WEDNESDAYS #2 vs. CANNIBALS:

(vol. 37W, no. 2; newsletter by h.s.)
editor's note: Our Captain (unable to make this Monday night outing) wrote later that the “Cannibals received an assist from Bill (league hockey director) by scheduling a Monday game with no notice.”
Our first rematch with the Cannibals since the Winter Championship game featured a unique line-up for the Pirates: With Russ being out (travel) and Brian (furnace), we supplemented the usual crew with Glenn Farkas (who wanted to play against brother Bobby) and Craig Grinberg. Ironically these two guest players would provide half of the scoring for the Men In White on this night.

Just :18 seconds into the 1st period Gucci passed to Glenn who fired a rocket from the point (like the ones he usually saves for warm-ups), giving the Pirates an unusually quick 1-0 lead. That lead was quickly reversed however, as the Cannibals scored three unanswered goals in the following 3:00 minutes. After that four-goal barrage in the first 4:00-minutes of play, both teams settled down. The line of Maccanico-Genalo-Miller was a blur of activity throughout the period, but the Cannibals were able to clog up the middle and consistently frustrate them. At the first buzzer, the Pirates would still be looking at two-goal deficit.

In the final period, Marty's hustle (assist Gesior) paid off as he brought the Pirates back within one goal. Unfortunately the Cannibals regained their two-goal lead a few minutes later after winning a critical face-off down low. Needing to make up two goals with a little over 8:00-minutes remaining, the Pirate defensive corps took over on the offensive front: First, Gucci tallied one (assist Harris), followed by Craig on a powerplay with less than 4:00-minutes remaining. Craig's goal knotted the game at 4-4 and it looked like the seven-man (shortened) bench of the Cannibals might finally be worn out. The Cannibals even called a timeout and were extremely slow lining-up for the next face-off. The next thing Tony (yes, our Sunday Tony) called an “audible” and moved to his team's left-wing — no doubt to get as far away from Gucci as possible; the Cannibals then stormed in and fired, and a rebound landed like an early Christmas present on the blade of Tony's stick for the game-winning goal. Although we skated the final 1:15 with an extra skater, we were never really able to gain the zone and the Cannibals — at least for now — got to avenge last season's Finals loss.

FOR THE RECORD
Attendance (players): Miller, LeMatty, Gucci, Wildman, Maccanico, Genalo, Gesior, Matthews, Grinberg (sub), G. Farkas (sub). Net: Harris.
Scratches: Nicolosi, Newcomb.
Scoring: 1st period: 3-1 Cannibals: Goal by Farkas (Gucci). 3rd period: 5-4 Cannibals: Goals by Maccanico (Gesior); Gucci (Harris); Grinberg (none), PPG.
date of game: 3.09.09