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

DATE: SATURDAY, December 31, 1994                   TAG: 9501030072
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-3   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                  LENGTH: Medium

EXPRESS MAKES ITS MARK WITH WIN

Jeff Jestadt scored two goals in the third period and Craig Herr added a goal in the final 20 minutes as the Roanoke Express surged to the best record in the East Coast Hockey League with a 4-2 comeback victory over the Richmond Renegades on Friday.

Richmond, which outshot the Express 22-2 in the second period and 42-17 overall, lost for the first time this season when leading after two periods. Roanoke won for the first time this season when trailing after two and for only the fourth time in franchise history.

Derek Laxdal opened the scoring for the Express on Roanoke's first power-play opportunity of the game, knocking in a pass from Jestadt to Richmond goalie Grant Sjerven's left. The goal, Laxdal's 15th of the season, was his ninth against Richmond and gave the Express a 1-0 lead.

Renegades wing Jay Murphy tied the score barely a minute later on Richmond's first power play of the game. Daniel Chaput's soft, center-point shot was turned aside by Express goalie Dave Gagnon, but Murphy tapped in his 17th goal to tie the score through one period.

Richmond center Blaine Moore scored his seventh goal of the season and the only goal of the second period, jamming a rebound past Gagnon, who had stopped a three-shot barrage.

Jestadt, who had been denied on two previous breakaways, tied the score at 2 on a rebound at 5 minutes, 43 seconds of the third period after Stephane Desjardins' hustling left-point drive was kicked out by Sjerven.

Herr, with 13 points in 12 games since his arrival in a trade with Tallahassee, backhanded home an Oleg Yashin left-wing feed with Moore off the ice for holding.

Jestadt iced the game with a sparkling individual effort, backhanding home his own third rebound with less than three minutes left.

With the victory, Roanoke (18-7-2) surpassed Richmond (19-8-5) for the best winning percentage in the ECHL and won its franchise-record fifth consecutive game.

(Summary in Scoreboard. B4.)

by CNB