Swarm Stuns Mammoth in Final Minutes
from press release
SAINT PAUL, Minn. – After beating the
Colorado Mammoth (2-6) for the first time in franchise history last
Saturday, the National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) Minnesota
Swarm (4-4) continued their winning ways in front of 15,427 at
Pepsi Center, stunning the Mammoth with a 13-12 victory in
thrilling fashion.
Last week’s win set a franchise record for the Swarm’s
greatest margin of victory, defeating Colorado by 10 points. That
would not be the case Saturday night as Colorado came out with
something to prove.
Down 12-11 with two minutes to play, F Ryan Benesch (2g, 2a) and F
Tim Campeau (2g, 3a) stunned Colorado with two goals for another
Swarm victory. Minnesota extended its winning streak to three games
and have climbed back to the .500 mark after a rough 1-4 start.
F Aaron Wilson notched seven points (3g, 4a). F Callum Crawford,
who was named NLL Overall Player of the Week on Wednesday, posted
seven points (1g, 6a) on the night. G Nick Patterson stopped 38
shots for the victory.
T Ryan Sharp (2g, 0a), a late roster addition before the game, was
active on all fronts and scored the Swarm’s first goal of the
game – his first of the season. F Sean Pollock (1g, 1a) snuck
behind Colorado’s defenders and finished with some nifty
stick work to tie it 2-2. Minnesota took its first lead of the game
when Sharp capitalized on a fast-break opportunity and buried one
all alone on the Colorado goaltender.
Wilson and Crawford began the second-quarter scoring with
power-play goals, developing a three-goal cushion for the Swarm. D
Eric Pacey (0g, 0a) and Colorado T Cliff Smith (1g, 0a) dropped the
gloves shortly after but Minnesota kept on coming; Wilson added his
second goal of the night with a blast from the perimeter and then
completed the hat trick – all with the man advantage.
The Mammoth would not go quietly. Colorado’s captain, F Brian
Langtry (3g, 3a), tallied two goals to stop the bleeding and the
two squads ended the half with Minnesota up 8-5. The Mammoth came
out flying with three straight tallies to tie it up.
Colorado regained the lead under Langtry’s hat trick but
another Swarm roster addition, Dan Marohl (1g, 2a), tied the game
with a power-play marker. Minnesota’s power play punished the
Mammoth all night long, going 4-for-6 with the man advantage. Down
by one with two minutes left, Benesch and Campeau stunned the Pepsi
Center and Minnesota began its four-game road trip with a huge
victory.
The National Lacrosse League’s (NLL) Minnesota Swarm will be
pretty in pink (and black) against the Edmonton Rush on Saturday,
April 3 at 7:35 p.m. CST at Xcel Energy Center. The team will wear
eye-catching pink and black uniforms in addition to specially-made
pink Reebok helmets for Hive Cares night. A percentage of the
proceeds will benefit local charities.
