Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 23, 1993 TAG: 9310250317
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Scoring early and often, the Roanoke Express steamed to its second consecutive victory to open the 1993-94 East Coast Hockey League season, dispatching the Richmond Renegades 6-4 before 5,072 spectators.
Contrary to Tuesday's opener, in which it fell behind 3-0 before rallying for a 5-4 overtime victory over South Carolina, Roanoke took care of business in a hurry this time with four first-period goals.
"It's definitely much easier this way," said defenseman Chris Potter, whose 40-foot slap shot 3 minutes, 9 seconds into the game ignited the Express' scoring barrage. "It's much easier to play with a lead than it is to fall way behind.
"After what happened against South Carolina, we made a concerted effort to get it done early. We got some early chances and buried them."
Richmond (0-2) never recovered from the early Express haymaker. Although the Renegades took advantage of a Roanoke lull in the first 10 minutes of the third period to close to 5-4, it was clear that the late run took too much out of the visitors.
Ladislav Svoboda's goal from the slot, off a great pass from Tony Szabo, with 7:31 left put the final stamp on the Roanoke victory.
"Two-and-oh. How about that?" said Roanoke defenseman Mike Smith, who assisted on four goals Friday night. "I'm new to this league. Playing for a so-called expansion team, I'm kind of surprised at this start."
The Express came out of the locker room with the throttle mashed. Roanoke dominated the first period, taking up what seemed to be permanent residency in the Richmond end. The Express outhustled and outshot the Renegades 21-8.
After Potter got the Express rolling, Russian Oleg Yashin struck six minutes later, whipping a rapid-fire 25-foot wrist shot between the legs of shell-shocked Richmond netminder Milan Hnilicka.
Defenseman Pat Ferschweiler increased the advantage to 3-0 at the 14:56 mark, taking a nice feed from Smith and stuffing a point-blank backhand between Hnilicka's legs.
Yashin punctuated the Express' first-period onslaught, rebounding his own shot off Hnilicka's pads to make it 4-0.
Richmond, coming off a fight-plagued opener Tuesday at Hampton Roads, tried to go the physical route in the second period.
Recent pickup Grant Chorney, whose 443 penalty minutes last season with Knoxville set an ECHL record, speared Roanoke defenseman Claude Barthe in the crease early in the period. Express enforcer Dave "Moose" Morissette quickly went to bat for Barthe, dropping the gloves with Chorney.
"Richmond thought they got beat up in Hampton, so we figured that might happen," said Frank Anzalone, Roanoke's coach. "When Barthe got stuck, Dave stood, like a real captain should, and put a lid on it."
Morissette, who went at it with Guy Phillips in the first period, drew an instigator penalty and an automatic game misconduct.
The frustrated Renegades, outshot 27-9 the first 35 minutes, got on the scoreboard with 4:15 left in the second period when Phillips deflected Brendan Flynn's drive over the shoulder of Express goalie Bryan Schoen.
After Phillips and Potter exchanged goals in the first five minutes of the third period, Richmond got a short-hander from Colin Gregor and a breakaway from Mike May to pull to 5-4 with 10:51 left.
But Svoboda's goal provided the insurance Roanoke needed.
"You've got to play more than 20 minutes to win a hockey game," said Roy Sommer, Richmond's coach.
\ ICE CHIPS: Yashin had an assist to go with his two goals. Russian sidekick Ilja Dubkov contributed three assists, while Szabo had two. . . . The Express hit the bus after the game for a trip to Charleston, S.C., where it faces the South Carolina Stingrays in their home opener tonight. . . . Hampton Roads coach John Brophy and two of his players - forwards Kelly Sorensen and Richie Walcott - were suspended Friday by ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly for their actions in the Admirals' penalty-infested 10-4 victory over Richmond on Tuesday. Brophy, who was tossed from the game for protesting a call against Shawn Wheeler, received a three-game suspension. Sorensen got three games for a major cross-check on the Renegades' Travis Peterson, and Walcott got two games for being the third man in a fight. . . . Richmond defenseman Frank "The Animal" Bialowas, a fan favorite when he played in Roanoke in 1991-92, has been called up for a 25-game tryout with St. John's of the American Hockey League.
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB