by Edward Moran
Philadelphia Daily News Sports Writer
Chemistry is a key part of any good team.
Players that don't like each other don't play well together. So it's important players spend as much time with one another as possible.
Try doing that when the players' addresses cover ZIP codes all across North America. That's the case with the 2000 version of the Wings indoor lacrosse team.
When the Wings take the floor tomorrow night at the First Union Center to play the Albany Attack in the season opener, a majority of the players will have just arrived after commuting from four states and two Canadian provinces.
"It's tough," said Jim Rogers, who lives in New York City and works for a Wall Street brokerage firm. "Over the past four years, we've really spread out. We have three or four guys living in New York, five guys in Baltimore, three in Canada, it's a challenge."
Just to keep every team member informed about practice times and roster changes, the coaching staff sends the players e-mail.
Seems to be working.
In the Wings' 13 seasons in Philadelphia, they have won five league championships and have been to the playoffs every year but one.
"We've been successful as long as I've been at it," Rogers said. "We have a lot of off-field activities, Halloween parties, Christmas parties, and we have a lot of phone contact."
Last year, after a devastating 0-4 start, the Wings managed to rebound and gained a playoff spot, but were ousted in the first round by Toronto.
This season, the Wings hope they can eliminate that postseason disappointment from their minds and shoot for another championship.
And they are looking for team chemistry and their love of the game to help them do that.
That's the one thing the Wings and all the other players in the National Lacrosse League have in common.
Each of the Wings' players works a full-time job and plays for less than $1,200 a game.
"I love the game and the people I have gotten to know down in Philly over the last eight years," Rogers said. "I don't do it for the money."
The Wings relied on a lot of rookies last year. Of the six newcomers this year, only two are rookies.
"We are 20 men deep and looking forward to rebounding after what we considered a disappointment," said Rogers, an eight-year veteran who is expected to be named team captain today. "Last year, we had a lot of rookies who had to adjust to the game. This year, a lot of our new faces have been in the league for a while.
"We have our sights on No. 1, to win the whole thing," he said. "We have a good positive attitude and a good bunch of guys. We're as solid a team as I have ever seen on the Wings."
One of the new Wings, Tom Ryan, of Baltimore, said he likes the camaraderie among the players.
"After my last season in Baltimore, I've found that this Philadelphia team is the right team for me," said Ryan, who spent two seasons in Baltimore and three in Boston. "We didn't have a tight team in Baltimore, we do here.
"We're a very positive group, we're shooting for the championship, and we are confident that we can pull it off."
FEATHERS
When the Wings take the floor tomorrow night, they will be wearing new jerseys designed for the millennium season. They are solid black with a large, white "W" on the front and 2000 on the shoulders… Kevin Finneran, entering his seventh season with the Wings and 10th in the league, will tie a league record for consecutive games played at 96 tomorrow night… Season tickets and individual game tickets for all six home games are still available. For information, call 215-389-WINGS.