LIVONIA– The lives of defenseman Mark Woods and Ashley’s Aventinus paralleled each other curiously Sunday when both received two ties. Shopping in the Laurel Park Mall’s Von Maur department store, Woods purchased a Brooks Brother’s and an Enro tie, only later to participate in a 5-5 tie with Ashley’s Aventinus Sunday against Goon Squad.
Aventinus found itself down 0-4 early in the second period. “Don’t worry about it guys,” Woods encouraged. “We’ll be all right.”
The rousing speech (dubbed the Pinocchio speech by winger Jeff Price) left fellow teammates bemused. “He’s not shouting at us?” asked one teammate to another. “What happened to the real Mark Woods?”
Inspired by the speech, however insincere it may have been, Jeff Phillion scored three goals, while Price added a goal and an assist. Daryl Coleman also added a goal.
“Two ties? It’s like something you’d see on Ripley’s Believe It or Not,” said Woods, speaking of the two ties purchased and the two ties in the last two games, and of a television show that no one under the age of 30 will have any clue about.
Believe it… or not…