The Philadelphia Inquirer from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania • Page 49

jpfnlabdpliia Inquirer WEDNESDAY December 9, 1987 BUSINESS, on 9-D SPORTS SECTION Flyers win as Me xtall goai. scores By Al Morganti Inquirer Staff Writer After one of the most emotionally draining regular-season games ever played in the history of their storied franchise, the Flyers and an exhausted crowd of 17,345 left the Spectrum last night in a frenzy. The Flyers had come back in the third period to defeat the Boston Bruins, 5-2, but the score is the last thing everybody will remember. Above all, everyone will remember a historic occurrence that took place with just 1:12 remaining in a 4-2 game', when Flyers goalie Ron Hextall launched a. shot into the empty Boston Bruins net.

For the first time in the 70-year history of the National Hockey League, a goalie took a shot and scored a goal. "That was history," said Flyers winger Murray Craven. "We were all here for history." "I knew he'd score one eventually," said Flyers forward Scott Mel-lan by. "1 mean, I've been expecting it. But when it happened, I never thought I'd be that excited.

We just all leaped off the bench. It was really emotional. "God, what a night. First one of the scariest things I've even seen happens, and then Hextall's goal. I'm just exhausted by it all." The one Flyer who was not around the enjoy the festivities was defense-man Brad Marsh.

That was the "scary" part of the evening. Marsh suffered a severe concussion, and lacerations of the back of the head, when he was checked into the- boards by Boston's Cam Neely and Ray Bourque and fell to the ice at 2:39 of the first period. It was a clean check, but Marsh one of only 13 players in the NHL who do hot wear helmets crashed his head against a post near the Bruins' bench and then banged his head on the surface of the ice as he fell. Marsh was helped from the ice on a stretcher, taken to a waiting ambulance and rushed to Pennsylvania Hospital. He was alert and remained overnight for observation.

"When I got to the ice, he was out cold," said Flyers trainer Dave Settle-myre. "When he hit his head on the (See FLYERS on 3-D) United Press International Boston's Cam Neely (left) and Ray Bourque checking Brad Marsh, who suffered a severe concussion as a result of the play. A long shot into NHL record boolcs the puck over everyone. "When they pulled their goalie, it crossed my mind," Hextall said. "I've always said that when we were two goals up, I'd go for it.

I did. What the heck. I got lucky." After the puck hit near the Bruins' blue line, it started drifting right, but it hit just inside the right post; "Before you say anything, I was aiming for that corner," Hextall said, laughing. "Really, I thought it was going to hit the post. It was just inside.

I was kind of holding my breath for a minute." The only other NHL goalie to be awarded a goal was Billy Smith, who was the last New York Islander to touch the puck before the Colorado Rockies inadvertently shot it into their own empty net on Nov. 28, 1979, in Denver. After a shot taken on Smith was deflected into the corner, Colorado's Randy Pierce passed to teammate Rob Ramage at the point, but Ramage missed the pass and the puck skidded into the Rockies' empty net. On Nov. 29, former Flyers goalie Bob Froese, now with the Rangers, was credited with a similar goal against the Islanders, but the goal later was taken away because Froese had never touched the puck.

"It was a thrill, one of the things I'll talk about when I leave hockey," Hextall said of his goal. "I can't wait to look at the stats before the next game to see my one goal." "I thought it was inevitable," Fly ers coach Mike Kcenan said. "He shoots as well as anyone in the league, if not better. It was just a matter of time." After he scored, Hextall pumped his right arm up and down and was mobbed by. his teammates.

One of them retrieved the puck for Hextall, and he said it would never be for sale. "No price," he said. "That's mine." Someone also jokingly asked whether Hextall had a scoring bonus in his contract, and Hextall said, "You'll have to ask Mr. Ed Snider the team owner." When someone asked if Hextall had any message for Smith, Hextall said, "Tell him I got the first real one." 3 By Jere Longman inquirer Slat! Writer Ron Hextall of the Flyers last night became the first goalie in National Hockey League history to score a goal by shooting the puck into the net. Hextall scored his goal at the Spectrum with 1 minute, 12 seconds left in the Flyers' 5-2 victory over Boston, lifting the puck 120 feet from the Flyers' goal to the Bruins' blue line.

From there, the puck trickled 60 feet into Boston's empty net. The Bruins had removed goalie Rejean l.emelin with 1:19 left in the game and the score 4-2. That left an inviting target for Hextall. At 1:12, he came out to stop a shot and flicked Lee Smith Reliever going to the Red Sox ipj J' Cubs trade Smith for two pitchers Ron Hextall First to score on own shot Sixers post surprise win in Chicago By Mike Bruton inquirer Staff Writer CHICAGO If they can't be one of professional basketball's Goliaths, the 76ers at least have proven that they can be giant-killers. Battered physically and plagued by inconsistency for a good part of this young season, the Sixers stepped into the hostile environs of Chicago Stadium last night and defeated the Chicago Bulls, 109-96.

The victory brought back memories of a night earlier in the season when the Sixers, in the throes of a three-game losing streak, invaded the Silverdome and whipped a talented Detroit Pistons team. Last night's victory was more impressive, because the Bulls had proved in a short time this season that they were a team to be reckoned with, and the Sixers handled them routinely without the services of starters Roy Hinson and Tim McCor-mick. The Bulls (12-6) took the league's best record into the game, and the were coming off a road trip that had seen them win five of eight. Having already played before 10 straight sellout crowds, they arrived home to be greeted by a standing-room-only throng of 17,715. They were going to be playing a Philadelphia team that had shown itself vulnerable even before Hinson and Mc-Cormick were injured.

The fans were primed for a massacre, but it didn't take them long to realize that the Sixers (7-7) had other ideas. "They may be a better team than we are right now," Charles Barkley said, "but this goes to show that the best team doesn't always win." Barkley, who scored 32 points, led a band that, to a man, gave a spirited performance that left the Bulls looking to their superstar, Michael Jordan, for a miracle. Jordan delivered 33 points, but they were 33 of the toughest points he had scored this season. "We played good, solid team defense tonight," Sixers coach Matt Guokas said. "We did an especially good job on the boards against the best defensive-boarding team in the league.

"The real key, though, was that we kept our poise when they made their run at us in the second quarter. Charles had four fouls and had to come out, yet we pulled together and held that lead." Cliff Robinson and Maurice Cheeks each scored 19 points for the (See SIXERS on 3-D) like the so-called hockey hotbeds of Boston and Minneapolis. And John Blue look at him. He grew up in California. "I think people get the wrong idea that they have to send their kids away to play hockey.

All right, at a certain point a kid might have to move away, but if a kid wants to play and he's got the desire, there is a way, and our goalies prove it." Richter, who played for the Little Fivers and for Germantown Academy, appears to have a slight edge as (See HOCKEY on 3-D) By Peter Pascarelli Inquirer Slaff Writer DALLAS Without warning yesterday, a series of blockbuster trades shattered the calm of the annual baseball winter meetings. And none of the deals was bigger than the one in which the Chicago Cubs sent ace reliever Lee Smith to the Boston Red Sox for pitchers Al Nipper and Calvin Schiraldi. Hours later, Cincinnati dealt former MVP Dave Parker to Oakland for pitchers Jose Rijo and Tim Birtsas. And Houston acquired shortstop Ra tions with free-agent pitcher Joaquin Andujar while putting on temporary hold a similar effort to sign free-agent pitcher Danny Darwin. The Phils and Andujar's representatives remained apart on money, and they will meet again today.

However, the Phils' brain trust was openly distraught at indications their trade with Seattle was The deal had been on hold for days, pending the approval of Mariners owner George Argyros, who had been traveling out of the country. Seattle's stalling frustrates Phils fael Ramirez from Atlanta in exchange for two minor-league prospects. But the Smith deal was the most interesting. On the surface, the deal looks very lopsided in Boston's favor and makes the Red Sox an instant title contender in the deep AL East. Smith had 36 saves last year, second only to Steve Bedrosian's major-league leading total of 40.

As for Nipper, he was 11-12 with a 5.43 earned run average, and Schiraldi was 8-5 with a 4.41 ERA and six (See BASEBALL on 5-D) Argyros finally arrived here yesterday. But instead of making the long-rumored trade a reality, Argyros' arrival only clouded the issue. "I don't necessarily think that the longer this is delayed, it means that it is in jeopardy," said Woody Woodward, the Phils' vice president for player personnel. "But certainly it's been dragged out much longer than I would have liked. Unfortunately, there is little we can do about it.

"I'd have to say I'm not overly (See PHILLIES on 5-D) An Olympic quest One in a series oj occasional articles on hopejuls for the 1988 Games. League last season with the New Jersey Devils. However, as Team USA prepares for its eight-game series with the Soviet Select (all-star) team beginning tomorrow in Cleveland, a third goalie continues to work out with the club and to hang on to the slim Special 10 The Inqimer ELIZABETH VORHAUbR VILLANOVA'S Rodney Taylor takes a shot under pressure from Connecticut's Lyman DePriest (23) and Phil Gamble. The Wildcats won last night's game, 63-61. Story on Page 6-D.

By Peter Pascarelli Inquirer Staff Writer DALLAS For days, the Phillies' two-for-one trade with Seattle appeared to be a mortal lock. But when something is rumored so openly for so long, doubt inevitably sets in. And last night, the Phils' deal to send Glenn Wilson and Mike Jackson to the Mariners for outfielder Phil Bradley was in jeopardy, according to sources close to the situation. Trying to salvage something from the baseball winter meetings, the Phillies continued serious negotia Index It has been the hard lot of tight end Jimmie Giles Jr. to labor for losers a fate he believes will end no later than next season, with a winning Eagles team.

Page 4-D. Funny thing about baseball's winter meetings: something actually happened. In fact, a lot happened. Frank Dolson, Page 5-D. Don't shed any tears for basketball fans of the Suburban One League.

There are more than enough stars back for yet another season to satisfy even the most demanding fan. Page 8-D. NHL, NBA 2- 3- Sports in brief Even a Calif omian about being in goal is dreamin' hope that he also will wear the red, white and blue in Calgary. His name is John Blue, a product of the University of Minnesota and a native of El Toro, Calif. El Toro? California? It's just a lot of bull for publicity, right? Only some of it.

Actually, Blue didn't grow up in El Toro. He lived there for a while, but he grew up in that hockey hotbed to the north, San Jose. And anybody who knows the way to San Jose knows that it isn't through Boston or Minneapolis or St. Paul or any other hockey town. "I think it's great that we've got guys from all parts of the country," Peterson said during a practice last week in Madison.

Richter played in goal Monday night in a homecoming game of sorts for him against the Badgers. He gave up three goals, but Team USA got a 7-3 victory. "Look," Peterson said, "Michael comes from around Philadelphia, which isn't exactly an area that produces a lot of players; Chris comes from Rhode Island, which does have good programs, but it isn't By Al Morganti Inquirer Stall Writer MADISON, Wis. Sometime before the Olympic Games begin in February in Calgary, U.S. hockey coach Dave Peterson would like to be able to say: "This is America's goalie." The chances are good that the honor of being America's goalie will go to either Mike Richter, of Flour-town and the University of Wisconsin, or Chris Terreri, a native of Rhode Island and a graduate of Providence College.

Terreri is a veteran of four games in the National Hockey 4-D NFL.