RATS WIN FIRST GAME
Friday April 5th, 2002 0900NZT

Well, it wasn't pretty, but the Rink Rats came away with a win in the first game of the 2002 CIHA season.

On the back of a Player of the Day effort (1g-2a-3pts) from veteran John Williamson, the Rats also benefited from a two-goal outburst from American Jim Carr and Russian Jenya Zaitsev.

Assistant captain Ian Bell will be missed next game after recording 1g-2a-3pts because he picked up a gross misconduct penalty in the last ten minutes of the third period, and as such will serve an automatic one game suspension.

The Rats also got assists from Dwyane Bell, Ernie Hayes and Stan Greene, recording a 6-4 win over the Cougars.

Direct from the pages of 'Ripley's Believe It Or Not' - the Cougars skated in their new 2002 uniforms which looked great except that they were predominately white with red and black trim - almost identical to the Rink Rats playing strip. After an official protest was lodged by captain Hayes, the game proceeded with much confusion for the officials, fans and players.

Good thing the Rats have only been wearing a predominately white strip for the last four seasons, otherwise you could be confused about which club has first claim to the white strip (Cougars have worn a red and black strip for the last three seasons). The Rodents changed from the NHL Dallas Stars home strip of the last three seasons to the NHL Minnestoa Wild home strip to avoid confusion with the Bears, who last season decided the NHL Dallas Stars away strip would look good on them.

In the second game of the evening, Mustangs recorded the upset of the season with ex-Rat goalie Dave Whitson between the pipes, and their first win in two years, by defeating 2001 Championship winners Mustardmen 9-2.