Bullfrogs Roll Past the Blades, 6-3

A week ago Todd Wetzel was beside himself.

The 1995 Roller Hockey International rookie of the year was not scoring, and was having an even more difficult time trying to explain his anemic offensive output.

That was a week ago.

Wetzel had a goal and an assist in the Bullfrogs’ 6-3 victory over the Blades Sunday at the Pond. That’s great news for the Bullfrogs, who have yet to put together a solid offensive performance, yet still are 5-1-1 and in first place in the Pacific Division.

Wetzel, who had one goal in his first three games, has four in the last three games. His unassisted goal Sunday in the fourth quarter in front of an announced crowd of 10,701 gave the Bullfrogs a three-goal edge over the Blades and was the capper to a barrage of shots at goaltender Sean Gauthier.

“I was trying to make a pass to Joe Cook,” said Wetzel of the goal, which gave the Bullfrogs the 6-3 lead with 9 minutes 58 seconds left to play.

“It just went in. We’ve been getting lucky lately and they’ve been going in.

“I wouldn’t call what I was in as a slump,” he said. “Early on I was getting my shots, but they were hitting the post or not going in, that’s all.”

The game pitted two teams going in opposite directions.

The Blades (0-4), a playoff team a year ago, lost for the second time in five days to the Bullfrogs. The Blades have lost 11 of 14 games to the Bullfrogs, including six of the last seven at the Pond. Anaheim won at the Forum, 5-4, last Tuesday.

First-year Coach Mark Hardy was left wondering if the Blades have dug too deep a hole for them to get out of. A year ago nearly all 19 teams qualified for the playoffs. This season, only the top two teams in each division will make the playoffs. And the Bullfrogs have made themselves a front-runner again with their fast start.

“I didn’t think we would be 0-4,” Hardy said. “We’ve got to be a desperate hockey club from now on. That means, right now we have to have 14 guys [playing hard]. It’s early in the season, but we have to get going.”

The Blades played well enough for nearly three quarters. At one time the Blades were leading, 2-0. The score was tied, 3-3, at halftime.

But Anaheim grabbed the lead for good with 2:35 left in the third quarter when Victor Gervais passed to Darren Perkins, who beat Gauthier. With about a minute left in the third period, Wetzel fed rookie Glenn Stewart for a goal.

“In the second half we attacked more, we took away time and space and that was to our advantage,” Bullfrog Coach Grant Sonier said. “I thought in the first half that L.A. slowed the game down and it worked for them.”

A mistake by Gervais got the Blades on the scoreboard first. Gervais was skating in his zone, when he mishandled the puck under pressure from the Blades’ Peter Kasowski, who scored. The Blades went up, 2-0, when Chris Nelson redirected a pass from Brent Scott past goaltender Eric Raymond with 5:49 left in the quarter.

That woke up the Bullfrogs. Joe Cook scored 20 seconds later. Gervais tied the score 1:30 later, taking a centering pass from Perkins.

Rick Judson scored to put the Bullfrogs ahead, 3-2, 1:30 later, and Scott beat Raymond for a goal 14 seconds later.