Scores / Schedule
DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth dropped a 15-10 final to the visiting Buffalo Bandits Saturday night during an action-packed Rumble at the LOUD HOUSE showdown.
Falling to 8-8 on the season, Colorado will need to win at least one of its final two games for a chance to qualify for the approaching postseason, with the Saskatchewan Rush next coming to town Sunday, April 13 during the inaugural Tusk Up Games.
On a night where Dillon Ward recorded his 182nd game played while becoming the franchise’s all-time leader in on-turf sessions, the All-Pro stopped 44-of-58 shots faced. But it wasn’t enough to keep the likes of Dhane Smith (2g, 5a), Josh Byrne (2g, 8a) and company from the W.
None other than Dhane Smith got the contest’s scoring started almost exactly five minutes in. Taking the ball right up the floor, he launched an overhanded strike which beat Ward and earned the defending NLL Champions an early lead.
Making it two in a row for the visiting squad, Kyle Buchanan jogged into the set before darting outside and around his defender. Getting inside quickly, he stretched across the crease and finished far side as the Bandits were up 2-0 just over two minutes later.
Finishing a transition effort with 3:17 to play in the opening quarter, Buffalo’s Josh Byrne accepted a pass mid-turf before turning on the burners and storming his team into a three-goal run.
Nothing a little Leezer Lazer couldn’t solve, as No. 16 started high and rolled low, firing a bit of a moving jump shot on net. Beating veteran netminder Matt Vinc low, the alternate captain made it a two-goal game with less than a minute to play in the first 15.
Scoring just his fifth goal of the season, Bandits’ scorer Clay Scanlan was left open outside the crease. Receiving the rock and finding twine after sending a series of dekes Ward’s way, Scanlan was heating up and Buffalo was back in front by three 3:37 into the second.
Back in the lineup for the first time in a month, Connor Kelly ate some top ched as he rallied the Mammoth back within two midway through the quarter.
Dancing across the crease before slamming his second of the night home, Scanlan established Buffalo a 5-2 advantage with just over three minutes remaining in the opening half as the low-scoring bout continued, albeit in the Bandits’ favor.
All Flyin’ Ryan Lee does is score goals lately, though, as he finessed an awkward yet effective side-armed sling past Vinc a minute later to reignite some passion inside the LOUD HOUSE.
Two in a row for the good guys, defenseman Jordan Gilles completed a transition effort by peeling between a pair of defensemen and finding twine with just under 40 seconds in the first half.
At the end of the opening half, the scoreboard read 5-4 in favor of Buffalo.
Starting the half with a bit of a next level magic trick, Connor Robinson fired high but his shot made contact with Vinc. However, in magnetic fashion, the ball began darting toward the net, eventually crossing the line and granting a tie game nearly three minutes into the third.
Just a minute and a half later, however, Chase Fraser reinstated Buffalo a one-goal advantage by sneaking one past Ward as the league’s top-ranked team was ahead once more.
Hat trick status was achieved for Lee roughly two minutes later as he fired from afar. Locking another Leezer Lazer in on his target, he rolled to his right en route to firing a slick far side bid past Vinc. With the game tied at sixes, all 10,788 fans in attendance were LOUD.
Finishing a back door quick stick effort during a power-play opportunity midway through the period, Buchanan netted his second of the night as the orange guys climbed back on top.
Continuing to spread the love a bit, it was Smith’s turn. Operating the two-man game, he faked a pass before establishing position inside and beating Ward.
Three-straight for Buffalo, Ian MacKay was left alone directly outside the crease, where he awaited the rock. Accepting the ball, he crept low and sent an odd shot past Ward as the Bandits cruised to a 9-6 lead.
Showing off his dancing moves with the Baby Shark tunes going strong, “Wild Bill” Will Malcom put his defender in the spin cycle before saucing one past Vinc with less than two to play in quarter three.
But the resilience of the defending Champs was on full display once more, as the Bandits’ MacKay finished an odd man three-on-two rush a minute later.
Letting it rip from distance, Byrne pulled up from the Ball logo and fired successfully while registering his second conversion and eighth point of the night. Creating an 11-7 lead heading into the final 15, momentum was favoring Buffalo late.
The beginning of the fourth belonged to the Bandits just the same, as MacKay completed his hat trick a mere 27 seconds into the final frame.
Now a fourth-consecutive marker for the away team, defenseman Dylan Robinson logged a transition tally as the Bandits were up 13-7 1:54 into the fourth.
Restoring some roar to the LOUD HOUSE, CK40 rolled high and fired even higher, notching his second top-shelf tally of the night. Hope, if not energy, was in the air.
Buchanan wasn’t going away and neither were any part of the Bandits, as the forward earned his hat trick feat 4:15 into the final session. It looked like Ward was going to get a piece of it but the ball found twine while enforcing another six-goal deficit for Colorado.
Battling back in their own right, the Mammoth made it a game once more as a dunking effort from Malcom was deemed a good goal, thus bringing Colorado back within five with nine to play.
Two in a row and three overall for Wild Bill, No. 2 had a hat trick of his own as his stick was heating up. Vibes were high inside Ball Arena as the Burgundy Boys began to mount a comeback.
However, momentum eventually stalled out, with a rare Vinc goalie goal representing the contest’s next score nearly seven minutes later.
Which would solidify the 15-10 final as the Mammoth dropped a third-straight game during the March to May postseason push.
Ryan Lee paced Mammoth scorers with six points (3g, 3a), while Will Malcom (3g, 2a), Thomas Vela (0g, 4a), Connor Robinson (1g, 2a), Connor Kelly (2g, 0a) and Jordan Gilles (1g, 1a) rounded out offensive efforts.
Set to close out its 2024-25 home slate at the LOUD HOUSE, Colorado will conclude its two-game homestand Sunday, April 13 against the Saskatchewan Rush.
Limited Tickets remain for the Mammoth’s Tusk Up Games matchup against Saskatchewan, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!
The show wasn’t over after the 60 minutes of play, though, as Rocky Mountain Pro Wrestling and friends put on one HELL of a postgame spectacle. And wouldn’t you know it, Wooly made an appearance! With several thousand fans staying around for entertaining antics, it was another stellar Rumble despite the loss.
