Edmonton drops to 9-5 in the loss

Edmonton, AB, -- The Edmonton Rush fell 14-10 to the Colorado Mammoth Friday night in National Lacrosse League action before 7,493 fans at Rexall Place.

Colorado improved to 4-9 and still alive for a West Division playoff spot with the win and the Rush dropped to 9-5 on the season in the loss.

Edmonton, who has already secured a post-season berth in the division, had their three game win streak snapped in the game and Colorado earned their fourth road victory.

Despite the defeat, the Rush won the season series against Colorado two wins to one after two road wins over the Mammoth at the Pepsi Center: 14-13 Jan. 16 and then 13-9 on March 13.

Edmontonian Jamie Shewchuk was the difference for Colorado Friday night as he fired four goals and added five assists for nine points, while Brian Langtry had five goals and two assists.

Gavin Prout and Ryan Powell each had two goals and two assists for the Rush and Corey Small sniped a hat-trick in the contest. Ryan Ward (1G, 3A), Rory Glaves (1G, 1A) and Scott Stewart also tallied for Edmonton.

Prout continued his hot hand against his former team as his effort Friday gave him six goals and 10 assists in three games versus the Mammoth this year.

Brandon Atherton, who had two relief wins in net for Edmonton last week, allowed seven goals on the first 14 shots and was replaced by Matt Disher. Atherton was tagged with the loss, while Colorado's Chris Levis earned the win with 43 saves on 53 shots.

"We had another bad first half and eventually it's going to jump up and bite you and it did," said Rush head coach/GM Derek Keenan. "We can't continue to be down three or four goals and expect to come back and win.

"They (Colorado) played extremely well. They had their offense going and Langtry had a great game and they deserved to win.

"We have to play better defensively. I thought our defense was brutal in the first half and again in the third quarter," Keenan added. "We have to play more consistently."

Colorado opened the scoring just over five minutes of play as Langtry's behind-the-back shot tin tight beat Atherton before Edmonton answered back 36-seconds later as Corey Small's riser whipped past Levis.

Small then fired his second of the night at 7:19 after he drove hard to the net to put Edmonton up 2-1 and then Colorado equalized 23-seconds later as Langtry found the mark again.

Colorado then carried the run as both Shewchuk and Langtry scored to give the Mammoth a 4-2 lead and then less than one minute into the second quarter Langtry fired his fourth of the game.

Ward pulled the Rush back within two goals with a power-play marker at 2:17, before the Mammoth notched two more goals within 39-seconds to chase Atherton from the net and lead 7-3.

Edmonton then went on a three-goal run, started by Prout at 9:40 and followed by a rare tally from defender Glaves at 10:04 and topped by Powell's fifty-foot rip at 11:19, to close to 7-6.

The Mammoth hit the board again before the half to lead 8-6 at the break.

Edmonton opened the scoring in the second half as Stewart found the net shorthanded at 4:11, before Colorado responded back with two quick goals within 17-seconds to move ahead 10-7.

The Mammoth continued the run as Shewchuk notched his hat-trick goal and Culp then added to the lead 18-seconds later to put Colorado up 12-7.

Edmonton then went on a two-goal run as Powell fired his second of the night and 53-seconds later Small ripped his third of the game as the Rush closed to a 12-9 score.

Prout then continued his mastery against his former team as he evaded the check of John Gallant and sniped his second of the game at 3:24.

Colorado then went on a two goal run as Shewchuk notched his fourth goal and ninth point followed by Langtry's fifth goal of the game as Colorado extended the lead to 14-10.

Edmonton has two games remaining in the regular season: next Friday, April 16 versus the Calgary Roughnecks at 7 p.m. at Rexall Place and April 17 at the Washington Stealth.

Rush mush: D Glaves scored his first goal in 15 games (4/11/09) ... Pat Jones went 12-29 in face-offs ... Edmonton is now 5-2 at home ... Colorado's power-play went 0-2 and Edmonton 1-2 ... the Rush outshot Colorado 53-40 ... Chris McElroy, Bruce Alexander, Dane Stevens, Scott Tinning and John Lintz did not dress.

Story by Bruce Rakoczy