Sorry K man, I know you wish this was for you but thanks to Buffalo News historian extraordinaire, Budd Bailey, the Buffalo Blizzard will get their place in history today.
Nov. 6, 1992 — This was the night that indoor soccer returned to Buffalo, at least for a while.
The Buffalo Blizzard debuted on this date, and a local product was the star. Here’s how Bob Summers reported the story in The News:
Buffalo’ newest sport produced an instant hometown hero Friday night. Rudy Pikuzinski, the 33-year-old Buffalo
native who scored a hat trick in his final game with the old Buffalo Stallions back in 1984, kicked five balls past Denver Thunder goalkeeper Jim St. Andre to lead the brand new Buffalo Blizzard to a 15-7 victory in its first game in the National Professional Soccer League.
Pikuzinski’s play (his goals were worth two points each under the NPSL scoring system), combined with a stingy defense headed by goalkeeper Jamie Swanner, who made 15 saves, and defender Mike DiNunzio, delighted a Memorial Auditorium crowd of 10,953.
By the way, Paul Kitson had a hat trick for Denver that night. He went on to coach the Blizzard.
Rudy’s performance on this day in 1992 would be like John Corto having six sacks and two interceptions on the day the Bills were first granted a franchise in the NFL. That is to say it would have been hilariously awesome.
As someone who has cracked his fair share of Blizzard,Pikuzinski jokes over the years I say thank you to the former indoor soccer Buffalo greats. Without you I would have one less person of whom to compare when mocking terrible hair cuts.
Tags: Birthdays!, Budd Bailey, Buffalo Blizzard, John Corto, This day in Buffalo Sports History
November 6, 2009 at 1:28 pm |
That logo is so terrible.
November 6, 2009 at 6:39 pm |
Rudy helps run Sahlen’s Sportspark in Elma and is there every Thursday night. I play there and after I scored a goal one of the guys on the other team said “All great goal scorers have mullets. Look at Rudy.” Needless to say I got a haircut the next weekend.