Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, December 14, 1993 TAG: 9312140078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
After playing only three games - all three wins at home - the past 16 days, the Express will begin to pay its East Coast Hockey League dues again tonight when it begins a run of seven games in 10 days.
"These are the stretches that make the East Coast Hockey League difficult," said Express coach Frank Anzalone, whose club takes on Toledo tonight at 7 at the Roanoke Civic Center.
"Starting with Toledo, we get four games in five nights, the last three on consecutive nights. Then you get a day off and go play three more in four nights. It's not an easy month. Plus, it's a divisional month. After Toledo, we see nothing but East Division clubs the rest of the month."
Thus far, December has been perfect to Roanoke. The Express is 3-0 this month, stringing back-to-back-to-back wins for the first time in franchise history. With a victory tonight, Roanoke (10-11-0) can reach .500 for the first time since Nov. 4 when it was 4-4-0.
"We're hanging in there," said Anzalone, whose club has closed to three points of fifth-place South Carolina in the tough ECHL East. "We've made some roster moves and we're better for it. We've just got to keep working. I'm sure there are lot of teams who don't believe we can beat them."
Toledo (17-8-0) is on the sixth leg of a brutal seven-game, nine-day road swing against the East clubs. After losing its first three games on the trip, the Storm rebounded with back-to-back 4-3 wins in Raleigh and Greensboro on Saturday and Sunday. Toledo rallied in Greensboro after trailing 3-0 with five minutes left in the second period.
The Express goes to Charlotte on Thursday and Hampton Roads on Friday before returning home to face Greensboro on Saturday.
\ MOOSE GETS REPRIEVE: Until 5 p.m. Monday, Anzalone thought he would be without team captain Dave "Moose" Morissette for tonight's game.
Anzalone and Express general manager Pierre Paiement thought Morissette would be suspended for tonight's game after picking up his third game misconduct of the season in Saturday's 5-3 win over Hampton Roads. Any player who receives three game misconducts is supposed to be suspended for one game, according to the ECHL rulebook.
But a technicality got Moose off the hook. The league ruled that Morissette's second game misconduct on Nov. 9 in Charlotte didn't count against the three limit since the left wing was suspended for his actions the following game.
Roanoke is winless in three games without its captain this season.
\ REUNITED: In a touching scene during the second intermission of Saturday's game, Russian Oleg Yashin was reunited with his 2-year-old son, Oleg Jr., in the Roanoke locker room.
It was the first time the Roanoke center had seen his son or wife, Natalia, since coming to the United States to play for the Express in September. Natalia and Oleg Jr. flew to the States from Moscow on Saturday and arrived in Roanoke at 8:30 p.m.
"Oleg was really tickled to see his son," said Dr. Jack Atwell, the Hollins Collins professor who serves as the Express' Russian translator.
"As soon as we got to the rink, little Oleg insisted on seeing Papa as soon as possible. I brought him in the locker room and he picked out Papa real quick."
The Express' other married Russian, right wing Lev Berdichevsky, is still waiting for his wife, Marina, and 5-year-old son, Michael, to come to America.
Express general manager Pierre Paiement said Marina Berdichevsky's visa has been delayed by the Russian government because she held a highly classified position at a nuclear power plant.
\ ICE CHIPS: Defenseman Paul Ohman announced his retirement Sunday. Ohman had one assist in three games. . . . Forward Stephen Tepper, reassigned from Kansas City of the IHL to Roanoke last Thursday, is expected to make his ECHL debut tonight. . . . Defenseman Kyle Galloway came off the 14-day injured reserve list Monday. Center Reggie Brezeault (thigh bruise) was placed on the list retroactive to Dec. 3. . . . Louisville coach Warren Young was fired Monday and replaced by former NHL star Bill Goldsworthy. The IceHawks (6-15-5) had lost 17 of 19 games, prompting the move. Goldsworthy coached at Kalamazoo (IHL) last season.
by CNB