The Prince George Citizen - Monday, May 13,1991 - 15 Penguins prepare Kearns burns for Ice Storm wars former mates PITTSBURGH (CP) — Opera­ Pittsburgh missed the playoffs by BILL SEYMOUR ganized. tion Ice Storm has entered the seven times in the previous eight Citizen Staff “I just like to get the ball and ultimate theatre of NHL opera­years, including last season. Mick Kearns left his calling card go like hell.” tions. Lemieux, Troy Loney, Phil with his former teammates Sunday Labatt’s coach Orlando Mauro Bench general Bob Johnson Bourque and Bob Errey are sur­ as Labatt’s Honda-North shutout said Keams is a valuable addition and captain Mario Lemieux arevivors. Team sport 2-0 in North Cariboo to his team since Graham West preparing the Pittsburgh Penguins “I’ve been waiting a long time Senior Soccer. ended a decade of play with for battle against the Minnesota for this and I’m going to enjoy It was the first time the skinny Labatt’s last year to coach rival North Stars, who have hefty it,” said Lemieux, drafted in outside left, who played two sea­Remco. Keams speedy response weapons of their own, in the1984 to lead the team to glory sons with Teamsport, faced offon the field keeps everyone on Stanley Cup final beginning here but until now never supplied with against his former club. Kearns’ their toes, he said. Wednesday. enough competent foot soldiers. pierced Teamsport’s defence just Team sport’s player-coach Terry Operation Desert Storm, the “It’s a great feeling to finally be two minutes into the second halfWilson blamed a slow response successful military campaign in on a winning team.” and connected on a shot against from his club for the loss. the Middle East earlier this year, Loney has seen four head Clarke Jamison for Labatt’s second “In the first half we weren't in inspired some Penguins fans to coaches and three general goal of the game. fast enough,” said Wilson. “We hang an Operation Ice Storm sign managers since joining the team The goal was typical Keams as let them play the ball. in the Civic Arena on Saturday in ’84. he jumped from the pack and “In the second half we created a night when their heroes defeated “There were years when you’d drove through on his own. Ironi­few chances but they use the ball the Boston Bruins 5-3 to win thewonder if it’d ever get better,” cally it reflected the dogmatic style slightly better than we did." Wales Conference championship. said Loney. “But the last two or of play he learned with Teamsport. Remco 0Croatia 0 three years, everything started “We just kept pushing forward After losing the first two coming together.” and forward all the time,” said the Goalie Dina Mastroianni of games to Boston, Johnson’s 25-year-old former Dubliner. Croatia and Remco’s Ivan Brkicti troops rolled over the Bruins fourSaid Bourque: “This makes it In other games Sunday, it was: both registered shutouts in the straight. It was quick and deci­ all worth it There were nights Remco 0, Prince George Croatia- scoreless match. sive. here when there’d be 6,000 Quesnel 4 Kickers 0 people in the stands — and half Fred Walls and Sons 0 and City Ian Brown, Kerry Gray, Fausto “After the second game in of them had bags over their Furniture defeated the Kickers 4-0 Mauro and Art Renaud each Boston (a 5-4 overtime loss) heads, we when the coach wouldn’t in Quesne. scored for Quesnel. Brown’s goa thought we could win the ser­ talk to the players and when it Mario Lemieux greets Mark Recchi after scoring the fifth goal. In the recreation division Sun­ day, it was: GGST6 , Green Ma­ came on a penalty shot. ies,” said right winger Mark was down to the minors, back up, GGST 6 Green Machine 0 Recchi, who scored the winning down to the minors.” Tom Barrasso. “ It was almost hockey a club that’s playing well,” chine 0; Avco 2, SgL O’Flaherty’s goal at 15:40 of the third period blessing. ” said Boston forward Dave Chris­2 and Steamer’s 1, United 1. Ranjet Ranu and Joga Sandhi in the series clincher. “We out­ In front of more than 16,100 tian. “It should be a great final.” Ian Patton opened scoring forboth scored twice with singles noisy supporters Saturday, in­Larry Murphy and Phil Labatt’s with a goal six minutes from George Kaweesi and Jesse played them then came back Bourque scored before the sec­ Centre Bryan Trottier gets a Sandhu. Malkeet Gill earned the home and we were confident we cluding an Elvis impersonator crack at a fifth championship after the opening whistle. Keeper and two gentlemen leading ond period ended and Gordie Glenn Foerster earned his second shutout. could take them.. cheers in tails and tophats pre­ Roberts, with his first goal of thering. He won four with the New Steamer’s 1 United 1 “We’re going to keep going at playoffs, gave Pittsburgh a 3-2York Islanders and is back in the shutout in as many games. tending to be penguins, Pitts­ final for the first time since ’84. Adjusting to the ‘touch ball’ Joel Wiseman opened scoring it We want to win so bad. We’re burgh fell behind 2-0. Boston got lead at 10:08 of the third. Don style of play Labatt’s fosters twois minutes after the whistle for going to do anything it takes togoals from Cam Neely and KenSweeney tied it again, but Mark “This is absolutely fantastic,” something new to Keams. The Steamer’s. United’s Chad Hender­ win.” Hodge to silence the crowd, butRecchi’s goal at 15:40 on a great he said. “I’m going to jump at former telephone worker said it’s ason replied for the tie. Boston coach Mike Milbury the goals merely served as apass from Roberts, and the opportunity, like everybody change from the European style of Avco 2 Sgt. O’Flaherty’s 2 called the Penguins “one of thewakeup call for the Penguins. Lemieux’s empty-nctter with 28 else in this room. game he grew up with. Ken Liedl and Derek Thompson most talented teams in hockey. I “That actually gave us some seconds left, ended Boston’s sea­ “The excitement of playing for “I’m not used to it,” Keams scored for Avco. Al Gains and wouldn’t be surprised to see them spark because we didn’t have son. the Stanley Cup is what hockey said, describing Labatt’s. “They Vohar Sanniboos scored for SgL go all the way.” anything going,” said goaltender “We got beat by a goodis all about.” like to take their time and get or­ O’Flaherty’s. North Stars needed victories to get fans backOlympic team falters the 79th minute by El Salvador’s By REG CURREN at the Met Centre in Bloomington? You bet.before Game 4 last week. SAN SALVADOR (CP) — Ca­ “You can do all the other stuff, like tryingnada’s Olympic soccer hopes Jose Escobar snapped a 1-1 tie and Canadian Press The North Stars have been nearly in­ suffered a setback Sunday when gave the home team the victory. Nothing draws a crowd like a winner — vincible on home ice, racking up a 19-2-2 re­to give away the money during the regular cord since Jan. 17, including four wins over season, they can do all that. But when it gets the national team dropped a 3-1 Mark Watson of Vancouver inter- it’s a cruel fact about professional sports that down to winning, nothing substitutes.” decision to El Salvador. efered with Escobar and he was the red-hot Minnesota North Stars know a thelot defending Stanley Cup champion Edmon­ The loss drops Canada’s record awarded a penalty kick despite Ca­ about. ton Oilers. Stormin’ Norman — North Stars owner in CONCACAF Group B third nada’s protests. A mediocre team that drew an average of Minnesota clinched the Campbell Confer­Norm Green — helped out, offered another round qualifying to 1-1. CONCA­ ■In Reno, Nev. Doug Muirhead 7,838 disinterested fans in the NHL regular ence with a 3-2 win Friday night in Game 5 beer-guzzling fan as a cool drizzle whipped CAF is the confederation of North scored three goals in one game as season has averaged 14,670 crazies during itsin Edmonton. The North Stars will face theacross the parking lot. It wasn’t much of a and Central American and Carib­ the Vancouver86 ers won both fairy-tale mn toward the Stanley Cup. Penguins on Wednesday in Pittsburgh. The night for an outdoor party, but these fansbean soccer associations. their games Sunday at an inter­ This is a crowd’s crowd — loud, some­Penguins ousted Boston in six games with didn’ta mind. Canada will now have to win itsnational soccer tournament times boorish, partisan and always having 5-3 a win Saturday. “ I’ve talked to (Green); he’s real pleasant last two third-round matches — The six-team tournament con­ ball. The crowd starts roaring before the “It all boils down to: you’ll take a withwin­ the fans,” said Eric Anderson, who has next Sunday 19 in Trinidad and tinues Wednesday in San Fran­ national anthem and continues unabated until ner,” says longtime North Stars fan Tracy followedBi­ the North Stars for years. Aug. 31 at Vancouver against El cisco. the final whistle blows. shop, who joined hundreds of other rowdies “They (the Minnesota fans) are great,” Salvador — to guarantee a spot in Does it have an affect on the teams playingoutside the arena at pre-game tailgate parties Muckier said after a 5-1 loss in Game 4.