COLORADO MAMMOTH (3-2) @ HALIFAX THUNDERBIRDS (3-3)
FRI. JAN. 16 | 4:30 P.M. MT | SCOTIABANK CENTRE
ALT 2 | ESPN+ | NLL+
While it’s hard to understand how the idea of one man entering the lineup or locker room has the ability to completely transform a team’s energy and overall approach, that remains the reality for the (3-2) Colorado Mammoth since welcoming forward Jack Hannah to the organization in late December.
Suddenly, following a 1-2 start to the season, the Mammoth are soaring high on a two-game win streak, which represents the team’s first consecutive victories since March of 2025, nearly an entire year ago. Rocking a 2-1 road record through three contests is quite the encouraging sign just the same, as Colorado has combined for a 5-13 slate away from Ball Arena during the NLL’s past two campaigns.
And while Hannah hasn’t been the lone reason for Colorado’s early-season resurgence, he’s certainly provided a spark of electricity since donning his hometown threads. Sure, he only recorded two points (1g, 1a) during his second outing sporting burgundy and black. But when you consider how elite the Swarm’s defensive personnel is, not to mention the likes of goaltender Brett Dobson in net – plus the idea that only three members of the Mammoth managed two-plus points – it’s clear the DU product feels at home, now up to 10 points (3g, 7a) in his first two appearances with Colorado.
RELATED: Mammoth Advance to 3-2 Courtesy of 7-5 Win Over Georgia Swarm
Teaming up with Jalen Chaster (0g, 3a) and Will Malcom (1g, 1a) as the team’s three scorers to record more than one point, Hannah and company secured a clutch 7-5 win over Georgia Saturday night en route to evening the regular season series against the Swarm at 1-1. Receiving some secondary scoring efforts from a variety of offensive and defensive personnel via a few transition opportunities, plus some special teams support and even an empty-netter to seal the deal, Colorado wasn’t afraid to get creative in what became an epic defensive battle.
Allowing just five goals throughout 60 minutes in his first contest played since joining the elite 10K Club, Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 39-of-44 on the night as he earned his third win of the season. The veteran has looked good in each of the team’s first four games, even in the team’s original 12-3 loss to the Swarm. But a majority of those goals against were on the defense in front of Ward, rather than the goaltender himself, so it’s been good to see Colorado’s back-enders tighten things up.
Continuing to shine at the faceoff circle despite last weekend’s competition representing just his fifth professional appearance, rookie faceoff specialist Matthew Paolatto secured 11-of-16 (68.8%) draw opportunities Saturday night, helping Colorado own a 57-44 shots on goal advantage. Knowing the Mammoth have traditionally allowed more shots on goal than opponents suggests the youngster is truly making a difference when it comes to not only creating chances in the O-zone, but limiting the work Ward and company face game in and out.
After being featured in the final showdown of the league’s Week 7 NLL slate, the Mammoth are now set to star in the opening showcase of Week 8 action as Colorado prepares to close out its two-game road trip during a showdown against the (3-3) Halifax Thunderbirds Friday night at Scotiabank Centre.
Coming off a 1-1 weekend in which the purple and orange contingent participated in two separate games, in back-to-back fashion, the Thunderbirds are rocking a .500 record while lurking two spots behind the Mammoth in the league standings, currently ranked No. 6 to Colorado’s No. 4 spot to begin the weekend. Originally earning a tight 13-11 win over the (3-3) Ottawa Black Bears Friday night, Halifax’s Will MacLeod paced Thunderbirds scorers with six points (4g, 2a), while veteran forward Cody Jamieson joined him with a hat trick (3g, 0a) of his own. Clarke Petterson chipped in five points (2g, 3a) and the early 3-1 lead Halifax established in the opening quarter ended up being a big difference-maker in the scrappy two-goal contest. Netminding specialist Warren Hill shined bright, stopping 47-of-58 shots faced on the night.
After racking up 16 penalty minutes during Friday night’s win, the Thunderbirds returned to the scrapyard Saturday night, eventually posting 78 penalty minutes during a 16-9 loss to the (2-4) Oshawa FireWolves, who logged 62 penalty minutes themselves in what became quite the physical showcase. Most teams are going to be pretty tired playing a second game within the same weekend. How these teams had the energy to combine for triple-digit penalty minute totals remains to be seen, but the Thunderbirds have been known to get a little bit out of control over the years when it comes to discipline, so it’ll be interesting to see what version of the team shows up at The Nest Friday night.
Hill stopped 15-of-23 splitting time with Drew Hutchison during the second of two games, who allowed just eight goals on 34 shots faced. Randy Staats stepped up in the second showdown, providing six points (3g, 3a). Dawson Theede appeared on the scoresheet with four points (2g, 2a), while Petterson rounded out contributors to record more than two points, ending the contest with four points (2g, 2a) of his own. It’s never easy going 2-0 on a back-to-back weekend, but knowing Halifax still managed nine conversions on a down night suggests they’ll be good for at least that come Friday, especially knowing the team averages just under 10 per-game through six games completed.
Following a hot 2-0 start, in which the Thunderbirds claimed wins over the FireWolves (11-2) and Buffalo Bandits (9-8), Halifax has now dropped three of its last four contests. At the same time, two of said losses came to the league-leading (5-1) Saskatchewan Rush, including a tight 10-9 loss and another 11-7 loss the following weekend during a home-and-home series.
What’s all of that mean for the team’s odds of improving to 2-1 at home this season and 3-1 all-time against the Mammoth? Not much, honestly, as Mammoth fans, and supporters around the league, understand that each and every regular season matchup brings its own set of electricity, drama and beyond. What we do know is that each team is equipped with All-Pro goaltenders, plenty of veterans and a slew of youngsters who are eager to etch the next batch of accolades into their respective resumes.
Hill, himself, brings a 3-2 record into this weekend’s contest, alongside a 9.11 goals-against average and .832 save percentage, which rank fifth and third, respectively, amongst league leaders as the goaltender continues to serve as one of the NLL’s most reliable goaltending threats to date, both this season and throughout his decorated career.
When it comes to faceoffs, Jake Withers currently owns a 97-for-133 (73%) record on the year, good enough for the second-best faceoff win rate (trialing only San Diego’s Trevor Baptiste) while remaining tied with Baptiste for the second-most wins through Week 7.
As far as Halifax scorers are concerned, the squad currently has three players at or above the 20-point mark six contests in, with Clarke Petterson leading the way via 27 points (11g, 16a). CP24 has made a name for himself over the last few years, able to be activated in a variety of sets and fashions as both a scorer and helper. Randy Staats (8g, 18a) has evolved into a bit of an assist man as he continues to rack up the years of experience, while the big-bodied threat in Dawson Theede (11g, 9a) continues to bruise and battle his way to goals near the crease and wherever body-banging efforts are needed. Cody Jamieson (9g, 5a) still has what it takes to get the most out of his veteran-savvy skillset, while Ryan Terefenko (3g, 7a) rounds out the team’s five talents bringing double-digit point totals into Friday’s looming contest.
Knowing Will Malcom has earned a team-high 26 points (13g, 13a) for Colorado in one fewer game than Halifax suggests No. 4 may be off to the hottest start of any man set to take the turf. Yet, it’s Jack Hannah’s 10 points (3g, 7a) that represent the Mammoth’s ability and opportunity to stay competitive in the O-zone for the duration of the season since seeing Ryan Lee placed on the Season-Ending Injured Reserve List. Colorado managed just seven conversions through 60 minutes last weekend against Georgia, so guys like Hannah, Jalen Chaster (4g, 8a) and Thomas Vela (3g, 7a), who comprise the remaining Mammoth personnel to achieve 10 or more points thus far, need to continue stepping up their within their secondary scoring roles. Chaster, a converted defenseman, if not transition specialist, has looked the part so far in offensive sets. And after spending the summer as a forward within Western Lacrosse Association (WLA) competition, his individual effort remains a standout feat of Colorado’s new-look offense, as the team will need to fight on each and every possession in order to crack 10+ goals Friday.
Colorado Mammoth League Leaders
Goals: 13 – Will Malcom (T9th)
Power-Play Goals: 5 – Will Malcom (T3rd)
Shorthanded Goals: 2 – Will Malcom/Dylan McIntosh (T1st)
Loose Balls: 47 – Robert Hope (T7th)
Blocked Shots: 11 – Robert Hope (T1st)
Penalty Minutes: 16 – Warren Jeffrey (T6th)
Faceoff Wins: 68 – Matthew Paolatto (7th)
Faceoff Win Percentage: 64 – Matthew Paolatto (5th)
Saves: 192 – Dillon Ward (7th)
Save Percentage: .817 – Dillon Ward (5th)
Goals-Against Average: 9.05 – Dillon Ward (4th)
Of course, if Dillon “The Wall” Ward can continue standing on his head, just as he did last weekend in limiting the Swarm to a mere five goals against, then Colorado may only need 9-10 goals to stay competitive any given weekend, as the 34-year-old has looked unstoppable when the five men in front of him are playing their roles effectively. Ranked fifth amongst NLL netminders with an .817 save percentage through five games, he remains ahead of Hill in the goals-against average race, .06 points ahead of the Thunderbirds goaltender, 9.05 to 9.11.
Mammoth captain Robert Hope remains atop the league’s blocked shot rankings, tied with fellow standouts in Paul Dawson and Mike Messenger at 11 apiece – All while staying competitive in the loose ball count, continuing to serve as the team’s top scooper, albeit just two more than rookie faceoff specialist Matthew Paolatto, with 47 to the youngster’s 45.
With Colorado’s special teams units collectively trending in a positive direction lately, Mammoth fans should keep an eye on Will Malcom and Dylan McIntosh (6g, 3a) to stay involved, both on man-up and shorthanded situations, as the pair of forwards have been active when nine or fewer players have been on the turf lately. Knowing Halifax is likely to bring another scrappy effort to Scotiabank Centre means a guy like Warren Jeffrey will have his work cut out, already up to 16 penalty minutes through five appearances. With plenty of capable, if not willing, defenseman game to protect their goaltender and odds of establishing a physical advantage alive, this one could get scrappy when the Burgundy Boys embrace the Atlantic Time Zone Friday night.
Get in the Game
Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude Sports and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Friday’s Jan. 16 showdown against the Halifax Thunderbirds 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 for Colorado’s Jan. 24 LOUD HOUSE showdown against the Oshawa FireWolves remain available, so be sure to lock in your spot and get ready to TUSK UP!
