Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: THURSDAY, March 26, 1992 TAG: 9203260226
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: By RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: GREENSBORO, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
On a horrific trip in which their bus ran out of gas and two players got robbed at gunpoint in their motel room, the Rebels also surrendered their two-game jump on Greensboro in the East Coast Hockey League playoffs.
The Monarchs, finally living up to their role of prohibitive favorite, whipped the Rebels 5-1 Wednesday night at the Greensboro Coliseum, squaring the best-of-seven, first-round series at two games apiece.
The Rebels, who hoped to bus back home Wednesday night without further incident, will venture back here for Game 5 on Friday. They can only hope the next trip doesn't include all the potholes this one did.
When asked about his club's rough stay in Greensboro, Rebels coach Roy Sommer replied: "No . . . comment."
To say that absolutely nothing went right for the Rebels would be a gross understatement.
On Tuesday, after their bus ran out of fuel 10 miles short of town, the Rebs lost 4-2 in Game 3.
Soon after the club returned to its motel following Game 3, backup goaltender Ken Bouchard and inactive forward Ken Moran were held up in their motel room by three men at approximately 12:30 a.m. Wednesday. As of 10:30 p.m. Wednesday, the robbers hadn't been caught by police.
The Monarchs did catch the Rebels in the series, however.
"We've gotten a little stronger each game of the series," said Monarchs right wing Phil Berger, whose two goals and assists paced Greensboro. "We're responding now like a team that finished first in its division instead of a team that struggled and lost twice to the sixth-place team."
When asked about the Roanoke players being robbed, Berger showed little compassion.
"I don't have any sympathy for them," he said. "Hey, my girlfriend's car was broken into last week and I've lost first gear in my car. That's just life. You still have to come out and perform. You can't let anything that happens on the outside distract you in this game."
In the first period, the Rebs showed no ill effects.
They got off the game's first five shots and outshot the hosts 13-10.
But Greensboro's Roger Larche capitalized on a Rebels defensive mistake deep in the Roanoke end at the 7:49 mark.
Larche picked up a loose puck that was jarred away from Roanoke's Trevor Smith when he was checked into the left boards, skated in and fed Mike Butters, unchecked in front of the net, for a wide-open score and a 1-0 lead.
After Rebs goalie Mike James made four big saves on a mid-period Monarchs power play, the Rebs began to pressure again. They got the equalizer on the power play at 19:25, when Corey Lyons collected Brett Stewart's shot off goalie Nick Vitucci's pads and whipped home a straight-on 15-footer.
In the second period, the Monarchs seized control, scoring three times in the first 13:09.
Berger jump-started the Monarchs, netting a point-blank wrist shot only 63 seconds into the period. Gordie Cruickshank made it 3-1 at the 4:35 mark, then Larche's power-play goal at 13:09 gave the hosts a three-goal lead.
Berger completed the scoring in the third period when he beat James in close again.
The two goals were the first of the series for Berger, who led the ECHL in scoring with 130 points (60 goals, 70 assists).
"I had 18 shots the first three games, so it's not like I'm not getting chances," Berger said. "Tonight, they finally went in the net."
Although Greensboro holds the home-ice advantage in what's now a best-of-three series, Berger refused to pronounce the Rebels dead.
"It's tied, that's all," he said. "It's not over until somebody wins four.
"Mr. James has been coming up big for Roanoke. I just don't know how long he's going to be able to stop 40-45 shots a game while they're only getting 20."
\ ICE CHIPS: The Rebels players refused comment on the game. Sommer hung a "No Press Allowed" sign on the club's dressing room door. . . . Game 6 of the series will be played Saturday in Vinton. Game 7, if necessary, will be played here Tuesday.
by CNB