Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 24, 1992 TAG: 9203240014
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
But heading into Game 3 of the best-of-seven series tonight at the Greensboro Coliseum, the Monarchs don't find things a bit amusing.
"Things have gotten interesting now," Greensboro coach Jeff Brubaker said.
So far, the joke's been on the prohibitive favorite. And the underdog Rebels,who were given little chance entering the series, are beginning to smell what would be one of the biggest upsets in the ECHL's four-year postseason history.
The upstart Rebels take a 2-0 lead into tonight's contest. Game 4 will be played Wednesday and Game 5 on Friday, both in Greensboro.
The series then shifts back to the Vinton LancerLot for Saturday's Game 6. A Game 7, if necessary, will be played a week from tonight in Greensboro.
"Nobody gave us a chance but now we have one," said Rebels goalie Mike James, a key in Roanoke Valley's stunning 4-1 and 3-1 wins in the series' opening two games.
"Everybody figured Greensboro would come into this thing, beat up on us and the Rebels would be done. Well, so far, it hasn't quite worked that way.
"We're working hard and doing what it takes to win. I think we're beginning to finally learn how to win, and once you get that feeling, anything can happen in this game."
Brubaker's club still has one trump card left in its pocket. In order to pull the series upset, Roanoke Valley will have to win at least one game in Greensboro.
That won't be easy. In the 64-game regular season, the Monarchs owned the league's best home record (26-4-2). The Rebels also had the ECHL's worst road record (6-22-4).
"The fact that Roanoke has got to win one sometime in Greensboro is the biggest thing we've got in our favor right now," Brubaker said.
The Rebs are 0-4 in Greensboro this season. They got blown out twice (5-1 and 7-1) and lost a pair of close ones (7-6 and 3-2).
But armed with a newfound confidence and James' hot glove, the Rebels can win in Greensboro, forward Wayne Muir said.
"We can win anywhere when James plays goal like he has so far in this series," Muir said. "The guy has absolutely stood on his head. If we can keep playing our positions well and he stays hot, who knows what can happen.
"We're loose. We're having fun. All the pressure is on Greensboro. It's a nice position to be in."
\ ICE CHIPS: Greensboro, which averaged nearly five goals a game in the regular season, is struggling offensively. The Monarchs have scored only two goals and forward Phil Berger, the ECHL's leading scorer with 130 points, has yet to record a point in the playoffs. . . . Forward Mark Woolf has three of the Rebs' seven playoff goals. Corey Lyons has two, both on the power play. . . . Penalty-killing has been a Roanoke strong point. The Rebels have quieted the ECHL's No. 1 power-play unit, permitting only one Greensboro goal in 14 opportunities.
by CNB