Roughnecks Down Mammoth In Exhibition, 16-11

On Saturday, the Calgary Roughnecks and Colorado Mammoth met in Vancouver to face off in a scrimmage.

This would be the teams’ first opportunity to see how their new and young players would act in the pressure of a game situation.

Ultimately, the Roughnecks came away victorious, winning 16-11 over their Rocky Mountain rivals.

Jeff Shattler led the way with eight points on the night, netting four goals and four assists. In his first action back with the team, Curtis Dickson potted three goals and added an assist. Dane Dobbie (1g, 4a), Tyler Digby (1g, 4a), and Jason Jones (3g, 3a) all had big games to help spur the Riggers to victory.

As for the rookies, top picks Wesley Berg (1g, 3a) and Reilly O’Connor (1g, 2a) had successful debuts. However, they weren’t the only ones. Carson Barton (1g, 2a), Jacob Ruest (1g, 1a), and Mitch de Snoo (1a) all found the scoresheet.

Calgary will be back in action next weekend as they head to Toronto to face Buffalo in a scrimmage at the Toronto Rock Athletic Centre.

When the Mammoth lured forward Callum Crawford to Colorado, the organization knew the move would significantly enhance its offense. In his first exhibition game with his new team, Crawford showcased his abilities, scoring three times on Saturday night.

Crawford has a decade of NLL playing experience. His teammate, defenseman Jordan Gilles, now has one preseason game to his pro resume. And in that one game, the Mammoth’s sixth-round pick in the 2015 NLL Entry Draft scored twice. The duo accounted for nearly half of Colorado’s tallies.

“Going in, we were excited to see what the new guys could bring, and for the guys who have been here before, what they’ve improved on in the offseason,” said Mammoth Director of Player Personnel Dan Carey.

Adam Jones and Eli McLaughlin each scored twice for Colorado. Cam Flint scored on a helper from Tommy McKee, a rookie forward who also contributed with a goal of his own.

Dillon Ward played the first three quarters in the net for the Mammoth. Zak Boychuk played the game’s final 15 minutes between the pipes.