ROANOKE TIMES 

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

DATE: SUNDAY, November 13, 1994                   TAG: 9411230023
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: C3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: NORTH CHARLESTON, S. C.                                 LENGTH: Medium

STREAKING EXPRESS WINS AGAIN

Pat Ferschweiler scored a short-handed goal in the second period and tied the score dramatically in the overtime shootout as the Roanoke Express defeated the South Carolina Stingrays 2-1 on Saturday night in the East Coast Hockey League.

With Carl Fleury in the penalty box for tripping after a scoreless first period, Ferschweiler stripped the puck from Stingrays defender James O'Brien at the left point and led a two-on-one rush with wing Jeff Jestadt. After Jestadt redirected Ferschweiler's centering pass just wide of an open net, Ferschweiler scooped up the end-board rebound and slid a wraparound shot through the legs of South Carolina goalie Jason Fitzsimmons at 10 minutes, 4 seconds for his fifth goal of the season and a 1-0 Express lead.

A little less than five minutes later, Gary Socha corralled a diagonal pass to the left point from O'Brien during a power play and tucked it inside the left post, past Express goalie Dan Ryder, to even the score at 1.

After an uneventful third period, the teams headed for overtime and, eventually, a penalty-shot shootout.

After the first five shots of the shootout were denied, Stingrays center Craig Lyons beat Ryder to the glove side to make it 1-0 after three rounds.

But Ferschweiler, far and away the dominant forward on the ice for the Express during a 2-0 weekend, tied it in the fourth round with a wicked shot just under the crossbar to Fitzsimmons' stick side. Ryder's denial of Hugo Proulx kept the shootout tied into the fifth round, where Ilya Dubkov won the game on another sharp, high shot, this time over Fitzsimmons' glove hand. Ryder fell on the goal line to stop Socha's final-round effort, preserving the victory.

With the victory, Roanoke (7-3-1) extended its franchise-record unbeaten streak to seven games (6-0-1) and won for the third consecutive time in North Charleston, twice in shootouts, and for the fourth consecutive time overall against the Stingrays (6-5-1).

ICE CHIPS: Ryder notched his third consecutive victory in net. ... The Express also extended its franchise-record road unbeaten streak to five games (4-0-1). ... Roanoke has given up three or fewer goals in seven consecutive games (16 total goals in that span) and has surrendered the fewest goals (34) in the ECHL. ...The Express returns to the Roanoke Civic Center for games Friday against Richmond and Nov.19 against Raleigh.

see microfilm for box score 


 by CNB