Picture this in your mind… Ronald Reagan is President.  The New York Islanders are defending Stanley Cup champs.  Gretzky has never won a cup; everyone watches the ‘A Team’ and ‘Magnum P.I’. or listens to Michael Jackson’s ‘Thriller’ or ‘1999’ by Prince.  ‘Flashdance’ and ‘Return of the Jedi’ are at the movies. Jeff Wrobleski, Mike Allard, Rob and Joe Moore are in their 20’s.
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<center><img src="http://apocalypsenow.x10host.com/birth.jpg"></center>
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<B>1983-84
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After playing in a couple of Canford Cup Spongee Tournaments, in the late 70’s and early 80’s, Jeff Solylo, Joe Moore and Mike (The Rat) Pidwirny became teammates on the Bullets spongee team during the ‘82-‘83 season.  This was a real motley crew.  Calvin had a nasty habit of head butting opponents he disagreed with, while Bob the goalie was in his late 40’s, wore no mask, had tiny old goal pads and smoked a cigarette during the game.

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Jeff, Joe and Mike became disenchanted with a few other Bullet teammates (they pissed us off), but enjoyed the game and the league.  Between periods at a Sunday afternoon Winnipeg Jets game, Gary LeDrew mentioned he wanted to play as well.  The idea of starting our own team grew.  Tom Betz came on board to anchor the defense while the Armbruster twins, Blake and Grant were excited about the prospect of all of us on a team together.  And so, Apocalypse Now was born, Jeff nicknamed the team from his favorite war classic.
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The task of recruiting players began.  Jeff Wrobleski jumped at the opportunity to play and brought along his brother-in-law Mike Allard, who brought along his buddy, Don Price.  There were the Armbrusters, the Rat recruited his younger brother Ed. Joe followed suit inviting his brother Rob, and not to be outdone, Gary enlisted his brother Gord.  The team was now complete, a twelve man roster with four sets of brothers!

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Apocalypse Now opened with a split of two exhibition games against the Bullets.  Tom Betz was the star of the games, but could not stay with the team because of golf commitments in Phoenix.


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The inaugural season for Apocalypse Now was a rough and rocky ride starting with two losses suffered in the only tournament Apocalypse Now ever participated in, the 1983 Christmas Cheerboard Tournament. The team started in the Canford league on Grassie Blvd.  As the first season unfolded, there was trouble with not enough players showing up to games (Foreshadowing.)  Five consecutive losses piled up to start the season before we dominated in a 12-0 blowout win.  Blake had circulation problems in his hands and played only five games before a forced retirement.  Grant had cold induced asthma and struggled through the season before calling it quits (not a good thing for a spongee player).  Wrobleski was busy with broomball, and we were losing players as fast as we were losing games.  Additional recruits were needed.  Joe talked Bill Kerr into joining, while Don brought out his friend Tom Roche.  And, oh yeah, Rob enlisted the Hammer.  Hammer only lasted one and half games of a double header before clothes-lining a guy from our bench and receiving his first life-time suspension.  The twenty game schedule ended with only 3 wins and the playoffs were no better, getting shutout in one-game elimination.  A very disappointing year, but Apocalypse probably should have had a goalie.  Mike Allard stood in the net with no equipment.  Very sad.


<BR><BR><B>ROSTER:</B> Rob and Joe Moore, Jeff Wrobleski, Don Price, Gary and Gord LeDrew, Jeff Solylo, The Rat and his brother Ed, The Hammer, Bill Kerr, Blake and Grant Armbruster, Tom Roche and Mike Allard  (Four sets of brothers!)

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