Helmet decals from Pro Athletics feature the ‘Lacrosse Out Cancer’ logo and corresponding ribbon color just above the players’ foreheads. A large ribbon also dons the back-left.
Colorado Mammoth forward Sean Pollock had his world rocked two years ago when his wife, Jenna, was diagnosed with breast cancer. Jenna won her battle. Sean won the game on Saturday for the Mammoth on HealthONE Field at Pepsi Center with wife looking on from the stands, scoring the game-winner in overtime on ‘Lacrosse Out Cancer’ Night while donning Jenna’s name on the back of his jersey.
“If you want to write a script, that’d be a good one to have,” said Pollock.
After falling behind 5-0 early in the second quarter, the Mammoth defense held the Calgary Roughnecks without a goal for nearly 39 minutes. During that stretch, Colorado scored nine times.
But just eight seconds after John Grant Jr.’s goal 9:21 into the fourth quarter gave Colorado a four-goal lead, Calgary’s Jeff Shattler responded. Then, 38 seconds later, Shattler scored again.
The Roughnecks would add two more in the final 1:06 of regulation with an extra attacker on the floor to push the game to overtime. That’s when the storybook was written.
“I honestly didn’t think I was going to play today,” said Sean Pollock, after suffering an injury in practice last night. “Obviously this is my favorite game of the year, and I wanted to play. Once I got to the arena and got moving a little bit, that pain went away.”
But it wasn’t just Pollock who played well. The 11-year veteran saw a rookie shine in net. Dillon Ward was sensational.
“The last couple weeks I just wanted to shore up my game, not overthink it, just play it one shift at a time and it seems to be working for me right now,” said the 22-year-old.
Colorado changed much of its coaching staff earlier this week, bringing in three former Mammoth players to man the bench. Pat Coyle, who won five NLL championships in his 12-year playing career, provided a quote for the ages. After all, it was a game that won’t soon be forgotten.
“I’m more tired, I think, than when I played!”