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RUSH AIMS FOR SHARE OF FIRST IN COLORADO

Colorado looking for vets to step it up in second half of season

03/13/2010

By Ron Knabenbauer, covering the Mammoth for NLL.com

The Colorado Mammoth will look to turn their season around this weekend.

Colorado will host the Edmonton Rush on Saturday at Pepsi Center in Denver for the teams' second matchup of the season. The game comes at a time where the Mammoth will look to battle their way back into the playoff picture.

The season is half over for both the Mammoth (2-6) and the Rush (5-3), however unlike in past years, it is Colorado who is not pleased with how their year has gone so far.

"We are certainly disappointed with the first half of our season," said Colorado General Manager and Head Coach Steve Govett. "We are disappointed with the last four games, but we think we have won some victories that don't show up on the scoreboard."

After winning two overtime thrillers against Minnesota and Philadelphia to get their record to .500 on the season in late January, Colorado has lost their last four games.

The Mammoth this season have played five one-goal games, including a 14-13 loss against the Rush in the clubs' first meeting of the year. In that game, Matt Disher made 41 saves in net for the Rush while Ryan Ward finished with four goals and three assists and former Mammoth player Gavin Prout ended the night with seven assists in his return to Denver after being traded in the offseason.

Though Colorado's successes in the first half of the season have not come in the form of wins, one success that the team has had is battling back from large goal deficits. In the Mammoth's last game against the Minnesota Swarm on Feb. 27, they were down five goals late in the second quarter and battled their way back into the game where they even took the lead with three minutes left in the regulation.

"We've battled back in a few games," Govett said. "We've been down by a great deal and battled back and I think we have shown some signs of life, and I do know that we have a lot of very talented individuals on our team and it is a matter of getting individuals to play as a team and start to turn the corner."

Another success in Colorado's first eight games has been the play of their rookies. Four Mammoth players have double-digit goals this season, with two of them wearing the name Gajic on the back of their jerseys. Rookies Ilija and Alex Gajic have both had solid starts to the season, with Ilija netting 15 goals and adding nine assists (24 points) and Alex having both 10 goals and 10 assists this season (20 points).

After a slow start, Alex has begun to find the back of the net with more consistency as of late. His three goals and one assist performance against the Swarm two weeks ago was enough for him to be named NLL Rookie of the Week for Week Eight.

At the league's weekly teleconference call on Wednesday, Govett said how impressed he has been by the play of his team's rookies and younger players, but also acknowledged that the veterans need to step up their game down the home stretch.

"Our rookies have played well," Govett said. "You go back and watch where our rookies are at and we are getting a lot of points from young guys and a lot of leadership from young guys, and I think quite honestly our veterans have to step up and they have to start making stops in the defensive end and goaltending and the veterans need to step up and play offense."

On the Rush side, they are currently sitting tied for second in the West Division with a 5-3 record, their best start in franchise history.

However, Edmonton General Manager and Head Coach Derek Keenan denied any overconfidence by his team on Wednesday, stating how his team is not happy with how they have lost their three games this season. In those games, the Rush were held to single digits on the scoreboard and were beaten by an average of 7.33 goals.

"We are 5-3 but in our three losses we haven't been very good, so we need to play more somewhere in the middle in terms of we can't allow ourselves to get caught up in bad things and worry about them," Keenan said. "We need to turn the page quickly and think positively and that has happened in the games that we have won and have had success."

The Mammoth and the Rush will meet each other for the final time this season on April 9 in Edmonton.

Saturday's game is set to begin at 9pm EST at Pepsi Center in Denver, Colo. The game will be televised on Altitude.

You can also watch the game live on The NLL Network at NLL.com.

By Matthew Iwanyk, covering the Rush for NLL.com

The Edmonton Rush (5-3) head into to the Pepsi Center in Denver to take on the Colorado Mammoth (2-6) at 9pm EST Saturday night. Both clubs are coming off bye weeks last weekend.

The Rush are coming into action this week on a two-game win streak. Two weeks ago, they were able to claw their way back into their game against the Rochester Knighthawks. Being down much of the game by four goals, they scored three goals in the fourth quarter to force overtime. In extra time, Andy Secore scored the decisive goal to complete the Rush comeback.

Rush Head Coach Derek Keenan liked what he saw from his club in the game.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"Two weeks ago against Rochester was a great example of how we were down four goals for much of the game, but we never left our game plan,"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡" said Keenan. ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""We played within our system, we didnÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'t panic and thatÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'s very important.ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""

The Rush may be 5-3, but for Keenan the team is still a work in progress

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"We are a group that needs to work hard and pay attention to detail. We are 5-3, but our three loses have not been very good,"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡" Keenan said this week. ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""We need to play more in the middle in terms of we canÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡''t allow ourselves to get caught up in bad things and worry about them. We need to turn the page quickly and think positively and that is what'ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'s happening in the games we have won and have had success. "ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"

The bye week couldnÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'t have come at a better time for the Rush, who are experiencing some banged up bodies, including captain Chris McElroy and Pat Jones.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"WeÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'re a little banged up right now and still are, so hopefully we are starting to get healthy and have some of our guys ready to go this weekend,ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"" said Keenan, who is really missing Pat Jones. ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"

"We miss him, not only in the faceoff circle, but from a leadership/defense standpoint and on our penalty killing.ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""

For Derek Keenan, what he saw from his club in the first half of the season has him very pleased. He knows his team is just coming together and still learning.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"No matter what the circumstances are, our guys are learning that you need to stick to the game plan until told otherwise. ThatÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡''s what I think brings success and I think that has been what brought us success in our wins, and been our downfalls in our losses."ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"

The Mammoth comes into this weekend on a four-game winless skid. The club is sitting at the bottom in the West Division, already having made a coaching change earlier in the season.

Steve Govett, Mammoth General Manager and Head Coach, is not pleased with his clubs performance so far, but does seem some positives.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"We are certainly disappointed with the first half of our season. WeÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'re disappointed with the last four games, but we think weÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡''ve won some victories that don'ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡'t show up on the scoreboard,ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"" said Govett. ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""We have battled back in a few games that we have been down by a great deal and battled back and I think weÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡''ve shown some signs of life."ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"

The key to turning the club around, according to Govett, is to get the team working as one.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"I do know we have a lot of very talented individuals on our team and itÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡''s a matter of getting the individuals to play as a team and starting to turn the corner.ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""

Blame for this slow start cannot be put on the fact this team has lots of young rookies in their lineup. Govett feels his rookies have actually been the reason for their wins, not for the loses.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"We are getting a lot of points from young guys and a lot of leadership from young guys and I think our veterans need to step up,ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"" said Govett ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""They have to start making stops in the defensive end and goaltending and the veterans have to step up and start playing offense. Our rookies have been pretty darn good.ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡""

These two clubs met back in the second week of the season, with the Rush winning 14-13. However, Keenan does not expect to come in and get a second win very easily.

"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡"Our second half of the season will be difficult, starting this weekend in Denver with a very difficult place to play, and difficult place to win. We hope to keep this thing rolling here and have a good second half as well,"ÃÆ'Æ'Æ'ÃÆ'†'ÃÆ'Æ'¢ÃÆ'¢â€Ã...¡Ã‚¬ÃÆ'...¡" said Keenan.

Watch the game live on The NLL Network at NLL.com.