Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, January 30, 1994 TAG: 9401300196
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
Every time the Roanoke Express seemingly gets a hand on the top rung of the ladder, somebody seems to come along and step on it.
Twenty-four hours after a landmark East Coast Hockey League victory at Hampton Roads, the Express came crashing back to reality Saturday night at the Roanoke Civic Center.
After, in coach John Brophy's words "insulting 9,000 people" in Norfolk, the Admirals proceeded to hack off a crowd of 7,324 in Roanoke, stopping the upstart Express 3-2.
"Tonight is why Hampton Roads is a champion," said Frank Anzalone, Roanoke's coach. "They didn't outplay us, but they found a way to win, which we didn't do. We did all we could, but it just wasn't good enough.
"We're still in the hunt, but we're going to have to learn how to get it done on these type of nights. It takes a lot of time to get where Hampton Roads is. It doesn't happen overnight or because you get 7,000 fans at a hockey game. That has nothing to do with it. The game is played inside the rink, and you have to get it done.
"These are the nights when you step forward to the elite. And we're still not ready to take that last step. It may take a while."
Two-time ECHL champion Hampton Roads (26-11-6) doesn't have to worry about steps. Brophy's bunch already is in first place.
"You're darn right first place means something. Now we want to stay there every night.
"We had to come in here and try to win a game on the road somehow," said Brophy, whose club is 7-8-5 away from the Scope. "I was insulted by the effort we gave at home [Friday], not because Roanoke won. They played a heck of a game at our place. They outworked us again tonight, but our goaltender made the saves."
Hampton Roads' Mark Michaud, who handed the Express its only shutout on Nov. 27, came up big again, fending off a furious third-period barrage of shots.
Trailing 3-2, Roanoke threw everything it had at Michaud in the third period, but the Hampton goalie wouldn't budge.
"Roanoke was all over us at the start of the third," said Brophy, whose club was outshot 11-2 in the first 10 minutes of the period. "But Michaud wouldn't let 'em in."
Said Anzalone, "They needed Michaud to be big, and he was very, very big. We just couldn't get the puck past him."
The Admirals got it done with an inside job offensively. All three Hampton Roads goals came from short range in the slot.
The visitors needed only 5 minutes, 41 seconds to score. Andrew Brunette took care of the honors, prying the puck from Roanoke goalie Dan Ryder, who had made the original save, and banging home a rebound from the left slot.
The lead lasted exactly 12 seconds. Defenseman Claude Barthe got even for Roanoke, ripping a knee-high blast from the blue line past Michaud.
The Admirals got another rebound at the 9:35 mark to make it 2-1. When the Express defense failed to clear the slot after Ryder had made the save on Brendan Curley's shot, unchecked Rod Taylor collected the puck and stuffed it into the net.
Hampton Roads went back to its favorite feeding ground - the Roanoke slot- to make it 3-1 at the 9:42 mark of the second period. Brunette, parked in front, took a feed from Vincent Faucher and beat Ryder from point-blank range.
With the big crowd begging for some action, the Express finally delivered. With 22 seconds left in the period, Trevor Burgess recharged the house when he buried a straight-on, 35-foot drive past Michaud.
In the final period, Michaud had all the answers, repeatedly frustrating the Express by making one big save after another.
"I thought we could tie it and win it," Anzalone said. "It's tough because it seems like now the fans are coming and we can't make the step.
"Give Hampton credit. They played like a champ, even though they didn't outplay us. But some day you'll be there and some teams won't be able to beat you."
\ ICE CHIPS: Roanoke (24-20-4) remained in sixth place in the ECHL East Division. A victory Saturday would have moved Roanoke four points behind first-place Hampton Roads. . . . The Admirals have won five of the clubs' eight meetings. . . . Tony Szabo assisted on both Roanoke goals, extending his latest points streak to nine games. Szabo has at least one point in 24 of his past 25 games. . . . The crowd fell 255 short of matching the season high of 7,579, set Jan. 22. . . . Roanoke defenseman Hughes Bouchard played his third consecutive game at left wing. Dressing seven defensemen, Anzalone had to move one up front to join Reggie Brezeault and Gairin Smith on the checking line. . . . In a long-awaited matchup, the Express is host to the Huntsville Blast on Tuesday. The Blast is the old Roanoke Valley Rampage franchise, which set virtually every ECHL futility mark last season in Vinton before being moved to Huntsville by owner Larry Revo. . . . Roanoke concludes the week with a three-game swing to Huntington (Friday), Louisville (Saturday) and Dayton (Sunday).
by CNB