After the recent Wings victory over Buffalo, Kevin M. Neibauer had the chance to sit down with newly acquired, Jason Crosbie.
So, here goes.
KMN-Last week you seemed to be a little down on your performance, you picked things up tonight. Thoughts?
JC-"I have to do better than two assists. I want to be the best that I can be every game. I'm 32, so the games and the years ars slowly drifting away. So they need me playing a lot better. They need the offense and me to help guys. "
KMN-I know the fans in Buffalo are rabid, what about the Philadelphia fans.?
JC-"I have always said that the fans around the league are very very loyal to lacrosse, and wherever you go. no matter what city....of course, you get the Toronto, Buffalo crowds. And here in Philly, they are totally awesome. But, they are loyal everywhere.
Tonight was great, they were with us no matter what happened, even when we were down a goal, they picked us up, they were like the ships oar. They made us push ourselves. To the fans, You Were Awesome!
The fans love close games. Close games are good, that's what makes character, that's what builds a team, we have a young team. That's how they learn to play under pressure. When you blow teams out, they don't know how to play under pressure, they don't know what's going to happen come playoff time.
Getting these close games right now, early in the season, with Rochester one goal, Buffalo one goal, overtime, it's great, I think that's great."
KMN-Tonight is the first time that you guys actually trailed in a game, what was the reaction on the bench?
JC-"I think some of the young guys were kind of looking around going , "Oh ****, here we go. But, I've been in that position too many times, and Bergs (Bergey) has been in that position too many times. We just told them, There's two minutes left in the lacrosse game, there could be five or six goals in two minutes. If nothing, you just have to keep going forward, you have to give your best effort. We got a good look, Rooney made a great fake and a great goal. We just told the kids, keep working, keep going forward"
KMN- 3 and 0, all wins in the division, a couple weeks off, gotta be a great feeling....
JC-"It is great, whenever your 3 and 0 it's a great feeling, but I think its a great feeling because of the way we have done it, we are winning games that last year, this team probably would have found a way to lose. But, you beat Rochester in a one goal game and you beat Buffalo in a one goal game, When you do that, your confidence begins to build, every single guy in the room is gaining confidence. They know they can play up or they can play down, the first three games we have seen a whole bunch of different scenarios, and again, thats what builds teams. That's what builds young teams like this one, young guys, guys with one or two years in the league, thats what make them winners, and it teaches them what it takes to go beyond the threshold, to winning a Championship.
KMN- You have played on the other side against Jake Bergey for a lot of years, how good is he playing right now?
JC-"I told Jake when I came here, You know what kid, you are going to get fifty goals this year. That's what I told him at the beginning of the year.
Jake is very intense, he's a veteran and he's rejuvenated, just like me. In Buffalo I got a little stagnant for the last few years, just doing my job, not really having an awful lot of fun on the floor, the guys were great. But, I was just not having fun on the floor.
My wife said that the greatest thing that could happen to you right now is a change of scenery. Having a new role, being a leader, really take it to the next level. With all the young kids here, I am really happy to be on board."
KMN-Dave Huntley speaks very highly of you, saying that you are like another coach on the floor. He was impressed about how you have taken Merrick Thomson under your wing. Was that told to you coming in?
JC-"They told me that coming in. I knew that coming in, other than me and Bergs we don't have a lot of experience. Danny Marohl is in and out of the line-up, but he's a quiet leader. Nooch is not playing like a second year player. Bergs and I, combine our years, Bergs has played like ten, eleven years, I have played for eight, that's almost twenty years of experience. I have to take a leadership role. That IS my role, to teach these young guys. That's what the team told me coming in and I accept that role, I love that role. I'm a teacher as a profession, I also coach, I love it, and it makes me really feel good when they do well.
I room with Merrick and we talk all the time, he's a great kid, he's going to be a very good lacrosse player.
Thank You to jason Crosbie and the Wings.
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