| CLEVELAND -
Carrying out a promise to make "some changes" in his Cincinnati Stingers lineup,
coach Terry Slater Tuesday sent down two players to the Hampton VA., farm club and called
up two others as replacements. Departing were defenseman Brad Serafini and center-winger
Pat Donnelly. Called up were defenseman Bruce Abbey and winger Frank Beaton. Serafini was
obtained about a month ago in a trade that sent veteran Gary Veneruzzo to Phoenix. He has
been used only sparingly since his acquisition, scoring two assists. Donnelly had started the season in Hampton and led the Southern Hockey League
in scoring. He was called up in November by the Stingers and scored five goals with seven
assists in 23 games. Defensive shortcomings had put his job in jeopardy. The two called
up, Abbey and Beaton, were judging the two best Hampton players by Stingers player
personnel director Jerry Rafter after a recent scouting trip. Abbey, one of only a few
good hockey players to graduate from a U.S. college, started the season for the Stingers
but had been sent down to get more playing time.
Beaton, though just 175 pounds, was on his way to setting a SHL
penalty record, once of the reasons the Stingers were attacked to him. "I don't know
if he;s been getting good penalties or bad penalties," Slater stated, "but I
know he's a physical player and that's what I think we need right now. We haven't been
taking the body lately. We've kind of lost our hearts to hit. Beaton is certainly a
hitter."
In 43 games at Hampton, the Nova Scotia-born left winger had
accumulated 280 penalty minutes already. He also had 16 goals and 15 assists. Among those
not sent down were high priced centers Dennis Sobchuk and Jacques Locas, although both had
been named earlier as candidates for demotion. Slater says Locas will stay, although the
line he centers called the French Collection, will probably by shuffled around.
Sobchuk apparently is ailing and may even need an operation.
"It's a lot worse than any of is thought because Dennis wouldn't talk about it,"
Slater says. 'He pulled a groin muscle earlier and then I guess tried to push too hard and
picked up an infection from it. Now the doctor tells me his glands are swollen badly and
if they don't go down right away, they will operate." The Stingers leave today on a
two-game road trip through New England and Indianapolis. |
