Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, December 24, 1994 TAG: 9412290050
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-6 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C. LENGTH: Medium
Herr opened the scoring by converting the rebound of John Larson's drive from the left point at 12 minutes, 27 seconds of the first period. IceCaps goalie Todd Hunter turned aside Larson's wrist shot with his right pad, but Herr was cruising through the slot and beat Hunter with a backhand shot that never left the ice.
Chris Potter, a defenseman playing forward because the Express was short-handed, picked up the first of his two assists on the goal and Roanoke led 1-0 after one period.
Raleigh tied the score on its fourth power play of the game. Lenny Pereira picked up his 10th goal of the season and fifth against the Express. John Blessman's shot deflected off a skate and Pereira knocked it into the empty net.
Before managing five of the last six shots in the period, Roanoke had been outshot 18-4.
Herr gave the Express a 2-1 lead in the final minute of the second period, after Potter and Jeff Jestadt worked the puck behind the IceCaps' net. Jestadt cut in front of the net to Hunter's left and fed Herr, who beat Hunter to the glove side.
Roanoke improved its record when leading after two periods to 37-0-3, thanks in part to Yashin's team-leading 16th goal of the season.
With Larson and Stewart working the puck back and forth at the points during a power play, Stewart's back-door pass from the right point found Yashin, whose one-timer beat Hunter low to the stick side.
Jamie Erb pulled Raleigh to 3-2 with a little less than five minutes left, scoring seconds after Express defenseman Mark Luger's tripping penalty expired. Lyle Wildgoose's drive from the right faceoff circle deflected off the shoulder of a Roanoke defender past Gagnon.
The Express iced the game with two empty-net goals in the final minute.
The first came on Dave Stewart's 110-foot drive off the right boards. The puck appeared to be sliding wide of the goal before flipping on its side and rolling into the vacant net. Herr completed his hat trick 29 seconds later on a shot from the red line.
Gagnon was aided by two shots off the goal posts and one off the crossbar, all in the third period. Raleigh's 45 shots were the second most ever against Roanoke.
The win, combined with Hampton Roads' 8-0 win over Charlotte on Friday, puts Roanoke in a tie for second place with the Checkers in the ECHL's East Division.
The Express (16-7-4) maintained the second-best winning percentage in the ECHL behind only East Division leader Richmond. Roanoke's 8-4-1 road record also is the second best, behind South Carolina's 9-4-1 mark.
Raleigh (11-15-5) hasn't won at home since Nov.18 and is 2-9-2 at home.
Keywords:
HOCKEY
by CNB