ANN ARBOR– Ashley’s Hopslam notched its first win of the Spring season, beating St. Anky Beer 7-1 Tuesday to officially get “off the schneid.” Don Restauri scored two goals despite trade rumors swirling that he will be dealt to a team on the West Coast. “Oh, it’s happening,” said Restauri. “It’s just a question of when.”
The face of defeat, teams work diligently to get off the schneid.
Scott Coates and Al Juback also had two goals each, while newcomer Ron Friend amiably enough had the classic Gordie Howe hat trick (a goal, an assist, and a penalty) in his debut with the team. Brad Johnson, Nyle Pfeiffer, and Mark Woods each had an assist.
The team was grateful to end the losing streak, stretching back to their April 8 playoff loss to the Ice Dogs. More importantly, they are “off the schneid,” an expression that dates back to the mid-1970s, when teams were forced to watch episodes of One Day at a Time, featuring actor Pat Harrington’s character Duane Schneider. “Back then, teams had it rough,” noted Woods, a veteran on the team old enough to remember the show. “Having to endure Schneider’s leering, the cigarette pack rolled up in his t-shirt sleeve, the cheesy comments and cheesier moustache… that truly motivated teams to want to end a losing streak.”
A famously notable exception was the 1976 Tampa Bay Buccaneers who, in their inaugural season, lost all 14 games, and began every game with the theme song to the show rather than the National Anthem.
Said Woods: “I miss those days. Men were smarmier, women were hairier, and everybody had B-cups tops. On second thought, maybe not so much.”