This season, the Sting and Minnesota Strikers have had similar beginnings. Both were expected to do well, but each floundered early.
They appeared to be look-alike twins again Wednesday night as they battled into overtime. The game was tied after regulation 5-5.
The Strikers won 6-5 after 5:38 of the second overtime 6-5 on a goal by Stan Cummins. It gave the Sting a 1-7 record, matching their worst start in indoor history.
The Sting led Minnesota 5-4 after three quarters Wednesday night at the Met Center in front of 4,209 fans.
Pat McGauley, Ben Collins, Manny Rojas, Drago and Batata scored for the Sting. Ray Hudson had two goals for Minnesota, with Chris Dangerfield and Thompson Usiyan netting one apiece.
The Sting led 4-2 at the half.
In a surprise move, coach Willy Roy started goalkeeper Victor Nogueira. Roy had indicated all week that he`d go with Scoop Stanisic, but apparently had a change of heart. Roy has been critical of Nogueira`s play and there`s talk of trading the man who has played more games (158 indoor, 47 outdoor)
than any other goalkeeper in Sting history.
Speculation is that Roy was showcasing Nogueira in an attempt to revive trade talks with Minnesota for goalie Tino Lettieri.
The Sting played without defenders Mark Simanton (mononucleosis) and Paul Krumpe (flu). Additionally, rookie defender Randy Prescott didn`t make the trip.
Minnesota took a 1-0 lead on Hudson`s third goal of the season, 34 seconds into the match. Nogueira stopped Gary Etherington`s shot, but the Striker defender got the rebound and sent a pass to Thompson Usiyan, who spotted Hudson alone in the goal area.
McGauley scored the Sting`s first goal, with an assist to Karl-Heinz Granitza, at 1:17 of the second quarter. After Collins` third goal of the season at 3:45 of the quarter, Hudson tied the score 2-2. Rojas gave the Sting a 3-2 lead 19 seconds later and Drago made it 4-2 with 3 minutes left in the first half.
Drago`s goal, his sixth of the season, was a beauty. Taking Nogueira`s long distribution pass, Drago ran down the left side and broke in on Lettieri. The Striker goalie committed himself to the right corner and Drago blasted an 8-foot bullet past him.
The Sting led 5-4 after three quarters. After a goal by Minnesota`s Chris Dangerfield at 2:30 of the quarter, Batata netted his seventh of the season, at 12:05. Usiyan closed the gap to 5-4 with his fifth goal of the season 13 seconds later.
Roy, whose team almost pulled out a victory against Minnesota Dec. 6,approached the game cautiously. The Sting lost that game 6-5 after trailing 6-3 with 3 minutes left in the fourth quarter.
