Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 16, 1992 TAG: 9203160109
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Greensboro Monarchs, a bunch that the Rebels and their followers hate with a passion, ensured the Rebels of the final spot in the East Coast Hockey League playoffs Sunday night, when they whipped the Knoxville Cherokees 8-4 at the Greensboro Coliseum.
The loss eliminated Knoxville's chances at catching Roanoke Valley for the sixth and final playoff spot in the ECHL's Eastern Division. Roanoke Valley (21-35-7) leads seventh-place Knoxville (19-36-8) by three points with one game left in the ECHL's 64-game regular season.
"I'm glad it's all over with," said Rebels coach Roy Sommer, who originally planned to attend the game, but opted to stay at home and get the score via a phone call.
"I decided I might have a heart attack if I went down there," Sommer said. "Some of the guys went down, though, and everytime the phone rang I was a nervous wreck. Then, I finally got call "
Greensboro took care of the Rebels Sunday. Now the Rebels will have the unenviable task of taking care of the Monarchs in the first round of the playoffs. Greensboro (43-16-4), the regular-season East champion, was 7-1 vs. Roanoke Valley this season.
"Everybody said we wouldn't make the playoffs and we did it," Sommer said. "So, nothing's impossible. We've got a chance and that's the main thing. It's a new season now.
"I do think it plays in our favor maybe a little bit that we get the first two games at home instead of down there. We've got to get at least one [win] here, hopefully two, then go down there and see what happens."
The Monarchs are forced to open the playoffs on the road since the Greensboro Coliseum is playing host to the NCAA East Regional basketball tournament this weekend. Therefore, the first two games of the best-of-seven series will be played at the Vinton LancerLot this Friday and Saturday.
The series then shifts to Greensboro for the next two games, and a fifth game, if necessary. A Game 6, if necessary, will be played in Vinton on Saturday, March 28. A Game 7, if necessary, will be played in Greensboro at a yet undetermined date.
Playoff tickets will go on sale at the LancerLot box office on Thursday. Tickets are $7 for adults, $5 for students and children.
\ Rebels defenseman Frank "The Animal" Bialowas learned late Saturday night that he has been called up by Capital District of the American Hockey League.
It is not immediately known how long Bialowas, the Rebs' top on-ice enforcer, will be with Capital District, the top minor-league farm club of the NHL's New York Islanders. The 6-foot, 230-pound defenseman has been out of the Rebs' lineup the past eight days with a hairline fracture of a bone in his right thumb. He would not become eligible to return to the Roanoke Valley lineup until Sunday.
by CNB