The Colorado Mammoth clinched a berth in the NLL postseason with a 14-12 win over the Calgary Roughnecks Saturday night at Ball Arena. The win snaps a two-game losing streak for the Mammoth as they improve to 10-5 on the season and 6-2 at home. Calgary falls to 4-10, likely out of the playoff picture barring late-season collapses by multiple teams.
Kew hat trick powers Mammoth to first half lead
Tyler Pace (2:50) got the Roughnecks on the board first, but Colorado responded with a three-goal run. Braedon Saris (6:58), Will Malcom (9:21), and Jack Hannah (14:00) gave the Mammoth a 3-1 lead. Pace scored again with three seconds left in the first quarter to cut the lead to 3-2. The Roughnecks took the lead early in the second on goals from Carter Cook (1:09) and Tanner Cook (1:47). Mammoth forward Andrew Kew took matters into his own hands for the next few minutes, netting a natural hat trick (4:11 power play; 5:32; 6:59) to put Colorado up 6-4. A transition goal from Kyle Pepper (9:51) cut the lead to 6-5, but Hannah (10:11) and Saris (13:41) each scored their second goal to put the Mammoth up 8-5 at the half.
Mammoth squander halftime lead but hold on to clinch playoff berth
The Roughnecks made quick work of their deficit early in the third quarter, starting with Tanner Cook’s second (0:09). Pace scored his hat trick goal (2:04), then his fourth when he converted a penalty shot awarded after a Mammoth player was whistled for closing their hand on the ball inside of the crease (5:22 power play). However, Calgary got into penalty trouble after tying the game, and Colorado capitalized. Power play goals from Hannah (6:27) and Kew (6:59), plus Malcom’s second (7:43) restored a three-goal lead for the Mammoth, 11-8. Brayden Mayea broke the run with a power play goal (12:15) to pull the Roughnecks within two going into the fourth quarter.
Malcom’s hat trick goal (1:46 fourth quarter) pushed Colorado’s lead back to three. Pace scored his fifth goal of the night (3:21), and Noah Manning (3:54 power play) narrowed the margin to one, 12-11. Kew then picked up his fifth goal of the night with a loose ball pickup on the doorstep to make it 13-11 Mammoth. Mayea (10:45) countered with a rocket to the top far side to close the gap to 13-12. But Calgary could not find the equalizer, and Kew tallied his sock trick with an empty net goal (14:59).
Other Stats Of Note
Roughnecks: Pace (5g, 4a); Tanner Cook (2g, 3a); Mayea (2g, 2a); Manning (1g, 1a); Carter Cook (1g, 1a); Pepper (1g)
Mammoth: Kew (6g, 4a); Hannah (3g, 3a); Malcom (3g, 3a); Saris (2g, 2a); Robert Hope (2a); Warren Jeffrey (2a)
Aden Walsh (CGY): 35 saves; Dillon Ward (COL): 47 saves
Power Play: CGY 2 for 5; COL 3 for 6
The victory gave Mammoth head coach Pat Coyle 100 victories for his career
