|
|
|
|
12/29/98 Pack Robbed by Refs Tyler Champ Hartford Civic Center -They drew 9,391 -the second largest crowd of the season- on Kids night as the Wolf Pack faced off against the Rochester Americans—the first of two meetings this season. Hartford was 2-0-0 lifetime against the Americans (the top developmental team of the Buffalo Sabers) before the start of last night’s game. It was the Americans who took control of the game early on. The Pack was called for high sticking and holding of the stick, giving the Americans a two-man advantage. The Pack –ranked 16th over all for penalty killing- could not hold them off as Sylvester, scored assisted by Fisher and Sarich. Later at 18:23 Davidson scored his first of the night assisted by Nichol, and a very strong Rochester passing game.
It was a fight between Brent Thompson, and Daren Van Owen that raised the intensity of the game. One of the controversial events in last nights match up had to have been PJ’s fight with Shane Keeny –in which PJ got the better of the fight-. Each was awarded a 5-minute penalty however Stock was also handed a Game Misconduct and was ejected from the game, with the threat of suspension lingering. Coach EJ Maguire had this to say, "The game –misconduct- was given because the play hadn’t started yet, before the fight." EJ went on to talk about the suspensions, and fines that may be given to PJ, unless the team can show evidence that PJ was pushed from behind, on video tape. The Pack started to look sloppy late in the third and could not get a decent run together. Once again Rochester scored now 3-0 the Pack were in dire need of a goal. With only seconds left the Pack was on the board with a goal from Todd Hall at 19:21 assisted by Brennan and Finley. The late goal gave the pack some momentum to follow into the third period, showing signs of light late in the game.
The momentum did follow into the third as Derek Armstrong scored at 6:04. The goal gave the Pack some optimism and a chance to catch up with the Americans. The Wolf Pack seemed to be much more focused in the third period compared to their lack luster play at the beginning of the game. It was a goal that should not have been. At 11:13 Matt Davidson was pushed from behind by a Pack player, and crashed into the goal, knocking the net loose. The puck never made it into the net, but because of the chaos in front of the net, the Official ruled it a goal. "The American –hockey- league doesn’t have provisions for replay I knew that at the start of the game and I know it at the end of the game. Until the technology improves in the respected buildings, and the buildings in the AHL are getting better, until that happens we have to live with that." Said Maguire. It has not been a good year for referees in all sports, and this call was no exception. The fans knew it and the players knew it, the crowd chanted "no goal, no goal" as trash littered the ice. Whitmore continued to argue it was chaotic on the ice. It was Captain Ken Gernander who took control of the game again. "You have to put that past you –officials goal call- and go in a different direction fortunately I had a good pass from –Fraser-- and had a little bit of an opening and just beat him above his pad." Armstrong scored his second of the night giving the Pack the needed equalizer they needed to push it into OT. The crowd was roaring, everyone was screaming, and it looked like the Pack would have another come back. The celebration was short lived when a strange bounce off the boards set Davidson up for a goal, and a hat trick. "I don't know, I never saw the shot." Said Whitmore.
Comments or questions email Zac Champ |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
