| For Stinger
Gene Sobchuk, the right wing is the wrong wing. "I'm left-handed," he protests,
"I've always played left wing I feel quite out of place." But Stingers coach
Terry Slater won't listen. "I know it's a hard change from the left side to the right
side,"Slater concedes, "but Gene can do it. And he'll be a hell of a hockey
player." Overloaded as he is in left wingers, and
deficient as he is in right wingers, the coach swears he had no choice. If there is to be
balance, Sobchuk must provide it. "We've tried other left wingers over there but they
just can't handle it," Slater reports. "Gene is a worker and he'll get it pretty
soon. he just has to learn some new things. He played right wing in those games last
weekend," the coach continues. "He didn't do much in the first game and after a
while in the second game he skated over to me and said, 'I can't play this position!' He
went back out and right away scored a goal. The next time he came over I asked him.
"Now can he came over I asked him, Now can you play the position?" He said,
"Well......' " Slater laughs "He can do it."
"I guess if I keep working at it I'll be able to handle
it," sighs Gene, brother of center Dennis Sobchuk. "I'm having trouble now
because I have to learn to take passes backhanded. There are a lot of things that are
different." There is proof that a left hander can successfully make the transition.
The proof's name is Rick Dudley, the Stingers' impending start.
"Rick's out helping him, teaching him some things,"Slater
says. "He's picking it up fast." Dudley keeps harping on the advantage of a
southpaw at right wing, and Sobchuk is becoming convinced. "You've got a better angle
for a shot," he nods. "Instead of carrying the puck on the outside like a right
hander would, you carry it on the left, toward center ice. You're coming straight in on
the goal and it gives you a good angle."
Although Sobchuk has just one season of major league experience, his
coaches are greatly impressed, particularly with his explosive speed. "I'm 5-9, 175
pounds," he laughs. "I have to be fast. I'm not going to run over anyone."
He also has a good shot, a wrist shot, and that's one thing that qualifies him to play
right wing. Recently he's been grouped in the same line with brother Dennis and Pierre
Guite. It is the highest scoring line with six goals in the two exhibition games, and
Slater says "I'd say at this point we'll probably keep that line together. A lot
depends on how Gene adjusts. But we're pretty definite about it right now. Moving Gene
over isn't going to solve all our problems on the right side, but if he can make it, it's
sure going to give us a boost."
* *
*
NOTES - Slater says that still, after two weeks, he's
not definite about any lineups. Besides the Guite-Sobchuk-Sobchuk line, he's pleased with
the combination of Gary Veneruzzo, Brian Campbell and Dudley. "But we could still do
some shifting, " he cautions. The Cincinnati Stingers Wednesday gave four players
their outright releases. The four are centers Emile DeMoissac and Dave Gilmour, defenseman
Derek Harker and right-wing George Swarbrick. |
