NLL Week Seven: Minnesota Swarm vs Colorado Mammoth

As week seven hits, for the NLL, games are getting bigger and more important for teams like the Swarm and Mammoth, who are battling for top spots in the West. This weekend the two faceoff against each other, in what could be the most crucial and entertaining game this weekend, at the Xcel Energy Center.

The last meeting between the two was a high scoring affair, with the Mammoth coming out on top, 20-14. The Mammoth outscored the Swarm 8-4 in the 4th quarter of that game. The Swarm and Mammoth were tied at the half, before Colorado dominated the 2nd half. For the Swarm (3-2), Ryan Benesch is the leading goal scorer, with 15 goals on 42 shots on goal.

Callum Crawford has also produced much offense for the Swarm, tallying 25 assists (3rd in NLL) and 33 points (4th in NLL), through 5 games. On the transition for the Swarm, rookie All-Star Jordan MacIntosh and 2012 captain Andrew Suitor are the key guys the Swarm will look to, to produce offense and give the Swarm an advantage. Defensively, Joe Cinosky is the Swarm's star.

Cinosky is currently 1st in the leaue in turnovers forced, with 9. There will be a different goalie in net for the Swarm this time they face the Mammoth. Last game, Nick Patterson, who was released yesterday, was in net for the Swarm. This time it will either be Tyler Carlson or Evan Kirk in the net. Carlson, an undrafted free agent rookie, is currently 4th in the NLL in goals against average, with a GAA of 11.23.

Carlson has also posted a 2-1 record and a .752 save percentage. On the other end, the Mammoth (5-0) are currently 1st in the West and the only remaining undefeated team in the NLL. The Mammoth are led by All-Star John Grant Jr., who is currently 1st in the NLL in goals (19) and points (45).

Grant is also 2nd in the NLL in assists, with 26. The Mammoth are bound to also get an offensive boost from Adam Jones, who is tied for 3rd in the NLL in goals (15), and Gavin Prout, who has 19 assists, through 5 games. Adam Jones and John Grant Jr. have also combined for 11 power play goals, as they are respectively 2nd (Grant) and 3rd (Jones) in the NLL.

When it comes to transition, Scott Stewart is Colorado's guy. He is currently 5th in the NLL in facoffs won, with 50. In net for the Mammoth Chris Levis has 5 wins (1st in the NLL), despite a goals against average of 11.20 (3rd in NLL). Levis is also 2nd in the league in save percentage, with a .783 save percentage. The Swarm and Mammoth are set to faceoff at 7pm (CT) at the Xcel Energy Center tonight.

Remember to come to InLaxWeTrust tonight to participate in the Live Game Chat with fellow lacrosse fans and watch all the games on the NLL Network.