Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 29, 1992 TAG: 9202290276
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: NASHVILLE, TENN. LENGTH: Medium
REBELS BLANK NASHVILLE
For the Nashville Knights, the coach was new, but the results were not.Goalie Mike James and his Roanoke Valley Rebels teammates spoiled the debut of coach Brock Kelly by whipping the Knights 4-0 Friday night in East Coast Hockey League play.
With the win, the Rebels snapped a four-game slide and avenged a 4-3 loss to the Knights, the last-place team in the ECHL's Western Division, last Saturday in Vinton.
James had 49 saves and the Rebels (20-30-6) stifled all six of the Knights' power play opportunities.
"James did a great job, and the defense played well in front of him," Roanoke Valley coach Roy Sommer said.
"We were picking up men well and moving the puck up well. Defense was key and special teams won it for us again."
Corey Lyons gave the Rebs a 1-0 lead with a goal seven minutes into the first period. Ron Jones and Lyons then opened the game up with a pair of goals in a two-minute span midway through the second.
Bill Harrington added an empty-net score late in the third.
"We thought we'd get a lot tougher game than we did," Sommer said. "With a coaching change, a team usually comes out loose and plays hard.
"They came out hard for five minutes, then fell flat. They didn't play with a lot of emotion."
Roanoke Valley has a three-point lead over Knoxville for the sixth and final playoff spot in the ECHL East.
\ ICE CHIPS: The Rebels have eight games - five at home, three on the road - left in the 64-game regular season. . . . The Rebels entertain Richmond tonight at 7:30 at the LancerLot. Coach Dave Allison's Renegades have won all five meetings between the clubs this season. Cincinnati makes its only trip into Vinton on Sunday at 4 p.m. \
see microfilm for box score