DENVER – If it seemed like this season’s Colorado Mammoth Training Camp came and went quicker than most years, we’d agree, as the burgundy boys have officially put the final touches on their ramp-up sessions as they look to rest up and prepare for the team’s LOUD HOUSE Home Opener.
Set to host a former regional rival in the Vancouver Warriors Nov. 29 as Ball Arena welcomes professional lacrosse back to Downtown Denver, the team has spent the past four weekends crossing Ts and dotting Is while General Manager Brad Self and the Mammoth coaching staff have continued to shift the personnel puzzle around piece by piece.
The squad’s official roster for the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) quickly approaching 2024-25 season is expected to be announced Monday afternoon, with 21 Active Roster spots and four Practice Player opportunities available for Colorado and each of the league’s 14 units.
With a few guys currently designated to the Injured Reserve List and/or Physically Unable to Perform List, there are only a few cuts expected to take place ahead of the team’s opening night showcase.
Which will mark the final takeaways from this season’s preseason ramp-ups and workouts.
And while it seems like this edition of camp may have flown by for those of us watching from afar, the reality is that each and every one of those reps, battles, scrimmages and beyond were testing both our guys and the men they were competing against. Each one of those bumps, bruises and battle wounds stack up on the athletes who have been enduring them.
Naturally, that didn’t stop any of the team’s 31 guys who gave it a go from leaving it all on the line. Hell, a few guys may have potentially lost opportunities to compete for a bit of the season with how hard they went. These were practice and preparatory games and preseason contests – But they sure didn’t feel like them.
Going toe-to-toe with some established rivals like the San Diego Seals and aforementioned Vancouver Warriors will do that to you, though!
Warming up sticks, logging some sincere stretching and enduring some running tests and medical evaluations back in the opening days of Training Camp, the team spent the opening weekend of “welcome back” action sharing hugs, stories and pictures of their families, as always. Eventually turning things up a notch with some on-turf sessions and a little 4-on-4 fun, Colorado enjoyed its one and only weekend in beautiful Lakewood, Colorado within its home base of Foothills Fieldhouse.
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Loading up the bags and heading north of the border in Week 2, the team travelled to the greater Northwest with its sights set on Vancouver, B.C., where the Vancouver Warriors awaited. Knocking out some league media obligations with ESPN/TSN crew shoots, the team logged a set of practices Friday and Saturday before lacing ‘em up for the first time since April.
Eventually dropping a 16-9 final during their scrimmage against the Warriors, several of the team’s regulars were allotted some rest while Self and company got a look at some of the team’s younger guys and roster bubble possibilities. Dillon Ward shined in net during the first half, allowing just four goals. However, it was the important reps the team’s pair of rookie netminders in Nathan Whittom and Ethan Robertson recorded which may have been the biggest building blocks on display.
Forward Tyson Gibson led the team with three goals, while fellow righty Zed Williams managed a pair of markers. Sophomore scorer Ben McDonald, Thomas Vela, Connor Robinson and speedy transition talent in Jalen Chaster rounded out one-goal efforts for Colorado in a game that saw a 16-9 final in favor of Vancouver.
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When Week 3 rolled around, it was time to head west as the San Diego Seals hosted Colorado for a few outdoor reps in California. It may not have felt like box lacrosse outside with the sun beating down before seeing the “Friday Night Lights” kick on. But having attended two of the league’s last three NLL Finals showcases, the Mammoth are used to bright lights.
That wouldn’t stop things from getting a bit scrappy, either, as both squads made it clear this would be another physical battle. Ending the opening half with a 3-1 score, Ward allowed just three goals during his 30 minutes of service. Notable back-enders including Robert Hope, Tyler Garrison and Owen Down were held out of this game, but the team still managed to hold the Seals to low totals.
Robertson assumed the net in the third quarter while Whittom occupied it in the fourth as the youngsters got their second taste of competing against NLL-level talent (at just 19 years old!)
Will Malcom, Vince D’Alto, Owen Rahn, Zed Williams, Tyson Gibson and Connor Robinson each recorded a tally in the eventual 11-6 final. Similar to Vancouver, several starters were in and out of action, playing halves or quarters instead of the full 60.
Wrapping things up out east as the team travelled to Oakville, Ontario Nov. 22-24, Colorado again got some preseason practice reps in before embracing a head-to-head showdown with the Rochester Knighthawks.
Continuing to give guys up and down the team’s Training Camp roster a last look, Dillon Ward held down the net for the first three quarters, allowing just six goals in 45 minutes. Rookie Nathan Whittom, who’s likely to get the first shot as Ward’s backup, assumed the net in the fourth, eventually letting in three markers in the final 15.
After dropping the 11-9 final to Rochester, Colorado officially ended its preseason slate with an 0-3 record. But with forward Connor Kelly coming to life with a hat trick Saturday night and both Will Malcom and Zed Williams recording two goals each, a few of the Mammoth’s main offensive producers came to life in this year’s finale skirmish. Forward Connor Robinson and defenseman Sean Kriwokon added tallies in respective fashion as Colorado dropped the two-goal decision.
Fans can stay tuned to coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, transactions and all things #TuskUp! And be sure to secure your tickets to this weekend’s LOUD HOUSE Home Opener Nov. 29 against the Vancouver Warriors!
