Spongee Memories…

2006-07

Mike Babinsky announced that this would be the last year that he and Andrea would be running the Winnipeg Sponge Puck Hockey League. After 25 years they were ready to go on a winter vacation. Unfortunately, this is only Apocalypse now’s 24^th season so the celebrating will have to wait until next year.

The season started on January 7, 2007 against arch-rivals the Grand Beach Beer Bellies. Myron Fiks and Guido Sever each had a hat-trick as they led the Apocalypse to victory. Apocalypse Now finished the year with a record of 4-7-3 which was good for 7^th place in the division and almost a mirror finish from the previous year (2005-06). Other notable occurrences in the season included:

• Apocalypse Now was moved up to the 8^th division, their highest placement since the 1990-91 season.
• Jeff Wrobleski played his 300th regular season game. He joins Rob Moore in the over 300 game club. He was also playing with a fractured thumb since the second exhibition game.
• Mike Allard was a hold out all year. His son, Jason filled in admirably when needed in the play-offs.
• Mid-season acquisition, Tristan Carlson played his first game for Apocalypse. A 10-3 whipping of the B’Z. After it was apparent that Mike Allard was not going to join the team, James Antonick was brought in by Darren Warbeck, who suspiciously spent a lot of time in the clubhouse bathroom.
• MIA’s - Jeff Wrobleski missed a Saturday double-header. It was the first time he missed a game since the 1998-99 season, 8 years ago. Rob Moore played in every single Apocalypse Now play-off game until this year when he missed the first game of the final, a 2-1 loss to the Bulldogs. It was his first miss in 24 years and 68 games. The reason was a Van Morrison concert.
• It was a big year for Myron Fiks. He became the 6th member of the elite 100 goal club and also passed the 200 point milestone; he scored the winning goal in 6 straight games, thereby setting a new record; and he broke the age-old assist record and finished with 23 assists. He remains humble.
• 81 pounds of chicken wings were consumed after games over the course of the season.

The Play-offs Apocalypse Now met the Pylons in the first round of the play-offs. Myron Fiks scored the decisive goal in the shootout after he got his team even in the third period, and Apocalypse swept the Pylons to advance to the B-side final against the Bulldogs.

After losing the first game by one goal, Apocalypse came back strong in the second game. Jim Heim earned his first career play-off shut-out and only the second in team history. Unfortunately, the guys in front of him were also unable to score and the game went to shootout. Jim Moore and Myron Fiks scored in the shootout and Heim only allowed one goal to give Apocalypse its second overtime victory this playoff season and avoid a sweep by the Bulldogs. The winner-take-all third game also went to a shoot-out but Apocalypse had run out of magic beans and the Bulldogs won their first B-side title.

Roster: Veterans: Rob Moore, Jim Moore, Jeff Wrobleski, Guido Sever, Myron Fiks, Bryan Wiebe, Jim Heim, Darren Warbeck, Patrick Nikolaus, and Jason Allard Rookies: Tristan Carlson, James Antonick