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Home  Articles 98/99 Season Road trip may set tone for Drillers' post-season
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Road trip may set tone for Drillers' post-season |
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Written by Joanne Ireland
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Thursday, 04 March 1999 |
Fate lies at their feet -- and that's just fine by the Edmonton Drillers.
With just 12 regular season games remaining and a formidable record of 18-10 in the books, the National Professional Soccer League squad can leave their playoff pursuers in their dust, or make a race of it. It is up to them.
And it is going to unfold on the road, where the Drillers are 5-7.
The squad took off Wednesday for a six-game road trip, a swing that begins in Buffalo. Today's matchup against the 14-14 Blizzard will stand as the third straight between between the divisional foes.
"We have a four-game lead on them right now. That's a nice way to go into a trip, knowing you have a cushion," said goalkeeper Pat Onstad.
Comfortable, yes, but this is a team that is still catchable. That's why the Drill has set its sights on the opening game of the road trip.
"It is a big trip for us," said Onstad. "We have six important games but the bottom line is if we can come up with a win in this first one, it will really set the tone for the whole trip -- and the season." The Drillers are sitting in first place in the division and in the National Conference. First place overall is also within reach. But first the Blizzard have to be dealt with, then the Harrisburg Heat, Philadelphia Kixx, Kansas City Attack, St. Louis Ambush and Detroit Rockers.
After that the Drillers return home, where they will play four of the remaining six games.
"It's not a matter of making the playoffs, it's a matter of winning the division," said coach Ross Ongaro. "And to do that, we need to win a couple of games on this trip."
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DRILL BITS
ROAD WARRIORS: The Drillers, 18-10, have hit the highway for a six-game road swing. The action gets under way today in Buffalo with a morning school special and wraps up March 14 in Detroit. In between are stops in Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Kansas City and St. Louis.
BENCH BANTER: Chris Handsor is back on the run following a bout with a strained quad and Nikola Vignjevic has returned from Spain. Vignjevic missed the last two games to play with the Yugoslav indoor team ... Martin Dugas, still down with a groin injury, will not make the trip, nor will Ian Diaz, scratched to make room for Vignjevic.
STOP SIGNS: Goalkeeper Pat Onstad, packing a 9.50 points against average for the trip, is on track for a notable achievement. So too are Milwaukee's Victor Nogueira (8.36) and Montreal's Paulo Ceccarlli (9.69). All are on pace to finish the season with a points against average lower than 10. Pat Harrington was the last netminder to turn the trick, which he did in 1996-97 when he was with the Buffalo Blizzard.
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