The Stingers welcomed the 1974-75 Avco Cup champion Houston Aeros to
Cincinnati for the first time. The club was led by 47 year-old player-president and hockey
great Gordie Howe.Howe however had a sore groin muscle and played for only half a dozen
shifts, managing an assist during the third period.
In the first period Cincinnati managed
to avoid penalties. Regrettably the club also managed to avoid scoring any goals. The only
goal in the period came when Aeros right wing Don Larway knocked a shot between Stingers
goal tender Serge Aubry's legs. The goal was practically a gift seeing as how Larway
slapped it in at medium range and medium speed. The Stingers appeared to have an advantage
on offense after the Aeros left wing Andre Hinse exited the game with a shoulder injury
but couldn't produce. Cincinnati took 15 shots on the Aeros but skated away with nothing
to show for it.
In the second period Stingers left wing Gary Venerusso
managed to score a goal at 3:05 with the assist by Ron Plumb. The Aeros right wing Murry
Hall answered ten minutes later with a goal to put Houston up 2-1.However, the Stingers
Bernie MacNeail bagged one at 16:17 and Pierre Guite followed 23 seconds later with a 40
foot slap shot from from the right side. Guite cheerfully celebrated his first goal of the
season with a short dance in honor of Octoberfest. The Stingers now led by a score of 3-2
at the end of the second period.
In the third period, the Stingers kept up the attack,
scoring 50 seconds into the final period, when Claude Larose nabbed his fourth of the
season. The assist was by forward Don O'Donoghue. At 1:27 the Stingers John Hughes was
called for boarding but that didn't stop Bernie MacNeil. Despite the Stingers now being
short handed, MacNeil proceeded to net another Stingers goal on a crowd-thrilling break
away. Teammate Don O'Donoghue was in on the goal with another assist. A minute later
Houstons Glen Erwin started to yell at MacNeil. MacNeil came onto the ice in an attempt to
plead his case but both players wound up needing to be restrained from officials. Erwin
left the game while MacNeil took a 10 minute misconduct. With five minutes remaining in
the game, Houston's Ted Taylor grabbed a goal at 15:07. Stingers Brian Campbell matched it
with a goal of his own at 15:56. With one second remaining in the game, Cincinnati's new
dancing phenom Pierre Guite netted the seventh and final goal of the game.
Also on this day:
Daredevil Evil Knievel jumped 14 buses
in the parking lot at Kings Island Amusement Park and Downtown Cincinnati had Octoberfest
in full swing. |
