2019-20 Dave Stilley Award Winner

With the conclusion of the 2019-20 season, the Colorado Mammoth is pleased to present the recipients of this year’s team awards. An annual occurrence, Mammoth players and staff vote for individual players who best exemplified the leadership and production qualities associated with each award and former Colorado Mammoth player in which the awards were named after. Mammoth players and staff have taken place in the tradition since the 2015 season.

The awards, named after former Mammoth greats, represent various aspects of the game, both on and off the floor. Team MVP, Best Offenseman, Best Defenseman, Teammate of the Year and Most Inspirational round out the traditional five awards. The annual regular season celebration concludes with the Fan Choice Award, a unique opportunity which encourages the Mammoth faithful to vote for their favorite player of the season.

Dave Stilley Award (Top Defenseman) – Robert Hope

“Hope is an elite defender who plays in all situations, checks the opponents best players and has one of the best lacrosse IQ’s I’ve ever seen,” Mammoth Defensive Coordinator Andrew McBride shared. “He is humble and hard working, all while elevating his teammates and demonstrating day-in and day-out what it takes to be one of the best defenders in the National Lacrosse League.”

Previous Winners:

• 2019 – Robert Hope
• 2018 – Robert Hope
• 2017 – Greg Downing
• 2016 – Dan Coates, Robert Hope
• 2015 – Dan Coates

Defenseman Robert Hope provided a combination of insightful leadership, strong work ethic and charismatic reassurance on the floor and in the locker room during his sixth season with the Mammoth. Ward’s last man back, a consistent presence on faceoff transitions, penalty-kill units and defensive sets, Hope demonstrated his physical yet intelligent approach to the game in recording team-best loose ball and caused turnover totals. As an assistant captain with fellow defenseman Joey Cupido and captain Dan Coates, Hope has become an identity of the Mammoth defense in earning his third-consecutive and fourth overall Dave Stilley Award.

Among Hope’s five double-digit loose ball performances, the defenseman recorded a season-best and team-high 16 loose balls Feb. 8 against Saskatchewan. The defensive performance featured a physical, low-scoring 9-7 final score between the divisional rivals.

The veteran’s 114 loose balls led the Mammoth for the third-consecutive season and tied for the third most in the NLL, while his 10 caused turnovers paced the team as well. Hope also led Mammoth defenders in average time played per game (22:34) and ranked seventh in the league among defenseman/transition player.