Anaheim Storm News and Notes
March 10, 2004 - National Lacrosse League (NLL)
Anaheim Storm News Release
Bolts of Information
- Friday night is the first game in a home-and-home series between the Anaheim Storm (1-8) and the Vancouver Ravens (2-8). The Storm are coming off a strong 13-10, victory over the Rochester Knighthawks (5-5). The first win of the season, it was in front of their home crowd at the Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim. The team plans to build on that momentum and looks to sweep the series this weekend.
The Ravens had last weekend off but lost to the Calgary Rougnecks (6-4) during Week 10.
- Defenseman Cam Bergman was named the Rookie of the Week by the National Lacrosse League for his performance in the Storm's first win, a 13-10 victory over Rochester. Bergman scored a goal, collected six loose balls and helped hold Rochester forward Shawn Williams to a pair of goals and no assists last Saturday in Anaheim.
- Going into Week 12, Team Captain Casey Powell leads the Storm in points, assists and loose balls (11G, 25A, 48 LB); Chris Panos leads in goals with 18 in nine games played (18G, 13A).
- The Anaheim Storm has partnered with Killian's Irish Red to offer fans $2 Killian's Irish Red Lagers and $2 hot dogs at Friday night Storm games. The last Friday night is Fan Appreciation Night, April 2nd. The Storm will face their division rivals, the San Jose Stealth.
- The Storm have lost three of nine games this season by just one point. Two of the three, Arizona on January 10th and San Jose on January 25th, were decided in overtime.
Winds of Change
Center Joe Ghedina has returned to the team's official roster. Ghedina had been placed on the Injured Reserve list after Week 8 due to a knee injury. In five games played, he had one goal, three assists, 17 loose balls and had won 74 of 121 face-offs.
Passed Storms - Week 10 vs. Rochester (13-10, Storm)
Last Friday night, the Storm saw big action from several players including back-to-back breakaway goals from Assistant Team Captain Chris Seller (2G) in the fourth quarter which gave the Storm a 10-9 lead over the Knighthawks.. The Storm continued to score with three unanswered goals from Cam Bergman (1G), Chad Wittman (1G, 1A) and Casey Powell (2G, 2A). Bergman and Powell both scored on empty nets.
Other producers for Anaheim included Marc Morley (2G), Scott Stewart (2G, 3A), John Rosa (1G, 2A), Chris Seller (2G) and Chris Panos (2G, 1A).
Matt Disher defended the goal for Anaheim saving 33 of 43 shots on goal.
Looking Ahead - Week 12
The Anaheim Storm hit the road for the next two weeks. Saturday, March 20th, they face Philadelphia (4-7) for the first time this season. Storm Assistant Coach Kevin Finneran won four World Championships in 10 years with the Wings.
The Storm Leadership
Head Coach Pat McCabe
McCabe, a New York native and Syracuse graduate, is known in the sport as both a player and as a coach. Currently the Defensive Coach at C.W. Post College, Long Island University, he was head coach of the New York Saints last season. He believes in teaching the fundamentals of the game and defining clear roles and responsibilities for each player.
A four-time NCAA All-American, and former Saints player and Team Captain, McCabe is currently Captain of the Major Lacrosse League's Long Island Lizards with whom he has won two Championships (2001, 2003). Additional achievements during his thirteen-year career as a professional player include the 1998 World Championship and founding Shooting Star Lacrosse Camps, LLC.
Assistant Coach Kevin Finneran
Joining McCabe as Assistant Coach, is Long Island Lizard teammate, Finneran. This is Finneran's first coaching job in the league where he has won five Championships, four with the Philadelphia Wings and, most recently, last season with the Toronto Rock. He retired from playing in December 2003, after thirteen years in the professional indoor league. Finneran holds the NLL record for the most consecutive games played, 162, and is fifth in the league for all-time scoring. He was also Captain of the 2003 US World Indoor Team which won the Bronze medal.
General Manager Steven Sombrotto
Moving into the role of General Manager, Storm forward and Team Captain, Sombrotto has retired after thirteen years in the NLL. Sombrotto joined the New York Saints in 1992, the same year as McCabe, and stayed with the team until the New Jersey Storm was founded in 2001. This season, his third with the Storm, he has been on the Injured Reserve list with a broken wrist. In addition to the NLL, Sombrotto is also a member of the MLL Championship Long Island Lizards. His duties as General Manager will include player development, trades and drafts.
Former General Manager, Jim Brady, is now the Director of Player Personnel â Canada.
National Lacrosse League Stories from March 10, 2004
- Anaheim Storm News and Notes - Anaheim Storm
- Roughnecks bid to host All-Star game - Calgary Roughnecks
- Sting's Miron, Maddalena win NLL awards - Arizona Sting
- Miron honored in weekly awards - NLL
- Bandits sign Kazarian - Buffalo Bandits
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