Thursday, October 27, 1994

 The defending Major Indoor Lacrosse League champion Philadelphia Wings received a major blow yesterday when the MILL announced that 1994 team MVP and crowd favorite Paul Gait has been assigned to the expansion Rochester (N.Y.) Knighthawks for the upcoming season.

 Gait, who resides and works in Syracuse, N.Y., requested the assignment, citing personal and professional commitments.

 "I loved playing in Philadelphia," said Gait, who recorded 44 points in the eight-game regular season and 19 in two playoff games for the Wings. "The fans have been very supportive of me and the Wings. I hate to leave, but my personal and professional circumstances made the decision to request reassignment necessary."

 In his four-year MILL career, Gait has 139 goals and 65 assists. He and his twin brother, Gary, who remains a member of the Wings, were signed by Philadelphia in 1992.

Friday, November 4, 1994

The Major Indoor Lacrosse League champion Philadelphia Wings traded forwards Rob Shek and John Blatchley to the Baltimore Thunder for the Thunder's 1996 first-round draft pick and future considerations.

Shek scored 30 goals and added 32 assists in two seasons with the Wings. Blatchley recorded nine goals and six assists in 1994, his rookie season.

Monday, December 12, 1994

Baltimore forward Mark Millon scored two goals to lead the Thunder to a 15-11 victory over the Philadelphia Wings in a Major Indoor Lacrosse League preseason game at the Baltimore Arena.

Thursday, January 5, 1995

by Mark Kram, Daily News Sports Writer

Set to open his seventh Major Indoor Lacrosse League season when the defending champion Philadelphia Wings travel to Buffalo Saturday evening, Scott Gabrielsen could not help but wonder how the striking baseball players and locked-out hockey players would feel if they suddenly found themselves earning his salary: $450 per game.

"If anyone should be striking," said Gabrielsen, one of the founders of the Major Indoor Lacrosse Players Association, "it should be us."

Far removed from the world of pro baseball and hockey, where athletes are lavished with huge salaries and lucrative endorsements, MILL veterans such as Gabrielsen, a center attackman, have devoted themselves to the sport not for financial gain, but for "the sheer love of lacrosse."

Forced to hold down outside jobs to support themselves - Gabrielson is a commercial real estate broker for Binswanger in Philadelphia - the players earn just $150 a game their first season and an additional $50 for each year of experience thereafter. The highest-paid player on the Wings is eight-year forward attackman Gary Martin, at $500 per game.

"The bottom line is: You do it for the love of the sport," said Martin, in international systems at Unisys Corp. in Blue Bell. "We do volunteer appearances at bars and clinics to promote the sport, because we love it and want to see it grow."

Veteran center attackman Chris Flynn agreed.

"Sure, I would enjoy earning $1,000 instead of $400 a game," said Flynn, a mortgage banker for Main Line Federal in Villanova. "But, as a league, we are still in our infancy, where some of the other sports were 40 years ago. Those sports had players who paid the price for the players today, just as we are."

From the packed houses that the Wings perform in, both at the Spectrum and on the road, it would appear as if the sport is doing exceedingly well. Whenever Gabrielsen looks up and sees crowds of 17,000 in the Spectrum, crowds that have paid ticket prices of $22, $19.50 and $14, he wonders why he and his teammates are not receiving a "larger slice of the pie." Both Martin and Flynn concurred, but added, "The players will have their day."

What eats at Gabrielsen and others is the players are just as dedicated as their colleagues in the other sports, if not more so. In addition to occasionally traveling out of state for games, the Wings also practice once or twice each week from 9 to 11 p.m.

It can be difficult to keep that up when there are wives and children to accommodate, especially when some players must commute from Baltimore and New York. However, as head coach and former player Tony Resch observed: "It beats working at a 7-Eleven as a part-time job."

Ultimately, what drives Gabrielsen and his teammates is the pursuit of another championship, and the Wings should again be contenders this season. While the Wings will no longer have the services of the sensational Paul Gait, who has hooked on with the Rochester Knighthawks to be closer to his Buffalo home, the Wings still have brother Gary Gait and the same core of players who led them over host Buffalo, 26-15, in the championship game last season.

"The loss of Paul Gait is a blow, but we are hoping Gary and some of the others give us across-the-board production," Resch said. "It should be an interesting season."

He paused and laughed.

"Heck," he said, "until baseball and hockey come back, the Sixers and the Wings will be the only game in town."

The Wings open their home schedule Saturday, Jan. 20, at the Spectrum against Rochester.

Sunday, January 8, 1995

The Philadelphia Wings, defending champions of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, opened their season by dropping a 17-13 decision to the Buffalo Bandits last night before 16,284 fans at Memorial Auditorium.

John Tavares scored five goals and added two assists for the Bandits (1-0), who avenged their 26-15 loss to the Wings in last year's championship game.

The Wings played without regular goalie Dallas Eliuk, who suffered a strained left groin in pregame warm-ups and was replaced by Andy Piazza.

John Nostrant led the Wings with four goals and two assists. Philadelphia was outshot by 56-50.

The Wings will play the New York Saints on Saturday at the Nassau Coliseum at 8 p.m. They will play their first home game on Jan. 20, against Rochester at 8 p.m. at the Spectrum.

Monday, January 9, 1995

BY JOE BERKERY

It was opening weekend for the Philadelphia Wings, the defending Major Indoor Lacrosse League champions. Count on another title, fans, because this team has been, well, predisastered. Every bad thing destined to happen to these fellows was bunched into two days.

Saturday's 17-13 loss to the host Buffalo Bandits was actually fitting. The night before, Wings coach Tony Resch stopped for pizza in Roxborough. When he came out, pie in hand, his van was gone. But Resch lost more than the van. It was packed for Saturday's flight to Buffalo, complete with the team's new jerseys.

Players were forced to round up as many old jerseys as they could. It still wasn't enough. Some were forced to wear the team's gray scrimmage tops. Once in Buffalo, equipment manager Larry Subodich scurried to find a sporting goods dealer who could sew logos and numbers on the makeshift uniforms.

He found one, though some players wore gray jerseys with white numbers, others had red numerals. Some had black piping on the shoulders, some didn't.

The game hadn't even begun when calamity hit. During warmups, All-Star goalie Dallas Eliuk went down with a groin injury. He missed the game. It was not immediately known when he would return.

"Let's say it's been a very trying 24 hours for this team," Resch lamented.

Sunday, January 15, 1995

The Philadelphia Wings beat the New York Saints, 11-10, last night before more than 10,000 fans at the Nassau Coliseum, the first victory in the season for the defending champions of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League.

"Both teams played with a lot of intensity," Wings coach Tony Resch said. ''When you play a team like New York, you can't take any leads for granted. They played us really tough. Our guys fought hard for their victory."

Gary Gait led the Wings with six points, scoring four goals - including the 100th goal of his professional career - and delivering two assists. Also scoring for the Wings were Paul Deniken, Tom Marechek, Bill Miller and Scott Gabrielsen.

Charlie Lockwood and Brian O'Keefe each scored two goals for the Saints (0-2).

The Wings (1-1) outshot the Saints, 64-45. The Wings return to Philadelphia for their next game, Friday, at 8 p.m. at the Spectrum against the Rochester Knighthawks.

Friday, January 27, 1995

Drexel Hill's Katie Toner-Drake will put her winning streak on the line tomorrow when she sings the national anthem at the Philadelphia Wings' Spectrum game. Every time she has sung - 11, so far the Major Indoor Lacrosse League champions have won.

Friday, January 27, 1995

by Mark Kram, Daily News Sports Writer

Not even veteran goalie Dallas Eliuk was aware of it, but quietly, the Philadelphia Wings have stretched their winning streak at the Spectrum to 11 games.

That dates back to April 11, 1992.

"No kidding?" said a surprised Eliuk. "Well, we can thank our fans for that."

The 1994 Major Indoor Lacrosse League champions hope to add to that streak tomorrow evening, 8 o'clock, when the Wings entertain the Buffalo Bandits. The Wings, 2-1, were beaten in the season opener at Buffalo, 17-13, but have won their last two, edging the New York Saints, 14-13, and the Rochester Knighthawks, 18-17. The victory over the Knighthawks came in the home opener last Friday.

"The fans definitely influence our play," Eliuk said. "Lacrosse is like football in that it is a game of adrenaline. When we get in front of 16,000 screaming fans in our arena, it gets us pumped up."

Wings coach Tony Resch agreed.

"We have had some good teams through the years, but the fact is we have a distinct home-field advantage," Resch said. "What pleases me is that we are also becoming a better road team. We have grown as a team."

Ironically, the Wings last lost at home against Buffalo in an MILL championship game. The Wings are 1-4 in regular-season games against the Bandits, and 1-2 against them in the playoffs. The Wings defeated Buffalo, 26-15, last season in the MILL championship.

"We do take a special interest in beating them because they are Buffalo," Resch said. "We get up for them and I am sure they get up for us."

Sunday, January 29, 1995

By Mayer Brandschain, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT

The Philadelphia Wings fought off the Buffalo Bandits for a 17-10 victory last night.

The game, bringing together the teams that had battled for the championship of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League for the last three years, drew 16,515 to the Spectrum.

The Wings (3-1) appeared en route to a runaway when they stormed to a 5-0 lead in the first 4 minutes, 15 seconds of play, getting two goals in the first 54 seconds. Buffalo, however, struggled back and drew to within 7-6 late in the second quarter.

Gary Gait scored five goals for the Wings, and John Nostrant added three. Troy Cordingley tallied three times for the Bandits.

Monday, January 30, 1995

The Philadelphia Wings extended their home winning streak to a dozen games with a 17-10 victory over the Buffalo Bandits in Major Indoor Lacrosse League action Saturday night at the Spectrum.

The crowd of 16,515 saw a rematch of the teams that have faced each other in the league championship contest for the past three seasons. The defending champion Wings - who won the title game in Buffalo last season, 26-15 - jumped to a 5-0 lead about four minutes into the game. Buffalo hung in, though, trailing just 7-6 late in the second quarter. The Wings picked up a pair of quick goals before intermission and led 9-6 at the half.

"Our guys stayed really focused tonight," Wings coach Tony Resch said. ''I was really impressed with the way we were able to hold Buffalo's big guns to only 10 goals. (Goalie) Dallas Eliuk played one helluva game for us tonight."

Gary Gait led the Wings (3-1) with five goals. Seven other players scored for the Wings, including Steve Govett (first two goals of the season), John Nostrant (three goals), two apiece from Gary Martin and Tom Marechek, and single goals from Scott Gabrielsen, Kevin Finneran and Paul Deniken.

Buffalo (1-2) was led by Tory Cordingley's three goals. Darris Kilgour and Stu Aird added two apiece for the Bandits. John Tavares, the league's leading scored the past two seasons, failed to score a goal. He picked up three assists, however.

The Wings outshot Buffalo, 55-48, with Eliuk earning 38 saves. Buffalo coach Les Bartley pulled starting goalie Bill Gerrie in the first quarter after he allowed five quick goals and saved only one shot. Ross Cowie replaced him and notched 37 saves.

The last home loss for the Wings was April 12, 1992, when Buffalo beat Philadelphia in the MILL championship game. The Bandits lead the all-time series against the Wings, 5-3, including a 17-13 win at Buffalo on Jan. 7 to open the season.

The Wings are off until Saturday, Feb. 11, when they travel to Boston Garden to face the Blazers. The next home game will be Friday, Feb. 17, at 8 p.m. against the New York Saints.

Sunday, February 12, 1995

The Philadelphia Wings (4-1) moved into a first-place tie in the Major Indoor Lacrosse League with a 15-10 victory against the Boston Blazers (4-1) last night at Boston Garden.

"I'm really proud of our effort tonight," Wings coach Tony Resch said. ''There was a time in the third period when we let our guard down. Our guys pulled it together. This is a great win for us."

Gary Gait led the Wings with six goals. Eight other players scored for Philadelphia. Ted Dowling had four goals for Boston.

The Wings went up by 4-0, as Philadelphia goalie Dallas Eliuk held the Blazers scoreless for the first 10 minutes of the game.

The Wings will host the New York Saints on Friday at the Spectrum.

Thursday, February 16, 1995

BY MARK KRAM

When the Philadelphia Wings face off against the New York Saints tomorrow night at the Spectrum (8 p.m.), it might not prove the easy victory that it appears to be on paper.

Though the Saints are 0-5 and at the bottom of the six-team Major Indoor Lacrosse League standings, coach Tony Resch has warned his league-leading Wings (4-1) not to take them lightly.

"Getting up for a 4-0 team, like we did last week against Boston, is easy," Resch said. "But what separates the top teams from the others is the ability to get up for the 0-5 teams. We have to be prepared."

The Wings already have beaten the Saints once this season. In their season opener at Nassau Coliseum, the Wings opened up a 6-1 lead, then held off a Saints' comeback for a 14-13 victory.

"New York has a young, exceptionally athletic team," Resch said. "They are still going through some growing pains at this point."

The Wings have improved since the season opener. Not sure how the loss of top goal scorer Paul Gait would affect his team, Resch has found a "strong nucleus" in a core of veterans that includes Chris Flynn, Scott Gabrielson, Brian Volker and Gary Martin. He expects that group to set the tone tomorrow.

"Our veterans know there are no easy wins in this league," Resch said. ''We cannot assume we have a victory under belt."

The Wings have a 12-game winning streak at home, dating back to their loss to the Buffalo Bandits in the MILL championship game on April 12, 1992.

Saturday, February 18, 1995

By Mayer Brandschain, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT

The Philadelphia Wings, defending champions of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League, clinched a playoff berth last night when they overcame strong resistance from the last-place New York Saints and won, 11-8, before 16,623 at the Spectrum.

The Wings (5-1), who never trailed, led at halftime by 5-4.

Tom Marechek got his 23d goal during a fourth-quarter run that made the score 10-7, Wings.

After New York (0-6) scored again, Gary Gait scored his 24th goal to provide the final margin.

Sunday, February 26, 1995

The Philadelphia Wings won their sixth straight game last night with a 15-10 victory over the Baltimore Thunder at the Baltimore Arena.

Gary Gait and Chris Flynn scored three goals apiece for Philadelphia (6-1), the defending champion of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League.

"We knew going into (last night's) game that we would be in for a real battle," Wings coach Tony Resch said. "They are a much-improved team. They have some really good goaltending. We had a few letdowns tonight. When it was time to turn it on, our guys were ready."

Tim Homes, Bob Shek and Bob Martino scored two goals each for Baltimore (3-3). Tom Marechek, Jim Rogers and Kevin Finneran had two apiece for the Wings.

Friday, March 10, 1995

by Mark Kram, Daily News Sports Writer

One of the cornerstones of the Philadelphia Wings has decided to hang up his shoes.

Because of recurring injuries and the birth of his third child, 32-year-old Gary Martin will close out his eighth year with the Wings at the end of the season. He hopes to leave with a fourth Major League Indoor Lacrosse League championship.

"It would be a perfect ending if we could do that," said Martin, who will be honored in a pregame ceremony tomorrow night when the Wings face the Baltimore Thunder at the CoreStates Spectrum (8 o'clock). "I have a feeling nothing can stop us this season."

Called by Wings coach Tony Resch "the backbone of our team," Martin has been one of the top defensive players in the MILL. He began his career in 1988 by scoring three goals on his initial four shots against the Washington Wave, and had appeared in 61 consecutive games until he sat out a game last February with a separated right shoulder. He has since hurt his hip, sprained an ankle and reinjured his lower back.

"I am beginning to feel like an old 32," said Martin, who recorded his 100th career point with two assists against New York last month. "I just decided it was time to let a younger player come in and enjoy what I have enjoyed with this team."

Martin also found himself stretched thin by the demands of his growing family.

"Only one other player on the team even has a child (Gary Gait), and I have three," said Martin, who is an account executive for Unisys Corporation. ''I am up every day at 6 a.m., go to work, and then practice. It just got to be too heavy of a load."

Resch anticipated that Martin will be "hard to replace."

"It will be some big shoes to fill," Resch said. "He may not always be in the highlights, but someone has to do the dirty work."

Martin hopes to remain a part of the organization in some fashion, if only as a volunteer.

"I know I will miss the comraderie," he said. "Being a member of this team has been great fun."

WINGS NOTES

The Wings will hold a lacrosse clinic for males between the ages of 10 and 18 on Sunday at St. Joseph's University, from noon until 4 p.m. The cost is $25, which includes instruction, T-shirt and awards. For additional information, contact Gary Gait at (410) 664-1230.

Sunday, March 12, 1995

By Mayer Brandschain, INQUIRER CORRESPONDENT

The Philadelphia Wings finished the regular season in first place with a dramatic 15-12 victory over the Baltimore Thunder before a sellout crowd of 17,380 last night at the Spectrum. It was the Wings' seventh victory in eight games.

The defeat cost Baltimore a playoff spot.

The Wings, who will be trying to defend their Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship, will meet the fourth-place Buffalo Bandits at Buffalo's Memorial Auditorium on Saturday. If they win that game, they will play in the final on April 8.

The Wings were ahead by 3-0 after 4 minutes, 21 seconds on goals by Gary Gait, Gary Martin, who ran the length of the floor, and Chris Flynn, who connected on a diving shot. Baltimore finally beat Wings goalie Dallas Eliuk at 5:44.

Eliuk gave way to Andy Piazza at the start of the second half, with the Wings ahead by 6-3.

After each side was held to only one goal over the second and third quarters, Baltimore made a rush from 7-4 to lead by 8-7 three minutes into the fourth period. The Wings then showed their resilience and charged back with four straight goals in three minutes.

Saturday, March 25, 1995

INDOOR LACROSSE

Gary Gait of the Philadelphia Wings was named the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's most valuable player for 1995.

A five-year MILL all-pro, who joined the Wings in 1993, Gait finished the regular season with 48 points and has recorded 232 points in 41 regular-season games during his five-year career.

Sunday, March 26, 1995

Gary Gait scored six goals, including one on a penalty shot, as the Philadelphia Wings defeated the Buffalo Bandits, 19-16, at the Aud last night to advance to the Major Indoor Lacrosse League championship game for the fourth straight season.

"I'm just glad this game is over," said coach Tony Resch. "I kept telling our guys, 'Don't sit back.' Everyone contributed to this win. We're all looking forward to playing the championship in front of our home fans."

The MILL Championship will take place April 8 at 1 p.m. at the Spectrum. The Wings will take on Boston or Rochester.

Nine Wings players scored last night. Kevin Finneran, Gary Martin and Tom Marechek each tallied three goals.

Friday, April 7, 1995

by John Smallwood, Daily News Sports Writer

Philadelphia Wings forward Gary Martin can't think of a more appropriate scenario for ending his eight-year, Major Indoor Lacrosse League career.

On April 7, 1989, Martin was a second-year player as the Wings won their first MILL Championship by beating the New York Saints at the Spectrum.

A lot of things have changed since then, but at 1 p.m. tomorrow, when Philadelphia plays the expansion Rochester Knighthawks for the 1995 MILL title at the CoreStates Spectrum, Martin will have come full circle.

"It's definitely going to be special," said Martin, who will play in his record 12th playoff game for the Wings. "The first title I won was at the Spectrum. After we won the semifinal game in Buffalo, I thanked all my teammates for giving me a chance to play one last time in Philadelphia."

Playing in their sixth championship game and shooting for an unprecedented fourth title, the defending MILL champion Wings are hosting the final for the first time since losing to the Buffalo Bandits, 11-10, in overtime, in 1992.

Since then, Philadelphia has won 14 straight games at home.

"Our fans have always been a big part of our success," Martin said. "It would be nice to win a championship in front of them. Scott Gabrielsen and I are the only guys on the team who have had the feeling of winning a title in Philadelphia and carrying the cup around the Spectrum floor. The rest of our guys want to know that feeling."

Last season, MILL Most Valuable Player Gary Gait and his identical twin Paul led the Wings to a 26-15 victory in Buffalo to end the Bandits' two-year reign as league champions.

With Paul traded to Rochester in the offseason, the Gaits, who led Syracuse to NCAA lacrosse championships in 1988, '89 and '90, will square off for the first time in a championship game.

"It will probably be tough on our parents," said Gary, who led the MILL with 30 goals and was second with 48 points. "I wouldn't want to be them trying to figure out who to root for in this game."

Last summer, the brothers, from Victoria, British Columbia, played against each other in the semifinals of the Canadian Box Lacrosse championships, with Paul's Six-Nation's Cheese team, which went on to win the title, defeating Gary's Brooklyn Redman, 4-2, in a best-of-seven series.

"I'm one up on him, so I'm sure he's looking for revenge," said Paul, who scored eight goals in last year's title game. "I know Gary doesn't want to go down two to me."

On Jan. 20, the Wings (7-1) opened their home schedule with a 20-19 victory over the Knighthawks (4-4).

"I'm sure the Philly fans won't be happy to see me on the other team, but they won't hold a grudge unless we win," Paul said. "If we lose, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to see me and cheer. Our team is playing well and our confidence is high. It was only a one-goal loss last time."

Paced by Gary Gait and high-scoring forwards Tom Marechek (17 goals, 18 assists, 35 points) and John Nostrant (14-11-25) and play-maker Kevin Finneran (21 assists), the Wings have outscored opponents, 414-389.

Named an MILL first-team All-Pro for the fourth consecutive season, Wings goalie Dallas Eliuk is 6-0-0 with 240 saves.

"The key will be for us to do what we've done all year and go from there," Martin said. "There was this thing in Sports Illustrated recently about how hockey teams are composed of superstars, playmakers and grinders.

"Our team is defined a lot like that. If we all play within our roles, we're going to be successful."

NOTES

About 4,000 tickets remain for the championship game. The game will be televised live on ESPN but will be blacked out locally if it is not a sellout . . . The Wings will have an open practice today (5:30 p.m.) at the Eagles' practice bubble. The Knighthawks will follow with a walk-through practice.

Saturday, April 8, 1995

By Tim Panaccio, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER

He used to be a playmaker, running the carpets of the Major Indoor Lacrosse League with the kind of abandon with which he ran the outdoor fields at Penn State.

These days, the Philadelphia Wings' 33-year-old forward is mostly known for leading the MILL in annoying injuries.

Hard to believe that Gary Martin once led the country in scoring with 68 points in 11 games in college.

"Gone from a playmaker to a grinder," Martin sighed. "Now I'm defensive specialist, working penalty-killing and face-offs. I don't run the floor like I used to. I might not be as quick as these younger guys, but I'm still twice as smart."

Field smarts have enabled Martin to outlast most players in the league, earning the maximum wage of $500 a game - more than five times what he earned as a rookie.

Today, when the Wings host the Rochester Knighthawks at the Spectrum for the MILL Championship, Gary Martin will be playing his final game in silver and black.

The game also marks the fourth straight appearance for the Wings in the league final.

"Too many nagging injuries," Martin said of his pending retirement. ''It's time to go. I was a young 32 last year, but I've seemed to age since then. I got bones sticking out of me in places where you never knew you had bones."

Martin's physical well-being took a tumble last season when he separated his right shoulder, ending a 61-game playing streak - then the longest in the league. That injury seemed to trigger a slew of other ailments. Hip pointer, ankle sprain, knee sprain, bruised elbow . . .

"All that plus raising three kids, including a third child this year, plus working full time, it's gotten to be too much for me," Martin said. "We only practice once a week, from 9 to 11 p.m., but you got to do that, too, and my sales job leaves me tired.

"It's funny, but the words family and marriage scare a lot of guys on this team."

Don't get Martin wrong. All the bumps, bruises, and 90-minute commutes to Baltimore during the days when the Wings practiced there haven't amounted to nothing. Martin has been an integral part of three Wings championship clubs.

"This team is a lot different than some of the others," Martin said. "We lost two superstars in Paul Gait and Rob Shek (to other clubs). The big difference is that so many younger guys have stepped up to handle the scoring and not relied solely on Gary Gait to do it."

Those include second-year players such as Tom Marechek, who finished the regular season second to Gary Gait (30 goals, 48 points) in scoring with 35 points (17 goals), and former Villanova Wildcat Jim Rogers, whose nine assists have all been at home this season, and who has three points in the playoffs.

Gary Gait, whose 30 goals paced the league this season, won the MILL most valuable player award for 1995 and today goes against his brother Paul, a former Wing, and the first player ever to score 100 goals.

Paul Gait transferred to Rochester this season because the commute from his home in Syracuse was exhausting and "hurting his marriage," Martin said.

Monday, April 10, 1995

by Marcus Hayes, Daily News Sports Writer

Philadelphia Wings forward Gary Gait knew these things before the 1995 Major Indoor Lacrosse League season began.

He knew there would be pressure for his team to repeat as league champions, as Buffalo did in 1992 and '93. He knew there would be pressure for him to lead the Wings there, especially since his twin, Paul, left the Wings this year to play for the expansion Rochester Knighthawks. After all, Gary Gait is recognized as one of the better lacrosse players in the history of the game, but Gait knew that reputation and past laurels only go so far. So, he hired a personal trainer.

In addition to having the weight of repeating on his shoulders at Saturday's title game, Gary Gait's burden was made heavier by the fact that it was Paul's Knighthawks that Philadelphia played host to at the CoreStates Spectrum. Firmly implanted in Gary's craw: Paul's Canadian Box Lacrosse team beat Gary's last summer. But Gary, in the best shape of his five-year career, was ready for all of this.

While many of the other players lagged and gasped and felt the burn of 60 minutes of regulation lacrosse as the game went into overtime, Gary did not. He broke free, received a pass from Tom Marechek and snapped in a rocket of a 25-foot shot over the shoulder of Knighthawks goalie Steve Dietrich with 51 seconds gone in the five-minute, sudden-death extra period. Then he stood, hands raised, as many of the 14,824 boisterous fans reveled in his glory and the 15-14 win, the Wings' ninth in 10 games this season.

It was Gary Gait's sixth goal. The performance, which included an assist, earned him the game's Most Valuable Player honors. His performance over the eight-game regular season - 30 goals and 18 assists, best since his 32-36 rookie season - won him the league MVP award.

The stage could not have been more perfectly set. Rochester (6-4) won the first and only faceoff of the overtime. As per the MILL shot clock, the Hawks had 30 seconds to shoot. The plan: Free Paul, let him decide. He led the Hawks with 23 goals and 13 assists this season, and had five goals and three assists Saturday.

But Paul could not get free. The shot clock expired. The Hawks turned the ball over, and Gary finished them.

"They were holding, clutching, grabbing me," Paul said, acknowledging the acceptance of such defensive strategies. "It's very hard to get open when they do that.

"I tried to get my teammates to do that with Gary."

They tried. But Gary spent the months between November and April following the orders of Rob Marra, a former Johns Hopkins football player turned personal trainer. A mutual friend, Barry Kagan, recommended the 27-year-old Marra to the 27-year-old Gait.

Marra taught Gait the virtues of high-repetition weight training. He designed interval running programs, using short- and long-distance sprints to complement Gary's long-distance regimen.

So, when the season started, Gary's short-term endurance was greater and his strength increased. At 6-2, 210-pounds, his strength and size were always assets, especially when he and Paul led Syracuse University to three consecutive NCAA titles beginning in 1988.

The gains meant much pain.

"Oh, it was hard," Gary said. "Early mornings, late at night after work. But I knew that, even at my age, I had the potential to get better."

It worked.

"You could see it," said Marechek, who won two collegiate titles with the Gaits at Syracuse. "He was quicker, faster, stronger. Intensitywise, he was a step quicker than everybody."

Which is why, while Paul and the rest lagged in the third period, Gary cruised around a Steve Govett pick, lost his defender and had enough time to aim high, which, as the MILL world knows, is Dietrich's weakness.

"I anticipated him shooting to that corner," Dietrich said. "Maybe that shows why he's so good. I knew where he was going to shoot it, and he still beat me."

It seemed to matter little where Gary, or Paul, for that matter, aimed Saturday. Paul scored Rochester's first three goals and helped the 'Hawks forge an 8-4 halftime lead. Wings goalie Dallas Eliuk, a first-team All-Pro for the past four years, was getting shelled, with little defensive help and less luck.

Twice he stopped shots, only to have them squirt over him and into the goal. Eliuk had a more fortunate second half, and stopped 30 shots in the game. Dietrich stopped 34.

Things were a bit easier early for Dietrich. With Rochester limiting the Wings to outside shots, Gary Gait had just one goal in the first half.

Better defense brought the reward of an eight-goal third quarter by the Wings. Gary had four of them. Philadelphia led, 12-10, entering the fourth period.

The Wings continued to push, taking a 14-11 lead on Chris Flynn's goal. But Paul Gait responded with a goal, set up Matt Riter for another and looked on as Riter set up Rex Lyons for the tying goal with 24 seconds left in regulation.

All of that, of course, simply served to set the stage for Gary Gait's affirmation of his peerlessness. As he stood there with his arms raised, having ended the game as he must have endlessly imagined it, thoughts of pure joy flooded his mind. The hours of training with Marra, the season of great expectations, the months of one-upsmanship from his brother, culminated with one wicked flick.

"It was unbelievable," he said. "To end it right there. To beat my brother. To even up the score."

As for Paul, he expected little else.

"Gary worked hard for this," he said. "He had the best season of his career since his rookie year."

Yes, but Paul, come on: Didn't it needle you a bit that it was Gary who won it?

"Better him," said Paul, chuckling, "than someone else on the Wings team."

Thursday, May 4, 1995

WINGS HONORED

Gary Gait, the Philadelphia Wings' leading scorer, and general manager Mike French have been chosen for the NCAA Silver Anniversary men's lacrosse team.

Gait, the Major Indoor Lacrosse League's Most Valuable Player, was a four- time All-America at Syracuse. French, a Cornell graduate, was a three-time All-America and the 1976 Ivy League Player of the Year.

French and Gait will be introduced with the rest of the team at the NCAA championship game on May 29 at the University of Maryland.