Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 3, 1990 TAG: 9003032812
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
"Hey, I'm not smart enough to figure that stuff out," Allison said, joking. "The only numbers I've been thinking about are the six numbers it takes to win the Virginia state lottery."
Judging from the way his club performed Friday night at the LancerLot, Allison may have a much better chance of hitting Lotto than the Lancers have of winning the ECHL title.
In an X-rated show that rekindled memories of last season's hockey horror flick, the listless Lancers were blown away 6-0 by the Hampton Roads Admirals.
"I'm just glad we had two goaltenders, because I thought the first one [Steve McKichan] was going to get killed," said Allison, after his club's worst effort in 54 regular-season games.
"Six to nothing at home. That's . . . awful. The only positive thing is that [the Admirals] didn't score another goal and get the home crowd free pizza."
Hampton Roads had all the freebies on this night. Coach John Brophy's club freewheeled at will in the Virginia end.
Trevor Jobe had his third hat trick of the season, Don Gagne scored twice and Murray Hood netted the other goal as the visitors dealt Virginia its worst setback of the season.
"Nobody came to play tonight," said Lancers forward Graham Stanley, his right jaw puffed and possibly broken from a Hampton Roads stick 3:30 into the game.
Allison, whose club has dropped three straight games for the first time this season, shouldered the blame for Friday's fiasco.
"I take sole responsibility for the way we played," he said. "I'm the one who picked these guys. I'm the one who's supposed to teach the team how to play the game. And I'm the coach.
"It's not [the players'] fault. I fully believe that players win games and coaches lose games.
"I'm not going to rip 'em. We've won with less talent; we've lost with more talent."
Inside the quiet Lancers locker room, the players didn't buy Allison's logic.
"I can't see blaming Dave," said forward Scott Drevitch. "It has nothing to do with him. He sets the system and we're supposed to follow it.
"I've been here since December and I've never seen this before. Maybe the effort wasn't there. You're going to have a game like this sometimes, but we shouldn't have had one like this at this point."
Can the Lancers rebound from such a posterior kicking?
"It's up to us," Allison said. "We can't shoot 'em. It would be a shame if we all committed suicide tonight.
"Hey, we're still in first, but we sure don't play like it."
McKichan, who was leveled by a booming slap shot to the face mask off Dennis McEwan's stick early in the second period, said he and his teammates can recover.
"Oh, sure," he said. "This was like a bad date."
\ ICE CHIPS: Despite the loss, Virginia (34-20, 74 points) remained four points ahead of second-place Winston-Salem (32-22, 70) and Erie (32-22, 70). . . . Admirals goaltender Alain Raymond, in his first game back after a six-week stay with Baltimore of the American Hockey League, swatted away 29 shots en route to handing Virginia its third shutout loss of the season. . . . Hampton Roads, which is 10-16 on the road, won for the second time in five days at Virginia. . . . The crowd was generously announced at 1,701. Most estimates put the actual number at closer to 1,200. . . . The Lancers will attempt to regroup tonight against surging Erie. Face off is 7:30 at the LancerLot.
\ Hampton Roads 231-6 Virginia 000-0
First period-1, Hampton Roads, Jobe (Lukey, Hood), 8:32 (pp). 2, Hampton Roads, Hood (Kompon, Martin), 14:40. Penalties-Kompon, HR (hooking), 2:04; Rouse, Va (interference), 6:33; Herniman, Va (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:57; Flanagan, HR (unsportsmanlike conduct), 9:57; Buckley, HR major (fighting), 10:56; Stanley, Va major (fighting), 10:56; Kompon, HR (interference), 16:19; Cavanaugh, HR (roughing), 16:19; Fuster, Va (slashing), 16:19; Stanley, Va major (misconduct), 16:19.
Second period-3, Hampton Roads, Jobe (Hood), :53 (pp). 4, Hampton Roads, Gagne (Hawley), 13:46. 5, Hampton Roads, Gagne (Jobe, Hood), 19:59 (pp). Penalties-Chighisola, Va (holding), :24; Fuster, Va (interference), 5:37; McEwan HR (high-sticking), 7:05; Fuster, Va major (misconduct), 15:41; Waver, Va (hooking), 19:15; Virginia bench (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:59.
Third period-6, Hampton Roads, Jobe (Buckley), 18:46. Penalties-Lukey, HR (hooking), 5:17; Kompon, HR (hooking), 6:36; Fuster, Va major (fighting), 13:06; Flanagan, HR major (fighting), 13:06; Herniman, Va major (fighting), 13:49; Cavanaugh, HR major (fighting), 13:49.
Shots on goal-Hampton Roads 12-18-12-42; Virginia 10-7-12-29.
Power-play opportunities-Hampton Roads 3-of-5; Virginia 0-of-5.
Goalies-Hampton Roads, Raymond (29 shots-29 saves). Virginia, McKichan (26-22); Cook, (15:41 second, 16-14).
A-1,701.
by CNB