Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, January 12, 1994 TAG: 9401120226
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
If the Roanoke Express keeps this stuff up, the rest of the East Coast Hockey League soon may demand some sort of blood test.
Right now, this Express obviously is running on some strong fuel.
Writing another chapter in what rapidly is becoming the ECHL's biggest surprise story of the season, the surging Express steamed to its ninth consecutive home victory Tuesday night, blitzing the Charlotte Checkers 5-2 before a crowd of 4,056 at the Roanoke Civic Center.
The nine consecutive home victories are the most this season in the ECHL, matching Nashville (1992-93) for the fourth-longest home winning streak in the ECHL's 5 1/2-year history.
Suddenly, the term "expansion club" no longer is being heard in Roanoke. Expansion clubs don't outshoot teams 46-14, as the Express did Tuesday night. Expansion clubs don't go 47 days without losing at home.
"Forty-seven days, is that what it is?" said Frank Anzalone, Roanoke's coach. "Man, that sounds like something Moses would do."
Right now, Anzalone might as well be Moses in Roanoke.
"I've been through a lot the last three years and I don't like to count my chickens before they hatch," said Anzalone, given a third chance in Roanoke after being fired after one season in his first two pro jobs as a head coach at Newmarket (AHL) and Nashville (ECHL).
"If people want to call us the surprise team of the league, so be it. My ego is to win hockey games.
"Right now, everybody on this club is on the same page. We've improved tremendously, and we've stepped up. We've all worked at it. Might be because of lot of hours. And, yes, right now we deserve the support we're getting out there."
The season's largest Tuesday crowd loved what it saw. The Express pressed the life out of the Checkers, spending most of the night in the Charlotte end. The 46-14 shot differential was a team record.
Roanoke's Russian trio continued to click, scoring all five Express goals. Oleg Yashin and Lev Berdichevsky had two each, and Ilja Dubkov had one.
The huge supporting cast was led by feisty center Roger Larche, who mucked the corners and hit everything in sight.
"We're winning and having fun," Larche said. "I'm sure that a lot of people around the league are surprised at what's happening here. We've just got a great bunch of guys who all work hard. And, let me tell you, we're not done yet."
Goalie Dan Ryder, who had a rare light night of work en route to his fourth consecutive victory, said the Express' 13-5-1 run since Nov. 27 has been a blast.
"It was frustrating earlier being near the bottom of the standings," Ryder said. "We couldn't seem to move up. Now we are. And it's fun.
"We're not going to get greedy. But who knows how far we can go?"
\ ICE CHIPS: One streak ended. Right wing Tony Szabo mustered only two shots on goal and was held pointless for the first time in 16 games. "The [points] streak was nice, but the other streak [home victories] is nicer," he said. "The `W' is what counts. Heck, I'll just have to start a 30-game streak now." . . . Berdichevsky (10), Yashin (seven) and Dubkov (six) combined to outshoot the Checkers by themselves. . . . Larche and Pat Ferschweiler each had two assists. . . . Roanoke and Charlotte split their season series, 3-3. . . . The Express hits the road again Thursday for a brutal three-game tour to Toledo (Friday), Columbus (Saturday) and Wheeling (Sunday). Roanoke, back at home January 18 vs. Johnstown, plays 17 of its final 28 regular-season games at the civic center. . . . ECHL Commissioner Pat Kelly is expected to announce fines and additional suspensions today in the aftermath of the biggest brawl in ECHL history. Six Greensboro players and six Hampton Roads players were involved in a wild free-for-all that ensued only two seconds into the Monarchs' 5-4 victory in Norfolk last Friday. All 12 players received game misconducts in an incident that drew a combined 249 penalty minutes. Admirals coach John Brophy and players Brian Goudie and Jason MacIntyre were suspended indefinitely by Kelly until the commissioner could view the videotape. Kelly has made no announcements yet concerning Greensboro suspensions.
by CNB