Last weekend the Buffalo Bandits and Rochester Knighthawks kicked off the 2015 NLL playoffs on Saturday night in Rochester with the Knighthawks keeping the dream of four straight NLL championships alive with a 14-11 victory. The Colorado Mammoth and Calgary Roughnecks concluded the first weekend of NLL playoff action on Sunday, as the Roughnecks defeated the Mammoth by a score of 11-6. While three of the four teams competing in Week 1 of the NLL playoffs did not dress a rookie, the Colorado Mammoth on the other hand dressed seven for their matchup with the Roughnecks.
1. Eli McLaughlin (O)—Colorado Mammoth
McLaughlin capped off his rookie season in the NLL on Sunday as his Mammoth were ousted by the Calgary Roughnecks in the Western Conference Semifinal. However McLaughlin went out playing one of his better games of the season, recording a goal and two assists for three points, along with five loose balls. McLaughlin continually improved throughout the regular season, finishing the year with 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points in 17 games. McLaughlin will now join the Nanaimo Timbermen of the WLA for the summer season.
2. Jeremy Noble (O)—Colorado Mammoth
The midseason acquisition of Jeremy Noble sent the Mammoth on an upward trend, which resulted in a home playoff game, however Noble’s offense simply was not enough to will the Mammoth past Calgary in Round 1. On Sunday afternoon Noble potted two goals and added two loose balls, while firing 12 shots on goal. Noble thrived right from the moment he pulled a Mammoth jersey over his head, recording 13 goals and 26 assists for 39 points in just nine games. Noble is expected to suit up with the Oakville Rock in the MSL during the 2015 summer season.
3. Robert Hope (D)—Colorado Mammoth
Arguably the most impactful rookie defender during the 2015 NLL regular season, Robert Hope ended his season much as the way he started it, with another solid defensive outing for Colorado. Hope was able to scoop three loose balls and force one turnover in the playoff loss to Calgary. Through the 17 game regular season Hope racked up five assists, 15 penalty minutes, 72 loose balls and 28 created turnovers. Expect Hope to develop into one of the NLL’s top defenders in the coming years. Hope will suit up with the Peterborough Lakers of the MSL this summer.
4. Alex Buque (G)—Colorado Mammoth
Buque quickly drew recognition from NLL fans across the league in his NLL debut, and since then no one has questioned his elite level of skill. Buque struggled for playing time behind youngster Dillon Ward, who himself is still in the very early stages of his NLL career. This past Sunday Buque relieved Ward in the Mammoth goal, and allowed the Mammoth to try and get back into the game, however they were just too far behind. Buque would record 19 saves on 23 shots in 32:15 of action in Sunday’s loss, which was good enough for a 0.826 Save Percentage. Buque went 2-3 during the regular season, with a 9.36 goals against average and a 0.808 Save Percentage. Buque is expected to suit up for the New Westminster Salmonbellies of the WLA during the summer season.
5. Colton Porter (D)—Colorado Mammoth
Porter joined the Mammoth late in the season off of their practice roster, and once he was able to show what he could do in live NLL action, he became a mainstay on the Mammoth defensive unit. The diminutive defender is as tenacious as they come, an excellent on and off ball defender that doesn’t give the opposition room to breathe; you can expect Porter to be a regular in the Mammoth lineup next season. On Sunday Porter recorded two penalty minutes, one loose ball and one created turnover. Porter suits up with the Maple Ridge Burrards of the WLA during the summer season.
6. Mike Burke (O)—Colorado Mammoth
Burke started the 2015 NLL season off as a late cut of the Toronto Rock. He lit up the Canadian Lacrosse League early on, and that was enough for the Mammoth to add him to their active roster. While Burke was unable to rack up anything offensively during Sunday’s playoff game, he did scoop two loose balls. Through nine regular season games in 2015, Burke picked up six goals and nine assists for 15 points, along with 15 loose balls. Burke is slated to suit up with the Brampton Excelsiors of the MSL this summer season.
7. Mike Woods (D)—Colorado Mammoth
Mike Woods quietly went about having a solid, under the radar rookie season for the Mammoth. This past Sunday the 25 year old rookie was able to rack up three loose balls and force one turnover in the loss to the Roughnecks. Woods appeared in eight games during the regular season with Colorado, racking up 13 penalty minutes and 13 loose balls. The towering, physical defender will likely suit up with the K-W Kodiaks of the MSL this season, following an offseason trade from the Oakville Rock.
