Bolts’ coach and general manager Jim Logan seems to have found the key to success since taking over for Larry Ferguson three weeks ago. The Boston team has won three straight and four of their last six outings since then, and have beaten every team in the league with the exception of Maryland under Logan. The Bolts are playing superb defense, getting balanced scoring, and are relying on the hot goaltending of Ted Gernaey. With the top teams in the NLL being upset by the Bolts and Quebec, the four playoff slots look wide open.
The Bolts are 2-3 versus the Arrows this year, having won the last two meetings between the teams at the Garden. Dave Johnston’s four goals led the way to a 14-11 victory May 27, and the Thompson brothers, Ivan (3G, 5A) and Brian (4G, 3A), paced the Bolts to a 20-12 rout June 25.
Superstar Paul Suggate, Blair Campbell, Bill Coghill, and Brian Tasker have been troublesome for the Bolts this season. Tasker, battling with Ivan Thompson for a spot among the league’s top five scorers, has scored nine goals and assisted on 16 others to lead the scoring for both teams. Suggate, last year’s MVP, is right behind at 8-15-23. Campbell leads the goal scorers with 13, while Coghill has 12. Campbell has scored five, four, and three goals in three separate games vs. the Bolts, while Coghill has two four-goal games and a hat trick to his credit.
Ivan Thompson, with five goals and 12 assists, heads Boston scorers vs. the Arrows. Brother Brian (7G, 7A) ranks second, while Dave Johnston leads Bolts’ goalgetters with ten. Johnston has twice had four-goal outings vs. Maryland.
The Arrows are having their problems. As late as the end of June they were in first place, but have lost six of seven games in July and are in danger of losing a playoff berth. Rumors out of Maryland insist that Arrow teammates resent Suggate’s publicity and that internal dissension is hurting the team. Coach Cy Coombs was fired last week and replaced by G.M. Jack Gibson. Coombs, who scored 66 points (37G, 29A) with Arrows in only 18 games in 1974, was reactivated as a player and contributed four goals in Monday’s 17-12 loss to Quebec.
Ted Gemaey’s performance against Montreal won him the 99 Restaurant’s “Player of the Game” dinner for two for the second straight game. Previous winners include John Allen and Ivan Thompson.
The Bolts travel to Philadelphia Wednesday to play the Wings, before returning to the Gardenthe following evening against Quebec and Sunday night against Montreal.
A review of the Bolts’ top scorers this season:
G : A Pts. Shots
Ivan Thompson 64 76 140 206
Duffy McCarthy 33 60 93 117
Joe McCrea 41 39 80 100
Bram Wilfong 36 40 76 114
Brian Thompson 27 41 68 102
John Allen 40 27 67 121
Stan Cox 26 39 65 109
Chuck Li 26 38 64 87
Larry Bell 18 40 58 74
Dave Johnston 25 31 56 70