Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, February 5, 1993 TAG: 9302050215
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
ANOTHER LOSS, FEW WITNESSES FOR RAMPAGE
It was the Greensboro Monarchs' turn Thursday night to suck what life is left out of the moribund Roanoke Valley Rampage.The Monarchs, locked in a heated battle with Johnstown and Richmond for the fourth and final playoff berth in the East Coast Hockey League's Eastern Division, gladly accepted an easy 5-2 win over the Rampage.
It may have been the only ECHL game ever played where afterward nobody - players nor officials - required a shower. The game, in front of a yawning gathering of 691 at the Vinton LancerLot, resembled a practice session.
"We've had more people show for training camp," quipped Greensboro coach Jeff Brubaker.
Had 13 fewer shown up, the crowd would have matched the lowest turnout in ECHL history. Roanoke Valley owns that mark, drawing 678 on Dec. 17.
"This place should be called Oakey's No. 2 on Route 24," spectator Steve Doll said, referring to funeral service. Doll played for the Virginia Lancers in the mid-1980s.
It didn't take the Monarchs (25-22) long to perform rites on the Rampage (11-35-1). After a 1-1 first period, Greensboro started playing the body and took control, getting rapid-fire second-period goals from Dan Blysma, Andraei Kovalev and Phil Berger to take command. The Monarchs outshot the Rampage 46-23 for the game.
"I wouldn't say it was easy," said Brubaker. "We were able to take over in the second period, though. I had told the boys to go out and run and gun in the first period, and that may have been the dumbest thing I've ever done as a coach. But we got a win and we needed one in the worst kind of way."
The loss was Roanoke Valley's fourth straight and 20th in 21 games.
The only close shave occurred between the first and second periods, when Rampage public-address announcer Jeff Dickerson had his hair sheared by four Marines. Dickerson had vowed to have his head shaved when the Rampage ended their ECHL-record 16-game losing streak 12 days ago.
As the Marines went to work on Dickerson, a few fans changed, "Revo's next, Revo's next."
Revo is Larry Revo, the Rampage owner who has become the target of heavy criticism from many area hockey die-hards.
"I thought what Larry said about him not wanting to pay $7 to see this team was a real cheap shot," Dickerson said. "What's he want to do? Run off the few fans he's got left."
\ ICE CHIPS: The turnout was the fourth sub-1,000 home crowd for Roanoke Valley. Only 491 tickets were sold at the box office; the other 200 were season-ticket holders. . . . Kovalev, cut by Roanoke Valley, was picked up this week by Greensboro and started for the Monarchs, registering a goal and an assist. . . . Ken House, once with Louisville, replaced Kovalev on the Rampage roster. . . . Roanoke Valley travels to Richmond tonight before returning home Saturday to face Nashville. \
see microfilm for box score