WEDNESDAYS #10 vs. MARLINS:

(vol. 3W, no. 10; newsletter by h.s.)
Although both our defenses can be stingy at times, this game had the feel of an NHL All-Star Game (which is this Sunday, by the way). By the time the smoke cleared, 14 goals were scored — including seven in the 1st period alone.

The frenzy began on the Marlins' opening rush when a slapshot was deflected off a Pirate stick into our own net. That lead was brief though (there was a total of five lead changes during the game), when Wildman evened things up. Scott Miller would give us the first Pirate lead of the night when he added another just moments later. The Marlins answered back with a three-goal explosion which gave them a (seemingly) comfortable 4-2 lead with time expiring in the 1st. That's when Chris launched a shot from the side of the net which ricocheted to Brian Newcomb in front for a quick goal at the buzzer.

We carried the momentum from that goal into the 2nd when Glen Chambers (assist by BB) and Scott (assist by Brian N.) added back-to-back tallies and leapfrogged us back into a 5-4 lead. With just minutes left in the 2nd, however, the Marlins scrapped in front for another goal to tie things up once again. When Scott Miller finished his hat-trick with his 3rd period goal with just over 9 minutes remaining, we were looking like the team of destiny. Unfortunately, the Marlins capitalized on a bad line change for the tying goal and added another at about the 5:00-minute mark to grab the lead one final time. We threatened with the extra skater, but a blocker save ended our repeat chances and the Marlins added an empty-netter to seal the deal. The big game that I was hoping to have never materialized, but it sure didn't lack action.

LOST 8-6

THE
SILVER
SKULLS

1) SCOTT MILLER
For the hat-trick. Scott become the first Pirate ever to score a playoff hat-trick and only the third Pirate ever to have 3 or more goals in one game (Russ and Rob Armswood are the others).

2) CHRIS GOIONE
For his aggressive 2-way play and setting-up a critical goal at the end of the first — which gave us some life again.

3) ALLEN SNYDER
He rotated through the line-up, Allen looked comfortable playing everywhere and with everybody. He's become the go-to for important face-offs.