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Colorado Closes Out Home and Home Series with 13-10 Loss in Albany

DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth closed out its home and home series against the Albany FireWolves Saturday evening inside MVP Arena during a 13-10 loss, thus falling to 4-3 on the season.

Mammoth forward Eli McLaughlin opened the contest’s scoring three minutes into the game in isolation fashion. Sprinting toward the net and then hesitating, taking a step outside before recommitting inside, he beat FireWolves’ goaltender Doug Jamieson to grant Colorado an early 1-0 lead.

Rolling high around the set, Ryan Lee fired a shot while on the move to make it two-straight for Colorado as the squad’s quarterback took things into his own hands with three minutes to play in the opening quarter. The conversion marked Lee’s eighth of the season.

The scoreboard read 2-0 at the conclusion of the first fifteen minutes as the FireWolves were blanked in the first quarter for the first time this season.

Three minutes into the second quarter, however, DU product Ethan Walker lurked from behind Ward’s net before establishing an angle and firing a low-angled bid past the All-Pro netminder, bringing his FireWolves unit back within one.

Taking advantage of some extra space allotted via a pick from Thomas Vela, Will Malcom notched his first of the night as he earned his team another two-goal lead just two minutes later, creating a 3-1 ball game.

Battling back while converting on the power play, forward Alex Simmons netted a shortside tally, his thirteenth on the season, to bring Albany back within one once more.

That wouldn’t stop Lee from staying hot, netting his second of the night just 64 seconds later as he established a 4-2 lead for the away team. His ninth of the season, it’s been good seeing Lee continue to take steps forward from his lower-body injury while remaining an integral part of Colorado’s offensive approach.

Simmons, who wanted a second of his own, was left off Colorado’s defensive radar for a moment, which quickly led to the youngster scoring, beating Ward while tiptoeing along the crease.

Responding with a power-play conversion, the team completed a tic-tac-toe play, which began behind the net, to the right side before seeing Malcom slam the effort home on the left, as the Mammoth were back on top 5-3 with less than two to play in the half.

Defenseman Mike Byrne finished off a give-and-go transition effort with just 42 seconds remaining on the clock, thus getting Albany back within one to close out the first half.

Just 22 seconds out of the break, Tye Kurtz got on the board en route to tying the game at 5-5 as he took off towards the crease and eventually beat Ward as he soared across the paint.

Making some space on his own while operating at the top of the set, Connor Robinson sent a cross-body shot flying towards the net, which found its way past Jamieson as the good guys were back in front two minutes later.

Up to ten on the season and three on the night, Lee sent a patented Leezer Lazer flying past Jamieson as he reinstated a two-goal lead for Colorado and completed his hat trick.

Finishing his own hat trick on the evening, Malcom put his wheels to work, speeding past a pair of defensemen before launching a bouncer past Jamieson, thus making it an 8-5 game as Colorado’s momentum was evident.

Earning a far side bid, his first of the night, FireWolves’ finisher Dyson Williams logged one in resilient fashion to bring Albany back within two midway through the third period.

Scoring his first career NLL goal, forward Carson Moyer navigated his way around the defensive set before sending an awkward yet effective shot past Ward while getting his FireWolves back within one, which would serve as the final goal of the quarter. The scoreboard read 8-7 ahead of the final 15 minutes of play.

Tying the game at eights, Walker made it three in a row as he beat Ward with a long-range bid four minutes into the final quarter.

Ending the run, Connor Kelly completed a nice two-man look after accepting a lob pass from Lee and slamming the rock into the net as he regained the lead for Colorado just 30 seconds later.

Simmons ensured the game would be knotted once more, darting around a pair of Colorado defensemen and completing his hat trick midway through the fourth.

Earning Albany’s first lead of the night, John Piatelli rolled toward the crease after setting a pick and fired a quick strike past Ward to grant the FireWolves a 10-9 lead. Two in a row for Piatelli meant the Mammoth suddenly had to dig themselves out of a late two-goal deficit on the road.

Representing his game-high fourth goal of the night, Malcom sent a fiery power-play look past Jamieson as the Mammoth battled back to within one late.

But Simmons wanted a fourth himself, reinstating his squad’s two-goal lead with just two and a half minutes remaining in the contest.

An empty-netter from Nicholas Volkov would eventually solidify the 13-10 final as the Mammoth fell to 4-3 on the season.

Ryan Lee paced Mammoth scorers with 7 points (3g, 4a), while Will Malcom led the team with four goals amidst his six points (4g, 2a). Eli McLaughlin (1g, 2a), Connor Robinson (1g, 2a) and Connor Kelly (1g, 2a) were each limited to three points while Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 44-of-56 in the loss.

Colorado will now prepare to close out its two-game road trip, drawing a showdown with the Rochester Knighthawks next weekend on Saturday, Jan. 25

Set to return to Ball Arena for a Y2K Night matchup against the Toronto Rock following a clash with the Knighthawks, the squad will once again embrace the LOUD HOUSE and LOUDEST fans in lacrosse on Saturday, Feb. 1. Limited Tickets remain for Colorado’s Y2K Night at the LOUD HOUSE, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!

Colorado Mammoth Pro Lacrosse Team