DAYTON, OH – The sun is coming back out over Hara Arena.
It’s been an overcast couple of months for Dayton hockey. In December, coach Jack Collins suffered a freak injury during practice that required surgery. The Demolition played for over a month without a head coach.
That’s partly because a collapse of administration was simultaneously taking place that left the future of the Demolition season in doubt. Then on Sunday Jan. 17, the league office of the FHL announced that it had terminated the membership of the Dayton Demolition ownership group, taking control until new owners could be placed.
But at the same time that announcement was being made, things were already turning around. A new interim head coach, Joe Pace Sr., was on his way home from Port Huron. The former Danville Dashers head coach had just competed in two games against his own son, Joe Pace Jr., for the first time in their pro careers.
“The first night wasn’t unexpected,” Pace said of the 8-2 loss on Friday Jan. 15, his first game with the Demolition. “They just weren’t focused enough on winning; there were too many other things on their minds.” In addition to the home game schedule disappearing from the official team website, there had even been a dispersal draft scheduled for Tuesday that was cancelled at the last minute.
Pace had spoken to the team on Thursday and expressed his level of commitment, saying he would join them if they were willing to do the same. “So I drove to Port Huron from Chicago,” Joe recalls. “After the game I gathered them in the locker room. There was no yelling or anything. I told them that I’m in it for the love of the game and the boys that play it. That’s all I care about; it’s all I’m focused on. I give 150% all the time, and if you aren’t willing to do the same then I don’t want you here.”
It must have stirred morale, because Port Huron pulled out the Jan. 16 contest by the skin of their teeth 4-3. It took a goal by Prowler’s Dustin Skinner with 5 seconds remaining to stop the Demolition from taking it to OT.
“It’s good to see him turn that club around,” Joe Jr. stated in a Prowler’s press release. “In 24 hours they went from losing by six to taking us right to the buzzer. He’s a competitive coach and he likes to win.”
“It was a funny way to get to spend time with the family and see my grandson,” Pace Sr. said.
Acting also as GM and Director of Operations, Pace is the lead man for Pro Hockey Group, a Chicago-based organization that has taken over ownership in Dayton. Under Joe’s leadership, the Demolition rallied last weekend to defeat the Danville Dashers twice in overtime, knocking them out of first place and ironically helping Port Huron to the number one spot.
“There’s a lot to do, for sure,” said Pace. “I came to Dayton because of the wonderful fans and the hockey tradition here. We have all got to come together as family now. In order to keep hockey in Dayton, everybody has to pitch in. The players, the arena, the staff, season ticket holders, businesses, the community in general – every part of the machine has to work to make it happen. The players are getting paid now. We’re ordering equipment we badly needed. The Demolition fans and even the Prowlers’ organization have helped the boys out immensely.”
Photos courtesy of Dayton Demolition
Follow the author on Twitter @RonnaReporter
You must be logged in to post a comment.