Goaltender Nathan Whittom Takes Another Step in Second Season with Mammoth

DENVER – For a kid who’s been forced to live in the shadows of All-Pro netminder Dillon Ward in each of his first two professional campaigns, Mammoth goaltender Nathan Whittom remains one of the most positive personalities on Colorado’s squad.

It’s never easy seeing someone get start after start at the position at which you’re looking to make a name for yourself at. But in reality, Whittom began making a name for himself years before he was paired as Ward’s backup.

And, honestly, there aren’t many better netminders a young talent like Whittom could learn from. Like, quite literally not many, as Ward continues to climb all-time NLL rankings while remaining atop the perch of Colorado Mammoth goaltending records of all sorts.

While the 6-3, 275-lb. netminder has only gotten a small taste of NLL action throughout his first two seasons with Colorado since being selected by the Mammoth in the second round (21st overall) of the 2024 NLL Entry Draft, he’s generally shined when called upon.

Which, again, with one of the best to ever do it ahead of him on the depth chart, hasn’t been much.

But across his 118+ minutes played last season, which equates to roughly two games worth of play time, he surrendered just 16 goals against, leaving him with a respectable 8.13 goals-against average during his sophomore campaign.

Having stopped 83 of 99 shots faced, he sported a .838 save percentage and 1-1 record on the season. A majority of his work last season came during a pair of contests against the San Diego Seals (36:18) and the Buffalo Bandits (43:23), with “Whit” earning the first win of his career during a 14-12 victory over the Seals – a game in which he stopped 25 of 29 shots against.

Relinquishing just six goals to the then defending NLL Champion Bandits despite manning the net for three quarters of the contest a few games later should’ve given fans a taste of just how prepared the young netminder is, has been and will be leading into his third indoor session.

Hell, he might be the franchise’s next Dillon Ward-like figure.

Mammoth Head Coach Pat Coyle and company see him excel at practice all the time – and he’ll likely be up for another set of challenges when this fall’s 2026 Colorado Mammoth Training Camp starts up in just a few short months!

Knowing Ward will only need a few shots to transition from his summer stint with the California Redwoods of the Premier Lacrosse League (PLL) typically suggests backups like Whittom will be able to shake off some summer cobwebs and get back into the swing of things.

Set to turn 21 at the end of August 2026, he took yet another step forward in his goaltending journey throughout year two and has plenty of potential to unlock.

Originally viewed as a bit of a stretch pick when the organization selected him where they did, he’s quickly reminding squads around the league how comforting it can be to have a young lad waiting – learning – in the wings. All while proving he deserves a shot to start in the near future.

Mammoth fans can stay tuned to coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, transactions and beyond!