REBELS HOPE WIN PROVIDES A BOOST

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

DATE: FRIDAY, January 17, 1992                   TAG: 9201170240
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium
REBELS HOPE WIN PROVIDES A BOOST
Car batteries weren't the only things recharging this week in the Roanoke Valley.
The Roanoke Valley Rebels, boosted by the end of a draining nine-game losing streak, hope they have received the jump-start that will drive them to an East Coast Hockey League playoff berth.
If the Rebels do qualify for the playoffs, they can look back to Jan. 12 as a red-letter date.
"I can't tell you how big a win that was for us," said coach Roy Sommer, referring to his club's 2-0 victory Tuesday in Raleigh, N.C., which ended a season-high losing skid.
"The guys buckled down and did the job," Sommer said. "We played hockey like we're capable of playing. Let me tell you, it's nice to get that streak behind us. It's a real load off everybody's shoulders. Now it's time to get to work, win some games and make the playoffs."
Roanoke Valley (12-20-3) trails Raleigh (14-22-2) by three points and Knoxville (13-20-5) by four points in Eastern Division playoff battle. Only two of those teams will earn berths.
Two factors weigh in the Rebels' favor. First, they have played three less games than Raleigh and Knoxville. Second, the schedule, which dealt the Rebels a difficult hand in January, turns back in their favor at the end of the month. Starting Jan. 24, Roanoke Valley plays eight of its next 11 games at home. Fifteen of Roanoke Valley's final 25 games will be played at the Vinton LancerLot.
"For the most part, we've played well at home all year," Sommer said. "Even before the losing streak, we were winning games at home. I think these guys will respond."
\ In a move Sommer hopes will bolster his club's playoff chances, the Rebels acquired forward Steve Scheifele from the Richmond Renegades on Thursday in exchange for forward Andy Bezeau.
Bezeau never played a game for the Rebels after being picked up from the Johnstown Chiefs on waivers. Scheifele becomes the 48th player on the Rebels' roster this season.
Earlier in the week, the Rebels picked up forward-center Ken Blum, who started the season in Winston-Salem. Blum paid an instant dividend when he scored the first goal in Tuesday's win at Raleigh.
\ Despite being sent back to the Rebels from the International Hockey League on Monday, center Peter Kasowski apparently left a good impression in Salt Lake City. Golden Eagles publicist Mark Kelly said Thursday that Kasowski was impressive in his four-week trial with the Calgary Flames' top minor-league affiliate.
"[Salt Lake coach] Bob Francis really liked Peter," Kelly said. "He said Peter might get an invitation to Calgary's training camp next season. Bob hated to get rid of him, but we had a couple of good players recently sent down from Calgary. Bob figured instead of Peter riding the bench, he'd be better off playing in Roanoke."
Kasowski, in a limited role, had one goal and two assists in nine games with Salt Lake.
\ ICE CHIPS: The Rebels play at Hampton Roads tonight, then return to the LancerLot to face Winston-Salem on Saturday. . . . Trevor Jobe, the ECHL's all-time leading goal scorer with 133, has been traded from Richmond to Nashville. The move accommodated Jobe, whose wife recently had a baby and hails from the Music City. . . . Dave Allison's Richmond club has lost seven straight games after winning 15 of 20. . . . The Greensboro Monarchs obliterated the ECHL's game attendance record on Jan. 4 when they drew 13,445 to the Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum for a game against neighboring Winston-Salem. The Cincinnati Cyclones, who held the mark of 10,231, are trying to arrange to move a home game from Cincinnati Gardens to the 15,820-seat Riverfront Coliseum so they can regain the record. . . . The ECHL's hottest current team, Johnstown, has to love life in the Western Division. The Chiefs, who moved from the East to the West because of league expansion this season, are 18-3-2 against the West and 5-8-0 against the East.

by Archana Subramaniam by CNB