Shawn Slaght, All Lacrosse All The Time – A Division of the Edge of Philly Sports Network
The Colorado Mammoth were able to take advantage of a tired Panther City Lacrosse Club team to take a 12-9 win in Fort Worth. TX on Saturday night.
Panther City picked up a 9-3 win in Las Vegas on Friday night and immediately had to hop on a plane back to Texas to face the defending champs.
After being embarrassed in Week 1, Colorado again showed why they are the defending champs. It was also career win number 40 for Colorado head coach Pat Doyle. He is the franchise’s all-time leader in wins as a head coach.
This game had a couple of players pick up their first points in the NLL. Evan Downey picked up an assist in the second quarter for Colorado for his first NLL point. Edmonton Miners product Mathieu Gauthier, who gave up playing Junior A hockey in Saskatchewan to play pro lacrosse, scored his first NLL goal for Panther City.
Mammoth takes an early lead
It took 5:40 before either one of the teams would get on the board in this tilt, but it was Colorado that got out of a 2-0 lead.
Eli McLaughlin started the scoring with 9:20 on the clock. Ty Thompson made it 2-0 when he went bar-down for the goal.
Will Malcom rounded out the scoring with 1:36 left in the quarter to make it 2-1 in favour of the Mammoth heading into the second.
A big second quarter for Colorado
The Colorado Mammoth opened the second quarter on a three-goal run to extend their lead.
Newly acquired Rhys Duch made an immediate impact on a bit of a bizarre goal 22 seconds into the second. Duch’s shot went off the crossbar, hit PCLC goaltender Nick Damude and into the net.
Zed Williams would add markers 1:02 apart to give Colorado a commanding 5-1 lead.
Nathan Grenon would step up for PCLC with 7:47 left on the clock with a powerplay goal, followed it up with another marker at 6:31.
Colorado would add two more in the last 1:30 of the first half. MacLaughlin scored with 1:21 left to make it 6-3. Thompson rifled a shot with 50 seconds left on the clock that appeared to ring off the post. The call on the field was a goal to give the Mammoth a 7-3 lead at the half.
Short-lived PCLC comeback
The boys from Fort Worth mounted a small comeback in the third quarter as they outscored Colorado 2-1.
Will Malcom scored 3:22 into the third quarter, followed by Josh Medeiros scoring bring Panther City back within two, 7-5.
Duch rounded out the scoring. as he was on the doorstep to put one home to make it 8-5 Colorado heading into the final frame.
Goals galore in the fourth
Both teams combined for eight goals in the fourth quarter, but PCLC could not regain any of the momentum.
Will Malcom scored for Panther City 54 seconds into the frame. However, goals by McLaughlin, Williams and Brett McIntyre would put Colorado up to five, 11-6.
Phil Caputo and Patrick Dodds would score for Panther City 27 seconds apart to make it 11-8. Gauthier would then score his first NLL goal with a big overhand shot with 4:25 left in the game.
McLaughlin would put away this tired Panther City team on the powerplay with 2:46 left on the clock to make the final 12-9
Top scorers
Colorado
Zed Williams, 3g 5a
Eli McLaughlin, 4g 3a
Rhys Duch, 2g 1a
PCLC
Jonathan Donville, 6a
Will Malcom, 3g 2a
Mathieu Gauthier, 1g 4a
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Shawn Slaght has been a sports reporter across the Canadian prairies for over 10 years and has experience covering everything from junior hockey to World Cup skiing to all levels of lacrosse. He is the Saskatchewan correspondent for All Lacrosse All The Time.
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