November 30, 2024 – National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Colorado Mammoth press release

DENVER – The Colorado Mammoth secured an 11-7 victory over the Vancouver Warriors on Friday night at Ball Arena as the team celebrated its LOUD HOUSE Appreciation Night home opener in front of a packed and QUIET crowd of fans.

Trailing 6-1 at halftime, Colorado completed the epic comeback by scoring eight straight points to end the game while Mammoth goalkeeper Dillon Ward allowed just one goal in the final 30 minutes of play and 35 of 42 goals on the night stopped.

In-house announcer Big Rob had the LOUD HOUSE loud and loud early and often during the rare Black Friday showcase, with Colorado looking dominant early on as both teams shook off some opening night rust.

Unfortunately for more than 10,000 fans in attendance at the team’s 2024-25 National Lacrosse League (NLL) season opener, it was Vancouver that scored first, as forward Marcus Klarich brought the visiting team onto the field first and eventually Mammoth- Goaltender Dillon Ward beat 2:44 seconds into the opening frame.

Just over four minutes later, a turnover in the Mammoth end led to a transition opportunity by Owen Grant, giving the Warriors a 2-0 lead. Grant quickly made it 3-0 as he made it clear he would be showcasing his tackling skills during the Week 1 slugfest.

Striker Thomas Vela scored his first goal of the season wearing his new No. 17 jersey, putting the good guys on the board with 61 seconds left in the first quarter. The play began with a sincere, energetic effort from fellow left winger Will Malcom and the Warriors were slowly pushed into a corner in hopes of gaining possession. Almost in basketball fashion, Colorado realized they had numbers on the net side and eventually passed the ball around to find the open man before Vela received it and let it fly past Vancouver goaltender Aden Walsh for a 3-1 -Ball game to score.

Warriors forward Adam Charalambides took a hit from teammate Keegan Bal just before the set began and completed a pullback attempt by finding Twine, giving his Vancouver team another three-goal lead with five minutes left in the first half -gained an advantage.

Grant completed his first-half hat-trick again in transition fashion, lashing home a rebound that dramatically hit Ward’s post before deflecting off the back of the goalkeeper and then going back into the net. Three minutes before the end of the second quarter, the scoreboard read 5-1.

With 26 seconds left, the Warriors pulled off a successful set play with just three seconds remaining while scoring their sixth conversion of the night. Bal scored the first goal of the night and finished off the final chance to give his side a five-goal lead before half-time.

After the Burgundy Boys converted a penalty a few minutes into the second half, Connor Kelly moved the ball around the formation for a while and took advantage of the power play with a vicious laser from outside. The LAUTHAUS brought some momentum back into the ball arena.

Just 59 seconds later, Zed Williams completed an insane dunk effort, beating Walsh with a quick strike while leaving his two opposing defenders in disbelief.

Less than a minute later, Bal got Vancouver back on the scoresheet and restored the team’s four-goal lead. He completed a transition attempt, beating Ward and making it 7-3 four minutes into the third quarter.

However, CK40 wanted more as the right-hander filled the net for the second time on opening night, sending the LOUD HOUSE crowd into a frenzy once again. During a 3-on-2 opportunity en route to a deep win against Walsh, the veteran scored his 100th career NLL goal midway through the third period to breathe some life back into the Colorado team.

Williams beat Walsh again and stormed into the goal area with a goal: his second goal of the night. And that’s exactly what he did with less than three minutes left in the third game. He weaves his way through a trio of defenders before firing a fierce overhand shot into the net, falling to the turf. It’s not for nothing that he’s considered one of the most physical and skilled goalscorers in the game – that’s how he plays!

After allowing six goals in the first 30 minutes of play, Colorado limited Vancouver to just one goal in the third quarter, ensuring there would be plenty of drama in the final 15 minutes.

Zed Williams completed Colorado’s first hat trick of the season and capped a beautiful drive with his third goal of the night. After Eli McLaughlin sent a cross-set pass to Kelly, Kelly slipped a crafty little pass over him and Williams’ defender, allowing No. 28 to do the rest as Ball Arena exploded with approval. Suddenly Vancouver’s lead dwindled to one.

As momentum continued to grow in Colorado’s favor, Jackson Suboch was called for a delay of game penalty, which quickly led to CK40 completing a hat trick of their own.

If it wasn’t loud before, it definitely is now. Tied game with seven players per team as it became clear that the Mammoth weren’t going down without a fight.

Kelly gave Colorado its first lead of the contest, floating across the crease before slamming a shot past Walsh to make the game 8-7. While the first half belonged to the Warriors, the second half belonged to Colorado because the boys were thrilled. Five in a row was no coincidence. It was a message to the rest of the league that the home team simply needed some time to get going. And they rolled.

Vela got back into the fun with his second finish of the night, ending an odd-man rush with a low-skipper that bounced into the net as Colorado enjoyed its first two-goal lead of the night.

As defenseman Jordan Gilles put the finishing touches, he scored the 35th goal of his career into an empty net and the LOUD HOUSE celebrated taking a three-goal lead. Everything was fine at the Ball Arena as the fans seemed pretty “grateful” for their home team.

Things got difficult in the final seconds of the game as Vancouver had no fun winning their L on opening night. Luckily for the Warriors, there are no more conferences.

Flyin Ryan Lee scored a penalty for Colorado and got on the scoresheet for the first time in more than 18 months in his return to the lineup. And the crowd rightly showered him with love.

With rookie goaltender Nathan Whittom making his NLL debut in the final moments of the game, it’s safe to say it was a successful night on multiple fronts.

Connor Kelly topped the Mammoth scorers with seven (4g, 3a) points, while Zed Williams (3g, 1a) and Will Malcom (0g, 4a) each contributed four points to the win. Eli McLaughlin (0g, 3a) rounded out the scoring with three points, while Thomas Vela (2g, 0a) scored his first two goals of the season. Mammoth goaltender Dillon Ward stopped 35 of 42 on the night to secure his first win of the year.

With the 319th assist of his career, McLaughlin officially tied for second place in the Mammoth franchise record books with the second-most assists in Colorado Mammoth history.

The Mammoth will now embark on a two-game road trip, visiting the Las Vegas Desert Dogs on Friday, December 6th before heading back west to face the San Diego at Pechanga Arena on Friday, December 13th Seals to compete. Limited tickets are still available for Colorado’s Dec. 21 beach night at the LOUD HOUSE showdown against the Halifax Thunderbirds, so be sure to secure yours and get ready to TUSK UP!

• Discuss this story on the National Lacrosse League Message Board…

The opinions expressed in this press release are those of the organization that issued it and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its employees.