COLORADO MAMMOTH (2-2) @ GEORGIA SWARM (2-2)
SAT. JAN. 10 | 5:30 P.M. MT | BALL ARENA
ALT TV | ESPN+ | NLL+
Coming off quite the Week 6 performance inside Ball Arena last weekend, the (2-2) Colorado Mammoth are riding high after securing a convincing 18-13 victory over the (2-1) Rochester Knighthawks. Righting the ship after a disappointing 12-3 showing against the Georgia Swarm the contest prior, the Burgundy Boys were firing on all cylinders en route to producing 18 conversions for the first time since Dec. 21, 2024, when the team recorded 19 goals against the Halifax Thunderbirds.
Milestones were achieved left and right, including Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward becoming just the sixth man in NLL history to log 10,000 minutes played between the pipes. Not to mention Ryan Lee registering his 400th career point and forward Jack Hannah racking up his 100th goal within professional box competition. And while a majority of the lineup remained the same as the weekend prior, it was the newly-welcomed talent in Hannah who provided a spark on the turf and within the locker room just the same. Storming into the LOUD HOUSE and putting forth an epic effort, Hannah notched eight points (2g, 6a) during his Mammoth debut, which included an insane soaring effort in which the scorer was quite literally levitating across the crease.
RELATED: Mammoth Knock Off Rochester Knighthawks via 18-13 Victory at LOUD HOUSE
The only man to outscore Hannah was Will Malcom, who amassed a game-high nine points (4g, 5a) en route to leading Colorado to its second win on the young season. Ryan Lee chipped in seven points (2g, 5a) before exiting the game with a lower-body injury. Thomas Vela (2g, 3a), Jalen Chaster (2g, 3a) and Braedon Saris (2g, 0a) rounded out the squad’s top point-earners in a game that LOUD HOUSE supporters will remember for quite some time to come. Ward stopped 44-of-57 on the night as the veteran added to his legendary resume while holding one of the league’s most potent offensive units to just 13 goals despite Rochester having logged 15 in its first two games of the season.
And while it’s good to ride the highs and the lows of any given National Lacrosse League season, Head Coach Pat Coyle and company have the Burgundy Boys locked in on this weekend’s approaching rematch against the (2-2) Georgia Swarm. Representing Colorado’s first of five double-down matchups this year, the Swarm should expect a fiery effort from the Mammoth come Saturday night, specifically two weeks after Colorado surrendered a nine-goal contest to said same contingent back in Week 5.
Having played just one game inside Gas South Arena this season, the Swarm are 1-0 on home turf during the 2025-26 campaign, however are now set to host one of the team’s hottest units during the final game of the Week 7 slate. With each of the league’s 14 squads lacing ‘em up this weekend to combine for eight total contests, fans around the NLL have a chance to watch their favorite teams – With the Rochester Knighthawks and (2-2) Halifax Thunderbirds set to participate in two games throughout the two-day slate. With five games taking place on Friday, Jan. 9 and another three on deck Saturday, Jan. 10, professional box lacrosse is back in full force as teams attempt to improve their respective spots in the already clustered standings.
With the exceptions of the (4-1) Saskatchewan Rush and (3-1) Buffalo Bandits enjoying favorable starting stretches to their respective seasons, only one other team has accumulated three wins on the season, as the (3-2) Ottawa Black Bears continue to figure things out on a game-by-game basis. So, while Mammoth fans would prefer the team to be riding a little higher than 2-2 through four games, Colorado enters the weekend ranked No. 6 of 14 squads and remains one of four teams at 2-2 alongside the Swarm. If the Mammoth defense can continue to limit opponents to off nights and the team’s O-zone efforts can stay hot, the Burgundy Boys very much have what it takes to make a run this season.
Seeing veteran scorer Ryan Lee (4g, 16a) placed on the team’s Injured Reserve List isn’t exactly the way the team wanted to begin Week 7 preparations, but with Hannah and Malcom regularly putting on the burners during their first shared sets, it seems Colorado should have plenty of firepower remaining in the wings. Malcom is up to 24 points (12g, 12a) on the year, equally involved as the primary scorer and as a dishing asset just the same. Just one conversion short of the league leader Rob Hellyer, who’s managed 13 goals in five games, one more than Malcom, “Wild Bill” remains tied for the second-most tallies in the league while sitting tied for the ninth-most points alongside Alex Simmons of the Oshawa FireWolves. And with Jalen Chaster (4g, 5a) and Dylan McIntosh (5g, 3a) the only other Mammoth personnel with more than three goals on the board, Hannah and Malcom will need to put on a high-wire act over the course of these next 14 games, with guys like Thomas Vela, Braedon Saris and friends needing to build on their productive showings against Rochester to keep the momentum rolling. Seeing Malcom tied with a league-leading four power-play goals is an encouraging sign, just as Colorado’s 4-for-4 showing in man-up scenarios last weekend was. Limiting Rochester’s offense to just 4-for-9 in the same scenarios last weekend suggests the Mammoth defense remains trending in an encouraging direction, now ranked No. 7 in penalty-killing efforts (14-for-25).
When it comes to additional special teams statistics, both captain Robert Hope and faceoff specialist Matthew Paolatto enter Week 7 within the Top 10 of loose ball scoopers, with Hope’s 38 good for a seventh-place tie and Paolatto’s 37 serving as the tenth-most across the league. More importantly, the rookie FOGO in Paolatto is coming off another productive session at the dot, having secured 20-of-35 draw opportunities in last weekend’s back-and-forth battle. His performance marks the first time the first-year has earned 20 faceoff wins in a single contest – Something Mammoth fans would welcome for games and seasons to come if he’s able to replicate such a slate. Up to 57-for-90 (63%) on the season, he isn’t blowing Tim Edwards’ totals of years past out of the water, but he’s very much holding his own and his presence in the middle of the turf continues to allow Edwards to focus his time and energy on defensive sets, an area of the field Colorado continues to lean on thanks to a stellar team effort … And a man named Dillon Ward.
Ward enters Week 7 ranked a square seventh in saves (153), save percentage (.801) and goals-against average (10.13) despite Colorado’s sleepy performance against Georgia. Ward has been anything BUT the problem so far for the Mammoth and will remain one of the most important chess pieces in the organization as the 34-year-old continues to do what he does.
Yet, it’s Hope who sits atop the league’s blocked shot rankings, with 10 stops through four games, continuing to serve as an extension of Ward’s high-arc approach. The willingness to step in front of one or two of the high-powered shots offenses sling towards the net shows how brave and dedicated “Hopey” is each and every time he steps on the turf. Knowing youngsters in Owen Down and Ari Stevens have each soaked five blocked shots themselves proves Hope is setting the bar – and the message is being received by his teammates just the same.
Colorado Mammoth League Leaders
Goals: 12 – Will Malcom (T2nd)
Assists: 16 – Ryan Lee (T8th)
Power-Play Goals: 4 – Will Malcom (T1st)
Shorthanded Goals: 2 – Will Malcom (T1st)
Sock Tricks: 1 – Will Malcom (T1st)
Loose Balls: 38 – Robert Hope (T7th)
Blocked Shots: 10 – Robert Hope (1st)
Penalty Minutes: 14 – Warren Jeffrey (T5th)
Faceoff Wins: 57 – Matthew Paolatto (6th)
Faceoff Win Percentage: Matthew Paolatto (6th)
Saves: 153 – Dillon Ward (7th)
Save Percentage: .801 – Dillon Ward (7th)
Goals-Against Average: 10.13 – Dillon Ward (7th)
As stated, Colorado brings a bit of momentum into Saturday night’s contest. However, the Swam haven’t hit the turf as a complete unit since posting the aforementioned 12-3 win over the Mammoth back on Dec. 27, exactly 14 days prior to this weekend’s showdown. And while a little bit of rest can go a long way in the NLL, there’s something to be said about having the chance to get comfortable over the holiday stretch, so Mammoth fans can expect Colorado to get after the Swarm early and often in Week 7, especially knowing the team didn’t give the Swarm its best shot during the series-opening showcase.
Typically, internal conversations begin with identifying what type of offensive talent needs to be held to off nights when it comes to scouting. Yet, it’s Swarm netminder Brett Dobson who remains top of mind this week, as the goaltender ranks amongst league leaders in nearly every statistic possible. While his 171 saves “only” rank fifth-best to start the week, Dobson’s .864 save percentage and 6.90 goals-against average represent NLL-topping marks through seven weeks as the 25-year-old has allowed just 27 combined goals in his near 235 minutes in net. The Team Canada talent has shined in the professional sector just the same the past few years, but with the Swarm building from the back end forward lately, the goaltender continues to benefit from a physical set of individuals standing before him while keeping up his end of the act just the same.
Through four games, only three members of the Swarm are into double-digit scoring totals, with Shayne Jackson leading the way so far with 15 points (8g, 7a). Kaleb Benedict (6g, 4a) and Lyle Thompson (2g, 8a) round out said trio thus far, with both Nolan Byrne (5g, 4a) and Bryan Cole (2g, 7a) lurking just behind at nine points each. But with 13 different players with a goal to their name on the year, it’s clear Georgia hasn’t been afraid to spread the ball around, which very much includes a transition game. With nine different players finding the scoresheet the last time these teams met, that fact was reinforced, with Benedict (3g, 0a) and DU product forward Richie Connell (2g, 0a) the only men to find twine multiple times.
Knowing the Swarm were able to blank the Mammoth for the final 34 minutes of play back in Week 5 suggests the team is equipped to keep Saturday’s showdown a low-scoring game once again. At the same time, Colorado is coming off an 18-goal performance against the previously undefeated Knighthawks in which 10 different players found the score sheet, which included six different multi-goal efforts. And with Dillon Ward joining a rather exclusive set of company in the 10K Club, the Mammoth have plenty to build on as they travel east to Gas South Arena.
Get in the Game
Mammoth games can be viewed on Altitude TV and streamed live via ESPN+ and NLL+. Saturday’s Jan. 10 rematch against the Georgia Swarm can be viewed locally on Altitude Sports 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!
