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Player Spotlight highlights the finer details and elements while supplying insight to the fans on what a player's thought process may be pertaining to a certain play, game or situation. It brings the intensity, passion, and inner most thoughts of the individual player that otherwise may not be felt or heard. |
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After the recent Wings victory over Buffalo, Kevin M. Neibauer had the chance to sit down with newly acquired, Jason Crosbie. | |
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I know the fans in Buffalo are rabid, what about the Philadelphia fans? |
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I have always said that the fans around the league are very very loyal to lacrosse, and wherever you go. no matter what city....of course, you get the Toronto, Buffalo crowds. And here in Philly, they are totally awesome. But, they are loyal everywhere. Tonight was great, they were with us no matter what happened, even when we were down a goal, they picked us up, they were like the ships oar. They made us push ourselves. To the fans, You Were Awesome! The fans love close games. Close games are good, that's what makes character, that's what builds a team, we have a young team. That's how they learn to play under pressure. When you blow teams out, they don't know how to play under pressure, they don't know what's going to happen come playoff time. Getting these close games right now, early in the season, with Rochester one goal, Buffalo one goal, overtime, it's great, I think that's great. |
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Tonight is the first time that you guys actually trailed in a game, what was the reaction on the bench? |
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I think some of the young guys were kind of looking around going , "Oh ****, here we go. But, I've been in that position too many times, and Bergs (Bergey) has been in that position too many times. We just told them, There's two minutes left in the lacrosse game, there could be five or six goals in two minutes. If nothing, you just have to keep going forward, you have to give your best effort. We got a good look, Jamie Rooney made a great fake and a great goal. We just told the kids, keep working, keep going forward.
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3 and 0, all wins in the division, a couple weeks off, gotta be a great feeling.... |
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It is great, whenever your 3 and 0 it's a great feeling, but I think its a great feeling because of the way we have done it, we are winning games that last year, this team probably would have found a way to lose. But, you beat Rochester in a one goal game and you beat Buffalo in a one goal game, When you do that, your confidence begins to build, every single guy in the room is gaining confidence. They know they can play up or they can play down, the first three games we have seen a whole bunch of different scenarios, and again, that’s what builds teams. That's what builds young teams like this one, young guys, guys with one or two years in the league, thats what makes them winners, and it teaches them what it takes to go beyond the threshold, to winning a Championship.
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You have played on the other side against Jake Bergey for a lot of years, how good is he playing right now? |
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I told Jake when I came here, You know what kid, you’re going to get fifty goals this year. That's what I told him at the beginning of the year. Jake is very intense, he's a veteran and he's rejuvenated, just like me. In Buffalo I got a little stagnant for the last few years, just doing my job, not really having an awful lot of fun on the floor, the guys were great. But, I was just not having fun on the floor. My wife said that the greatest thing that could happen to you right now is a change of scenery. Having a new role, being a leader, really take it to the next level. With all the young kids here, I am really happy to be on board.
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Dave Huntley speaks very highly of you, saying that you are like another coach on the floor. He was impressed about how you have taken Merrick Thomson under your wing. Was that told to you coming in? |
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They told me that coming in. I knew that coming in, other than me and Bergs we don't have a lot of experience. Danny Marohl is in and out of the line-up, but he's a quiet leader. Nooch is not playing like a second year player. Bergs and I, combine our years, Bergs has played like ten, eleven years, I have played for eight, that's almost twenty years of experience. I have to take a leadership role. That IS my role, to teach these young guys. That's what the team told me coming in and I accept that role, I love that role. I'm a teacher as a profession, I also coach, I love it, and it makes me really feel good when they do well.
I room with Merrick and we talk all the time, he's a great kid, he's going to be a very good lacrosse player. |
| PLPA Correspondent Kevin M. Neibauer has been contributing articles to several on-line sites in the Philadelphia, Pa. area. Currently acts as the Philadelphia Correspondent for InTheCrease.com and also Just Hockey. Kevin has been writing for Just Hockey for three seasons and for InTheCrease for two. Currently being published each month, Neibauer covers both the Philadelphia Phantoms and the Houston Aeros of the American Hockey League for Just Hockey. Kevin also contributes feature stories and interviews for that site. Besides those two sites, Neibauer has contributed to several Lacrosse sites, as well as writing for three Philadelphia based, All-Sports sites. Kevin was introduced to the indoor game of Lacrosse in the 1970's, when as a child, he would attend games in the old Eagle Pro Box League. Other Lacrosse background: Served as a referee in the Philadelphia Box Lacrosse Association. Neibauer, by day, is a Union Sheet Metal Worker out of Local 19 in the Philadelphia Pennsylvania area and is married and lives in Philadelphia with his family. Kevin can be reached at KJIEN@aol.com |
Past Spotlights | |
| Player | Team |
| John Tavares | Buffalo Bandits |
| Ryan Benesch | Toronto Rock |
| Geoff Snider | Philadelphia Wings |
| John Christmas | Philadelphia Wings |
| Jeff Spano | Philadelphia Wings |
| Lewis Ratcliff | Calgary Roughnecks |
| John Tavares | Buffalo Bandits |
| Matt Roik | Philadelphia Wings |
| Tom Marechek | Philadelphia Wings |
| Dallas Eliuk | Philadelphia Wings |
| Kyle Sweeney | Philadelphia Wings |
| Pat O'Toole | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Rich Brzeski | Philadelphia Wings |
| Tom Ryan | Philadelphia Wings |
| Jeff Ratcliffe | Philadelphia Wings |
| Chris Panos | Anaheim Storm |
| Dan Dawson | Arizona Sting |
| Glenn Clark | Toronto Rock |
| Brandon Miller | San Jose Stealth |
| Lewis Ratcliffe | Calgary Roughnecks |
| Michael Law | Anaheim Storm |
| Mark Steenhuis | Buffalo Bandits |
| Tom Hajek | Philadelphia Wings |
| Jeff Ratcliffe | Philadelphia Wings |
| A.J Shannon | Buffalo Bandits |
| Jim Veltman | Toronto Rock |
| Chris Driscoll | Toronto Rock |
| John Gallant | Colorado Mammoth |
| Eric Miller | Colorado Mammoth |
| Brian Langtry | Colorado Mammoth |
| Tracy Kelusky | Calgary Roughnecks |
| Tom Still | Colorado Mammoth |
| Kyle Couling | Buffalo Bandits |
| Colin Doyle | Toronto Rock |
| Gary Gait | Colorado Mammoth |
| Bill Greer | Columbus Landsharks |
| Aaron Wilson | Toronto Rock |
| Al Truant | Colorado Mammoth |
| Kevin Finneran | Toronto Rock |
| Ben Prepchuck | Colorado Mammoth |
| Pat O'Toole | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Kevin Finneran | Toronto Rock |
| Paul Cantabene | Philadelphia Wings |
| Blaine Manning | Toronto Rock |
| Gary Rosyski | Albany Attack |
| Neal Powless | Albany Attack |
| Gary Rosyski | Albany Attack |
| Jesse Phillips | Calgary Roughnecks |
| Colin Doyle | Toronto Rock |
| Ryan O'Connor | Vancouver Ravens |
| Paul Gait | Washington Power |
| Chris Konopliff | Ottawa Rebel |
| Kyle Arbuckle | Columbus Landsharks |
| Matt King | Calgary Roughnecks |
| Dave Stilley | Philadelphia Wings |
| Cam Bomberry | New Jersey Storm |
| Kaleb Toth | Calgary Roughnecks |
| Dwight Maetche | Vancouver Ravens |
| Greg Traynor | Philadelphia Wings |
| Paul Talmo | New Jersey Storm |
| Mark Millon | Philadelphia Wings |
| Rod Squire | Toronto Rock |
| Gee Nash | New York Saints |
| Pat Maddalena | Buffalo Bandits |
| Tom Marechek | Philadelphia Wings |
| Dan Teat | Albany Attack |
| Derek Malawsky | Buffalo Bandits |
| Josh Sanderson | Albany Attack |
| Steve Fannell | Albany Attack |
| Ryan Powell | Buffalo Bandits |
| Cam Woods | Albany Attack |
| Colin Doyle | Toronto Rock |
| Peter Schmitz | PLPA President |
| Glen Clark | Toronto Rock |
| Pat O'Toole | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Mike Accursi | Buffalo Bandits |
| Phil Sanderson | Albany Attack |
| Matt Shearer | Pittsburg Crossefire |
| Tim Soudan | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Jason Wulder | New York Saints |
| Ted Dowling | Albany Attack |
| Mark Millon | Syracuse Smash |
| Mark Frye | New York Saints |
| Pat Maddalena | Buffalo Bandits |
| Paul Gait | Pittsburgh Crossefire |
| Rich Kilgour | Buffalo Bandits |
| Chris Gill | Toronto Rock |
| Paul Cantabene | Pittsburg Crossefire |
| Adam Mueller | Albany Attack |
| Shawn Williams | Buffalo Bandits |
| John Grant JR | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Mike Accursi | Syracuse Smash |
| Gary Gait | Baltimore Thunder |
| Tom Ryan | Baltimore Thunder |
| John Tavares | Buffalo Bandits |
| Tim Soudan | Rochester Knighthawks |
| Kevin Finneran | Philadelphia Wings |
| Bob Watson | Toronto Rock |
| Jim Veltman | Toronto Rock |
| Jake Bergey | Philadelphia Wings |
| Chris Panos | Buffalo Bandits |
| Troy Cordingley | Buffalo Bandits |
| Regy Thorpe | Rochester Knighthawks |
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