Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, January 7, 1995 TAG: 9501090057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: HARRY MINIUM LANDMARK NEWS SERVICE
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium
Roanoke (19-8-5) entered the game with six victories in its last seven games. But the Express took poor penalties, giving up three power-play goals, and allowed Hampton Roads to be the aggressor by playing most of the game at the Roanoke end of the ice.
For Hampton Roads (19-11-3) the victory was the sixth in a row and 10th in the last 11 games. The Admirals pulled within one point of Roanoke, which has lost two straight, in the East Division standings.
Playing in front of a crowd of 7,671, Hampton Roads took a 4-2 lead during the second period. There were five goals in the second, including one each from Roanoke's Jeff Jestadt and Mark Luger. There also were three fights, 19 penalties and 78 penalty minutes.
Luger's goal at 18 minutes, 37 seconds pulled the Express to within 4-2, but the period ended with bad feelings. Roanoke coach Frank Anzalone was assessed an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for vigorously protesting a penalty for having too many men on the ice.
The penalty gave Hampton Roads a power play, in which the Admirals scored.
At the end of the period Anzalone exchanged angry words with Admirals coach John Brophy and assistant coach Al MacIsaac as well as referee Chris Cozzan.
Later, Anazalone accused linesman Kevin Kierst of calling him a ``little band Brophy and MacIsaac of ``unprofessional bench behavior.''
``I hurt my hockey team, that's the bottom line,'' Anazalone said. ``I was yelling about the penalty because we didn't have too many men on the ice. The linesman thought he saw a sixth man, but we were on a power play and didn't change lines. He made a mistake.
``During the exchange [Kierst] called me a little bThat upset me. I lost the game because the linesman called me a little b ``I'm not sure whether that's professional behavior, but I know I don't curse when I'm talking to linesmen. I don't think that's proper.''
Nor did he think the exchange with Brophy and MacIsaac was proper.
``I responded to their lack of professionalism, that's all,'' he said. ``There was a lot of yipping going on between benches that I don't approve of.''
The Express began the third period with a man advantage due to a hooking call on Matt Mallgrave at the end of the second period. But it was Hampton Roads that scored, with veteran defenseman Rob MacInnis slapping in a breakaway, short-handed goal at 1:49 to give the Admirals a 5-2 lead.
From there it was all Express. Roanoke's Oleg Yashin answered a minute later by lofting a slap shot over both Phelps and goaltender Corwin Saurdiff.
Anzalone then pulled goaltender Dan Ryder at 16:00, and the gamble worked, as Derek Laxdal scored at 16:33 to close the lead to 5-4.
The Express pounded Saurdiff with four shots in the final minutes, but he turned them all away to preserve the victory.
Anzalone said his team played hard and well considering that it has lost three players to the IHL in recent weeks.
``We played pretty well under the circumstances,'' he said. ``It's so hectic here, the way they come at you here. It was a rugged game tonight, and there was no real control to the game. The refs had a tough job.
``Our guys did as much as they could tonight. One more shot, one more break, and you never know.''
by CNB