By Mike Kern, Daily News Sports Writer
Remember when no team could win consecutive championships? Well, these days, it seems as if everyone’s attempting to “three-peat.”
The San Francisco 49ers. The Detroit Pistons. The Philadelphia Wings.
Yep, the Major Indoor Lacrosse League is back for its fifth season, and the Wings, with pretty much the same cast of characters back, will be gunning for a third consecutive title.
“It’s a huge challenge, no doubt,” said coach Dave Evans, whose club opens the season Saturday night on the road against the Detroit Turbos. “Not that it wasn’t last year. But this is even bigger. Now, everyone else really wants a piece of us. There’s more pressure, more talking about it. But mostly, we’re putting it on ourselves. I think it can be used as a positive, something that can help us out, subconsciously, in the back of our minds.
“It’s like having a little extra incentive. And sometimes, you need those intangibles to push you over the top.”
John Tucker, one of the league’s best all-around players, is back. And so is Brad Kotz, one of the MILL’s top scoring threats.
But gone is Bill Dirrigl, now the head lacrosse coach at Franklin & Marshall College. He probably was the best faceoff man in the league, so he will be missed. Also not returning, because of family and job commitments, is Dwight Maetche, who probably was the MILL’s best goalie. Fellow Vancouver import Dallas Eliuk will take his starting spot.
“As far as stopping the ball, I’d say it’s about a draw between Dallas and Dwight,” Evans said. “Where Dwight had an advantage was in moving the ball around once he got it – although Dallas is better than I thought – and in being more of a take-charge guy in terms of leadership.”
In another change, Kevin Bilger, who would have been the backup goalie, now is playing for the Pittsburgh Bulls. So the No. 2 guy is untested Mark Moschella, the former third-stringer.
There are changes around the league as well. Each of the six teams play 10 games this season, an increase of two, which means there now is a full round- robin schedule in place and nobody can benefit any longer from not having to play a certain team twice.
Also, there now are two divisions. The Wings are in the National, along with the New York Saints and the Baltimore Thunder. Detroit, Pittsburgh and the New England Blazers make up the American. The division winners will meet in a one-game championship. Unlike past seasons, there is no semifinal.
The split supposedly came about because the league is looking to expand to eight teams in 1992 (Chicago and Buffalo appear to be the top candidates at the moment), and this move might make it easier to assimilate the new clubs. Plus, as far as securing arena dates and promoting the title game are concerned, this is an economically feasible decision, too, although it could mean fewer teams will entertain playoff hopes come March.
Detroit, by the way, just might be the best team in the league, because of the additions of twins Paul and Gary Gait, the former Syracuse All-Americas. In the Turbos’ come-from-behind, 20-16 win at Baltimore Saturday, the two combined for 11 goals.
“They are a little unbelievable,” Evans said. “But maybe this will work out for us. If we lose at their place, well, we’re expected to, I guess. But if we go up and beat them, then it’s quite a start.”
The Wings have sold almost 6,000 season tickets, up nearly 1,000 from last season. Their home opener is Jan. 11 against New England at the Spectrum. Faceoff is at 8 p.m.
(Philadelphia Daily News, January 3, 1991)