Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: THURSDAY, December 30, 1993                   TAG: 9312300259
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B7   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: Staff report
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                LENGTH: Medium

2ND PERIOD DOWNFALL FOR EXPRESS RENEGADES WIN ECHL GAME 5-3

The Express, trailing 4-0 midway through the third period, mounted a furious three-goal comeback. Steve Tepper, who had hit a goal post and missed a wide-open net in the first period, knocked in his first goal of the season. Tepper knocked in a goal-mouth scramble off of a Kyle Galloway point-shot rebound at 8:36.

Four minutes later, with Darren Colbourne out for slashing Hughes Bouchard on a breakaway, the Express converted on a power play. Pat Ferschweiler tipped home a Claude Barthe shot from the right point through the legs of Richmond goalie John Gustafson to pull Roanoke to 4-2.

With Express goalie Dan Ryder off in favor of a sixth attacker late in the game, Lev Berdichevsky extended his goal-scoring streak to five games, sliding a back-hander under Gustafson from the edge of the crease for his team-leading 21st goal of the season at 17:50.

During the final minute, Ferschweiler fed Jeff Jestadt at the edge of Gustafson's crease, only to be denied by the right flailing arm of the Renegades' goalie. Flynn corralled the rebound, skated to the red line and buried the Express with a 75-foot empty-net goal.

Flynn opened the scoring in the last minute of the first period, tipping home a Chris Foy shot from the point with his back to the net for his 10th goal of the season at 19:34.

Again, the second period on the road proved the downfall for the Express, which has been outscored 36-16 during the period away from home.

Russian defenseman Alexander Zdhan, playing his first game with the Renegades, intercepted an Express clearing attempt in the low slot and beat Ryder to his low glove side at 8:01 for a 2-0 Renegades lead.

Referee Bob Willer waived off a Rob Hartnell goal minutes later, ruling he kicked in Ken Blum's centering pass.

The reprieve for the Express was short-lived. With Ilja Dubkov off for elbowing Colbourne, the ECHL's leading goal scorer put home his 29th goal of the season on a third rebound after Ryder had denied Foy and Flynn for a 3-0 lead at 12:22.

\ Roanoke 003-3 Richmond 122-5

First period-1, Richmond, Flynn 10 (Foy, Colbourne), 19:36. Penalties-Morissette, Ro major (fighting), 4:40; Renard, Ri major (fighting), 4:40; Averill, Ro (high-sticking), 5:49; Barthe, Ro (high-sticking), 11:49; Gregor, Ri (high-sticking), 11:49; Shuler, Ri (roughing), 15:29; Gregor, Ri (roughing), 18:29; Ferschweiler, Ro (interference), 18:57.

Second period-2, Richmond, Zdhan 1 (Blum, Hartnell), 8:01. 3, Richmond, Colbourne 28 (Flynn, Foy), 17:22 (pp). Penalties-Dubkov, Ro (elbowing), 12:05; Larche, Ro (slashing), 14:12; Santuryan, Ri (high-sticking), 17:08; Germain, Ri (high-sticking), 19:09; Ferschweiler, Ro (slashing), 19:49.

Third period-4, Richmond, McGeough 8 (Zdhan, Shuler), 7:14. 5, Roanoke, Tepper 1 (Galloway, Dubkov), 8:36. 6, Roanoke, Ferschweiler 14 (Barthe, M. Smith), 12:39 (pp). 7, Roanoke, Berdichevsky 21 (Ferschweiler), 17:50. 8, Richmond, Flynn 11 (Gregor, Colbourne), 19:22 (en). Penalty-Colbourne, Ri (slashing), 11:05.

Shots on goal-Roanoke 13-6-17-36. Richmond 7-11-9-27.

Power-play opportunities-Roanoke 1 of 6; Richmond 1 of 6.

Goalies-Roanoke, Ryder (26 shots-22 saves). Richmond, Gustafson (36-33).

A-2,875.

NEXT UP: Richmond Renegades vs. Express, 7 p.m. today, Roanoke Civic Center. Ticket prices: Adults $6, $7 and $8; senior citizens and students $5; children 12 and under $4.