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Cincinnati Stingers believe they have discovered why Dennis Sobchuk hasn't been shooting
much. He hasn't been shooting much. "He's passing the puck away, passing up
opportunities," explains coach Terry Slater. "I talked to him about this the
other day. We went out on the ice and I showed him a spot (near the left circle) and told
him "Everytime you get the puck at this spot, I want you to shoot it." Saturday against New England, Sobchuk whipped in two goals from the left side
as the Stingers downed the Whalers, 6-3, at Riverfront Coliseum. "He has a hell of a
hard shot," the coach says. "If he gets it away, it's hard to stop."
Sobchuk himself says, 'I don't know why I haven't been shooting. Last year I took a lot
more shots. Gene (Sobchuk) and Dale (Smedsmo) have been getting the puck to me every
chance they get. They're working hard and digging the corners. I've just been trying to
set up plays more than score. Since Terry had the talk with me, I decided to shoot from
the wing there and I was just fortunate two of them went in."
Sobchuk has been troubled be a persistent infection, but he says he
doesn't let it bother him. 'I feel all right," he says, "Every time I go to the
doctors, they're talking about mono and things like that, but really, I feel okay."
Saturday's two goals brought Sobchuk's yearly total to 15, which is close to half of the
32 he scored last year, so he's progressing nicely now and says, "I'm pretty happy
about it." He had 45 assist last season. 23 so far this season.
Cincinnati led the Whalers 6-0 after two periods Saturday and Slater
was unhappy his team let down in the last period. Goalie Paul Hoganson could possibly have
had his second shutout in four games had everyone kept the momentum going. "It's
unfair to Hogie," the coach declares. "If he gets a shutout, he's a hero. But
that's the only way a goalie gets any recognition. If he lets in one goal, even if it
wasn't his fault at all, then no one notices him. I'll tell you Hoganson has been just
great every game and he deserves the recognition. He's done everything you can ask of a
goalie."
Acquired 13 games ago after he demanded and received his outright
release from the Whalers, Hoganson has allowed just 32 goals for a 2.84 average. He does
not yet have enough games for his average to count in league statistics, but if he did,
he'd be second. Only Winnipeg's Joe Daley, who is having a spectacular year, has a better
average - 2.44.
Defenseman Bruce Abbey, who refused to be sent down to the Stingers'
Hampton farm club last week after Terry Ball was acquired from Cleveland, has been placed
with Tuscon in the Central Hockey League. Tucson serves as a farm club for the Phoenix
Roadrunners. It is where Gene Sobchuk seasoned last year. The CHL is considered to have
better hockey than the Southern Hockey League.
Speaking of defenseman, the Stingers Saturday announced the signed
of 20 year old Dan Justin, who came to training camp for a tryout this past fall and then
went back to school. He is currently working out with the team to get back in shape. No
decision has been made where he might be placed once in condition. He will either be
carried as a sixth defenseman or else be sent to Hampton. |
