Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, March 29, 1995 TAG: 9503290077
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
No sooner had the Roanoke Express wrapped up its first playoff series victory in franchise history than it began looking ahead to the next opponent.
Roanoke beat the Knoxville Cherokees three games to one to claim the best-of-five series in the East Coast Hockey League. The Express polished off the Cherokees 5-4 in overtime on Monday, its second straight overtime win.
Not only did the Express become the first Roanoke area hockey team to win a playoff series since 1988, when the Virginia Lancers did it in the All American League, it also became the first Roanoke team to win a series in the eight-year history of the ECHL.
Now, the team advances to a second-round showdown with Richmond, a team that surged past the Express and finished first in the ECHL's East Division by one point. The series, also a best-of-five, begins Friday in Richmond. Sunday's Game 2 also will be in Richmond with Games 3 and 4 in Roanoke on dates that will be determined no earlier than today.
The last time the teams met was March 18, when the Renegades flattened the Express 5-0 in the Roanoke Civic Center. A victory in that game would have clinched the division title for Roanoke. The Express did not win any of its last four games and finished second.
``We didn't play too well against them last time out,'' said Roanoke defenseman Michael Smith. ``We'll see if we can come up with some way to beat them. In the playoffs, anything can happen.''
That was especially true during the last two games of the Knoxville series. The Cherokees rallied to tie the score in both games with late third-period goals, but Roanoke prevailed in overtime thanks to some opportunistic play.
On Sunday, Jeff Jestadt scored the game-winner in a 2-1 victory after Jason Clarke got the puck away from two Knoxville defenders and rifled a pass to a wide-open Jestadt. Ilya Dubkov won Monday's game with a goal after Smith picked up the puck in the neutral zone.
Smith had his best game of the playoffs in Game 4 by scoring two goals, both of which gave Roanoke leads. Smith had not scored a point in the first three games.
``Obviously, they [Knoxville] didn't think I was going to score a lot of goals,'' said Smith, who scored on a wide-open drive from the slot in the third period. ``I was mostly looking to pass, but Darwin [McClelland] gave me such a good screen, I had to shoot.''
After splitting the first two games on its home ice, the Express responded with a sweep in Knoxville.
BERTHIAUME HONORED:Express goalie Daniel Berthiaume was chosen the ECHL's player of the month for March after compiling an 8-3-1 record with a goals-against-average of 2.31 and .917 save percentage.
Berthiaume was 15-4-2 with a 2.36 GAA and .919 save percentage after joining Roanoke on Feb.9.
Berthiaume is in the running for the Sherwood Hockey Company/ECHL Player of the Year Award to be given out after the playoffs. If he wins, Berthiaume receives a framed hockey print and the Express gets $250 in Sherwood hockey equipment to be donated to local youth hockey.
by CNB