Darren Cain and Eric Perricone record hat tricks as Miami wins its WHA2 debut before an small but enthusiastic home crowd
BY DAVID KILMER
Herald Writer
Ten goals and a fight. Not a bad minor-league hockey debut Saturday night for the Miami Manatees.
The Manatees defeated the Macon Trax 10-6 in their World Hockey Association 2 opener before a sparse but enthusiastic crowd of 2,255 spectators at the first hockey game at the Miami Arena in five years.
"Fans want to see goals, and that's one thing that's missing in NHL games," said Manatees coach Zac Boyer.
Darren Cain scored the first goal for the franchise 38 seconds into the game.
Cain added two more for a hat trick. Eric Perricone also recorded a hat trick and added an assist. Perricone scored two of his goals and assisted on a third goal in the second period as the Manatees built a 6-4 lead.
"Perricone just scored at will," said Boyer.
Fans were hungry for minor league hockey, but opinions were mixed on how the team would fare in a fickle major league sports market.
"I don't know these players, and that's not good," said Alex Granda of Miami.
"But the Panthers are not playing so hot. This is this team's chance to be an entertaining team."
Granda added he hoped the team's focus would be the play on the ice and not the fighting. The lone scrap came midway through the second period between Darcy Johnson of the Manatees and Andrew Katzberg of the Trax.
"This was great to see minor league hockey," said Mike Bart of Cutler Ridge, a transplanted New England native. "These guys just came off 10 days of practice and one preseason game. I just hope everyone supports it and the franchise has deep pockets."
Added Daryn Studebaker of South Beach, "These minor league hockey guys try so hard and play harder than those guys in the NHL."
Concerning the less than expected turnout Boyer added: "Would I like to see more fans in the building? Yes."
On a night of firsts, the Manatees were successful on their first power play, when Oak Hewer scored at 14:50 in the first period.
The Manatees also scored a shorthanded goal by Kevin Swider to go up 9-6 after the Trax had cut a four-goal lead to two late in the game.
The Manatees next take on the visiting Lakeland Loggerheads on Friday.
Web posted on Nov. 9, 2003
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