CHEROKEES TOP REBELS

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, February 27, 1992                   TAG: 9202270153
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: KNOXVILLE, TENN.                                LENGTH: Short
CHEROKEES TOP REBELS
The noose around the Roanoke Valley Rebels is getting tighter.
Chad Thompson's empty-net goal at 19:04 of the third period capped Knoxville's 5-3 East Coast Hockey League victory over the Rebels on Wednesday night.
The game was another in a battle for the sixth and final playoff spot in ECHL East Division. Roanoke Valley (19-30-6) is in sixth place with 44 points, just two ahead of the last-place Cherokees (18-31-6). Each club has 10 games left, but they do not meet again.
The Rebels, who have lost four straight games, continued to have problems on the road, where they are 5-20-3 and have been outscored 155-84.
Although Roanoke Valley outshot Knoxville 14-8 in the first period, the Cherokees came out ahead 1-0 on Karl Clauss' goal 3:45 into the game.
Roanoke Valley pulled to 2-1 after a Ron Jones goal in the second, but Knoxville came back with goals from Shawn Lillie and Jamie Dabanovich for a 4-1 lead.
The Rebels made a strong comeback in the third period. Mike Barlage scored at 10:15 and Trevor Smith added a goal on the power play at 10:57 to cut it to 4-3. However, a key holding penalty against Rebel Wayne Muir put the Cherokees on the power play in the final 1:40.
The Rebels pulled goalie Mike James, and Knoxville's empty-net goal ended the scoring.

by Bhavesh Jinadra by CNB