The Colorado Mammoth defeated the Minnesota Swarm 10-7 in NLL preseason action Friday night at Pepsi Center. The game, in front of 7431 fans, was Colorado’s final preseason tune-up as the team closes in on the regular season opener on January 9.

Minnesota got out to a 3-0 lead early in the first period behind two Callum Crawford goals. Cory Conway got the Mammoth on the board with 3:08 left in the first followed by an Alex Gajic netter just 90 seconds later. The quarter ended 3-2 with Minnesota in front.

Conway went on a scoring tear in the second frame with a hat trick in the period. His fourth goal (third of the quarter) come on a highlight, behind-the-back shot that left the Swarm goalie, Kevin Croswell, frozen in his tracks. Mammoth goalie, Curtis Palidwor held the Swarn without a goal in the second, and behind Conway’s heroics, Colorado took a 5-3 lead into the halftime locker room.

The back-and-forth battle saw the teams swapping goals throughout the third quarter. Alex Gajic, Nick Carlson and Ilija Gajic ripped netters for the Mammoth while Sean Pollock and Zack Greer scored for the Swarm as the frame ended 8-5 with Colorado in the lead.

In the fourth quarter, Minnesota cut the lead to 8-6 at the 11:47 mark on Greer’s second score of the night. Alex Gajic scored his third goal of the night at 9:16, to extend the Mammoth lead back to three at 9-6. Another Pollock goal late for the Swarm made it 9-7, but Jamie Shewchuk drew rope just :38 seconds later to put the Mammoth up 10-7 – and that’s how the game would end.

The Mammoth opens the 2010 regular season on the road against the Washington Stealth on January 9. The home-opener is one week later as Colorado hosts the Edmonton Rush at Pepsi Center on Saturday, January 16. 2010 Mammoth season and single game tickets are on-sale now.