Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 29, 1994 TAG: 9401290204
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Landmark News Service
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
Friday night, Roanoke sent a message to the rest of the ECHL: Don't forget about us.
It might be a different franchise, but for the first time in almost four years a Roanoke hockey team came away from the Scope with a victory as Pat Ferschweiler buried a snap shot in a sudden-death shootout to give the Express a 4-3 victory over the Hampton Roads Admirals.
"The last time I was in a shootout was in Greensboro and I tried to deke and lost the puck," said Ferschweiler, who was Roanoke's seventh shooter. "I wasn't going to let that happen this time."
With the victory - the first at the Scope since the Virginia Lancers won 6-3 on Feb. 2, 1990 - the Express improved its record to 24-19-2 and moved six points out of first place in the East. The teams meet again tonight at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Who's in first? Hampton Roads (25-11-6).
Despite having their gearshift stuck in reverse, the Admirals find themselves in the driver's seat.
But you'd have a hard time persuading Hampton Roads that it deserves the honor.
"We're no more a first place team than we are the Mona Lisa," said John Brophy, the Admirals' coach.
For the fourth time in six games, Hampton Roads failed to come through in overtime. But by forcing overtime, the Admirals earned one precious standings point and edged ahead of Raleigh, which lost to Charlotte 2-1, and idle Greensboro.
Still, there wasn't much happiness in the Hampton Roads locker room afterward.
"This is getting old, really old," said captain Dennis McEwen. "We continue to give games away. But I guess we can't even say that anymore. When you've lost five or six like we have, you can't keep saying that."
Asked Brophy, "Did we look like we wanted to be in first place? This was a dirty shame. We insulted 9,000 people who came to watch us play for first place."
The Admirals never led, trading goals throughout. Tony Szabo, Trevor Burgess and Reggie Brezault scored for Roanoke. Rod Taylor, Shawn Wheeler and Ralph Barahona scored for Hampton Roads.
by CNB