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Firebirds claim Lockhart CupBy ELLS EDWARDS Daily TtmwSUfl WriterPHILADELPHIA — If Philadelphia manages to somehow survive this Bicentennial year, it can look back on 1976 as the beginning of a new Ice Age-After two years of laboring in the stark, glacial shadow of the Spectrum and the Flyers’ now-annual Stanley Cup skatearounds,the Philadelphia Firebirds scrawled their names in the hockey record books Wednesday night A frenzied, SRO mob of 9,227 - an all-time North American Hockey League playoff crowd ■ saw the Firebirds upend the Beauce Jaros, 5-2, at the CivicCenter to become the league’s first expansion team to win the LockhartWhich, of course, makes Cooley, a 31-year-old North Bay, Ont. native, the first goal tender in history to lead two teams to league championships in the same season.Dennis Patry scored the eventual gamewinner at 18:30 of the first period, but it was Cooley who iced the champagne. Howie Heggedal had the fourth goal.Aided by penalty-killers Rychard Campeau, Gordie Brooks, Michel Plante, and Boylan, Cooley twice switched off the Beauce power play after Firebirds’ designated hitter Mark Bousquet, who had Philly’s fifth goal, was banished with a pair of two-minute minors.a city where Cups runneth over, the Firebirds, who Mondaynight won the fifth game of this grueling playoff series after a 14-hour bus ride to Quebec, arethe undisputed city’s redeye champions. Regardless of league.Wednesday night’s sixth game of the NAHL finals was the Firebirds’ 30th in 42 its. And after the first mte mr so, the only record seemed destined for oblivion was the league mark of 24 goals in a singlegame.The first goal, by Beauce’s Richard Grenier, came with just 13 seconds elapsed in the first period. Three shots on goa; and three goals scored in one 57-second blur, as Firebirds' leading scorer Bob Collyard retaliated with back-to-back blasts to put the home team In front, 2-1, at the 1:10 mark.Early on, most of the crowd was wondering aloud whether Firebirds’ owner Ed Piszek had substituted frozen fish sticks for the lumber netminders usually arm themselves with.But there was nothing fishy about the performance of Firebirds' goalie Gaye Cooley, who allowed only one goal the rest of the way. and had the skeptics muttering, “Bernie, who?” as they filed out to the parking lot.The same Gaye Cooley who was stoning the opposition when the Charlotte Checkers won the Southern Hockey League title 18 days ago.After the semi-shaky first period, Cooley was one notch this side of incredible. Stoned 36 of the Jaros’ last 37 attempts, many of them shots guys wouldn’t face without a blindfold and one final cigarette.“Cooley, he was just super,’’Pilling bubbled. “Atleast 20 times, the puck had no business not going In. ”In fact, the only goal allowed after the first 13 seconds by the Boston Bruins castoff had no business going in.Howie Heggedal coughed up the puck, one of many near-fatal Firebird stlck-handling errors, early in the second period. And Jaros' left winger Dan Beaulieu promptly unwrapped tthe gift, rifling the puck into the net at 4:47 between the legs of Bosquet, who screened Cooley out of the play.And the Jaros’ were shorthanded at the time, courtesy of a roughing penalty assessed against Gilles Bilodeau.Beauce’s resident goon also drew a roughing call which triggered a short brawl midway through the second period. But the main event came five minutes later, when officials handed out nine penalties after a 15-minute melee. Beauce’s John Van Horlick and Michel Garneau, and Philadelphia’s Lee Crozier drew game misconducts.Looking back, Pilling reasoned that the fisticuffs played a major role in the Lockhart Cup win. “I think we had more hockey players than they did, he said.“Sure, we had alot of guys in the (penalty) box, but our other guys said,’ hey, here’s an opportunity forme.’ You gotta be lucky, but then, you gotta be good to be lucky.”One year ago, remember, the Firebirds were treading water in a sea of red ink after finishing second in their initial NAHL season.“Bleep,the owner had a little patience and had faith in this club,” said Pilling.“The Philadelphia Firebirds could have fallen by the wayside.“One reason why we're still here is the owner isn’t on an ego trip. He sincerely feels that there's a place in Philadelphia for this hockey club.”But that wasn’t the only reason the Firebirds were considered an endangered species, right, Gregg? “Some people thought we might have gagged lastyear'(in the playoffs),” he admitted, “But the gag artists were not a part of the club this year.44*‘Yes, you could say I’d have been very disappointed if we hadn’t won. The only crime is, there weren’t enough people who saw it.”SLAPSHOTS - After being outsbot 18-6 in the early going, the Firebirds wound up with 43 shots on goal to 38 for Beauce... Cooley insists he’ll retire, effective Wednesday night I’d loveto get a coaching job,” he said...’’Ask Mr. Piszek,”said Pilling when a man asked if he’d be back next season. Firebirds president George Piszek, his suit drenched with champagne,dodged. thequestion... Meanwhile, does the cup soothe the Firebirds financia; pains? “Winning this thing makes It all worthwhile,” Piszek said. “At least, I hope it makes it all worthwhile... Firebirds, club sources say, are pondering a move to the American Hockey League in 1977.;Cooley: 'Nobody cansay I'm not a winner'By ELLS EDWARDS could have made it. But sweat, Cooley collapsed in Daily Time* Staff Writer nobody can say that I’m not front of his locker a PHILADELPHIA — a winner.” ‘ teammates headed for theMost goaltenders’ in Gaye Cooley was still tubs of champagne lined up Cooley’s pads would be celebrating after helping on the trainer’s table,thinking that after leading the Charlotte Checkers to It took me a little whiletheir teams to a record two the Southern Hockey to get into it tonight,” he league championships in the League title when Pilling puffed. “I wasn't exactly same year, they’d be sitting called him 18 days ago. ready for that first shot. But on the kind of bargaining “When Gregg called me, 1 once I settled down, I had a power that could add a told him 1 never wanted to feeling we were gonna hang couple of zeros to the bottom see another pad,’’Cooley on.” line of their contracts for remembers. “But then I Even though he insiststhe next season. thought I’d like to have two he’s now officially retired,But Cooley, who turned bleepin’ championships in Cooley says he doesn’t know back 36 of 38 shots on goal one year. what he’ll be doing next fall.Wednesday night in the “It was either bleep or get Cooley, however, won’t Firebirds’5-2win over off the pot, and I figured I’d have to’worry about how to Beauce at the Civic Center, get off the pot with a job spend his playoff winnings, says he isn’t interested in well done.” He doesn’t get any. That’sanother shot at the Lockhart “Cooley was drunker than because the North Cup. Even if Ed Piszek, a lord when I called him,” American Hocky League, Gregg Pilling Co. up the Pilling mused. “He is just unlike most other leagues! ante. crazy enough to say,’I’ll be doesn’t carve up the playoff“I’m the oldest guy on the there with bells on. ’ “ spoils for division amongPut all your love in our basket Send dieFTDtvEASTER BASKET BOUQUETclub,” said Cooley, who answered Pilling’s SOS after Firebirds’ goalie was injured late this season. “I’m gettin’ kind of tired. And my career isn’t really going anywhere now.“If I was given a break,” the onetime Boston Bruins’ backup goaltender said. “I.A 'XHis face beaded with the players.I: 5 o loving gift of Ircih. fragrant spring bJotsof7is an emb/oidtred, u/ovtrn ba^Kert lt*v tht* perfect way to yui* tdlfrMgreetings Tfhs taster, bend our bashe! of ; ^love. They 11 k«c you 1 fo' )!':»/W* ’IIMUIREACH OUT AND TOUCH THEM THE FTD FLORIST WAYInstant Credit With,SSS BankAmeriCard ££ Master ChargeCARROLL'S FLORAL SHOPPE1 S. Che star Pika GlarmldanL 116*2780\Ibro Bagging BargainSAVE$85on anEasy-Emvtv Grass Catcher
Newspaper Details
Delaware County Daily Times
Chester, Pennsylvania, US
Thu, Apr 15, 1976
Page 7
Full Page
Clipped by
Jason P.
USA 05 Apr 2018
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