Manatees sink tired 'Cudas

Manatees sink tired 'Cudas

Goalie Hevey struggles in team's third game in as many days. By JASON SCHNEIDER The Times-Union The Jacksonville Barracudas wore their road-white jerseys for Sunday's game against the Miami Manatees. The Manatees must have taken that as a cue to make the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena a home away from home, winning 7-3 in front of 2,279. The Barracudas (28-14-1) looked like a team playing its third game in as many days. Passing and goaltending, hallmarks of the team during its league-best 13-game home winning streak, were not sharp against Miami (22-13-4). Goalie Randy Hevey, who had more than 40 saves in each of the past two games, has rarely been beaten on soft goals. Sunday, though, he failed to stop several saveable shots. He was pulled for Nate Ziemski at the start of the third period. "[Hevey's] got to be exhausted," 'Cudas coach Ron Duguay said. "We've gone to him for the past five, six weeks. He's had to play three games a week since he got here. He's not a big guy and he's got a lot of work lately and he's just tired like everyone else." Hevey didn't get a lot of help from the usually offensively minded 'Cudas as Jacksonville misfired on several scoring opportunities. Every time the Barracudas got to within two goals of Miami, the Manatees answered. Trailing 3-0 three minutes into the second period, Jay McCabe beat goalie Sean Weaver off a pass from Lyle Steenbergen for the Barracudas' first goal. Darcy Johnson, though, reestablished Miami's three-goal lead less than three minutes later. The 'Cudas again got within two goals late in the second period when Steenbergen's slap shot from the right wing trickled past Weaver, but just 58 seconds later Oak Hewer scored to make it 5-2. Hewer has 23 points -- nine goals and 14 assists -- in 10 games against the Barracudas. Jacksonville had one more chance to get within a goal when Justin Berry scored his first of the season with 12:36 to play, but Miami, true to form, scored five minutes later on Josh Liebenow's wrister. "We're making mistakes but it's not for a lack of effort," Duguay said. "We're tired, we're hurting and there's just going to be nights when things just don't seem to go right." The Barracudas get just one day off before hosting the Alabama Slammers at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday. Web posted on Feb. 23, 2004		Home News Schedule Photos Links Message Board Email: [email protected] This article is copyright 2004 by the Jacksonville Union-Times and is used for informational purposes only.

Goalie Hevey struggles in team's third game in as many days.

By JASON SCHNEIDER
The Times-Union

The Jacksonville Barracudas wore their road-white jerseys for Sunday's game against the Miami Manatees. The Manatees must have taken that as a cue to make the Jacksonville Veterans Memorial Arena a home away from home, winning 7-3 in front of 2,279.

The Barracudas (28-14-1) looked like a team playing its third game in as many days. Passing and goaltending, hallmarks of the team during its league-best 13-game home winning streak, were not sharp against Miami (22-13-4).

Goalie Randy Hevey, who had more than 40 saves in each of the past two games, has rarely been beaten on soft goals. Sunday, though, he failed to stop several saveable shots. He was pulled for Nate Ziemski at the start of the third period.

"[Hevey's] got to be exhausted," 'Cudas coach Ron Duguay said. "We've gone to him for the past five, six weeks. He's had to play three games a week since he got here. He's not a big guy and he's got a lot of work lately and he's just tired like everyone else."

Hevey didn't get a lot of help from the usually offensively minded 'Cudas as Jacksonville misfired on several scoring opportunities. Every time the Barracudas got to within two goals of Miami, the Manatees answered.

Trailing 3-0 three minutes into the second period, Jay McCabe beat goalie Sean Weaver off a pass from Lyle Steenbergen for the Barracudas' first goal. Darcy Johnson, though, reestablished Miami's three-goal lead less than three minutes later.

The 'Cudas again got within two goals late in the second period when Steenbergen's slap shot from the right wing trickled past Weaver, but just 58 seconds later Oak Hewer scored to make it 5-2. Hewer has 23 points -- nine goals and 14 assists -- in 10 games against the Barracudas.

Jacksonville had one more chance to get within a goal when Justin Berry scored his first of the season with 12:36 to play, but Miami, true to form, scored five minutes later on Josh Liebenow's wrister.

"We're making mistakes but it's not for a lack of effort," Duguay said. "We're tired, we're hurting and there's just going to be nights when things just don't seem to go right."

The Barracudas get just one day off before hosting the Alabama Slammers at 7:05 p.m. on Tuesday.

Web posted on Feb. 23, 2004

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