New York Lions Take Bronze

The New York Lions hockey team's odyssey at the Gay Games in Sydney didn't begin well but it ended in victory, and the thrill of winning outweighed the agony of defeat! Four players canceled in the last two weeks before the Games, leaving us with nine skaters and a goalie to engage competitors stocked with full rosters of 16 or more. Aided by good recruiting from our female player-talent scout and a lot of teamwork, however, we squeezed out a bronze medal with a 5-4 win over the LA Blades after two disheartening losses to the Colorado Climax and the Boston Lobsters.

We all started to come together in LAX, when seven of us met for the long flight to Sydney. Our team spirit grew on the minibus trip to the hotel, the long, slow walk through registration and our first team meal (consisting mostly of drinking lunch). The next day, captain Ray Stankes and assistant captain Eddie "E-Z" Zurav went out the rink for the team captains' and officials' meeting. At the meeting we got a preview of the rink (no glass like North American rinks but with netting all around), the rules and the competition. Our lone female player, Judy Cobden, had given us the word to look for a player who was playing in the women's division and wanted to play in our recreational A division as well. We signed up Cheryl Buchs, and she turned out to be our best player and leading point scorer!

E-Z Eddie officiated two game the next day and arrived at the unofficial team dinner at the barbeque - swim party (hosted for all the ice hockey players by the Gay Games) with a lot of helpful news about what the ice conditions were like, how the puck bounced off the netting and how the officials were fast-dropping the puck. We didn't set a curfew but did set a time to meet in the hotel lobby for the walk to the subway and ride to the rink. Even thought we lost our first two games, the early-morning and late-night subway rides from Town Hall to the rink and back built a team camaraderie that manifested itself in a comeback win in our third game, setting us up to play the LA Blades for the bronze medal. It was a seesaw game. We jumped out in front, 2-0, on goals by captain Ray and Cheryl. The Blades came back to take a 2-3 lead, but we took the lead back, 5-3 as Ray, Chris Prokop and Cheryl tallied again. Then we held on to win 5-4 as goalie Beau Lavender repeatedly stood on his head and saved our bacon. Defensemen Carlos Gonzalez, Gary Adams and Rodney Newby played steadily and sturdily. Forwards Alex Galvez, Andy Rogers (on load form the Chicago Gay Hockey boys), Judy and Chris complemented the hot shooting of Cheryl and captain Ray. E-Z Eddie even had a couple of assist and took only one bonehead penalty. (I hit the guy good too!)

The whole team showed up Thursday night to support Eddie in his Poetic Justice Poetry Slam competition, and he didn't disappoint, qualifying for the finals with this one-minute sequence of haikus. He performed well in the finals but not well enough to win one medal, much to the team's disappointment.

We parted emotionally at the hotel, at the airports in Sydney, LA and NY and at various points in between. After a week of intense bonding, we miss each other already. But the New Yorkers come to play at Chelsea Piers for the NYC Gay Hockey Association, and we share memories then, even though here we're often opponents on the ice. The magic of our team effort in Sydney will always bond us!

 -- Eddie "E-Z" Zurav

New York Earns Bronze at the Gay Games

Sydney, Nov 7 - After a slow start, the New York Lions roared back to take the Bronze Medal from the Los Angeles Blades at the sixth Gay Games. Trailing 2-0 after the first period, the Lions got on the scoreboard when Ray Stankes banked a goal off the opposing goalie's back. Chris Prokop tied the game and Ray Stankes' next goal gave New York the lead, 3-2. LA closed the second period by tying the game.

In the third period, a last minute addition to the Lions' roster scored two important goals, bringing the Lions' lead to 5-3. Cheryl Buchs joined the Lions after an eagle-eyed Judy Cobden noticed Cheryl's CCM hockey pants on the streets of Sydney. LA made it interesting by scoring with two minutes remaining, but the Lions were able to hold off LA's all-out effort and take the Bronze Medal, 5-4.

The Lions' goalie, Beau Lavender, was named the tournament's best goalie.

 -- Captain Ray Stankes