WEDNESDAYS #7 vs. RHINOS:

(vol. 9W, no. 7; newsletter by b.n.)
When was the last time the Wednesday Night Team won a game that was actually played on a Wednesday Night? I could go look it up on www.coastalpirates.com, but I am just way too lazy. I'm certain that Nadine could tell me, but I haven't seen her around lately. So let's just say that it has been a long time. Would April 17, 2002 be that day when that streak would come to an end? I'm not telling. Read on to find out ...

When was the last time the Wednesday Night beat the Rhino's? Well, I'm fairly certain that the answer is never, but then again, I'm pretty certain that we were able to notch a victory against the same group of players when the team was known as the “E-Posse.” It's been so long, that I just can't remember when that was. Would April 17, 2002 be that day when that streak would come to an end? I'm not telling. Read on to find out ...

When was the last time the Wednesday Night team scored two goals and won? Hmmm ... this is getting a little tedious, isn't it? Can it get any more tedious? Read on to find out ...

The talk before the game was “Playoffs.” According to Harris, we needed the victory “to stay in the playoff hunt.” I don't know how true that is, because whenever I visit the GoodSports website, the standings are always a couple of weeks old, so we'll just have to take Harris at his word. They say, “Desperate times call for Desperate measures” and let's face it, there isn't a more desperate bunch of guys then the Wednesday night Coastal Pirates when it comes to looking for a win on Wednesday night. So the Pirates went to the extreme of playing from the wrong bench. Everyone knows that the Pirates always take the “far” bench. I can never remember whether it is the “Home” or the “Away” bench, but I do know that it is the farthest bench from the entrance. So this is what it comes down to for the Coastal Pirates in search of a win — Superstition! Would a new bench be all that was needed to make the streak come to an end? I'm not telling. Read on to find out ...

AHHHHH! I thought I was going to stop doing that. OK, OK. No more of that crap. Promise. Do you think I really mean that? I'm not telling. Read on to find out ... THAT IS IT! I am really telling the truth now. As far as the game goes, it had all the markings of another heartbreaker. For those of us that arrived early enough, we got to hear from former Pirate John Fontana who repeatedly asked every Pirate he encountered “Are you going to put a spanking on us tonight?” The first time was funny, after about the fifth or sixth time I heard it, it got as tedious as reading this newsletter.

The 1st period began with the line of Farkas-BB-#67 on offense with Allen and Wildman primed and ready to go. Chris has become the new “BB” (which means he has been showing up right at the start of the game) and was still getting dressed at the drop of the puck. In goal we were lucky enough to have Harris while the defense consisted of Glen, Roger and Dave. The period had plenty of excitement as #67 had a breakaway in which he was able to get a diving shot off as he was hooked from behind (no call on the play). The excitement continued when Bill McCann picked up a puck that was held in at the blueline and broke in on Harris all alone. Harris was up to the challenge and kept the game scoreless.

The 2nd period was when things started to get interesting; with us shorthanded and Wildman somehow without his stick, it looked like the Pirates were doomed. Then Wildman did a two-footed kick slide and the puck deflected off his pads right onto the stick of Chris who was finally dressed. Chris, new wheels and all, skated around the defenseman at the blueline and was able to beat McIntyre (the Rhino's goalie) through the five-hole. The Rhino's would tie it up shortly thereafter when another former Pirate, Eddie Gesior, skated around a few Pirates and then BLASTED a shot past Harris. Allen was having a great game and he scored when he reached up to "deflect" a pass from Wildman into the net. As it turned out, Allen did not touch the puck, but there is no doubt that he distracted the goalie enough to allow the puck into the net for the 2-1 lead.

The 3rd period saw some great plays on "D" as the Pirates were able to hold the Rhinos scoreless. In the end, it was not the “spanking” that Fontana was asking for, but we'll take it.