As if the night of indoor lacrosse action couldn’t get any more exciting….. The Colorado Mammoth erased a 4 goal deficit in the last 5 minutes to force overtime with the Calgary Roughnecks. Sean Pollock’s game-winner came at 6:02 of the overtime to give the Mammoth (1-1) their first win of the season. The loss sent Calgary to 0-2 in the early stages if the 2013 season.
Both teams lost there opening games last week and neither wanted to be 0-2 this early in the season. But as we know in sports someone must win and someone must lose.
Mammoth where led by 2012 National Lacrosse League MVP John Grant, Jr. who recorded 6G/2A & Gavin Prout (1G/6A).
Shawn Evans led the Roughnecks (4G/3A)
Calgary took a 7-4 lead into the lockers room, along with a bit of momentum. Both teams came out in the third quarter and combined for 8 goals, but Calgary still held a 3 goal lead 11-8.
As the fourth quarter started Jeff Shattler scored on the power-play to put Calgary up 12-8 and it seemed Calgary was en route to there first victory of the season. Then the Mammoth came to life. John Grant Jr’s sixth goal of the game at 10:43 started a goal barrage that saw the Mammoth score four times 2:57, ending with 2012 Rookie of the Year Adam Jones tying the game at 12-12
Roughnecks goaltender Mike Poulin, 2012 NLL Goaltender of the Year, made two huge the second on a shot by Grant, Jr., forcil to Philadelphia to face the 2-0 ng overtime.
Coming into the game the big question was, Can the mammoth solve there goaltending problem?
Mammoth starting goaltender Chris Levis left the game with a lower-body injury and back-up Matt Roik came on in relief. Later in the game Levis was forced back into action as Roik went down with a minor injury forcing him to sit for a shift. Levis faced 18 shots allowing 6 goals. Roik was credited with the win as he faced 35 shots, stopping 29 of them.
Poulin was spectacular for the Roughnecks stopping 41 of 54 shots in the defeat.
Face-off specialist Geoff Snider dominated the dot again winning 22 of 25 draws (88%)
The rematch between these two teams is Friday, Jan. 25, this time at 9 p.m. ET at Pepsi Center in Colorado.
The Roughnecks then travel to Philadelphia to take on the Wings on Sunday, Jan. 27 at 4 p.m. ET at Wells Fargo Center.
