Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 27, 1993 TAG: 9302270256
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
CHIEFS MAKE MOST OF VISIT TO RAMPAGE
A trip to the East Coast Hockey League's temporary morgue produced lively results for the Johnstown Chiefs on Friday night.Enhancing their fight for their playoff lives, the Chiefs erupted for four goals in the second period and held on for a 5-4 victory over the Roanoke Valley Rampage.
The lowly Rampage, which had its playoff autopsy performed long ago, refused to play dead for the visitors despite skating in front of 644 fans - the smallest regular-season crowd in the ECHL's five-year history.
Roanoke Valley led 3-1 after one period and was tied 4-4 until Johnstown's Christian Lariviere's 45-foot slap shot produced the game-winning goal with 4:57 left in the second period.
The Chiefs (30-19-5), currently fourth in the ECHL East with 65 points, never figured to have much trouble against a Roanoke Valley club that has won only 12 times in 55 games.
"The hardest thing in the world to do is win a game you're supposed to win," said Johnstown coach Eddie Johnstone.
"I was afraid we weren't ready to play. That's probably the worst we've played in the last 11-12 games. We didn't do much right."
Except win. And gain a valuable two points in the standings.
"It was two points we had to have," Johnstone said. "Anything less than two here would have really hurt us."
The Chiefs have 10 games left, including two more with Roanoke Valley - today in Johnstown and next Friday in Vinton.
"Well, it was our turn to get [the Rampage]. Everybody else has been beating on 'em early," Johnstone said.
Despite no playoff hopes, the Rampage (12-42-1) played hard. It was a commendable effort for a club that's going to own every futility record in ECHL history when the regular season ends on March 14.
"We played hard and we could have taken two points out of it," said Rampage coach Steve Gatzos. "It doesn't surprise me this club is still trying hard. That's the type of guys we have here."
Trouble is, there are not too many guys left. The injury-riddled Rampage skated three players short of the 17-man roster limit and then lost defenseman Claude Maillet early in the game with an injury to his left knee.
After the game, Rampage team physician George Wortley informed Gatzos that Maillet and forward Roger Larche, who injured his right knee Friday, "might be gone for the rest of the season."
"Thanks for the good news, doc," said Gatzos, taking yet another down in a season full of of downers. "I guess that means we'll have 10 skaters in Johnstown [today]. Now, how do you win with 10 skaters?"
And how do you make it at the gate drawing 644, a number that included 200 season-ticket holders, many of whom didn't show?
Little wonder, Rampage owner Larry Revo is currently shopping for a new city in which to move the club for next season. A league source said Friday that Revo is rumored to be close to striking a deal with the 6,600-seat Von Brunn Civic Center in Huntsville, Ala.
\ ICE CHIPS: The crowd eclipsed the league's all-time regular-season low of 678, set by the Rampage on Dec. 17. The record might not last long. Sunday's 2 p.m. LancerLot matchup with Richmond, going head-to-head against the televised NASCAR stop in Rockingham, N.C., may surpass Friday's record-low turnout. . . . The Rampage, already a lock to be the lowest-drawing team in ECHL history, has drawn 4,671 fans for its past five home games - an average of 934 per date. . . . Chris Smith had two goals, while Ken House and Dean Dorchak had one each for Roanoke Valley. House has five goals the past three games. . . . Roanoke Valley takes it ECHL-record 26-game losing streak to Johnstown, where the Rampage won its only road game of the season 119 days ago. \
see microfilm for box score