Fastest Goal in History of Hockey May Have Been Matter of Bad Timing
January 17, 1989|Associated Press
All of a sudden Oswego State hockey Coach Don Unger is a very popular man, and he doesn't like it one bit.
"WNBC has called me, USA Today has called me," Unger said Monday. "I'm being bothered by everybody."
Everybody, it seems, wants to know how it feels to be coach of the team that allowed the fastest goal in hockey history.
It happened in a matchup of New York schools last Wednesday night when Brockport State's Chris Palin scored 3 seconds after the opening faceoff. At least, that's what the clock said in recording a goal 2 seconds faster than the official record in both the college and professional ranks.
"When I looked up, the clock said 19:57," Palin said. "It seemed like the play had taken 4 or 5 seconds, but it said 19:57."
There's only one problem--the official scoresheet signed by referee Jim Zarnick says the goal was scored with 19:55 left.
According to Unger, this is how the play developed: "The puck was dropped and we took the puck forward, that's 110 feet from the goal still."
After Palin gained control, "our forward went through and hit their man as he was skating down the boards, he skated over the blue line, then cut toward the net and took a screen shot through two of our defensemen and scored.
"The puck had to travel backward 15 or 20 feet, then diagonally about 20 feet, then it was passed another 20 feet to the red line. And then he had to skate it about 100 feet."
"They supposedly started the clock late and the people working the scoresheet decided to put down 5 seconds," Brockport sports information director Mike Andriatch said. "The people at the scorer's table should have changed the clock right then.
In case anyone missed it, Unger wants everyone to know the final score was Oswego State 8, Brockport State 5.
January 17, 1989|Associated Press
All of a sudden Oswego State hockey Coach Don Unger is a very popular man, and he doesn't like it one bit.
"WNBC has called me, USA Today has called me," Unger said Monday. "I'm being bothered by everybody."
Everybody, it seems, wants to know how it feels to be coach of the team that allowed the fastest goal in hockey history.
It happened in a matchup of New York schools last Wednesday night when Brockport State's Chris Palin scored 3 seconds after the opening faceoff. At least, that's what the clock said in recording a goal 2 seconds faster than the official record in both the college and professional ranks.
"When I looked up, the clock said 19:57," Palin said. "It seemed like the play had taken 4 or 5 seconds, but it said 19:57."
There's only one problem--the official scoresheet signed by referee Jim Zarnick says the goal was scored with 19:55 left.
According to Unger, this is how the play developed: "The puck was dropped and we took the puck forward, that's 110 feet from the goal still."
After Palin gained control, "our forward went through and hit their man as he was skating down the boards, he skated over the blue line, then cut toward the net and took a screen shot through two of our defensemen and scored.
"The puck had to travel backward 15 or 20 feet, then diagonally about 20 feet, then it was passed another 20 feet to the red line. And then he had to skate it about 100 feet."
"They supposedly started the clock late and the people working the scoresheet decided to put down 5 seconds," Brockport sports information director Mike Andriatch said. "The people at the scorer's table should have changed the clock right then.
In case anyone missed it, Unger wants everyone to know the final score was Oswego State 8, Brockport State 5.
