For 3 1/2 quarters, the Colorado Mammoth tried to shake off the Calgary Roughnecks on Sunday night.
Through nine ties, eight lead changes, one spectacular hit and a slew of penalties, the bitter rivals sparred.
Finally, Colorado stood alone, capturing a 15-12 triumph before 17,911 at the Pepsi Center. The victory avenged the Mammoth’s only loss of the season, maintained a 5-0 home record and increased its National Lacrosse League-leading record to 8-1 on the strength of a flurry of exceptional plays.
Rookie Jamie Shewchuk started the spree, catching a pass from Brian Langtry and flicking a low scoop shot – almost in the same motion – for a 13-11 lead with 9:31 remaining.
A minute later, Colorado erased a mistake – too many men on the floor – with Dan Carey’s short-handed goal for its first three-goal lead, 14-11.
Goaltender Gee Nash came through next, kick-saving a close-range attempt by Calgary scoring leader Lewis Ratcliff, and the Mammoth raced to its offensive zone, where Shewchuk scored again off a pass from Carey to pad the lead to 15-11.
“We just buckled down and focused,” coach Gary Gait said. “We talk about it all the time: ‘Don’t trade goals, get a stop and get it done on the other end.’ We kept fighting back, and it finally happened for us.”
Defenseman Dave Stilley, who had the first two-goal game of his 10-year career, saw an intense look in Nash’s eyes at the start of the fourth quarter.
“We knew in the fourth quarter that we had to knock them out,” Stilley said. “And Gee was very determined. He made a couple really nice saves on some of their key shooters, like (Kaleb) Toth and Ratcliff. We knew it would be a heavyweight battle, back-and-forth, and we were mentally prepared for that. Gee stepped up when we needed it the most.”
Nash, who ranks second in NLL save percentage, finished with 35 stops.
Team captain Gavin Prout also led by example, scooping up several crucial groundballs and delivering a ferocious hit on former Mammoth forward Shawn Cable that knocked Cable’s helmet off.
“Gavin’s hit was another turning point,” Stilley said of the hit, which drew a penalty but inspired the Mammoth.
“I think we backed off a little bit after we sent the message that we were ready to battle,” Stilley said. “You can’t be in the penalty box all game. We’re strongest when we’re 5-on-5.”
Seven players scored for the Mammoth, led by team scoring leader Carey’s three goals and four assists, three goals and three assists by Shewchuk and two goals and four assists each by Prout and local schoolteacher Langtry.
