Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, March 10, 1990 TAG: 9003102570
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
Hampton Roads defeated the Lancers 3-1 Friday night at the Scope as red-hot Erie moved two points ahead of Virginia going into the final week of the regular season.
The Lancers (35-22, 76 points), tied for second with Winston-Salem (35-22, 76), have lost five of their past six games. Erie (36-33, 78) has won 10 straight.
"We're going through a very dry period," said Dave Allison, Virginia's coach. "This is not the way we want to go into the playoffs. I guess we'll see what we're made of."
The Lancers will get a chance to see what they're made of tonight when they visit Erie. A Panthers victory would clinch a tie for the regular-season title and mean Virginia would have to win its final two games - Sunday at home against Winston-Salem and Wednesday at home against Greensboro - to tie. Erie then would have to lose its season finale Tuesday night against Johnstown.
Playing before an ECHL-record regular-season crowd of 8,824 Friday, Hampton Roads used two goals by Wayne Stripp, near-perfect goaltending by Alain Raymond and solid defensive play by David Buckley and Jamie Kompon to turn away the Lancers.
The victory gave the Admirals, who snapped a three-game losing streak, 58 points as they clinched one of the league's six playoff berths.
Raymond, who blanked the Lancers 6-0 March 2 at the LancerLot in his first game back from a three-week stint with Baltimore of the American Hockey League, made 30 saves.
"Their goaltender played pretty well, but he also got lucky - we hit a couple of posts," Allison said. "We've got to keep plugging away and sooner or later something good will happen."
Tonight's game at Erie would be a perfect place to start.
\ ICE CHIPS: Mike Chighisola, who recently rejoined the team after injuries and a brief leave of absence, hurt a knee against Hampton Roads and his status for the last three games is uncertain. . . . By adding 34 seats behind the two benches, the Admirals broke the ECHL regular-season attendance record of 8,805 held by Nashville. In an exhibition game Feb. 23, Richmond drew 8,839. Four days later, Richmond was granted an ECHL franchise for the 1990-91 season. . . . By winning their last three games against Virginia, the Admirals ended the season series at 6-6. . . . Johnstown stayed in the race for the sixth and final playoff spot with a 2-1 victory over Nashville. The seventh-place Chiefs (23-34, 52) have three games left and the sixth-place Knights (25-33, 54) have two. Virginia 001-1 Hampton Roads 210-3
First period-1, Hampton Roads, Stripp (Buckley, Martin), 10:24. 2, Hampton Roads, Jobe, 11:19. Penalties-Sauer, Va (roughing), 3:09; Gagne, HR (roughing), 3:09; Chighisola, Va (roughing), 8:00; Fuster, Va major (misconduct), 8:00; Lukey, HR (roughing), 8:00; Flanagan, HR major (misconduct), 8:00; Stripp, HR (too many on ice), 17:35.
Second period-3, Hampton Roads, Stripp (Greenberg, Martin), 15:07. Penalties-Menard, Va (slashing), 5:52; Hawley, HR (slashing), 5:52; Hobson, Va (holding), 7:19; McEwen, HR (high-sticking), 7:55; Virginia bench (too many on ice), 10:41.
Third period-4, Virginia, Vachon (Menard, Richards) 14:43. Penalties-Menard, Va (roughing), 8:00; Neish, Va (high-sticking), 8:00; Hood, HR (roughing), 8:00; Kompon, HR (high-sticking), 8:00; McEwen, HR (roughing), 9:39; Flanagan, HR, major (misconduct), 9:39; Herniman, Va double-minor, major (roughing, slashing, misconduct), 9:39; Gagne, HR (roughing), 14:22; Neish, Va (roughing), 14:22.
Shots on goal-Virginia 9-12-10-31; Hampton Roads 9-9-5-23.
Saves-Virginia, McKichan (23 shots-20 saves); Hampton Roads, Raymond (31-30).
A-8,824.
by CNB