2/26/04 PITTSTON, PA;
LAKERS ON THE SKIDS AFTER LOSING 3RD GAME IN A ROW !!!
The Nuangola Lakers are certainly not the team they were last season. Nothing is going there way and just seems to be getting worse.
Monday night the Lakers took on the new kids on the block and were just out hustled by the young and restless. Team Froggy is made up of the old Mecadon Oil team plus a new bunch of young guns that just never give up. Though the Lakers made a game of it through the first two and one-half periods, the constant attack of the Frogs wore the Lakers down. Of course the piss-poor officiating didn't help either. Not to use that as an excuse, because the Lakers were clearly out worked, the officials looked as if it was their first game. They should have been calling either a pee-wee game or novice at best. Their lack of non-calls in the first two stanza's, did a 180 in the waning moments of the third when they dolled out 5 Game Misconducts in an altercation with just 18 seconds left.
Center, Lou Bonita, stood up his check at the blue line(clean hit) which brought on the scrum deep in the Lakers zone. After the hit at the blue line Lou went in deep to help out in the corner. One of Froggys (shall we say, more opinionated players) came in immediately from the blue line and tried to make Lou into new on board advertisement. It was a dangerous hit from behind that drove Lou over another frogman and head first into the boards. Luckily Lou didn't sustain any injuries but the shoving match started there and got ugly for about 10 minutes. Much to the disbelief of Lou , Carl and Mike Phelan. They all recieved Game Misconducts and were never informed as such. "I am f***ing pissed off," said Louie." I specifically asked the official after the game what penalties had been issued. He told me that #44 and #9 from Froggy were given GM's; no mention of me or Carl. He didn't even give me a minor penalty for the rough/check that prompted the whole thing. I get run at from behind by #44, then #9 jumps on top, and Carl and I get a GM's along with those f***heads? F*#$ that" Coach Carl Karaska reserved his comments but was also dissapointed in the outcome of that scrum.
The poor officiating was just a distraction from the real crux of the problerms the Lakers have been having lately. The team as a whole seems to be struggling. They haven't been able to keep up with the younger teams and are beginning to show their age. The attrition of their young players has really cost the Lakers and management hasn't been able to make any trades to fill in the vacated positions of Tim Connell, Jeff Williams and Rick Malcolm. Though Rick does show up on most Sunday games it is known that he attends Temple University and hasn't been able to make the games on a continous basis.Their not much the Lakers can do about that, but he really makes a difference when he is out there. "I've got one more year to go in Philly," said Rick. "After that I hope to be regular once again." The bench is light most games and the ones that are on the bench have an average age of 35. Most of the other teams in the league average about 10 years younger. That's a huge difference when you play at this level. The recruiting of the younger college age players by some of the other teams seems to be what is making the difference.
The core of the Lakers squad is a good one however, and they give there best when they're out there and in good health. "We have the best group of guys in the league," said Coach Carl Karaska. "Right now we are struggling a bit, but we will pull out of it. We just have to play heads up hockey, make the right decisions on the ice and keep giving 110% and we'll do fine."
COMING UP... DA BEARS!
The Lakers take on the Bears Monday night, and the Lakers will be short handed once again with the Game Misconduct issued to Carl, Mike and Lou. The rest of the Lakers will have to pick up the slack and come out strong. This will be a pivotal game in the season for the Lakers and the Bears will be no easy game. The Bears have lost the last 5 in a row to the Lakers and are hungry for a victory. The Lakers will need to give it there best with sharp passing, quick breakouts and clogging up the neutral zone. They have to take away the passing lanes of the Bears if they want to win this one.
There are plenty of good seats still available at the arena box office.!!!
GO LAKERS!!!
(Dickie Dunn)
