SAN DIEGO SEALS (4-1) VS. COLORADO MAMMOTH (3-1)
SAT. JAN 28 | BALL ARENA
7 P.M. MT FACEOFF
ALT TV | ESPN+
The Loud House is back in action Saturday, Jan. 28 as the Colorado Mammoth prepare to host the San Diego Seals for a Grateful Dead Night showdown. The matchup against the Seals will represent the team’s first of three regular season meetings against the familiar foe and first of two this season inside Ball Arena as the league’s loudest fans prepare to help the team defend its perfect home record.
After defeating the Seals 2-1 during last season’s West Conference Finals, capped by a thrilling win inside Pechanga Arena, Colorado transcended into it’s the final stage of its championship run while San Diego was sent into summer vacation mode. Reloading its squad with a pair of potentially potent scorers in Curtis Dickson and Crowley, the Seals will bring its chippy, chirpy approach into Saturday’s duel against the defending NLL Champions.
Despite dropping its season-opening contest Dec. 3 against the Saskatchewan Rush, Colorado is currently riding a three-game win streak after picking up a 12-9 road win over Panther City and edging its past two opponents by one score each, respectively, in defeating the Calgary roughnecks 9-8 and most recently an overtime thriller against the Saskatchewan Rush. Courtesy of a back-door feed to forward Rhys Duch, who was left wide open, the Loud House erupted with applause as the new-comer sealed his first game-winner with the Mammoth.
RELATED: Colorado Extends Win Streak with Overtime Thriller Against Saskatchewan
Eli McLaughlin continues to pace Mammoth scorers with 19 points (7g, 12a), while veteran free agent signee Rhys Duch trails McLaughlin by a mere four points with 15 of his own (4g, 11a) with one less game played. Connor Robinson (10g, 3a) leads the team with 10 goals and remains tied with forward Zed Williams (8g, 5a) as the pair have each earned 13 points, while Brett McIntyre rounds out the top five with 10 points (3g, 7a). Heading into the team’s fifth contest of the year, faceoff specialist Tim Edwards has secured 51-of-96 draw opportunities (53%), while leading the loose ball charge with a team-best 35.
Defenseman Brett Craig made his 2023 season debut in Week 7 against Saskatchewan after missing the entire 2021-22 campaign due to injury. While the team continues to trend toward full health with Ryan Lee and John Lintz remaining on the Injured Reserve List, Mammoth fans can stay tuned to the team’s social media channels and NLL.com’s transaction page for the team’s latest transactions heading into Saturday’s matchup!
Grateful Dead Night & Postgame Autographs
As the defending NLL Champions, who happen to be enjoying a three-game win streak heading into this weekend’s matchup, we’ve got a lot to be grateful for! But during our Jan. 28 matchup against a familiar foe, we’re staying really groovy and grateful as we celebrate Grateful Dead Night inside the Loud House. So, break out the tie-dye and bucket hats, your favorite dancing bear swag or whatever makes you feel right with the world and be sure to swing by Ball Arena next Saturday for a showdown with the Seals. Not just any Western Conference matchup, these ones get rowdy, and rightfully so. After defeating San Diego in the best-of-three Conference Finals last season, we wouldn’t expect anything less than a few “welcome back” crosschecks and exchanging of pleasantries as the purple and yellow squad prepares to endure the Loud House.
Doubling down on Saturday night’s fun, fans will be able to step onto the turf following the end the contest for postgame autographs! Our longtime fans know how these work, but for any of our new followers, be sure to bring your favorite Mammoth swag, some markers and the biggest smiles you’ve got as the boys are set to interact in-person with fans again. Stay tuned for in-arena messaging on where and when to line up following the game, and we’ll see you on the turf!
Saturday’s contest at Ball Arena is slated to begin at 7 p.m. MT and can be viewed locally on ALT TV and nationally via ESPN+.
Last Time They Met
With everything on the line, Colorado defeated the San Diego Seals 15-13 during the teams’ last meeting, punching a ticket to the NLL Finals for the first time since the organization captured its first NLL Championship in 2006. Despite spotting the Seals a 9-5 lead heading into halftime, Colorado completed the comeback effort in stunning fashion. Receiving scoring efforts from a variety of players, it was forward Eli McLaughlin who was able to provide the game-making difference for Colorado.
Mammoth forward Eli McLaughlin recorded 12 points (5g, 7a), while Connor Robinson (3g, 5a), Zed Williams (2g, 3a), Tyson Gibson (2g, 2a) and company rounded out scoring efforts in the win. Veteran goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 42-of-55 and became the 9th goaltender to record 500 postseason saves.
Consistency is Key
It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to be consistent, and that’s exactly the way Colorado has captured victories in its last two one-goal matchups against Calgary and Saskatchewan. The practice reps, staying away from late night snacks, hitting an extra cardio set, it’s all paid off for the Mammoth so far, able to edge their opponents in tight situations when needed. After three appearances with his new squad, an unexpected hero in Rhys Duch has emerged as a leading contributor for the team’s front end. Signed as a free agent after the team managed only six goals against Saskatchewan Week 1, Duch has averaged five points per game through his first three contests with the Mammoth.
Having logged 15 points (4g, 11a) in his three games, Duch ranks second among Mammoth forwards in overall scoring and assists, while his four goals are good for fourth-best within the organization so far. The veteran has been able to step in and step up on the right side of the offense, with Zed Williams missing action earlier this year and Ryan Lee continuing to recover from injury. After leading the team in scoring during the squad’s 11-10 overtime win over Saskatchewan in Week 7 with seven points (1g, 6a), Duch and the boys will look to stay consistent and competitive while seeking its fourth-straight victory during Grateful Dead Night inside Ball Arena Saturday. Regularly joining Duch on the scoreboard, the following players have contributed at least one point in each of the contests they’ve participated in, including:
Eli McLaughlin (0g, 5a), (4g, 3a), (2g, 1a), (1g, 3a) = (7g, 12a)
Connor Robinson (1g, 0a), (0g, 1a), (5g, 1a), (4g, 1a) = (10g, 3a)
Brett McIntyre (1g, 1a), (1g, 1a), (0g, 1a), (1g, 4a) = (3g, 7a)
Zed Williams (2g, 0a), (3g, 5a), (3g, 0a) = (8g, 5a)
Rhys Duch (2g, 1a), (1g, 4a), (1g, 6a) = (4g, 11a)
Evan Downey (0g, 2a), (0g, 1a) = (0g, 3a)
Chris Wardle (1g, 1a), (0g, 4a) = (1g, 5a)
Ty Thompson (2g, 0a) = (2g, 0a)
Slippery Seals
The Seals bring three forwards into Saturday’s matchup who rank inside the league’s top 12 scorers heading into Week 9. One of the NLL’s most sought-after free agents this past offseason, “Superman” Curtis Dickson currently leads the charge in scoring for San Diego with 35 points (19g, 16a), ranking sixth overall in NLL scoring. Fellow former Roughneck Dane Dobbie (15g, 17a), who switched West Conference teams just a year prior, and Wes Berg (8g, 24a) have both earned 32 points, respectively, in ranking tied for 11th in league scoring efforts and rounding out the team’s top 3 performers through five contests. Missing two games due to suspension to begin the season, forward Austin Staats has accrued 16 points (6g, 10a) in three games so far, while another of the squad’s offseason free agents in Kevin Crowley has produced 15 points (4g, 11a), representing the team’s next best total.
With an aging defensive unit, including the veteran likes of Cam Holding, Eli Gobrecht and Father Time himself, Brodie Merrill, who leads the team with 44 loose balls and sits tied with a team-best six caused turnovers, San Diego has continued to rely on its potent offensive attack while figuring it out on the back end. In net, the goaltending duo of Frank Scigliano and Chris Origlieri have combined to produce a 4-1 record while splitting time between the pipes. Scigliano holds a perfect 3-0 record thus far, but an accompanying 15.49 goals-against average and unimpressive .685 save percentage, while Origlieri brings a more reasonable 9.63 goals-against average and .787 save percentage amongst a 1-1 record into Saturday’s battle.
While San Diego may bring some lingering feelings and a chippy approach into the game, Colorado still remembers the early-season beatdown the squad endured last year from its rival before its home crowd, one of only two losses inside the Loud House last season, and will be ready battle the purple and yellow contingency for first-place rights in the West Saturday night.
Get in the Game
Mammoth road games can be viewed on Altitude TV and streamed live via ESPN+. Saturday’s game against San Diego can be viewed on Altitude TV and ESPN+. Mammoth fans can keep an eye on the team’s social media channels and coloradomammoth.com for the latest news, transactions and organizational updates throughout the 2022-23 NLL season.
RELATED: Altitude Announces 2022-23 Colorado Mammoth Broadcast Schedule
Limited tickets for Colorado’s Jan. 28 Grateful Dead Night matchup against the San Diego Seals are available for purchase, so break out the tie-dye, bucket hats and dancing bear outfits and come party at Ball Arena as the LOUD HOUSE hosts another Western Conference rival during the team’s season-long four-game homestand.
