Ward backstops the Mammoth to a playoff position, Schuss’ scoring spree continues, and Matthews makes a late debut in Week 17 of the NLL rookie report.
Dillon Ward made 51 saves on 63 shots while also picking up an assist as the young netminder led the Colorado Mammoth to an 18-12 defeat of the Minnesota Swarm. With the win, the Mammoth clinch the third and final playoff spot in the western division. Beginning the year as a backup to Tye Belanger, Ward has cemented a spot as Colorado’s starter tending the twine for all of the Mammoth’s seven wins.
After matching his single-game high of six points in a Week 15 win over the Buffalo Bandits, Logan Schuss set new personal bests while leading the Swarm offensively in the loss to Colorado with seven points (4 G, 3 A). Schuss leads the Swarm in goals scored with 34, while sitting second offensively with 68 points. Scott Jones had a pair of helpers for Minnesota, while Jordan Houtby registered one assist and three loose balls in his sixth game of the season.
Buffalo suffered a pair of losses over the weekend, 13-9 to Toronto and 8-4 to Rochester. Bandits rookie Joel Matthews dressed in his first career NLL game versus Rochester, registering six shots and four loose balls.
Toronto Rock rookie Nick Diachenko made the second appearance of his young career versus the Bandits, who had previously drafted the rookie 14th overall in the 2013 NLL Entry Draft. Diachenko picked up two loose balls and one forced turnover in the victory, while fellow Rock rookie Ethan O’Connor had five loose balls and three forced turnovers.
Roughneck rookies Karsen Leung and Garret McIntosh each notched an assist in Calgary’s 14-13 overtime win versus their Albertan rival Edmonton Rush.
Robert Church had four points (2 G, 2 A), while Riley Loewen had one assist in the Rush’s second loss of the season.
Garret Thul and John Ranagan had two points (1 G, 1 A) a piece for the Wings in a 15-11 win over the Vancouver Stealth, allowing Philadelphia to sweep the season series between the squads.
Tyler Digby was held to just two assists for Vancouver, marking the rookie’s lowest single-game totals since a late January loss to the Edmonton Rush and just his third goal-less game of the season. Nick Weiss had one goal for the Stealth.
