| The
frustration was evident in the visitors' dressing room at the Summit in Houston Friday
night after the Aeros nipped the Cincinnati Stingers, 6-5, and dropped Cincinnati's record
to 1-4. The Stingers had lost two home games by identical 5-4 scores and now were handed
another one-goal setback. It didn't make for a cheery atmosphere. Center Rich Leduc was
subdued but certainly unhappy with the outcome. "I thought we played hard and
everyone worked," he said. "We came back twice from two-goals down and still
lost by one goal." Coach Jacques Demers was equally
distressed. The game was hardly a defensive gem for either team, but Demers felt the
Stingers had the edge and should have won the game. Of course, he thought his team should
have won the first two home contests as well. "We outshoot the teams and then give up
a bad goal to lose," he lamented. "I felt we gave up three good goals against
Indianapolis (5-4), Winnipeg (5-4) and Houston (6-5)."
Using that type of mathematics. Demers said the Stingers should have
been 4-3 winners over the Racers and Jets and 5-3 over the Aeros. In each of those losses
the goalie was veteran Ernie Wakely, acquired during the off-season from the league after
the San Diego Mariners folded. The Stingers felt Wakely was the solid, experienced
goaltender they needed to work with young Norm LaPointe and rookie Mike Liut. But so far
Wakely has been shaky in the net. He has given up game winners that didn't look like hard
stops.
Of course, he hasn't had much help from the Stinger defense.
Opponents have had too many easy shots on goal and too many two-on-one and three-on-two
situations which give goalies nightmares. Demers continues to tutor his players in the
same ways of a defensive hockey team. He emphasizes discipline on the ice, playing the
body instead of the puck, aggressive checking and clean passing. |
