Alex Buque shone on opening night in Colorado. After getting the surprise start against the Georgia Swarm, Buque has not seen another start all season.
Dillon Ward, of whom signed a five year deal with the Mammoth just two years ago, was labeled the next young goaltending star of the National Lacrosse League. After Evan Kirk, a former third overall pick, did not become that next star, all eyes were on Ward to become that.
“He’s a real professional,” Mammoth general manager Steve Govett said to Lacrosse Magazine. “He is very focused. He has a different approach than a lot of goalies. He’s not high-strung. He’s a quality kid.”
Last week against the Vancouver Stealth, Ward held the opponent to five goals scored while his team scored an excessive 14. Not only did Ward allow one of the season low goals scored total in the entire league, but he made 50 saves in doing so. Vancouver is a team that likes to shoot, and has many prolific scorers, so shutting them down as he did is no small feat. Ward shut out the Stealth for both the first and fourth quarters.
With a 10.50 goals against average so far this season in three games started, by far his lowest goals against in his career. Last season he struggled, and Buque played well, which led many to wonder about Buque’s starting of the first game this season.
Ward’s goals against isn’t world beating, by any means. He is still seventh out of nine starting goaltenders. However, it has to be kept in mind that going into this season one of the biggest question marks in the entire league was the defense of Colorado. The Mammoth have allowed 48 goals this season, tied for the league high, and that’s with a game on the schedule of just five goals allowed.
The Mammoth also have 61 goals scored, by far the most in the league (only one other team has played four games in the league, and that is the winless Toronto Rock). This team can afford to give up more, and Ward’s backstopping is only getting better.
Of starting goaltenders in the league, Ward has the second most minutes played at 182. only Anthony Cosmo has more, with less than one minute. Ward’s 124 saves made are the most in the league, two ahead of Kirk in New England, showing how many more shots that Ward has to fend off. Once again, the Mammoth defense is weaker.
Opening night left us with a question mark about just who was going to be the starter in Colorado, but Ward has given us the answer.
