After Loss to Blades, Coaches Question Heart of Bullfrogs

After the Bullfrogs’ fourth consecutive loss, a 5-3 defeat to the Blades Saturday night at the Pond, the coaches are questioning the heart of some players.

“We’re getting worked. I’m not seeing the effort I want,” said Bullfrog Coach Brad McCaughey, who arrived at the Pond in time for the third quarter after missing the past two and half games to be with his ailing father in Virginia.

“I don’t make excuses,” McCaughey said, “and if I don’t start seeing that effort I will make some changes.”

Two weeks ago, the Bullfrogs were in first place, a point ahead of San Jose and too many points to count ahead of the Blades, who were in fourth.

But the Bullfrogs (7-7) have stumbled badly, losing five of their last seven games. Meanwhile, the Blades (9-3-2) have won five in a row and eight of their last 11 games. They lead the Western Conference with 20 points, three points ahead of San Jose, which lost to visiting Sacramento Saturday. The Blades are six points ahead of the slumping Bullfrogs at the midway point of the fifth season of Roller Hockey International.

The Bullfrogs played without two key veteran defenders, Joe Cook and Darren Perkins. Cook has missed seven games after sustaining a concussion. Perkins, who ran the team in McCaughey’s absence, has a torn quadriceps.

“It all comes down to team defense, and the mistakes we are making are big because they are being capitalized on,” Perkins said. “The guys have to reevaluate what they are doing.”

Blade goaltender Billy Pye, acquired in a trade June 26 with Orlando, turned in a stellar performance in picking up his second consecutive victory in as many nights. Pye has recorded 46 career wins, tops in RHI history. He stopped 25 shots Friday in a 13-5 victory at Sacramento and had 35 saves against the Bullfrogs, including a point-blank slap shot just outside his crease off the stick of Victor Gervais with under two minutes to play.

Despite stopping 46 shots, Bullfrog goaltender David Goverde lost for the third time in three outings to the Blades. He was pulled off the floor with the Bullfrogs trailing, 4-3, with a minute and a half to play.

That proved to be the Bullfrogs’ ultimate downfall. The Bullfrogs inserted an extra skater, but a clearing pass by Doug Ast bounced off the dasher boards and found the empty Bullfrog net with 42 seconds left.

The Bullfrogs looked like world beaters at the start, scoring two goals less than six minutes into the game for a 2-0 lead.

The Blades didn’t buckle, however. Defenseman Scott Drevitch cut the lead in half with his goal with about three minutes left in the quarter. Winger Ian McIntyre tied the score at 2, with an unassisted breakaway goal with 7:18 left in the second quarter.

The Bullfrogs went into the locker room with a 3-2 lead after Glenn Stewart lifted a pass from Gervais just in front of the crease over Pye’s glove hand.

Back to back goals by defenseman Ross Harris gave the Blades a 4-3 lead. Only the efforts of Goverde and a little luck prevented a worse fate. The Blades hit the post at least three times in the third quarter and Goverde was able to alertly swat the puck out of the crease.