Gee Nash slamming Steve Holmes into the boards? Gavin Prout’s behind-the-net goal? Brian Langtry’s seeing-eye shot?
Highlights abound from Colorado’s 11-6 victory over San Jose before a sellout crowd of 18,007 Saturday night at Pepsi Center.
In contrast, the lasting image for the National Lacrosse League visitors is of Anthony Cosmo, their hefty goalkeeper, lying in a heap while Colorado’s Josh Sims fired at an empty net.
Cosmo had been trying to come off the floor for an extra attacker when Sims gained possession, leaving Cosmo tripping over his backpedaling feet.
The Stealth (1-2) stopped the Mammoth transition game but had no defense for the creative flow of Prout, Langtry and Dan Carey.
Prout wheeled around the net with his stick extended in his nonshooting left hand, flicking the ball in from a near impossible angle.
Langtry posted up Holmes with his back to the net, firing the ball into a thin slice of space between the post and Cosmo’s shoulder.
Carey scored one of his game-leading three goals from his belly and buried another after scooping up his own rebound and using two deft fakes to move Cosmo out of the way.
“We have a creative bunch on offense,” said Mammoth goaltender Nash. “They are an unselfish bunch. They really like to move the ball, and when you’re moving the ball, you’re going to see those highlight-reel goals.”
With Nash making 15 of his 29 saves in the fourth quarter with near-prophetic anticipation of shots, Colorado allowed only six goals for the first time since Jan. 5, 2007, and improved to 4-0.
“We didn’t really set a goal to be 4-0, but it is great being there,” said coach Bob McMahon. “Now, we start with the second quarter (of the season), and we have to keep pace with the other teams that are winning.”
After Prout used a pair of spin moves to free himself for a clear shot and a 6-3 lead early in the third quarter, San Jose never drew closer. Colin Doyle and Jeff Zywicki were limited to a combined one goal and four assists.
Notebook.
Langtry, the local schoolteacher, will go to class Monday with a broken index finger. It is not expected to force him out of the next game, Feb. 7, at Portland. . . . The NLL’s new ban on fighting took hold as San Jose defender Kyle Sorensen was ejected in the second quarter.
San Jose 1 1 3 1 — 6
Colorado 2 3 4 2 — 11
Scoring (goals-assists-points) — San Jose, Zywicki 1-2-3, Johnson 1-1-2, Wiles 1-1-2, Panarelli 1-0-1, Rosyski 1-0-1, Sedgwick 1-0-1, Doyle 0-2-2, Cosmo 0-1-1, Guindon 0-1-1.
Colorado, Carey 3-2-5, Prout 2-5-7, Prossner 2-1-3, Langtry 1-5-6, Shewchuk 1-1-2, Bloom 1-1-2, Sims 1-0-1, Coyle 0-2-2, Wulder 0-2-2.
Goalkeepers — San Jose, Cosmo 47 saves. Colorado, Nash 29 saves. A — 18,007.
