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WEDNESDAYS #5 vs. MARLINS:

(vol. 6W, no. 5; newsletter by c.g.)
Looking at last nights matchup on paper, a betting man would have to heavily favor the Marlins, as their revolving door of a roster seemed stacked against us. Man for man the matchups didn't look favorable, but as they say, that's why you PLAY the games. And for two periods the Coastal Pirates fought back the onslaught and countered with a potent attack of it's own.

Once again the 1st period ended in a 0-0 deadlock as both teams went back and forth trading opportunities. This was a well-skated period for the Pirates on a team basis; offensive opourtunities abounded, and the defense kept the Marlins in check; throw in some stellar goaltending, and you have a very respectable showing. Strong performances were turned in by all, and highlights included several big saves by Kurasz and an aggressive, shot-filled effort by Wildman.

The 2nd period was a seesaw battle as both teams tried to figure out the opposition's goalie. Kurasz was standing on his head, while the Marlin's goalie appeared to have a bullseye on his chest. The Pirates were firing on all cylinders as we threw shot after shot at the goalie, but unfortunately — in what seems to be becoming a trend — we were unable to finish. Scott Miller had several good opportunities in this period as did his linemates -- Nukem' and BB. As usual both Russ and Nick turned in strong performances as the defense was up to the task, and quickly turned away or cleared the puck from the defensive zone to thwart each Marlin attack. Then with :10 seconds remaining the bottom fell out. Following an uncharacteristic, (for last evening), defensive lapse the Marlins broke in 2 on 1. Kurasz stopped the first shot, but with noone there to pick up the trailer they poked in the rebound for an easy 1-0 lead.

The Coastal Pirates looked to bounce back in the 3rd, and even killed off an early penalty until at the 12:00 remaining mark, the Marlins added a second. We fought back for awhile, but it was obvious the tide had turned as the puck was spending more and more time in our end. At approximately the 6:00-minute remaining mark the Marlins struck again putting the score at what looked to be an unreachable 3-0, and within 2:00 minutes of that goal it was an ugly 4-0. The Marlins would net one more, making the win look way more lopsided than it was. Overall a very strong showing for two periods, and not nearly the sort of game the score reflects.