No farewell yet for Bucs
Des Moines Tribune
Monday, 3-29-82
by Don Clasen
Call off the farewell party. The bounce-back Des Moines Buccaneers aren't through yet!
The gutty Bucs pulled off probably biggest upset of the year by taking a 7-6 overtime victory Satururday night at Sioux City to remain alive in the best-of-five United States Hockey League championship series.
Des Moines can tie the series at two games apiece with a victory Friday night at the Des Moines Ice Arena. The fifth game, if necessary, will be Saturday night at Sioux City.
"That was the greatest comeback I've ever been associated with," Des Moines Coach Ivan Prediger said of the stunner before the largest crowd to see a hockey game at Sioux City.
After falling behind, 6-2, the Bucs battled to a tie at the end of the regulation 60 minutes.
With 3 minutes 16 seconds gone in overtime, Des Moines' Jeff Ulrich a nifty pass from Myles Hart and flipped the puck behind Musketeer goalie Doug Spedding.
Bucs backers, who had feared the worst - that Sioux City would end the playoffs with a victory at home - cancelled plans for a farewell party Sunday to wish the Des Moines players well before they returned home or began summer jobs.
"The whole city of Sioux City is in shock," said Prediger, who praised he entire team and especially Ulrich, goalie Mark Pagnac and Doran Doty.
Pagnac, 18, a 6-foot 4-inch, 180-pounder from East Grand Forks, stopped 51 Sioux City shots. He was at his best blanking the Musketeers through the final 43:16.
"Pagnac has the Sioux City guys talking to themselves, asking, 'How can we beat this guy?' " said Prediger.
It was the scholarly looking Pagnac who said that a hot goalie could help Des Moines, which finished sixth in the regular season.
There was Doty, the cocky kid from Des Moines' east side who led the Bucs' new checking line that was intended to stop Sioux City's hot scorer, Brian Williams.
Doty did his job on defense but, as a bonus, turned in three goals. His goal :10 into the third period seemed to make his teammates realize they could perform a miracle.
Ulrich, the 5-10, 160-pounder from Thief River Falls, Minn., has been an unsung hero as a linemate of Myles Hart, the USHL's regular-season scoring leader.
Despite losing 20 pounds in four days because of the flu, Ulrich banged in the winning goal. Afterward, the still-suffering Ulrich shrugged off the credit, saying he couldn't miss with such a good setup from Hart.
"Jeff called me up Friday morning and said, 'Coach, I don't know how much I can give you, but what I've got you can have,' " recalled Prediger.
He had what was needed when it counted.
Although the Bucs were jubilant, there was concern for winger Daryl Seltenreich. "Salty," as the 5-7, 150-pound winger from Arvada, Colo. is called by teammates, collapsed pain in the dressing room.
He was rushed to Sioux City's St. Joseph Hospital where he remained until Sunday morning.
Apparently, the Bucs' fastest skater, who missed nine games during the regular season because of punctured intestine, was overcome ir all the excitement.
"They took tests on him, but they couldn't find anything wrong, and he is OK," said Prediger.
"I told him, you are 18 years old I'm the guy who's supposed to have an ulcer. But now you're going to give me an ulcer if you keep this up,' laughed Prediger.
Championship Series
WEDNESDAY NIGHT'S GAME
Sioux City 8, Des Moines 2
FRIDAY NIGHT'S GAME
Sioux City 7, Des Moines 4
SATURDAY NIGHT'S GAME
Des Moines 7, Sioux City 6 (overtime; Sioux City leads best-of-five series, 2-1)