If you watch lacrosse for the scoring, then the contest between the Rochester Knighthawks and Colorado Mammoth on Saturday night was the game for you. With 31 total goals and 30 combined penalty minutes, this game had it all. To make things even more interesting, it was the return to Ball Arena in Denver, Colorado for Zed Williams. It was also the long-awaited season debut for Jack Hannah, who donned the Mammoth colors for the first time since being traded from Las Vegas.
Colorado used a seven-goal run in the second corner to take a commanding lead. Rochester showed their moxie late, as they cut the deficit to two at one point. That’d be as close as they’d get, as Colorado finished them off, cruising to an 18-13 win.
The first quarter saw nine of those goals, four of them being on the power play. The pace was fast and furious right from the opening whistle. Ryan Smith opened the scoring for Rochester, but that’d be the only one they’d get for about eight minutes following. Colorado slammed the door on defense, all while scoring four-in-a-row. Those Mammoth goals were scored by Jalen Chaster, Hannah twice, and Braedon Saris. Rochester bounced right back after their slight hiatus with four of their own. Those were courtesy of Connor Fields twice and Ryan Lanchbury twice. 5-4 Rochester after one.
The second quarter started and the Rochester scoring stopped. The Knighthawks scored their one and only goal in the frame with 20 seconds remaining, and it was buried by Lanchbury. Colorado took complete control for the entirety of the quarter. They had a seven-goal run, their defense was suffocating, and Dillon Ward seemed to have settled in. The seven Mammoth goals were scored by Ryan Lee, Will Malcom three times, Warren Jeffrey, Saris, and Thomas Vela. Blink your eyes and it was 11-6 Colorado at the break.
The game finally settled down for a moment in the third quarter, as both defenses settled in and there were only four goals scored. The lone Mammoth goal was scored by Lee and the three for Rochester were courtesy of Thomas McConvey twice and Lanchbury. Rochester was creeping. 12-9 Mammoth after three.
Hopefully you enjoyed the breather that was the third quarter, because business picked right back up in the fourth. Colorado boosted their lead with the first two goals of the final frame, one from Dylan McIntosh and the other from Malcom. Rochester came roaring back with three of their own, cutting the deficit to two. Those goals were scored by Jacob Piseno, Smith, and Zed Williams. As we said, that’d be as close as Rochester would come, as Colorado outscored the Knighthawks 4-1 in the final 4:29 of game play. The last Rochester goal was from McConvey, while the Mammoth goals were scored by Vela, Jordan Gilles, Chaster, and Matthew Paolatto. The Loud House was jumping as their boys in maroon and black finished off the offensive explosion.
Players of the game for Colorado were Malcom (4+5), Hannah (2+6), and Lee (2+5). Unfortunately for Lee, he went down with an apparent leg injury in the second half of the game, resulting in him being placed on season-ending injured reserve. Ward had his shining moments in this game, stopping 44 of 57 in total. For Rochester, Lanchbury (4+3), McConvey (3+3), and Fields (2+6) led the way. The goaltender situation was a bit messy for the Knighthawks as both guys struggled at times. Rylan Hartley stopped 13 of 22 in 28:20 of game play, while Riley Hutchcraft stopped 12 of 18 in 31:37.
“I think him (Hannah) in the lineup is a huge addition for us”, said Ward. “We just kept going, even when they started making a comeback. We owed it to these fans. They fill this place every week, they bring the energy every week, we owed them one tonight.”
Colorado looks to build off the massive output on offense. They hit the road for their next contest as they take on Georgia. That game is on Saturday January 10th at 7:30pm. Rochester looks to have a short memory, as they have a very busy weekend coming up. First, they hit the road for a Friday night matchup against Philadelphia. Faceoff in that one is at 7pm. Quick turnaround, as Saturday night they travel back home to welcome in their I-90 rivals, the Buffalo Bandits. That faceoff is also at 7pm.
