ICE HOCKEY: Lo and Behold!

ADRIAN Lomonaco was late grabbing a hold of his first hockey stick - jeeps, he was turned eight - and, in Canada, that almost qualifies you for veteran status!

Lancashire Hawks' shining star is a bristly kind of character. He doesn't go in for shaving if he's netted a goal the previous night.

Which probably explains the fact that stubble has been a close companion during the past four months.

Goals are his trademark and he gets plenty of them. There was a spell early season when he actually topped the national individual points league - a remarkable effort considering Hawks have not enjoyed the best of campaigns.

He's from an English-Italian family based in Toronto. Coming to terms with life in little old Blackburn with a population of 100,000 hasn't been easy.

"I went to high school with 2,500 other kids and the city has a population of over two million.

"Blackburn's fine it's just that there ain't a great deal to do around here. Mondays tend to be free nights for us guys, but everything is closed. In Toronto we can ...

Stop.

Look we know what Canadians can be like - this isn't going to turn into one of those "ours are bigger and better than yours" interviews is it?

"Damn right it isn't," he laughs. "For starters, the ice pads I'm used to playing on can't compare with Blackburn Arena. This one's much bigger - it makes those back home look like tiny boxes."

Fair enough, let the interview roll. Adrian's roots centre not around hockey, but soccer.

"Part of my family lives right here in England and they are all soccer fans. My uncle actually played the game professionally and my father has always been keen.

"Hockey was never on my time- table. I only got involved when the kids played out in the street.

"One of our neighbours spotted that I seemed to have a bit of an eye for the sport and suggested to dad that he take me to Hockey School.

"I was eight or nine and the classes for that age bracket started at 6am in the morning.

"He wasn't prepared to get up that early but I went along later and managed to force myself into the senior practice - those sessions were in the evening, which pleased dad a lot.

"I began to get games in teams and did so with some success. I quickly developed my skating technique and goalscorers have a good chance of being spotted anyway.

"I played in Toronto for years before deciding to try my luck in Europe. Last season I went across to Denmark and played for a small town club called Vojens.

"The place was hockey mad. Only 15,000 people lived there, but we packed 2,500 into the rink for every game.

"You are given celebrity status, everyone knows who you are and people stop you in the street for a chat. "I have always gone out of my way to speak to the supporters, walking over to them rather than waiting for them to come to me. That's just how I am, but I reckon it to be so important.

"We did quite well as a team and I scored 40 points in 42 games. There was an option for a second year, but I decided to move on and fixed up to join a club in Germany for this current season.

"Back in August I was informed that the club, based in Berlin, had folded and it left me without a team right at the last minute. My agent rang me to say that Lancashire Hawks were interested and after a talk with Mike Cockayne I agreed to come."

And how's he finding the experience?

"Good, I'm enjoying it. Our results could have been better, but the way the league is run we find ourselves up against teams with far more money and resources. We have to play above ourselves in every game to have any chance of getting a win. That is very difficult to achieve. We haven't got much cover in our small squad and you find yourself playing on even when you are injured and could do with a break. But I accept that."

There was talk that interested parties higher up the hockey ladder had noted Mr Lomonaco's scoring feats. A transfer looked a possibility.

"Yip, I heard those rumours, but no-one contacted me. I consider myself to be a loyal kind of guy and intend to honour my contract with the Hawks. "They gave me the chance in the first place. I try to give of my best in every game and tell the boys on the team that if you look within yourself, identify your strengths and play to them, you won't go far wrong."

This laid back and likeable 22-year-old - why is it that Canadians always appear to be much older and wiser than their years? - has found a real blood brother in fellow countryman Jeff Daniels, another of Hawks imports this term.

"We get on so well, on and off the ice, people assume we have been together for years. Fact is, we met up on the plane over here, but the chemistry between us is just unbelievable.

"He's the best centre I have played with and he sees hockey and life much the same as I do. We share digs too and when you do that you have to get on!"

For someone who played soccer until he was 15 and Gaelic football until he was 17, Adrian has made a fair job of his hockey career.

"I know I'll never play in the NHL but, meantime, I want to tour around and have myself some fun. I am looking to open a nightclub back home in Toronto, but the business is the future, for the moment I'm happy just playing hockey.

Adrian's fiancee Alexandra, and younger brother Christopher flew in to England yesterday and will watch him in full flight this weekend.

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.