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Home  Articles 99/00 Season Drillers hoping to surf the Wave tonight
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Drillers hoping to surf the Wave tonight |
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Written by Joanne Ireland
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Thursday, 13 April 2000 |
Fear never put a grip on his gut. Maybe he was just too young or too innocent when he picked up his suitcase, took his sister's hand and left behind his life in Sarajevo.
Even now, when Damir Jesic looks back on his journey from Yugoslavia to the roster of the Edmonton Drillers, he doesn't talk about the trepidation -- only the lessons learned along the way.
He did learn how to cope with pressure and anxiety, traits that have emerged in the Drillers' National Professional Soccer League playoff run.
"He has stepped in and shown tremendous composure," coach Ross Ongaro said on Wednesday as he watched his forward on the practice field.
"He has raised his level to play with the big boys in the big games.
"He has handled the pressure -- but this is nothing compared to where he's come from."
Jesic, one of the upstarts in the stretch run, will need to be at the top of his game again tonight when the Drillers take on the Milwaukee Wave in the opener of the National Conference final.
He won't be the only one because on paper, this series shouldn't even be close.
The Wave had the best road record in the league, the best home record and the best regular season mark.
They were fourth in scoring, first in the points-allowed category, and tops when it came to defending restarts.
The Drillers prefer to point out that the two sides play a similar game, which has led to some tight matches, that they have homefield advantage in the opener, a healthy lineup, and confidence.
They also have players like Jesic making an impact.
He got his chance to get on the field Feb. 23 and went on to score 20 points in the final 17 regular- season games.
"I really appreciate the things I have here," he said.
"I appreciate this league because it's the best level in Canada - - and I would love to stay and play. I always wanted to play soccer."
Damir Daca Jesic -- Dutchie to his teammates -- was 15 when the war broke out.
Fearing for their safety, his parents sent the kids to live with relatives in Belgrade.
It was another six months before the family was reunited.
They left behind a house, a weekend home in the mountains, two cars -- all the luxuries of an upper-middle-class life.
In Belgrade, they lived month to month with only enough for the necessities.
Convinced that the life was not about to improve, the Jesics applied for refugee status in 1996. They were sent to Moose Jaw.
"The first year was probably the hardest year of my life," said Jesic, 21.
"I couldn't play soccer, not the kind of soccer I was used to playing.
"I didn't speak English, my parents were frustrated. ... It was
really hard. But after a year, two years, I got used to it.
"I was safe in Belgrade but the economy was so bad. There was no future there. That's why we came here -- and I'm glad we did."
Jesic was playing with Saskatchewan in the Canada Summer Games, when he caught the eye of Len Vickery, coach of the University of Alberta Bears.
Jesic said goodbye to his family again and moved to Edmonton.
He was the Canada West rookie of the year in 1998 and the next season, an all- star.
Then, during the Bears' silver- medal run in the national championships, Jesic aggravated a pelvic injury and spent the next several months trying to get back on track.
He went to therapy, practised with the Drillers, and finally made his debut against Buffalo.
He's now juggling university studies with the practices and playoff games.
"I'm really lucky," he said.
"I came here, I got a chance to go to university," Jesic said.
"I got a chance to play soccer at this level.
"What else can I ask? I'm very glad."
DRILLBITS
WAVE 'EM ON: The Drillers (22-22) and Milwaukee Wave (31-13) kick off the best- of-three National Conference final series tonight at Skyreach at 7:05 p.m.
The teams then head to Milwaukee to decide the series. Game 2 at the Bradley Center will be played on Saturday night, and if a third game is necessary, it is scheduled for the following afternoon.
FLASHBACK: The Wave racked up a 5-3 record against the Drillers this season, but how's this for a matchup? Three of the games were decided by a point.
The last tilt was a 4-2 overtime win for the Wave in Milwaukee.
THE BIG CHEESE: The Wave has a lineup that features speed and skill.
Like the Drillers, they field three lines, so they too can play at a higher tempo.
They also have some impact players like Victor Nogueira, the 40- year-old veteran goalkeeper who finished the season with a notable 9.66 points against average.
Up front forward Michael King (138 points) and Todd Dusosky (106) have been leading the scoring attack.
That could explain why there has been a lot of attention paid to the recovery of King.
He left Saturday's playoff game with a chipped right thigh bone and was listed as day to day.
BEEN THERE, DONE THAT: This is the second trip to the conference final for both Edmonton and Milwaukee, but the last time Wave advanced they won it all. They were dubbed league champs at the end of the 1997-98 season.
SEAT SALE: Players, 18 and under and in uniform, can buy a ticket at the gate for $6.
Other passes are priced at $12, $14 and $16 and are available at Skyreach.
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