Chiefs lineup is filling out

BY MIKE MASTOVICH
The Tribune-Democrat

Sat, May 17 2008

— Mike Sgroi’s teammates made his 10-game suspension just a bit more bearable.
The energetic Johnstown Chiefs forward hopes to repay them beginning with tonight’s game at Wheeling’s WesBanco Arena.
“Obviously I’m chomping at the bit,” said Sgroi, who hasn’t played since a March 1 win over visiting Reading. “I thought it was going to be a lot harder. The last game against Wheeling (a 6-5 home loss on Sunday) was very hard to watch. But the boys have been playing so well that at least it was a little easier.
“We lost a lot of guys and the other guys were able to pick up the slack,” Sgroi added. “A lot of guys were put in positions to succeed and play bigger roles. They all played great and broke their backs to win games. The only bad game I saw was Wheeling. It was good timing to make me angry to get back in.”
The Chiefs went 5-4-1 during Sgroi’s absence. At the outset of his suspension for fighting Reading’s Mike Salekin and inadvertently making contact with officials, Sgroi watched the Chiefs go 4-1-1.
But callups and injuries took a toll, especially when the Chiefs played three straight games against the first-place Cincinnati Cyclones. Even in losing the first two against Cincinnati, the Chiefs played well. Only the Cyclones’ vaunted power play enabled the 50-point club to beat Johnstown in a pair of one-goal games.
The Chiefs even notched their first win against Cincinnati last Friday in a dramatic shootout at home.
Johnstown has an opportunity to clinch a playoff berth with a win at Wheeling or a Trenton loss at Reading. The Chiefs and Dayton Bombers begin the night tied for fourth in the North and will meet in the first round of the playoffs assuming both clinch.
Sgroi used the time off to improve his conditioning.
“I basically did my summer workouts, power lifting, and I put on 10 pounds of pure muscle,” Sgroi said. “I’m in better shape now than when I left.”
The Chiefs will count on Sgroi’s high intensity and toughness. But he also knows ECHL officials keep a close watch on him.
“Why I’m getting so mad is that a lot of these players aren’t giving me and my teammates respect,” Sgroi said. “If you go after my teammates and want to play a certain brand of hockey, you should be ready to answer the bell. There are two or three guys out there, including Salekin, who feel they can get away with things without facing consequences.”
Chiefs coach Ian Herbers believes Sgroi will be a force as long as he remains out of the box.
“It will be nice to have the size and the presence,” Herbers said. “We need him to come and play with that attitude he brings but at the same time we need him on the ice. He doesn’t help us if he’s in the penalty box all night or kicked off. He needs to walk that fine line, where he has high energy and at the same time keeps it under control.”
Even before his official return, Sgroi has come to the defense of a teammate. Goalie Andrew Penner heard boos throughout Sunday’s 6-5 loss to Wheeling and occasionally received sarcastic cheers after making routine saves.
“We’re not real happy about fans booing Penner,” Sgroi said. “They were really hard on him and it’s getting loud. I’ve played with this kid before on two American League teams. The kid can play goalie. The only thing he’s lacking is confidence. The kid’s going through a bit of a tough spurt right now. He needs to be feeling like he’s a part of this team and the fans want him here.
“He’s an awesome teammate. The guys love him to death. He’s always super positive to us. If he makes a mistake he always takes the brunt of responsibility upon himself. He’s a true character kid. That’s why everybody feels so strongly about it.”
Notes: Lake Erie recalled defenseman Brandon Straub and forward Kenny Roche while assigning defenseman Wes O’Neill to Johnstown on Thursday.