Shawn Slaght, All Lacrosse All The Time – A Division of the Edge of Philly Sports Network
The Calgary Roughnecks were able to sweep their pair of weekend home games with a 13-9 win over the Colorado Mammoth on Saturday night.
You would expect this game to be a track meet. However, the Mammoth announced shortly before the game that transition specialist Joey Cupido suffered a season-ending Achilles injury.
Meanwhile, the Roughnecks continued where they left off after defeating the Saskatchewan Rush 13-6 the night previously. The Roughnecks held a massive 11-2 lead at the half.
Playing two games in two nights started to show in the second half as the Mammoth outscored Calbary 7-2, but couldn’t complete the comeback.
All Roughnecks in the first quarter
The Roughnecks dominated the first quarter as they jumped out to a 5-0 lead. Tyler Pace opened the scoring 49 seconds into the game.
Dan Taylor would follow that up with 12:44 on the clock to make it 2-0. The acquisition of Josh Currier continued to pay dividends for the Roughnecks as he scored a pair to extend Calgary’s lead to four.
Pace would add another on the power play with 13 seconds left in the first quarter to make it 5-0.
Mammoth finally get on the board
Pace finished off his hat trick 2:40 into the second quarter before Colorado finally got on the board. Chris Wardle’s power play marker 3:44 into the second would make the score 6-1.
Calgary continued to pour it on with Haiden Dickson scoring a transition goal at 10:35 with Zach Currier and Christian Del Bianco picking up assists. Taylor scored his second on the game at 7:20 to give the Roughnecks a commanding 8-1 lead.
Colorado turned to Eli McLaughlin to get Colorado back on the board at 6:11, but the Roughnecks would finish off the quarter scoring three goals in a span of 2:12. Josh Currier would score his third and fourth goals, while Tanner Cook scored his first of the game to make it 11-2 at the half.
Colorado cuts Calgary’s lead in half
The Mammoth came out firing in the second half. Ty Thompson opened the scoring 1:32 into the third quarter to make it 11-3. Cook scored another transition goal four minutes into the second half with assists from Zach Currier and Del Bianco.
Colorado finished off the third quarter with a three-goal run to cut Calgary’s lead in half 12-6.
Evan Downey started the run with 7:22 on the clock followed by Rhys Duch 25 seconds later. McLaughlin would then round out the scoring at the 3:51 mark.
Mammoth comeback falls short
McLaughlin scored his hat trick goal to open the fourth quarter. Zed Williams would follow that up with 9:02 left to play to get Colorado within four goals 12-8.
Pace would pot his fourth of the game at 5:29. McLaughlin replied right back 27 seconds but it wouldn’t be enough as Calgary would win its two weekend home games 13-9.
Top Scorers
Calgary Roughnecks
Tyler Pace, 4g 3a
Tanner Cook, 2g 4a
Josh Currier, 4g
Jesse King, 4a
Colorado Mammoth
Eli McLaughlin, 4g 2a
Zed Williams, 1g 3a
Ty Thompson, 1g 3a
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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.
