Bullfrogs Collect Goals, Not Penalties

New Jersey Coach Don Shedden said before the start of the Roller Hockey International Murphy Cup series against the Bullfrogs that it was important to keep Hugo Belanger and Victor Gervais in check.

“If we can keep them to a couple of points, we’ll be OK,” he said.

New Jersey disappointed the Eastern Conference coach of the year Thursday night.

Belanger had a hat trick and Gervais had a goal and three assists as the Bullfrogs dominated the Rockin’ Rollers, 12-4, in front of an announced crowd of 7,233 at the Pond.

Bob Thurston had a hat trick, Glen Metropolit had a goal and four assists and defenseman Doug McCarthy had a goal and three assists as the Bullfrogs equaled their season-high goal-scoring.

The series shifts to New Jersey Sunday, where the Rockin’ Rollers have to take game No. 2 to force the deciding 12-minute mini-game.

Four of six best-of-three playoff series have been decided by mini-games this season, most likely because visiting teams who hold the home-arena advantage don’t mind dropping the first game of the series because they feel they can win at home.

That might be why New Jersey was more interested in brawling than playing roller hockey. Two Rockin’ Rollers were ejected and three game-misconduct penalties were whistled, all against New Jersey, which was called for 36 penalty minutes. RHI penalties are 90 seconds in length.

“We’re not a big, physical team,” Bullfrog Coach Brad McCaughey said, “and they want to play physical with us. I told the guys they were going to have to suck it up, take a few punches and rely on the referees to keep the game clean, which, in my opinion, didn’t happen tonight.”

In one exchange, Bullfrog forward Jim Ficenic, who had a goal and an assist, got a bloody nose when was punched while he was on the floor.

After receiving one 10-minute misconduct early in the game, New Jersey forward Dennis Maxwell returned to action in the fourth quarter, only to receive a game misconduct for fighting. He will be ineligible to play Sunday, under to league rules.

The Bullfrogs were content to walk away from as many fights as they could.

“If they play stupid and want to take all those penalties,” we will just skate away with it,” Gervais said. “As for shutting me down, we have four pretty talented guys on the power play that can shoot. If New Jersey wants to play that way, they are in for a long night.”

The Bullfrogs skated away with this early. After surrendering a goal to Rob Weingartner 2 1/2 minutes into the contest, they raced to a 4-1 lead on a goal by Gervais, back-to-back goals by Belanger and a back-hander by Thurston, who slipped behind New Jersey goaltender Nick Vitucci who left the crease to confront Thurston.

Vitucci, the RHI player of the week for his effort in defeating defending Murphy Cup champion Orlando last week, had a rough night. By playing well in front of the crease he played right into the quicker Bullfrogs’ hands. After giving up his seventh goal of the night, another back-hander from Thurston with 8:39 left in the third period, Vitucci was removed from the floor in favor of Don Martin.

But the Bullfrog onslaught continued. Tom Menicci scored with six minutes left and when Belanger picked up his third goal of the game less than a minutes and a half later, the speedier Bullfrogs led, 9-2.

“We came out slow and it showed,” Rockin’ Roller forward Glenn Stewart, a former Bullfrog, said. “They really took it to us. But we’ll be a different team come Sunday, don’t you worry.”