First Round Preview - Pirates vs. Boyle

by: Commissioner John George

The 2011 FHL playoffs are finally upon us. The cold, rainy, snowy, frost-bitten dog days of winter and early spring are behind us and the real season is here. The FHL playoffs are where legends are made and heroes are born. Everyone has certain images from the postseason at Franklin that stand out in their mind. Buddy Doyle nearly passing out from heat exhaustion in the 2007 cup, Nick Siniawski willingly blocking shots with his face in 2008, Dustin Hess uprooting Brian Barca with one of the most violent hits in FHL history in 2009, and Bishop Boyle mounting an unprecedented comeback in the cup after being down 2-0 to the two-time defending champion Jets. There will undoubtedly be several more moments here in 2011 that stay etched in our memories, who will rise to the occasion and make them is the only question. The stat sheets, standings, trends...you can throw them all out, because everyone is 0-0, and anything can happen.

(4) Pirates vs. (5) Bishop Boyle Lancers 12:00 PM Previous playoff match ups: 2010 (Boyle win 3-2) This match up showcases an extremely fast and skilled Pirates team against a tough, defensive Bishop Boyle lineup. Boyle suffered a textbook FHL cup hangover this year, displaying a forgettable regular season where they struggled to get more than four guys at the rink every Saturday. Factors like the retirement of star forward Mark Fetsko, captain Brian Grise's commitment to baseball and Zack Wahal's personal obligations led to all-star defensemen Tom Fetsko and Jason Tatrai carrying the load for 19 weeks. Tom had a breakout year offensively, but it was seemingly by default, as no one else was usually there to score. His defense is never in question however, and neither is his leadership as hes been a one man stonewall on the blue line for Boyle. Fetsko has also adopted the swagger of a Boyle leader, saying this in a recent interview.. “We are gonna make them (Pirates) walk the plank and sink the ship!” The low attendance numbers of Boyle has in fact allowed more playing time for role players such as Jared Spears, Jake Maddigan and Pat Farrell to develop. Mike Stadleman can also become a valuable “5th man”, but he has yet to find his niche on the team. Boyle has the talent to win this series, but their big issue will be finding a winning team chemistry in such a short time. Grise looked lost in the season finale against the Jets—a team he usually dominates. Boyle will need Grise to find his legs early along with line mate Wahal. Pirates captain Andrew McDonald is a veteran and has seen a lot in this league. Despite Boyle's shortcomings this year he is not ready to write them off. “Ya know Boyle always shows in the playoffs. We lost to them last year, and they won it all. They may struggle in the regular season, but the playoffs are a completely different game. Fetsko and Tatrai are one of the best defensive pairings in the league. Grise and Wahal can score at will. But this is why we developed this team...for these playoff games. We can score, we can defend. Saturday should be a tough game.” McDonald made a bold move this year when he shipped all-star forward Tony Bonacorso and others to the Crosbys for sniper and brother Roy McDonald (and others). The trade sent shock waves throughout the league as “Amac” had always vowed to never part ways with the former Arizona State captain. Roy has played with a chip on his shoulder since the deal and will try to exercise his playoffs demons (1-3 career playoff record). The Buccos have had mostly positive results since pulling the trigger on the deal which also brought over Joe Rogers, Matt Gori, Eric Miller and Matt Wierchowski. Wierchowski, who has yet to skate in red, may be the X-factor in this series as he is expected to play. The true story for the Pirates this year has been the emergence of defensemen Shane Lucas. “Dugan” has had a career year offensively drawing comparisons to the San Jose Sharks defensemen Brian Boyle. What sets him apart from most players in the league is his dynamic speed and quickness which few, if any, can match. His stellar play has allowed his name to be thrown into not only the defensive player of the year ballot, but MVP as well. Fellow defensemen Dave Gilson offers some thunder to Lucas' lightning on the back end. Other role players such as Neil “the real deal” Murray and “Mad” Chad Nolan should provide serviceable shifts when the headliners need a blow. This series has the potential to be a first round classic. Both of these teams are hungry, but for different reasons. Bishop Boyle will set out to prove that they can catch a buzz off of their FHL cup hangover. For the Pirates, its personal. The only player on the Pirates roster with a championship ring is Matt Wierchowski, and he hasn't played since February. The Pirates aren't just hungry, they're starving for a cup. Saturday we'll see if they can take the first bite through the defending champs.