
A few minutes earlier, he and the rest of the team received their NLL championship rings from general manager Steve Govett, alongside NLL commissioner Jim Jenkins, and the title banner was raised to the rafters.
Mammoth fans, who own the reputation as the loudest in the league, were aided by a cowbell giveaway and continued their bond with the players, all of whom work regular jobs during the week and play lacrosse on weekends for minimal pay. The exploits of 2006 were shown via a video montage, culminating with players holding the trophy in a group hug.
Rochester (0-1) answered Colorado’s fast start and, after a turnover by Colorado rookie Nenad Gajic, the Knighthawks gained the last possession of the first quarter.
After a timeout, Scott Evans scored with one-tenth of a second left on a hard shot that Gee Nash initially stopped, ending the first quarter with a 7-6 Colorado lead.
Rochester continued to surge, scoring twice to open the second quarter and with Nash not looking strong against either long shot, coach Gary Gait pulled him for backup Chris Levis with 13:27 left in the period.
Levis made a few point-blank saves and Colorado’s Josh Sims was stoned by Miron on a pair of breakaways. Ben Prepchuk finally ended the visitors’ 5-0 run with a rebound and hard-charging follow shot and Sims finished from the crease off a pinpoint feed from Langtry.
Prepchuk scored again on a power play, but the Knighthawks tied it for the fourth time, 10-10, and took the lead on a power play moments later.
Langtry’s fourth goal held up, thanks to Levis’ stick save against a diving shot by Chris Schiller on a cherry-pick pass. With 11 seconds left, the Mammoth regained the ball and Gait called time out to set up a play and pull Levis for an extra attacker. With 1.7 seconds left, Gavin Prout fired a laser from 22 feet for a 12-11 halftime lead.
Prior to Langtry’s last goals, Sims scored a short-handed goal on an amazing hustle play.
Deflecting a pass while on the penalty-killing unit, Sims beat Stephen Hoar in a full-floor race to the ball, used a spin move to pick it up cleanly and with Hoar draped on him got off a shot that Miron couldn’t stop to tie it for the seventh time, 13-13.
