Lizard Defeats Organ Donors Behind Smith's Hat Trick

Late Goals Propels Lizard In Wild Affair

     A few hours before the game last night, Lizard captain Steve Roth received an e-mail from grizzled veteran defenseman Craig Smith suggesting he play up front this game. Roth was skeptical at making that change as Smith is the top defenseman on the Lizard squad and the defensives corps have been slim since longtime Lizard defenseman Tim Rieder went on the IR with a major shoulder injury. Roth listened to Smith's reasoning and decided to heed his veteran's advice.

"He's our best defenseman out there, he's solid," Roth said. "I was hesitant to make the move, but in the end, I  thought it would work."

    And work it did as Smith collected a hat trick, including the game tying  and game winning goal enroute to a 5-4 victory in a game that can be termed as a wild affair.

     The Lizard jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first period. Center Adam Dean scored the first goal less than a minute into the game off assists from Brian Vance and Jimi "Jimi-Time" Murray. Murray scored the next goal at the 2:10 mark of the period. Newly acquired defenseman Bridget Buckholz fed Murray for the assist. Smith collected his first goal of the game with 54 seconds left in the first stanza. Winger Phil Sisia collected the assist on the play.

     The second period rolled around and it was one the Lizard wished they could forget. The Organ Donors scored 4 unanswered goals to jump ahead 4-3.

"We stopped doing what we were doing in the first period," Lizard enforcer Jeff McGuire said. "There was no back checking by us that period and people were out of position."

     The third period however was the Lizard's period. Smith collected his second goal of the game to tie it at 4 off assists from center Kevin Henry and defenseman Paul Campbell. Smith then got the go ahead goal and eventual game winner with just 1:22 left in the final period. Sisia notched his second assist of the game. The third p[eriod was a physical one as both teams banged around on the ice trying to make things happen, but the Lizard came out on top.

"That's our game," Smith said of the Organ Donors physical game. "We play that way all the time. Nothing new to us, that's why we don't bitch about every call."

"We came back strong this period," Henry noted.

The Lizard takes on rival Beer next week at 8:20pm  up North.