The Toronto Rock (2-1) will travel to the Pepsi Center to face the Colorado Mammoth (0-2) on Saturday night as they look to continue their winning ways. The Toronto Rock’s trip to the Loud House is going to be a real test for a team that has won or lost its past two games by one goal. They will be facing a winless Mammoth team that will be hungry for their first win of the season.
The Mammoth lost their first game of the season in surprising fashion to the expansion San Diego Seals and then lost a tight game to the Calgary Roughnecks in which their offense struggled to score in the fourth quarter. Despite these early setbacks, Colorado has tons of offensive firepower, one of the loudest crowds in the league and deadly transition players.
The Toronto Rock pulled off an exciting comeback win against the Wings last week in which both Tom Schreiber and Adam Jones scored five goals. The Rock will need to play a more balanced game if they want to escape the Mile High City with a win.
Toronto Rock’s Keys to the Game
- It can’t be the Jones and Schreiber show. They will need to get contributions from their other stars like Rob Hellyer, Kieran McArdle and Johnny Powless, as they face an elite goaltender like Dillon Ward and the Mammoth’s stingy defense.
- They have to limit Mammoth transition opportunities. The majority of the goals Philly scored against Toronto were by their defenders on transition opportunities. This could mean trouble again for Toronto as the Mammoth boast some of the best transition players in the league in Joey Cupido and Brad Self. The rest of their defense core are all capable goal scorers.
- Get a lead early. If the Rock can score goals early and keep the pressure on they can put the Mammoth’s back against the wall like the Mammoth have experienced in their past two losses.
- Push the ball up the floor relentlessly. The Rock have some serious weapons on defense that have proven they can score in the past. Brendan Slade has recently had success, but this could be the game Challen Rogers, Latrell Harris, and the rest of the defensive group ball out and score in bunches like they did against Buffalo and Georgia.
Adam Jones will also face his former team in what is also a battle of Canisius College alumni with Jones battling for bragging rights against former Griffs Dan Coates and Tim Edwards. The Rock will look to get on a 2 game win streak as they battle an angry Colorado Mammoth team tonight in Denver. Catch it on B/R Live at 9 pm.
#FACEOFF: @TorontoRockLax are heading west to face @MammothLax in Colorado. Looks like @DevanKaneyTV is dressed appropriately for this game’s black-out #80sRockNight theme! She and @ReneePwash break it down. #TORvsCOL airs Saturday, 1/12 at 9:00pm ET on @brlive #LaxOn pic.twitter.com/myRfwn6Tjn
— NLL (@NLL) January 11, 2019
FOR MORE NLL CONTENT: Listen to The Lacrosse Podcast, this week with Kevin Crowley as he discusses his trade to the Philadelphia Wings. Justin Skaggs and Rich Snow host. Click here to listen.
