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Tornadoes name Forsberg and DeFeudis to board

Worcester, Massachusetts (December 6, 2006) -- Worcester Tornadoes Chairman of the Board Ted Tye announced today that David Forsberg and Mary DeFeudis have been named to the team's Board of Directors. Forsberg and DeFeudis join the seven founding directors who have been involved with the team since its inception in 2005.

"Bringing Mary and David on our board is part of our plan to create stronger connections to the Worcester community," said Tye. "They bring a depth of knowledge regarding the region that will help us better connect to our fans and the community."

Forsberg is the President of the Worcester Business Development Corporation and is a long-term city resident. In addition to his close ties to the business community, Forsberg has a life long interest in baseball. His son, Dana, played and managed at the professional level.

DeFeudis, a resident of Northborough, is one of the original investors in the Tornadoes team. She is known for her involvement in numerous Worcester area charitable and civic activities. In addition, she is one of the Tornadoes biggest fans and is often cheering from her seats on the third base line.

Tye indicated that the addition of Forsberg and DeFeudis to the Board is part of an ongoing effort for the team to strengthen its board and front office. In October, RC Reuteman, a baseball executive with over 30 years of experience, joined the team as its new President and General Manager. Rich Gedman continues to serve as field Manager and Director of Community Development. Assistant General Managers Joe Izzo and Jorg Bassiacos are busy with sales and marketing efforts for the 2007 season.

Additional information regarding the Tornadoes, including their 2007 schedule, can be found at Worcester Tornadoes.

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Elmira, NY - Scott Wray scored a mere 23 seconds into the game, but the Fort Wayne Komets scored four-straight goals on the way to a 5-3 win over the Elmira Jackals Saturday night at First Arena.

Jackals leading scorer Scott Wray couldn't wait to score his 13th goal of the season, knocking home a rebound from Brent Cullaton and Chris Mann 23 seconds into the game. The goal initiated the Teddy Bear Toss from the fans and the game was delayed for approximately 5 minutes while crews cleared the ice. The Jackals players will deliver the teddy bears collected Saturday night to children currently in area hospitals over the next week. When play resumed the Jackals continued their offensive intensity, but could not get anything passed goaltender Kevin St. Pierre. The Komets tied the game on a Mario Larocque power play goal at 11:29, a wrist shot in the slot that zipped by a screened Kris Tebbs. J.C. Ruid tallied his first goal of the game at 19:21 as he scored a 5-on-3 power play goal, Fort Wayne's second power play goal of the night.

Ruid scored his second goal of the game at 13:13 of the second period, extending the Komets lead to 3-1, assisted by Arthur Kiyaga and J.F. Labarre. Ruid was involved in Fort Wayne's 4th consecutive goal at 15:31 of the 2nd period, when he combined with Bogdan Rodenko to setup a wide-open Matt Syroczynski for a 4-1 lead.

Despite playing very well in goal, the Jackals replaced Kris Tebbs with newcomer Dave Lemanowicz for the start of the third period. Elmira struck back at 1:25 of the third period when David Morelli unleashed a heavy slap shot that handcuffed goalie St. Pierre allowing Tommy Kotsopoulos to swoop in and tap in the rebound for his 4th game of the season, assisted by Morelli and Dale Lupul. But this night belonged to Ruid, as he completed his hat trick at 11:53, firing a blind-backhand shot that eluded Lemanowicz for a 5-2 Komets lead. Erik Anderson pulled one back when he scored at 16:32, catching St. Pierre totally off guard, after Scott Drevitch had distracted the Fort Wayne defense with several skilled spin moves. Anderson's goal was his 6th of the season and it made the score 5-3 Fort Wayne.

Penalties and rough play occurred all night long, as there was no love lost between Fort Wayne and Elmira. The two teams combined for 253 minutes in penalties, with large-scale altercations in each of the three periods.

Kevin St. Pierre earned the win in goal for the Komets, making 33 saves on 36 shots as the Komets improved to 13-6-0 on the season. Kris Tebbs was excellent in goal for Elmira, but took the loss as he blocked 28-of-32 shots in 40:00 minutes of play. New Jackals goaltender Dave Lemanowicz saw his first action in an Elmira jersey as he relieved Tebbs for the third period, stopping 8-of-9 shots.

The Jackals return to action next week as they kick off four games in five nights at home. Wednesday December 13th they host the Port Huron Flags for a 7:00 pm face off at First Arena, then hit the road for three games in three different cities over the weekend.

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It may be cold outside, but baseball season is heating up at Fraser Field. The Second Annual North Shore Spirit Hot Stove Event will be held on Thursday, February 1st at the Kowloon in Saugus in conjunction with the Lynn Area Chamber of Commerce and the North Shore Chamber of Commerce hosted by the Saugus Business Partnership. The event will be a fundraiser for First Book - Lynn, with a portion of the proceeds being donated to this deserving organization.

The Keynote speaker at the 2007 event will be Boston Red Sox Executive Vice President of Public Affairs Dr. Charles Steinberg. Steinberg joined the Red Sox front office in 2001 after holding a similar position with the San Diego Padres. Since coming to Boston, Steinberg has been at the forefront of the Red Sox nation movement, expanding the fan base and creating a nationwide interest in the Boston Red Sox. Steinberg has also been an ardent supporter of minor league baseball and its ability to revitalize communities. The evening's program will also potentially include appearances by baseball personalities and distinguished members of the media.

In addition to the wonderful program we have lined up, there will be prizes and raffles as well as a silent auction. The menu will consist of a catered buffet and cash bar. The Hall will open at 5:30 p.m., with the program running from 6-8:30 p.m.

Last year's innaugural event was a huge success and we're expecting an even better show in 2007. For immediate reservations, contact the Spirit at 781-592-0007. Tickets for the event cost $40 and include the dinner. You can also purchase an entire table for $350. Remember fans, tickets are limited so don't miss out on the hottest event of the winter!

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The Spirit bid adieu to one of their own today, wishing Jeff Ware luck upon his appointment as pitching coach for the Staten Island Yankees of the New York Penn League.

Ware will report to Florida for the start of the New York Yankees spring training in February. He will work with the Yankees pitchers until April and then he will remain in Florida to work with pitchers on extended spring training. He will be in Staten Island for the start of the short season single A campaign.

Jeff Ware joined the Spirit coaching staff in 2006. The Spirit pitching staff was tops in the CanAm League last season. The Spirit pitchers compiled a record of 58-32 with a staff ERA of just 2.78 to go along with 13 shutouts and 14 complete games.

"Jeff's a great guy and the pitchers really related to him and respected him," said Spirit manager Vic Davilla. "I'm happy for him because this is a great opportunity. I know he's going to be great for the young kids in the Yankees organization, but at the same time we have some pretty big shoes to fill."

The Spirit are currently reviewing candidates to fill the vacancy and a replacement for Ware will be forthcoming.

Ware is a former Major League pitcher. His extensive resume includes stops with the Brewers, Angels, and White Sox organizations as well as a two-year stint pitching for the Toronto Blue Jays during the 1995 and 1996 seasons. Ware was a member of Team USA in the Pan-American Games, winning a bronze medal in 1991.