By Tim Panaccio, Inquirer Staff Writer
Achieving parity often takes a decade or longer in some sports.
But in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, all it took to turn last season’s last-place Detroit Turbos into the odds-on favorites to win this season’s championship was one draft and two players – Paul and Gary Gait.
The Gait brothers, who rewrote the NCAA outdoor record book at Syracuse, combined for seven goals and 11 assists during the host Turbos’ 20-8 season- opening victory over the Philadelphia Wings on Saturday in Detroit.
“What a difference two players can make,” said Wings goalie Dallas Eliuk, who faced 61 shots in that game. “They’re a whole different club. Guess we’re lucky they’re not in our division.”
True, the Wings (0-1), two-time MILL champions, are nestled safely in first place in the American Division even though they haven’t won a game. Neither has anyone else in the division.
Tonight at 8 at the Spectrum, the Wings will open their home schedule against the New England Blazers, the team they beat in the championship final last season.
“I think the Turbo game jolted us,” said Wings coach Dave Evans. “I hope they take it the right way. Our shooting and shot selection was very poor. What was worse was our transition game from offense to defense. It was terrible.”
(Philadelphia Inquirer, January 11, 1991)