Sliding Black Wolves fall to Mammoth, 14-9
Mohegan — The end result was a 14-9 home loss to the Colorado Mammoth, which as New England Black Wolves coach Glenn Clark would later say leaves his team “hovering on the outside looking in.”
“It's uncomfortable,” Clark said of the Wolves, who dropped to 3-6, tied for the bottom spot in the National Lacrosse League's East Division at the season's halfway point.
The lead-in to Sunday's loss before 5,059 fans at Mohegan Sun Arena is what seemed to be noteworthy.
The Black Wolves were already without forward Chad Culp (8 goals, 13 assists), who went on injured reserve earlier in the week with a knee injury. Veteran forward Pat Saunders (10 goals, 15 assists) was a late scratch, despite being healthy, according to Clark. Then, just before halftime, leading scorer Shawn Evans (19 goals, 35 assists, 54 points, third in the NLL) crumbled to the ground untouched before limping off the floor.
That was all while New England defender Bill O'Brien was appealing a two-game suspension handed down by the NLL for a hit he rendered during last week's game against Buffalo. O'Brien played Sunday. Clark said a decision on the appeal is expected to be made by the league on Wednesday.
“It was a strange game,” Clark said. “You've got to find a way. We had opportunities, but we didn't find ways to make 'em drop. (Mammoth goalie Dillon) Ward was on his game today.”
Reilly O'Connor, in his second year in the NLL, acquired by the Black Wolves in a trade from Calgary, finished with two goals and three assists on a team-best 11 shots and rookie Seth Oakes added two goals. Kevin Crowley had a goal and two assists.
Doug Jamieson came into the game in the third quarter to replace goalie Evan Kirk and made 21 saves on 25 shots, helping to breathe life into the Black Wolves, who seemed to find their fire late.
The Wolves trailed 6-1 after four straight goals by Colorado in the second quarter and 7-3 at halftime. Colorado (5-4) scored the first two goals of the third quarter by Zach Herreweyers and Stephen Keogh to push the margin to six at 9-3.
New England would eventually get goals from Daryl Veltman, signed this week as a free agent, and O'Connor to make it 9-4 and later consecutive goals by Oakes and Crowley to pull within 11-7 at the end of three. A goal by Oakes in transition, assisted by Dan Ball and Joel Coyle, fired up the crowd by making it a three-goal game with 8:49 to play at 11-8.
Colorado, however, scored twice in rapid succession to put the game away. The Mammoth scored their final goal with 1:09 remaining into an empty net.
“It was almost too little, too late,” O'Connor said. “We were kind of pressing there. I wouldn't say it's do or die, but we need wins. As coach Clark always says, we're process driven, but everything's based on results.”
Clark was asked of the decision to sit Saunders in favor of what wound up being a younger lineup on offense without Evans, who appeared to suffer an ankle injury and left to have it checked, the coach said.
“Change is part of sport. You need to look change,” said Clark, in his second season. “You just can't keep rolling out the same thing. You don't get the opportunity to sit on your hands.”
The Black Wolves, who have lost two straight at home, will next play a division game Friday in Toronto.
v.fulkerson@theday.com
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