COLORADO MAMMOTH (8-2) @ TORONTO ROCK (5-4)
FRI. FEB. 20 | 5:30 P.M. MT | TD COLISEUM
ALT 2 | ESPN+ | NLL+
Seven straight wins for the Burgundy Boys means the Colorado Mammoth are now 8-2 on the season, fresh off setting a new franchise record for the longest win streak in Mammoth history. Solidifying the streak Saturday night in Denver, Colorado secured a 16-8 victory over the (5-4) Toronto Rock just 24 hours after defeating the (4-5) Las Vegas Desert Dogs on the road, 13-12. What a crazy, wild back-to-back weekend it was it. Knowing how hard it is to earn one win on any given weekend makes the team’s 2-for-2 sweep that much sweeter.
It would’ve been easy for the squad to show up at Ball Arena and give a good effort, with the reality of the situation lending itself to the Rock, who had enjoyed smooth travel and a typical approach leading into Saturday’s game. That’s not Head Coach Pat Coyle’s style, though, by any means. Coyle had the boys ready to go – Specifically praising a few players really turned the dials up a few notches after having less than perfect showings Friday night in Vegas.
It was a true team effort once again as the team produced 13-plus goals for the fourth-consecutive contest. Yet, it was Andrew Kew who starred in the show once again courtesy of another 10-point (4g, 6a) night from the talented scorer. Commanding the offense, finding twine and staying involved in the physical aspects of screens and seals, he’s quite literally doing it all as the main touchpoint for the Mammoth offense. Will Malcom enjoyed a fine night himself, racking up seven points (2g, 5a) working the right side of the offense alongside Kew. Across the set, Jack Hannah (1g, 5a) remains lethal as both a flying finisher and space-creating monster, but it was another encouraging step forward for rookie forward Braedon Saris (3g, 4a) which may serve as the ultimate headline, as the No. 5 overall selection in the 2025 NLL Entry Draft is starting to look a lot more like a capable scorer than a youngster embracing his first reps at the professional level. Dylan McIntosh (2g, 1a) and Owen Rahn (1g, 1a) got in on the fun too.
However, it was a pair of conversions from rookie faceoff specialist Matthew Paolatto, not to mention a shiny 23-for-28 record at the dot, which earned the former field talent a spot in Saturday’s postgame press conference. “Matty” as the boys call him put forth one hell of an effort from the opening whistle. Needing just seven seconds to open the game’s scoring, the rookie FOGO won the draw and instantly buried a goal past Troy Holowchuk en route to setting the tone early at the LOUD HOUSE. Following it up late in the third quarter with a second score, also in draw-winning, cage-darting fashion, he continues to solidify himself as one of the potential steals of the draft, as Mammoth General Manager Brad Self and company welcomed him to the organization in the third round (44th overall) of last fall’s draft. Pacing the team with 14 loose balls during a career-best night in several categories, he’s worth keeping an eye on anytime he’s on the turf. And lately, Coyle hasn’t been afraid to use him on defense, either.
One game after joining the league’s Top 5 ranks when it comes to goaltender minutes played, Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward continued his MVP-caliber campaign by stopping 37-of-44 throughout nearly 52 minutes played before youngster Nathan Whittom assumed the pipes for the final eight minutes of action, ending the night with eight saves on nine shots on goal. This was one of those games that wasn’t “perfect” but the team was able to do enough in all three phases of the game to get the job done. Anytime a team can score 16 goals while allowing just eight is an encouraging sign. Doing it with the pressure of a franchise-setting scenario on the line during the second half of a back-to-back makes it even more impressive. Tripling down, it’s quite the statement win considering the offensive firepower the Rock wield.
Veteran Mark Matthews was the only man to amass five points (2g, 3a) in Toronto’s loss, with youthful talents in CJ Kirst (0g, 2a) and Owen Hiltz (1g, 0a) essentially invisible on the scoresheet. Rock captain Challen Rogers had four points (3g, 1a), including a hat trick, as the team’s lone true momentum provider. Troy Holowchuk got the start for the Rock, but after a productive opening quarter for Colorado, found himself swapping in and out with Steve Orleman throughout the contest. Holowchuk stopped 23-of-32 while Orleman stopped 22-of-29.
Looking back at the Mammoth’s most recent competition generally provides an opportunity for fans to catch up or re-live the action. But with Colorado preparing to head east for an instant rematch against Toronto Friday, Feb. 20 at TD Coliseum, there’s plenty to take away from the first game of the home-and-home series.
But it’s hard not to reflect on the physicality that seemed present early and often Saturday. Mammoth defenseman Tim Edwards took a nasty hit over the middle, which sparked some controversial conversation throughout lacrosse Twitter. Several shots to Jalen Chaster, TJ Comizio and folks later caused Warren Jeffrey to make sure the Rock were aware he was on the roster and willing to defend his teammates. Jeffrey was in the middle of several scrums for the duration, but no formal fights were registered. Whether that pattern changes come Friday remains to be seen, but we’d expect the physical play to continue in Week 13. The key for Colorado is to stay disciplined when the drama presents itself, as the team did a good job of during Saturday’s beatdown. Billy Hostrawser was patrolling, checking and interacting as often as possible, so he and Elijah Gash, who laid the hit on Edwards, would be top of the list when it comes to parties both willing to dance and worthy of receiving a few shots, themselves.
Despite losing Saturday night in Denver, the Toronto Rock remain ranked No. 5 overall entering Friday’s showdown, with an even 98 goals for and 98 goals against. Sitting at 5-4 overall, matching the (5-4) San Diego Seals, Toronto has plenty of time to turn things around following its snoozy performance at Ball Arena. But the team will need to increase its goal-scoring counts with veteran Nick Rose away from the team due to injury. There’s a chance he’s able to suit up this weekend, but regardless, the Rock have only managed to score more than 13 goals once this season, which came during a 17-10 win over the (6-5) Ottawa Black Bears.
Across the turf, the Mammoth remain ranked No. 2 overall, trailing only the (9-1) Saskatchewan Rush, who are rocking an impressive eight-game win streak of their own. Up to 120 goals for through 10 games, Colorado is averaging an even 12 goals per game, second to only the Rush, who have 123. Tied for the third-fewest goals allowed at 91, Dillon Ward and company are relinquishing just 9.1 conversions against per contest. Both ends of the floor are operating at above average rates. And with Paolatto up to 152-for-247 (62%) on the season, not to mention a healthy transition presence thanks to several capable ball-handling defensemen, the middle of the floor has been controlled by Colorado more games than not.
With just four contests scheduled in Week 13, the Mammoth and Rock will kick off the slate at 5:30 p.m. MT Friday before seeing the (4-5) Buffalo Bandits and (6-3) Vancouver Warriors duke it out at 8 p.m. to round out the opening night of action. The (3-6) Halifax Thunderbirds will face the San Diego Seals during Saturday’s lone showcase, while the (9-1) Saskatchewan Rush travel to play the (2-7) Philadelphia Wings Sunday afternoon. Philadelphia has only beaten two teams this season: the three-time defending NLL Champion Bandits and the Colorado Mammoth, arguably the hottest team in the league. So, while the odds are likely in the Rush’s favor, Mammoth fans would be wise to tune into Sunday’s game to see what kind of effort a fellow contender in Saskatchewan can bring to the table while cheering on a potential upset from the Wings.
While it’s too early to know how the postseason picture will ultimately shape up, it’s seeming more and more plausible that Colorado will return to the playoffs for the first time since the 2022-23 campaign in which the Mammoth lost to the Bandits in the NLL Finals. Two-straight seasons out of postseason contention seemed like forever, but if the boys can continue to play loose and free, the possibilities are essentially endless.
All we can say is that if Andrew Kew, Will Malcom and company continue to appear within league-leading charts, Colorado is going to have a chance to make some noise come this spring’s March to May.
Colorado Mammoth League Leaders
Goals: 25 – Andrew Kew (T5th)
Points: 53 – Will Malcom (T10th)
Shorthanded Goals: 2 – Will Malcom/Dylan McIntosh (T3rd)
Loose Balls: 89 – Robert Hope/Matthew Paolatto (T5th)
Blocked Shots: 16 – Robert Hope (2nd)
Penalty Minutes: 22 – Warren Jeffrey (11th)
Faceoff Wins: 152 – Matthew Paolatto (3rd)
Faceoff Win Percentage: 62 – Matthew Paolatto (5th)
Saves: 399 – Dillon Ward (4th)
Save Percentage: .824 – Dillon Ward (2nd)
Goals-Against Average: 9.08 – Dillon Ward (2nd)
Goaltender Wins: 8 – Dillon Ward (2nd)
Pacing the squad with the most points in each of the Mammoth’s last four contests (including 10, 11, 6 and 9-point efforts), Kew has been absolutely on fire since returning from an early-season injury. Some of his shots may look effortless, but it sure seems like he’s giving his all for his new team. Up to 48 points (25g, 23a) despite dressing for just six games, he’s averaging eight points per game as one of the NLL’s most efficient and lethal shooters. He’s connecting with teammates left and right, but it’s his ability to fill nets which has ultimately lifted this team to become a true contender. It’s very hard to record more goals than assists in a pass-heavy sport like lacrosse. Yet, Kew has two more goals to his name than helpers entering Week 13, ranked tied for the fifth-most amongst all NLL talent, again, in just six games.
Will Malcom remains the only man ahead of Kew when it comes to scoring figures, up to 53 points (20g, 33a) in nine games played. Jack Hannah might not be ranked in Top 10 territory, having played in just seven games while adapting to his fresh squad, but he’s quickly become the team’s third-ranked scorer courtesy of his 42 points (11g, 31a).
Mammoth offensive output has been through the roof lately, but it’s goaltender Dillon Ward who deserves just as much credit as he continues to rank in the Top 5 of all goaltending stats. If Head Coach Pat Coyle hadn’t pulled the veteran in a few games this season to allow Nathan Whittom some opportunity, he’d be ranked Top 2 in each of his position’s notable marks.
Mammoth fans can expect a scrappy showdown Friday night out east. Toronto will want to get out of the loss column while evening the home-and-home series and maintaining a spot in the Top 8. Colorado will be a bit more rested this time around, albeit forced to travel a bit farther than Las Vegas.
Get in the Game
Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude Sports and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Friday’s Feb. 20 showdown against the Toronto Rock can be viewed locally on Altitude 2 and streamed live on ESPN+ and NLL+.
Mammoth fans can keep an eye on coloradomammoth.com and Colorado Mammoth social media channels for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2025-26 NLL season.
Limited tickets remain for Colorado’s approaching home contest against the San Diego Seals Feb. 27, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP at the LOUD HOUSE!
