Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 18, 1995 TAG: 9502200053
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Scoring twice in the final 31/2 minutes, the Express put away the Johnstown Chiefs 4-1 in an East Coast Hockey League game played before a crowd of 6,017 at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Although the Express took its first lead 33 seconds after the openingO faceoff and never trailed, the victory was not assured until Tony Szabo's breakaway goal at the 16-minute, 31-second mark of the third period.
Until then, the game bore an eerie resemblance to Tuesday night's debacle, when the Express blew a two-goal lead late in the third period and lost 5-4 to Greensboro in a shootout.
The victory was only the fourth in Roanoke's past 10 home games. The Express (28-15-9) moved to seven points behind first-place Richmond, a 5-1 loser to Dayton on Friday, in the ECHL's East Division.
``We needed this one,'' said Szabo, who scored two goals. ``Oh yeah, this one we had to have.''
It was one the Express needed if only to prove it could win a close one at home. Things looked ominous in the third period after Roanoke squandered back-to-back power-play opportunities, including a five-on-three advantage. The Express pulled the same stunt in Tuesday's loss.
Then, with 6:20 to play, Roanoke killed a Johnstown power play after defenseman Mark Luger was called for tripping Jason Brousseau. The Chiefs managed only one shot against Roanoke goalie Daniel Berthiaume with the man advantage.
``The key was killing off that power play,'' said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach. ``That was very pivotal. Because we weren't pounded with shots all night, our goaltender was fresh to make some saves late in the game.''
Berthiaume, a 29-year-old NHL veteran who turned aside 21 of 22 shots, gave his sixth consecutive solid performance and ran his record to 3-1-1 since joining the Express 10 days ago. He is 10-2-2 overall.
He made several crucial saves in the third period. With Roanoke nursing a 2-1 lead, Berthiaume knocked away a Jay Ness shot from the slot with his left skate, blocked Jason Jennings' slap shot and gloved Rod Hinks' drive.
``Those kind of shots shouldn't beat a guy like him,'' Anzalone said. ``And they didn't.''
Said Berthiaume: ``When the game is on the line, you make the big saves, not when it's 6-1 or 5-1. When it's 2-1 you have to come up with the big save.''
After Szabo took Jeff Jestadt's outlet pass down the ice to break it open, Roanoke scored again when Derek Laxdal took a feed from Ilya Dubkov and wristed in a short shot off goalie Aaron Israel's catching glove.
The game ended with players from both teams involved in an on-ice fracas that resulted in a combined 110 penalty minutes.
Roanoke outshot the Chiefs 41-22, including a 16-6 advantage in the third period.
``There were a couple of games where we laid back and let the other team bring the action to us,'' Express defenseman Jon Larson said. ``We had to prove to ourselves that we could keep a third-period lead.''
Szabo scored 33 seconds into the game. He stole the puck near center ice, skated across the blue line and unleashed a slap shot from the right point that sizzled over Israel's glove hand.
It marked the 16th time in the past 17 games Roanoke has scored first. The Express made it 2-0 when Marty Schriner loosened Jason Clarke's pass from the left-wing boards, raced in and tapped a forehand past Israel's stick side at the 12:11 mark.
Johnstown scored its lone goal when Justin Duberman wristed a shot through Berthiaume's pads at the 8:35 mark of the second period.
The Express entertains Hampton Roads at 7:30 p.m. today. Roanoke beat the Admirals 4-2 in Norfolk on Wednesday.
``Now that we've put two good games together, we're determined not to let any more slip away,'' Express defenseman Dave Stewart said.
ICE CHIPS: The Express has outscored opponents 72-43 in the first period. The 43 goals against are the fewest any ECHL team has given up in any period.
by CNB