Kevin M. Neibauer
LaxPhilly- A Division of the Edge of Philly Sports Network
An offensive display which featured 33 goals, 53 assists for a combined 86 points.
109 shots on goal and just 17 off net.
Ryan Lee accounted for 13 points with Keegan Bal adding a dozen with his 8 goal night.
Eli McLaughlin notched the game winner with his eleventh point for a 17-16 Colorado win.
Let’s Get it Started..
Vancouver came out firing.
Brett Mydske (1g, 1a) started the goal party at 1:14 off an Anthony Kalinich (2a) set-up followed by Bal (8g, 4a) at 1:42 and a second 1:10 later.
The score stayed 3-0 for nearly seven minutes before Ryan Lee (1g, 12a) …yes, 12! buried a nice feed from Zed Williams
Kyle Killen (2g) answered before Jalen Chaster (1g) ended the opening quarter with a 4-2 Warriors lead.
Things Heat Up
A nine goal second quarter saw Vancouver begin to pull away
Brandon Goodwin (1a) and Adam Charalambides (6a) set up Bal for his hat-trick with just :18 played.
The Mammoth had an answer when Dillon Ward hit a breaking Joey Cupido in stride…no one catches him
Cupido (1g) buried a short handed marker to keep pace..
Logan Schuss (1g, 5a) at 1:01 followed by Kalinich and Reid Bowering doing the work for Bal’s fourth.
Owen Barker (1g) pushed it to an 8-3 advantage.
Chris Wardle (3g, 3a) stemmed the run with a power play tally set up by newly acquired Tyson Gibson (1a).
Vancouver yawned and went back to work with Bowering (2g 1a) and Bal pushing it to a 10-4 lead
With forty one seconds remaining in the half, Connor Robinson (3g, 3a) kept the power play goal party going
We came to the half and the partisan Colorado crowd was restless
To the Second Half
Wardle cut the lead to 10-6 at the 1:52 mark with help from Lee and McLaughlin.
Lee and McLaughlin got the helpers on four different goals.
Bal and Killen countered. At that point, it became “you score, I score”.
Bowering and Zed Williams started it and Riley Loewen (1g, 1a) and Robinson, followed suit set up by…Lee and McLaughlin
The dynamic duo went right back at it on Chris Wardle’s goal with :35 to play
That ended the third with a 14-9 Warriors lead
Let the Comeback Begin
And begin it did.
McLaughlin (5g, 6a) four of the five were in the fourth quarter, started the ball rolling by lighting the lamp at 4:48 and again at 5:15.
Williams joined in on an unassisted tally McLaughlin hit for his third in just three minutes.
Robinson stepped up with a pair and suddenly it was a 15-14 Colorado lead.
Bal hit at 10:49 and again exactly three minutes later.
It appeared Vancouver dodged a bullet with 2:11left.
No one notified McLaughlin who converted a set up from Lee and Robinson with just :54 to play.
The Loud House was living up to its name as the combatants we’re playing some extra lacrosse.
And the Winner Is!
It was only fitting that the dynamic duo stole the show Lee hit McLaughlin and with 3:30 played. The comeback was complete.
News and Notes.
• Shots on Goal went the way of 59-50 with both clubs using two netminder.
Alex Buque played 54:36 surrendering 14 goals on 42 shots and was spelled by Steve Fryer and his 8 saves with 3 goals to take the Loss in 8:54.
Fot the Mammoth, Dillon Ward was in for 50:33 stopping 30 while allowing 12.
Tyler Carlson stopped 11 giving up 4 goals in relief.
• Loose Balls 61-59 for Vancouver.
• Reid Bowering continues to impress. Two goals with an assist, forcing 4 turn overs and continuing his loose prominence with 10.
• Tyrell Hamer- Jackson went 21 of 37 from the”X” and snagging 8 loose balls.
• The playoff race in the West got muddled up with Colorado improving to 7-4 followed by Vancouver at 5-7. Calgary has a game on Saturday and they currently are one game behind the Warriors with a 4-6 record.
Classis in Colorado
Kevin has followed and promoted the game of lacrosse since May 19, 1974.
The same day the Philadelphia Flyers won the Cup, the Philadelphia Wings were introduced to Neibauer and Philadelphia.
Kevin has covered many sports, including baseball, football, basketball, and.. lacrosse. A former licensed football referee and baseball umpire, Kevin brings a unique insight to his game coverage.
A published writer in JustHockey Magazine, Kevin covered the American Hockey League as well as a monthly story on a pugilist where Kevin used the pen name, The Rink Rat. Neibauer turned his attentions to lacrosse for a few years and does his part, whether podcasting or writing to grow the game. Kevin branched out to his roots and currently provides insight for all Philadelphia teams for Edge of Philly as well as his full-time duties with LaxPhilly.
