LANDOVER, Md.—Although Cy Coombes is the “old man” of the Maryland Arrows, you’d never know it by watching him perform. He’s like a child with a new game.
But Coombes’ game is not a child’s game, its [sic] professional lacrosse which came to the Washington-Baltimore area for the first time this spring. And Coombes is not only pleased at getting another chance to play, but high on the chances of pro lacrosse making it big at Capital Centre.
“I’m really surprised at the way its [sic] taken off,” noted the 18-year veteran of lacrosse. “And for me it’s tremendous. I had retired, but I’ve come back and I’m glad.”
Coombes isn’t the only one that’s pleased he’s decided to be an active part of the National Lacrosse League.
With years of experience, Coombes has been instrumental in helping Arrow coach Paul Clancy and director of player personnel Jack Gibson mold Maryland into an exciting lacrosse team.
“You know I wasn’t going to come out,” Coombes revealed. “But I got to talking to some of the owners, Montreal’s John Ferguson for one. And I decided this was going to be a first-class operation, and that’s exactly what it’s been.
“There’s no comparison with pro lacrosse in 1968-69 when I played for Peterboro [sic]. I thought it was good then, but this is great and fans have been tremendous.
“We’ve got different type of owners. These men really care. Back in ’68 all the owners had been involved as amateurs and professionals. They were too close to us.”
Coombes sees an 80 per cent chance for pro lacrosse, especially “since we’re already outdrawing the World Hockey [Association] in many cities.”
As a player, his renewed interest in his favorite pastime has not only been brought about by the professional attitude of the owners, but by the fans.
“Their excitement and enthusiasm has really gotten into the players,” Coombes explained. “I’ll bet the players are putting out 20 to 30 per cent more with the fans behind them.
“It used to be that if you got down three or four goals in the final period it was all over. But not now. With the backing of the fans, one team might just run over five straight goals and go on to win.”
Coombes, at 35, admits his playing days are numbered, although he says “I’m feeling better everyday I play.” His future could be as a coach. In fact, the Peterboro [sic] resident serves as captain of the Maryland Arrows and was instrumental in running pre-season sessions at the Oshawa camp.
With an eye towards coaching, Coombes feels he can understand the problems the Arrows had to face, the combining of talents from five different Canadian teams, as well as the tremendous traveling the Arrows must undertake just to play a ‘home game.’
“It’s been really tough,” the father of two and a sporting goods owner noted. “We’ve had to put together players from five other squads. And each has been coached differently in the past. Syracuse also has that problem. All the other teams have a number of players from one Canadian team and many have even played for the same coach.”
Coombes also admits that the travel has been really hard on the Arrows with most players still maintaining full-time jobs in Ontario.
“You’ve got to work or play lacrosse. It’s hard to do both. You have to run everyday, and we’re just not doing that. But Tris (Arrows owner Tris Colket) hopes to solve this problem.”
Coombes, who often finishes as the Arrows’ second leading scorer in each game, ranks among the National Lacrosse League scoring leaders, but for the Coondog to score, the Arrows must be exercising a ball control offence.
“That’s our game, if we don’t, then we’re in trouble,” said Coombes, in explaining the Arrows early June slump which saw the team fall out of first place and into fifth by losing four straight games, three on the road.
Coombes has been especially effective on the home front where the Arrows won three of their first five games. In the season opener, before 7,200 fans, Coombes scored twice, including the game’s final goal with five minutes remaining to clinch a 17-14 triumph over Philadelphia.
Coombes’ most important goal came with 43 seconds remaining in the third period against Toronto. His goal enabled the Arrows to tie the Tomahawks in regulation play, 14-14, after they trailed 14-10 with five minutes remaining and 14-11 with less than three minutes left.
In his first nine games, the 5-foot, 9-inch, 180 pound lacrosse star had scored 19 goals and assisted on 14 more, for 33 points to rank ninth in the NLL.
“Now, if I can keep going, and the team gets time to rest and practice together, it should be a great season for the Arrows and the National Lacrosse League,” Coombes concluded.