LE COURRIER - July 3rd, 1974
What an experience it has been to follow a professional sports team!
There are things we learn as the meetings unfold, that we know the players better, that the sports journalism community accepts us better.
At the first matches we wondered what a newspaper like LE COURRIER could do well at the Montreal Forum, especially since this newspaper is a weekly that does not give an account of each match?
But today we are recognized, the players have learned to say Saint-Hyacinthe with this English pronunciation so funny but very sympathetic. We wonder about the lacrosse revolution in our region and John Davis always has a good word for Jean-Luc Methe or myself while the match we just attended gave us the opportunity to see it recorded 4 or 5 goals as spectacular as each other.
But today we see that LE COURRIER is the newspaper of Saint-Hyacinthe, that the Maskoutaine de Crosse League exists and above all that we do not miss any meeting.
Especially since Jean-Luc is a colleague of Yvan Blanchard in the field of physical education.
Especially since Dave Wedlock when he’s not in uniform comes to have a beer with us in the press gallery.
Especially since the Quebecois publicist, Gilles Peloquin, does not hesitate to give us “scoop” that a daily newspaper will always succeed in making appear before us.
We will remember for a long time the joyful slaps on the back of a John Ferguson being a victory or the holy wrath of the coach who lost a game however easy.
We will remember Michel Blanchard who gets better at each match and who seems to prepare his comments for so chronic the next day by conferring with us the joust in the players room where Serge Loiselle gets dressed without taking a shower because he doesn’t play.
Or many contacts established with lacrosse officials including Mr. Gauthjer, 78 years old and who never misses a part of the Quebecers games.
The question, that one arises when I cover a Quebecois match for LE COURRIER de Saint-Hyacinthe, that’s still what to write or say … We have seen all the teams of the National Lacrosse League and we are quite close to the Quebecois players …
We know that we believe lacrosse is a more engaging professional spectacle than hockey or football. We know that a lacrosse game is full of color and turnaround.
ROCHESTER’S GRIFFINS
Coach: Morley Kells, a coach like Jim Bishop and Bobby Allan. Highly innovative and working a lot on the balance between an imperturbable defense and a productive offensive.
Among the players whose names should be remembered:
The number 1) Merv Marshall, very offensive guardian who is not afraid to advance to the attacking zone to support his attack.
Number 6) Kevin Parsons, the first choice of the National Lacrosse League.
Number 9) Rick Dudley, Buffalo Sabres player who excels at lacrosse.
Number 14) Charlie Henderson.
Number 17) Brian Keegan, Captain of the Griffins.
Number 23) Dave Wilfong.
Rochester is characterized by a very young, very fast formation which will have to supervise Philadelphia, if it wishes to keep the head of the classification of the National League of Lacrosse which it holds for a long time.
TORONTO TOMAHAWKS
The coach; Jim Bishop, he is considered to be the best lacrosse coach in Canada than in the United States. The teams he leads are always teams that start slowly but improve quickly as the season progresses.
Among the players whose names should be remembered:
Number 9) Duffy McCarthy, a very spectacular baton handler who scores often in scoring.
The number 16) Bob Haw, he plays on the same line as McCarthy and the two form a great pair.
The number 32) Chuck Li, an outstanding goal counter.
Number 1) Bob McCready, he kept the goals in Montreal in 1968.
The Tomahawks form a highly experienced team which should normally be classified in the top four places in the classification of the National League of Lacrosse mainly because of trainer Jim Bishop. We can blame them for a lack of aggressiveness which is however, compensated by technical precision.
THE OUEBECOIS OF MONTREAL
Coach: John Ferguson, long considered the second best lacrosse in Canoda. Most of all, he made his trade with the Montreal Canadiens.
Among the players whose names should be remembered:
The number 1) Dave Wedlock, considered the best goalie in Canada, he was the first choice of Quebecers among goalies.
Number 7) Dave Tasker, specializes in faceoffs.
Number 8) Dave Litzenberger, a “brutal” player and a counter-born.
The number 9) John Davis, the best lacrosse player or Canada, nicknamed the magician of lacrosse. He is the captain of the Quebecois and knows how to raise crowds by his feints and wandering sticks.
The number 11) Michel Blanchard, director of sports pages at LA PRESSE, a lacrosse player who will have to improve his defense if he wants to earn a regular position on the Montreal team.
The number 16) Yvan Blanchard, the brother of Michel is endowed with a great physical strength but his handling of stick leaves to be desired.
The number 20) Serge Loiselle, nicknamed “Togo” being part of the Asterix of Valleyfield. It is not believed to be of a caliber yet for the Lacrosse National League.
Issue 22) Gord Osinchuk, the strong man of Quebecers.
Number 23) Gord Floyd, a player who can count goals as well as summon opponents.
The number 30) Ernie Mitchell, the little goalkeeper of Indian origin who impressed in his first game in Montreal on May 15. Dynomi-que keeper who moves continuously but who will have to improve his offensive.
The Montreal team has had its share of problems. Months with Ferguson’s arrival at Quebec’s bapee changed the look of the team. The players have an unconditional respect for their coach and the presence of John Davis stimulates them if one takes into account the large number of young people in the formation of Quebecois from Montreal. Aggression is a hallmark of the team, and a great season can be considered if the team finds a way to group wins and manages to lose as little as possible at the Montreal Forum.
No * prediction * for the classification at the end of the season:
1) The Griffins of Rochester
2) The Philadelphia Wings
3) The Quebecois of Montreal
4 The Toronto Tomahawks
5) The Arrows of Maryland
6) The Stingers of Syracuse