Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, October 17, 1994 TAG: 9410200043
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The veteran center, one of the most popular players among the Roanoke Express faithful, was one of three players cut from the team Sunday as coach Frank Anzalone continued to pare his preseason training camp roster.
Besides Larche, rookie goaltender Craig Lisko and first-year defenseman Chris Scourletis were released. The cuts trimmed the Roanoke roster to 21 players. Anzalone will have to move three more players before submitting his final 18-man regular-season roster to the East Coast Hockey League office by 3 p.m. today.
The Express opens the 68-game regular season Tuesday at the Roanoke Civic Center against the Hampton Roads Admirals.
Larche, 23, became the first of nine holdovers from last season's club to be cut.
``Larche ran into a numbers problem,'' Anzalone said. ``First, we had three centers [returnees Pat Ferschweiler and Ilja Dubkov, and rookie Carl Fleury] we felt pretty safe with. Basically, he got beat out at center.
``Plus, we can keep only three veterans [players with three or more years' professional experience]. Dave Gagnon [veteran goaltender] and Derek Laxdal [player-assistant coach] made two, so it came down between Larche and Oleg Yashin for the final spot.''
Yashin, a 25-year-old Russian left wing, was the club's third-leading scorer last season with 38 goals and 45 assists. Larche, playing primarily on the checking line, had nine goals and 20 assists in 37 games last season.
``Are we going to need Oleg's scoring? I think so,'' Anzalone said. ``In camp so far he's been almost non-existant. He knows I wasn't a big fan of his at the end of last season. So he's going to have to really pick it up. If Oleg can't score, there's no side of his game that can't be matched by a younger, bigger player.''
Lisko, a rookie out of Ferris State University, had been impressive in camp and his pair of stints in two preseason games. But Anzalone elected to go with the experience of Dan Ryder, a San Jose Sharks farmhand.
``Lisko was as competitive as Ryder, but Ryder is a pro who has been here awhile,'' Anzalone said. ``Certainly, you can strain relations with an affiliate [San Jose] by cutting one of their guys. But if somebody is better than Ryder or any other goalie, I'm going to go against the grain.''
Anzalone said he has lined up spots for Larche and Lisko with Memphis of the Central Hockey League if they choose to report. The coach said he wanted Scourletis, a rookie out of Salem (Mass.) State, to go West Palm Beach of the Sunshine League.
``I've attempted to line up another job for every player released from our camp so far,'' Anzalone said.
``I don't like sending these guys out of here. I'd like for 'em all to find another place to play.''
by CNB