|
|
|
|
|
|
1999 Season Recap
In 1998, the Philadelphia Wings lost Gary Gait, and most observers felt it would be a rebuilding year. The Wings then went out and won the inaugural Champion's Cup. In 1999, the Wings had to replace six veterans who had retired, but most believed they were still in the upper echelon. The Wings the went out and had a rebuilding year. Trying to replace game-smart veterans such as Scott Gabrielson, Steve Govett, and Brian Voelker with inexperienced players proved to be the Wings' undoing, as they were caught shorthanded several times in a season-opening overtime loss to long-time rival Buffalo. Delayed in arriving in Syracuse the next night by a major snowstorm, exhausted from the Bandits game, and with goaltender Dallas Eliuk nursing a pinched nerve in his neck, the Wings got Smashed, 19-12. Even though Rochester's marquee goaltender, Steve Dietrich, suffered yet another knee injury in Philadelphia's next game, the Wings could not capitalize. A trip to Baltimore ended with an 18-17 overtime defeat, and the Wings were off to their worst start in the franchise's thirteen-year existence. The Wings needed to bear down, and finally were able to start. With the team coming together as one, defensive woes starting to be cured, and Eliuk's neck feeling better, the Wings were able to claim their first win at Buffalo, 13-11, on 5 February. After dropping a 9-7 decision in Toronto (in the league's lowest-scoring game ever), the Wings ran off three consecutive wins at home, against Toronto (in overtime), Syracuse (in a 15-6 romp), and Baltimore (in a comeback upset). At 4-5, the Wings were within striking distance of claiming a playoff berth for the eighth year in a row. Following a week off, the Wings played the New York Saints, their primary competition for fourth place and a playoff bid. Each club won on their home turf, the Saints 14-13 at Nassau Coliseum and the Wings 10-9 at the First Union Center. With each tied at 5-6, and only the two of them still in the running for the final postseason berth, they each had some work to do. The Wings could afford a loss at Rochester, provided the Saints lost the night before. However, that loss could not have been by too many goals, or the Saints would catch the Wings on season-long goal differential (while splitting the season series, they each scored twenty-three goals, making the overall differential the likely tiebreaker). With the Saints' one-goal loss on Friday night, the Wings knew Saturday they could loss by as many as seven goals and win the playoff spot. They lost to the Knighthawks by one goal, and qualified for the postseason by the skin of their teeth. In the semifinals, the Wings were out of their league, humiliated by a hungrier and more determined Toronto Rock club, 13-2. Just as in their previous visit to Maple Leaf Gardens (the 9-7 loss in February), the Wings were shut out in both the first and third quarters. The two goals set an all-time record for fewest goals in any game, regular season or postseason. 1999 Philadelphia Wings Roster
# Name Ht Wt Age Exp College
1 Andy Piazza (G) 6-0 205 30 6 North Carolina
2 John McEvoy 5-9 170 30 7 Villanova
4 Ryan Traynor 5-10 180 25 1 Randolph Macon
7 Paul O’Grady 6-1 185 31 5 Villanova
9 Chris Flynn 5-9 180 33 9 Pennsylvania
11 Kevin Finneran 6-2 190 33 8 Ohio Wesleyan
14 Jim Rogers 5-11 175 30 6 Villanova
16 Todd Evans 5-10 172 23 R U. of Maryland
18 Matt Ogelsby 6-0 185 25 3 Duke University
19 Fred Jenner 5-8 180 26 1 Northwood Univ.
20 Chris Bates 5-8 165 30 7 Dartmouth
21 Adam Mueller 6-2 210 32 9 Michigan State
22 Todd Katanchik 6-0 185 34 2 Capilano College
35 Dallas Eliuk (G) 5-10 180 34 8 Vancouver
41 Michael Busza 5-6 155 25 1 Penn State
42 Tom Marechek 5-10 185 30 5 Syracuse Univ.
43 Tom Slate 6-0 195 25 2 Essex Jr. College
55 Dan Radebaugh 6-2 205 25 3 U. of Maryland
66 Jake Bergey 6-0 205 24 1 Salisbury State
77 David Stilley 6-2 215 24 1 Duke University
84 Sean Radebaugh 5-11 170 26 1 Salisbury State
88 Jamie Hanford 6-2 215 23 R Loyola College
91 Greg Traynor 6-0 185 25 2 U. of Virginia
Russ Cline Owner
Mike French Executive Vice President /
General Manager
Peter Tyson Assistant General Manager
Tony Resch Head Coach
Gary Martin Assistant Coach
John Nostrant Assistant Coach
Bill Mills Trainer
Mark Grothmann Equipment Manager
Larry Miller Team Physician
David Rubenstein Team Physician
Age refers to age as of beginning of 1999 season (26 Dec 1998)
1999 Philadelphia Wings Schedule and Results DATE OPPONENT PHI-OPP W/L REC POS -------------------------------------------------------------- Dec 25-27 -open date- 0-0 t-2 Jan 1- 3 -open date- t-3 Fri Jan 8 BUFFALO 7:30 17-18 OT L 0-1 6th Sat Jan 9 @ Syracuse 8:00 12-19 L 0-2 t-6 Jan 15-17 -open date- t-6 Fri Jan 22 ROCHESTER 7:30 12-15 L 0-3 7th Sat Jan 30 @ Baltimore 7:35 17-18 OT L 0-4 7th Fri Feb 5 @ Buffalo 8:00 13-11 W 1-4 7th Feb 12-14 -open date- 7th Fri Feb 19 @ Toronto 7:00 7- 9 L 1-5 7th Sat Feb 27 TORONTO 7:30 12-11 OT W 2-5 6th Sat Mar 6 SYRACUSE 7:30 15- 6 W 3-5 6th Sat Mar 13 BALTIMORE 7:30 16-13 W 4-5 5th Mar 19-21 -open date- t-4 Fri Mar 26 @ New York 7:30 13-14 L 4-6 6th Sat Apr 3 NEW YORK 7:30 10- 9 W 5-6 t-4 Sat Apr 10 @ Rochester 7:35 9-10 L 5-7 t-4 (1) -------------------------------------------------------------- Fri Apr 16 @ Toronto 7:00 2-13 L 5-8 -------------------------------------------------------------- (1) Clinch playoff berth (10 April) Wings record breakdown: vs BAL 1-1 Friday 1-5 vs BUF 1-1 Saturday 4-3 vs NY 1-1 Sunday 0-0 vs ROC 0-2 Other days 0-0 vs SYR 1-1 After win 2-3 vs TOR 1-2 After loss 3-4 home 4-2 December 0-0 road 1-6 January 0-4 overtime 1-2 February 2-1 1 goal 2-4 March 2-1 2 goals 3-5 April 1-2 after bye 0-4 second game* 0-1 * Second game of a multiple-game weekend. Go see a Wings game! Philadelphia Wings Tickets to see the Philadelphia Wings at the First Union Center can be purchased through the team at the phone number above. Box office hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 AM to 6:00 PM, Saturdays and Sundays 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM (on Sundays, game days only). Tickets can be charged to your Visa, MasterCard, or American Express card, or can be paid in Traveler's Checks or with old-fashioned cash. Children under the age of two do not need a ticket. Seat locations will not be given out over the phone. The Wings operate a will call window, located at the main box office on the Broad Street side of the First Union Center and which opens one hour prior to the start of the game. Will call tickets must be bought with a credit card, and you'll need that credit card to identify yourself when you pick the tickets up. Not counting times when events are being held simultaneously in two or more of the buildings, if you can't find parking, you're not looking hard enough. You may have to walk across a large parking lot, though, which isn't all that bad. Parking prices vary by event, especially when big-time events are going on next door (like an Eagles playoff game or a major rock concert). The parking lot is patrolled by security, who are (more often than not) very helpful. The First Union Center provides a tow truck on site from one hour before the game to one hour after, and will tow your car anywhere in the tri-state area. Also, these fine folks will help you unlock your door or give your car a jump start. Except for the tow job, all this is free. Remember, at the First Union Center, smoking is only permitted in designated areas, and even this has been known to vary from day to day. Leave your camcorder at home, because you will not be permitted to bring it into the arena. Fans are permitted to take still photography, however. Directions: From the west, take I-76 (Schuylkill Expressway) east to Broad Street, then head south. From the east (southern New Jersey), cross the Walt Whitman Bridge and proceed to the second exit (7th Street south). Follow 7th Street to Pattison Avenue, then turn right onto Pattison. From the north or south, follow I-95 to the Broad Street exit, then head north towards Pattison Avenue (the arena is easy to notice by this point, and there are signs everywhere). Most of all, enjoy the game! Seating diagram of the First Union Center, courtesy of Arenamedia. Map of the area, courtesy of Mapquest. (approximately centered on arena location) Alter characteristics of Mapquest map above. |
