Matthews, Hiltz Lift Rock to End Mammoth's 7-Game Streak

Recent meetings between the Toronto Rock and Colorado Mammoth produced a run of dramatic and lopsided results. In Denver, Toronto edged Colorado 9-8 in overtime at Ball Arena when Josh Dawick scored his fourth goal and the overtime winner 6:05 into the extra frame. Dawick opened the scoring on a power play and helped spark a comeback after Colorado built a 6-3 halftime lead on goals from Connor Kelly, Connor Robinson and Eli McLaughlin; TD Ierlan won the faceoff that led to Tom Schreiber’s tying goal and Toronto completed the rally in a game marked by shifting momentum.

At Ball Arena in a different meeting, Colorado delivered a 16-8 victory that extended the Mammoth’s franchise-record winning streak to seven games and improved Colorado to 8-2 on the season. Andrew Kew totaled 10 points (four goals, six assists), rookie Braedon Saris had three goals and four assists, Will Malcom added two goals and five assists, and Jack Hannah finished with one goal and five assists. Dillon Ward made 37 saves in the win; Toronto’s Mark Matthews had two goals and three assists and reached 1,101 career points, while Challen Rogers scored three goals and one assist in the loss. The game featured a turning point when Owen Hiltz was assessed a five-minute major and a game misconduct for boarding in the third quarter, after which Colorado scored five goals in under three minutes; Toronto’s Troy Holowchuk and Steve Orleman combined for 45 saves and backup Nathan Whittom stopped eight shots.

In a rematch in Hamilton at TD Coliseum, Toronto snapped Colorado’s seven-game streak with a 13-9 victory, fueled by a five-goal fourth-quarter run. Mark Matthews had two goals and four assists, Owen Hiltz contributed two goals and three assists and tied the score at 9 with 6:15 remaining, and Matthews converted a go-ahead power-play goal less than a minute later. Challen Rogers and CJ Kirst each recorded hat tricks, with Rogers’ hat trick marking his fourth straight game with at least three goals. Rock goalie Troy Holowchuk made 41 saves. For Colorado, Andrew Kew had two goals and three assists, Dylan McIntosh and Owen Rahn each scored two goals, and Dillon Ward made 47 saves and surpassed 7,000 career saves to move into fourth on the NLL’s all-time list.