By DAVE CARTER of The Gazette
The Boston Bolts are in need of goaltending and that was the major contribution to the Bolts’ 18-11 loss to the first place Les Quebecois last night before 7.523 fans at the Forum.
The Quebecois consolidated their first place position in the National Lacrosse League with superb performances from goaltender Ernie Mitchell and American-born forward Bruce Arena who scored four goals.
“They didn’t get the goaltending we got.’’ coach and general manager Jim Bishop said.
“Ernie played superbly in nets and he helped us offensively by moving the ball alot better than he usually does.”
The Bolts, who lost to Quebec in the first-ever nationally-televised game Sunday night. 22-12, played a much stronger and aggressive game last night but they just couldn’t hail the scorers.
Dale MacKenzie and Bruce Arena
HIGH PERCENTAGE
“I can’t say I found him (goaltender Ron Driscoll) great. I only had five shots on goal and four of them were goals.” said Arena, the game’s offensive star. “1 was running pretty good tonight and. as a matter of fact, the whole team was.”
Driscoll was roaming away from his net the entire game even though he was caught out early in the second period by Dave Litzenberger.
The Bolt’s netminder crossed centre floor at one point and passed off to former Quebecois Ron Liscombe. whose pass was intercepted bv Litzenberger. With Driscoll back-stepping. Litzenberger ran around him and fired the ball into the empty net.
“We watched them Sunday against Quebec and they didn’t bring the ball out of their end fast enough.” Litzenberger said. “We had numerous chances when Pinder (Gerry) and others were making them give up the ball.”
DEFENSIVE REPORT
Pinder, although Mitchell was named the game’s defensive star, was the game’s best defensive forward.
“I was lunging at players and taking a lot of stupid penalties when they went around me.” Pinder said.” But Bishop had a lot of patience with me and he corrected it. He told me to let them come at me and it works.
I am very grateful to Jim showing me this, because I knew I wouldn’t be around much longer if I didn’t stop taking these stupid penalties.”
“They were flat against Quebec but really aggressive tonight,” Bishop said of the Bolts.
“Arena is one of those kids who couldn’t make any other team in this league because he’s a U.S. kid and no one would give him a good shot.”
Arena led the Quebecois scorers with four goals while Nick Delmonico and Litzenberger each netted three.
Captain John Davis and Bill Nunn each scored twice while singles went to Dave Tasker, Michel Blanchard. Dale Mackenzie and Ross Jones.
