Not a whole lot has changed about the Colorado Mammoth from last time they were at the ‘Dome.
The Calgary Roughnecks handed them a 13-11 win on their home opener, setting off a skid of four straight losses by the Mammoth.
That losing streak has forced general manager Steve Govett to make some changes.
Recently, the Mammoth signed forward Athan Iannucci while releasing Jordan McBride to make room for him.
Iannucci is a well known name in the lacrosse circles, but it remains to be seen if his best years might be behind him.
In 2008 while lining up for the Philadelphia Wings, Iannucci scored an unheard of 71 goals over 16 games, an average of nearly 4.5 goals a game.
It set an NLL record that no one has ever come close to breaking in the five seasons since.
However, that was the peak of Iannucci’s powers.
The righty underwent major knee and missed the entire 2010 NLL season. He returned for one more season in the City of Brotherly Love, but was dealt off to the Edmonton Rush, and later the Washington Stealth.
He managed 21 and 22 goals over the last two seasons respectively, before being released following training camp this season.
Roughnecks defender Dan MacRae said there are a few differences between Iannucci and the player he was brought in to replace, Jordan McBride.
Iannucci is much more of an outside, pick his spot and fire shooter, while McBride plays from the inside.
In two games this year, Iannucci has two goals and two assists off 14 shots.
THREE PLAYERS TO WATCH
1. John Grant Jr. – It’s probably fair to say that everyone has seen Grant Jr.’s goal from last week, which is best described as a one-handed, underhand, behind the legs shot while on the run. My words can’t do it justice so just watch it below.
He’s been doing these types of goals for years, and the Roughnecks always have a tough time keeping him in check.
2. Adam Jones – While he may have played in a league-high six games, the 2012 NLL Rookie of the Year leads the league in both goals (16) and points (29). Included in those numbers are three points versus the Roughnecks earlier this season.
3. Sean Pollock – Usually, it would be Drew Westervelt that would be the third guy to watch on the Mammoth offense, but it appears he’s missing the game. Instead, the hot hand on the right side will fall to Pollock, a longtime NLL veteran. He scored a hat trick and added an assist for good measure last time the two teams played.
