DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth battled back late to secure a clutch 13-12 win over the Georgia Swarm in Duluth, Georgia, Friday night as the team improved to 6-4 on the season.
Mammoth forward Ryan Lee paced the game’s scoresheet with eight points (2g, 6a), while goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 39-of-51 on the night.
Operating on a 6-on-5 look via a delayed penalty, Connor Kelly wound up and fired away three minutes into the contest to net Colorado an early lead. Will Malcom drew the penalty as the righties and lefties teamed up early.
Finishing a casual behind-the-back effort as he paced past the crease, Swarm contributor Miles Thompson accepted a pass from Lyle Thompson and beat Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward a mere 26 seconds later as the game was suddenly knotted.
Making it two in a row for the home contingent, forward Bryan Cole finished a diving dunk from behind the net as the Swarm doubled down with just over five minutes to play in the first.
Tying the game once more at two per side, Mammoth scorer Zed Williams spun around his defender and beat Swarm netminder Brett Dobson.
Starting to build some momentum, the “Magician” Connor Robinson fired away from long distance just 32 seconds later, netting his 16th on the season and first of the night.
Completing a bit of a tic-tac-toe effort in near buzzer-beating fashion, Will Malcom sent a quick far side bad past Dobson to create a 4-2 game with less than two seconds to play. Which would serve as the final conversion during the opening 15 minutes of play.
Converting via a five-hole finish, Georgia’s Shayne Jackson netted his tenth goal of the season two minutes into the second courtesy of an elongated give and go effort.
Seth Oakes made it two straight for the Swarm just 24 seconds later. Curling around his defenseman to his right, he fired one past Ward on the go as the scoreboard read 4-4.
Getting the lead back for the guys wearing navy blue, Cole sent a side-armed bid past Ward during some 4-on-4 play as Georgia leapt ahead by one five minutes into quarter two.
Miles Thompson picked up his second of the evening midway through the period in power-play fashion. Left alone on the back door, Thompson tucked one over Ward’s left shoulder en route to extending Georgia’s advantage to two, now 6-4.
Getting his second act started as the second quarter wound to a close, C-ROB slung a nasty shot at Dobson, which rocketed past the netminder as the Mammoth were back within one late in the first half.
Down 6-5 at the break, Colorado’s Ryan Lee assisted on all five of the team’s goals, bringing five points (0g, 5a) into the halftime reset.
Getting the good guys on the board three minutes into the second half, Eli McLaughlin accepted a transition pass from Dalton Sulver before slamming one home to tie the game at sixes.
Back to back for the man they call “Liger,” McLaughlin finished a low effort which deflected off Dobson’s pads and ricocheted into the net, thus granting the Mammoth a 7-6 advantage.
The first man to complete a hat trick feat on the evening, Cole beat Ward just 37 seconds later as the game was knotted again, this time at sevens.
Nearly toppling into the crease but able to stay composed, Swarm forward Brendan Bomberry finished a short-side, top ched bid to get Georgia back in front with five minutes to play in the third.
Now three in a row for the Swarm, Toron Eccleston finished off a backside bid by accepting the dish and instantly putting back on net as Georgia cruised to another two-goal lead.
Answering back with 1:18 on the clock, Malcom logged a power-play tally as Colorado climbed back to within one last in the third.
But it was the Swarm who got the scoring started for the third-straight quarter as Eccleston dodged his defender and sprinted toward the crease before burying his second of the contest. Just 39 seconds into the final frame, Georgia was up two.
Keeping the Mammoth in the game, Williams landed home a sick behind-the-back effort as he was falling to the floor to create a 10-9 game at the 2:59 mark.
Tying the game at 10s, Flyin’ Ryan Lee was cleared for takeoff as No. 16 finished a sick diving effort up high as Colorado was feeling it in the fourth.
Cleaning up his hat trick, Eccleston launched one from range after dancing around with 8:36 to play as the home team was back in front by one.
Kelly retaliated with his own conversion just over a minute later as the scoreboard showed 11 goals per squad midway through the fourth.
Earning his second-straight four-goal appearance, Eccleston finished a bit of a transition look en route to once more establishing his team a one-goal lead as the back-and-forth battle raged on.
Logging his own hat trick, Williams notched this third of the night in 4-on-4 fashion with four minutes to play as … you guessed it, the game was knotted at 12-12.
A repeat result of the squads’ first battle earlier this season, the back-and-forth, ever-tied game couldn’t have featured much more drama.
And when Leezer called game with 37 seconds to play as Colorado secured the 13-12 final, the score was identical to when they first met.
Lee paced the entire scoresheet with eight points (2g, 6a), while Connor Robinson (2g, 4a) and Will Malcom (2g, 4a) produced matching six-point efforts. Zed Williams logged five points (3g, 2a) against his old team as Connor Kelly (2g, 2a) and Eli McLaughlin (2g, 0a) each doubled down.
Set to endure a bye during the NLL’s Week 12 slate, Colorado will return to the LOUD HOUSE Friday, Feb. 21 for a showdown with the Las Vegas Desert Dogs. Limited Tickets remain for the Mammoth’s Marvel Super Hero ™ Night showcase, so be sure to lock yours in and get ready to TUSK UP!
