Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, March 15, 1993 TAG: 9303150017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
`WHOLE SCENARIO A FITTING ENDING'
A SEASON of misery is all but history for the Roanoke Valley Rampage after the roof of the hockey team's home collapsed early Sunday.\ The roof has caved in on the Roanoke Valley Rampage.
Literally.
The Rampage's season likely was terminated early Sunday when the weight of heavy snow and winds blowing stronger than 40 mph brought down the roof of the 3,250-seat Vinton LancerLot.
About 75 percent of the building's roof collapsed about four hours after emergency crews had ordered evacuation of the arena at 9:10 p.m. Saturday.
Approximately 100 people - spectators, players, coaches and building personnel - were inside the LancerLot when a steel beam on the rink's east end began to buckle around 9 p.m.
"Just thank God nobody got seriously hurt in this ordeal," Rampage coach Steve Gatzos said Sunday. "If that building had been full of people, somebody would have been seriously hurt.
"It's the type of thing you don't think will happen, but you just never know. I'm just glad we got out of there when we did."
The East Coast Hockey League game was suspended with 6:03 left in the second period and Richmond leading 6-2.
Rampage owner Larry Revo said Sunday that ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly hasn't ruled yet whether the game will be official.
"As of now, the game is not official because it may affect the playoffs," Revo said. "If it does affect Richmond's playoff seeding, we might have to do something somewhere. I think Pat is waiting to see if it will affect Richmond in the playoffs before he makes a final ruling."
The Rampage's scheduled season finale against the Hampton Roads Admirals on Sunday night was postponed. Revo said the team couldn't go to Norfolk because the club's bus line out of Lynchburg was not operating because of the blizzard and the team's equipment was buried under debris at the LancerLot.
Revo said the Hampton Roads game may be rescheduled for tonight or Tuesday in Norfolk. The game also could be canceled if it does not affect the Admirals' playoff seeding.
Saturday's ill-fated game was the Rampage's final home game of the season.
Gatzos said "the whole scenario is a fitting ending" in a season in which his club has won 14 of 62 games and has rewritten every futility record in league history.
"From the first day to the last day it has just been non-stop. Nothing has gone right for us," Gatzos said. "I guess it's only appropriate the roof caves in on us during the last game.
"Right now, the players and I don't know what's going to happen. Are we going to finish the game with Richmond? If we are, it's going to be tough playing at home. Are we going to go to Hampton Roads? Who knows?
"What a season! It's been absolutely unbelievable the things that have happened. We didn't catch a break all season long."
Until Saturday night.
"Thank God we had sense enough to get out of that building," Gatzos said. "Looking back, everything else that's happened this season doesn't seem too bad now."