Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, November 25, 1994 TAG: 9411250044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B7 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: ANDREA KUHN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The Express ended hockey's only unbeaten streak in regulation play by feasting on the Richmond Renegades 6-3 in front of 5,962 Thanksgiving Day fans at the Roanoke Civic Center. It was the most goals scored by Roanoke this season.
Richmond, the ECHL East Division leader, dropped to 13-1-3, with one of its overtime losses coming to Roanoke 4-3 on Nov.20.
``We tried not to let that stuff about the unbeaten streak get to us,'' said Frank Anzalone, Roanoke's coach. ``The bottom line was it's a divisional game, worth two points ... The main thing was that we got the points. It just happened to be Richmond's first loss.''
The teams played a scoreless first period with the Express outshooting the Renegades 12-9. But in the second period, the goals came fast and furious for Roanoke (9-4-2), which moved into third place in the East Division.
Right wing Derek Laxdal knocked in a long miss by teammate Dave Stewart 10 minutes, 54 seconds into the period, his third goal of the season. Center Ilya Dubkov scored a power-play goal 33 seconds later on one of Michael Smith's three assists .
Richmond's Scott Gruhl scored his 14th goal of the season 14:57 into the period to make it 2-1, but Roanoke quickly retaliated when left wing Oleg Yashin connected on a slap shot from just inside the blue line. The puck sailed past Renegades goalie Grant Sjerven for Yashin's14th goal of the season.
Sjerven made 25 saves on 30 shots for Richmond before being replaced with six minutes remaining in the game by Jason Currie. Roanoke goalie Dave Gagnon made 24 saves on 27 shots.
Gruhl, the Renegades' leading scorer, was ejected from the game at the start of the third period for spearing Stephane Desjardins, a major penalty that included a five-minute power play for the Express.
Roanoke's Rouslan Toujikov took advantage of the power play, scoring two goals in 34 seconds.
``That five-minute penalty was a major turning point for us,'' said Roy Sommer, Richmond's coach. ``Gruhl is a guy we look up to and depend on, and he wasn't out there.
``But I said if anyone was going to beat us it was going to be because we were outplayed, and that's what happened.''
Richmond added two goals in the third period by Jay Murphy and Andrew Shier to make it 5-3 with seven minutes to play, but the Express contained the Renegades the rest of the game. Yashin's empty net goal with 22 seconds remaining provided the final margin.
The teams, which committed 11 penalties each, meet again tonight in Richmond. It will be the fourth of 11 games between the divisional rivals. The teams' two other meetings this season both went to shootouts.
``We just have to regroup,'' Sommer said. ``It's one loss. I'm not going to change things around. They played better and they deserved to win.''
ICE CHIPS: Roanoke, which had a franchise-record 10-game unbeaten streak in regulation snapped Tuesday against Charlotte, has won eight of its past 12 games. ... The Express beat Richmond in all four meetings last year, Roanoke's inaugural season. ... The Express had played in four consecutive shootouts at the civic center before Thursday's game after going the first 37 regular season games in franchise history at home without one. ... Right wing Andrew Dickson made his debut for the Express, registering one assist. Dickson, who replaced waived center Steve Phillips, had one assist in two games this year for the Huntington Blizzard before being waived. He had 41 points in 39 games for Utica of the Colonial Hockey League last season. ... Phillips was claimed by the Nashville Knights and played in Wednesday's 5-3 win over Birmingham.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB