DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth secured an 11-7 victory over the Vancouver Warriors Friday night inside Ball Arena as the team celebrated its LOUD HOUSE Appreciation Night Home Opener before a packed and ROWDY crowd of supporters.
Down 6-1 at halftime, Colorado completed the epic comeback, scoring eight straight markers to end the game while Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward allowed just one goal throughout the final 30 minutes of play, stopping 35-of-42 on the night.
In-House public address announcer Big Rob had the LOUD HOUSE loud early and often during the rare Black Friday showcase, with Colorado looking dominant early as both squads shook off some opening night rust.
Unfortunately for more than 10,000 fans in attending during the team’s 2024-25 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season-opener, it was Vancouver who scored first, as forward Marcus Klarich got the visiting team on the board first, eventually beating Mammoth netminder Dillon Ward 2:44 seconds into the opening frame.
Just over four minutes later, a turnover in the Mammoth end led to an Owen Grant transition opportunity as the Warriors assumed a 2-0 lead. Grant quickly made it 3-0 as he made it evident his two-way skillset would be on display during the Week 1 exchange.
Recording his first goal of the season with his new No. 17 jersey, forward Thomas Vela got the good guys on the board with 61 seconds remaining in the first quarter. A play that started with a sincere hustle effort from fellow lefty Will Malcom, the Warriors were slowly drawn to the corner in hopes of establishing possession. Almost in basketball fashion, Colorado understood they had numbers net-side, eventually passing the ball around to find the open man before Vela received it and sent it flying past Vancouver goaltender Aden Walsh to make it a 3-1 ball game.
Accepting a dish from his teammate Keegan Bal near the top of the set, Warriors’ forward Adam Charalambides finished a step-down bid by finding twine, re-granting his Vancouver squad a three-goal advantage with five minutes to play in the first half.
Finishing his first-half hat trick in transition fashion once again, Grant slammed home a bouncer, which dramatically hit Ward’s post before deflecting off the back of the netminder then back into the net. The scoreboard read 5-1 with three minutes remaining in the second quarter.
With 26 seconds remaining on the clock, the Warriors ran a successful set play to leave just three seconds remaining while earning their sixth conversion of the evening. Netting his first of the night, Bal finished the last-chance effort to give his unit a five-goal lead heading into the break.
Moving the ball around the formation for a bit after the burgundy boys drew a penalty a few minutes into the second half, Connor Kelly cashed in on the power-play via a vicious laser from outside. Restoring some roar to the LOUD HOUSE, a sense of momentum could be felt throughout Ball Arena.
Just 59 seconds later, Zed Williams finished an insane dunk effort, beating Walsh with a quick strike while making his pair of opposing defensemen appear frozen is disbelief.
Getting Vancouver back on the scoring sheet less than a minute later to restore the team’s four-goal advantage, Bal finished a transition effort, beating Ward and making it a 7-3 contest four minutes into the third quarter.
CK40 wanted more though, as the right-handed menace filled the net for the second time on opening night, sending the LOUD HOUSE crowd into an uproar once more. Pulling up during a 3-on-2 opportunity en route to beating Walsh low, the veteran recorded his 100th career NLL goal midway through the third as he breathed some life back into the Colorado contingent.
Beating Walsh once again, Williams stormed toward the crease with one goal: scoring his second tally of the evening. And he did exactly that with less than three minutes to play in the third. Weaving his way through a trio of defenders before launching a fierce overhand shot on net while falling to the turf, he’s known as one of the most physical and skilled scorers in the game for a reason – Plays like that!
After allowing six goals in the first 30 minutes of play, Colorado limited Vancouver to just one goal in the third quarter as they ensured the final 15 would include plenty of drama.
Completing Colorado’s first hat trick effort of the season, Zed Williams finished off a pretty play by logging his third of the night. After Eli McLaughlin sent a cross-set pass to Kelly, Kelly slipped a sly little pass over both he and Williams’ defenders, allowing No. 28 to do the rest as Ball Arena exploded in approval. All of a sudden Vancouver’s lead was melted to one.
As the momentum continued to pour in Colorado’s favor, Jackson Suboch was called for a Delay of Game penalty, which quickly led to CK40 completing a hat trick of his own.
If it wasn’t LOUD before, it sure was now. Tie game at seven a side as it became clear the Mammoth weren’t going down without a fight.
Earning Colorado its first lead of the contest, Kelly went floating across the crease before slamming one past Walsh to make it an 8-7 game. If the first half belonged to the Warriors, the second belonged to Colorado, because the boys were buzzing. Five in a row wasn’t a coincidence. It was a message to the rest of the league that the home team simply needed some time to get things rolling. And rolling they were.
Getting back in on the fun with his second finish of the evening, Vela finished an odd-man rush with a low skipper, which bounced its way into the net as Colorado enjoyed its first two-goal advantage of the night.
Putting the final touches on the scoring sheet, defenseman Jordan Gilles filled an empty net with the 35th goal of his career as the LOUD HOUSE celebrated the three-goal lead. All was right in Ball Arena as fans seemed rather “thankful” for their hometown team.
Things got scrappy in the final seconds of the match, as Vancouver didn’t enjoy taking their L on opening night. Thankfully for the Warriors, conferences aren’t a thing anymore.
Taking a penalty shot for Colorado, Flyin Ryan Lee got on the scoresheet during his return to the lineup for the first time in more than 18 months. And the crowd, rightfully so, showered him with love.
With rookie goaltender Nathan Whittom making his NLL debut during the final moments of play, it’s safe to say it was a successful night on multiple fronts.
Connor Kelly paced Mammoth scorers with seven (4g, 3a) points, while Zed Williams (3g, 1a) and Will Malcom (0g, 4a) each contributed four points in the win. Eli McLaughlin (0g, 3a) rounded out primary scoring efforts with three points, while Thomas Vela (2g, 0a) earned his first two goals of the season. Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 35-of-42 on the night to earn his first victory of the year.
Having recorded the 319th assist of his career, McLaughlin officially assumed the No. 2 rank in Mammoth franchise record books with the second-most helpers in Colorado Mammoth history.
The Mammoth will now embrace a two-game road trip, set to visit the Las Vegas Desert Dogs Friday, Dec. 6 before doubling back west to take on the San Diego Seals inside Pechanga Arena Friday, Dec. 13. Limited Tickets remain for Colorado’s Dec. 21 Beach Night at the LOUD HOUSE showdown against the Halifax Thunderbirds, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!
