By DAVE CARTER of The Gazette - 4/17/1975
Photos courtesy of Tom Wersderfer
PHILADELPHIA — Les Quebecois will probably be the best-conditioned team in the entire National League but in the matters of playing lacrosse they could be one of the worst in the league.
In Baie Comeau, Les Quebecois defeated Philadelphia for the first time in two seasons. But that was only exhibition.
Last night the Wings dominated the first two periods and went on to defeat Montreal 23-15 before 6,289 fans at the Spectrum. Les Quebecois are still without a point in their first two games and without a point against the Wings since the league was formed last year.
“We played the best period of lacrosse in the third period,” said GM-coach Jim Bishop, “and the best in our two games. Why push the panic button now while we still have 54 games remaining. You can’t say we were tired. And if anyone thinks that they’re wrong. Go ask the players for yourself.”
Photos courtesy of Tom Wersderfer
FIVE-GOAL NIGHT
The only respectable showing on the losing team was by John Davis who scored five goals and collected eight assists for an eight-point evening.
“In the last period we put everything together,” Les Quebecois captain said. “I caused four goals myself, one by getting a penalty and the others on bad miscues. But our game plan went wrong from the start.”
Philadelphia’s big man of the night was John Grant, who didn’t play in the exhibition game which Montreal won. He had only seven shots on net but was good on six and added five assists.
Bishop started Dave Evans in goal but after a nine-goal first period he pulled him in favor of Ernie Mitchell, last year’s number one goalie.
“I just had a bad night,” Evans said afterwards. “I wasn’t concentrating and our defense was very poor. But when the club’s playing bad someone has to bail them out and that person should be me.”
The Wings held a 9-4 lead after the first period and 16-7 after two.
The referees have been very tight in the first two Montreal games and Bishop finally had some unkind words last night.
“If they keep calling it this tight,” he said. “They’ll empty every rink in the league. And Wings’ owner Ed Tepper backed up Bishop.
A total of 37 penalty minutes was called, 23 penalties to Philadelphia, a club record, and 14 to Montreal.
Photos courtesy of Tom Wersderfer
NOTES: Not only Jim Bishop disagreed about the referees in the first games. Morley Kells coach and general manager of the New York franchise, was disgusted after the first period of last night’s game. “This is a joke,” Kells said. “We’re not going to sell the game if they’re (the referees) like this.” Frank Wilbur, Bishop’s assistant, concurred. “If the referees call them all like this then they’ll ruin the game.” . . .
Forty penalties were handed out in the first game in Maryland Tuesday night. League president Gerry Patterson said afterwards: “I was pleased the way they handled the game.” And the man he hired, Red Storey, to revise the refereeing system, commented: “That’s one of the best jobs I’ve ever seen. They’re doing what I told them about the way to handle the game . . .
The complaints the coaches had last year included interference when the player didn’t have the ball as well as heavy slashing. However, according to one. “Calling this petty stuff against both teams not only sours, it just isn’t the game.” . . .
Paul Suggate, the Maryland Arrows’ captain and the league’s leading scorer last year, was so annoyed during the game, he made his comments aloud and was rewarded with a 10-minute misconduct. The penalty comes with an automatic $50 fine . . .
Kells left the press box after the first period and went looking for Patterson….
The clubs spent much of yesterday practicing their power play, something they couldn’t execute very well against Maryland.
Wings’ Jim Wasson, who picked up a $250 fine after the league opener against the Arrows, last night picked up a misconduct and the $50 fine which goes with it.
