Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, April 3, 1995 TAG: 9504040058
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
The Express crashed in a 4-0 East Coast Hockey League playoff loss to the Richmond Renegades played before a crowd of 3,508 at the Richmond Coliseum.
It is a defeat that leaves Roanoke one game from elimination. Richmond holds a 2-0 lead in the best-of-five series, which moves to Roanoke for Game 3 on Wednesday.
Roanoke, which lost 4-3 to the Renegades on Friday, squeezed out an ECHL record-low 11 shots in Sunday's game. Since the ECHL was formed in 1988, never had a team totaled fewer than 12 shots in a game.
The offensive anemia left Frank Anzalone speechless. The Express' coach changed clothes behind a locked door and boarded the team bus without comment following the game.
Others, including Roanoke goalie Daniel Berthiaume, had plenty to say.
``We took 11 shots - 11 shots!'' Berthiaume exclaimed. ``How does something like that happen? We took maybe five shots on [six] power plays. We've got the best coach in the league and tonight we made him look bad.
``It's not the coach's fault, it's the guys in the [dressing] room. Richmond's not better than us. They've got more heart than us.''
As if the Express wasn't being treated badly enough on the ice, it was just as bad off it. Roanoke forward Derek Laxdal was sprayed with a cloud of pepper gas by a Richmond police officer after Laxdal squirted water into the stands as he sat in the penalty box.
It is difficult to determine how many shots would have been necessary to put the puck past Richmond goalie David Littman, who shut out the Express for the second time in 16 days.
Littman, a goalie with three games of NHL experience, blanked the Express 5-0 in a regular-season game March 18.
He saw little rubber Sunday. The Renegades broke open the game with a three-goal second period during which they outshot the Express 11-1.
``The guys played a pretty flawless game tonight,'' said Richmond coach Roy Sommer, whose team has won its past eight games, five of those in the playoffs.
The Renegades scored three times in a six-minute span during the second period. The first two goals came on power plays, as Kurt Mallett banged home a close-range shot at the 11:46 mark and Mike Burman flipped in a shot from the crease two minutes later.
Scott Gruhl completed the scoring onslaught with 2:06 left, when he brought the puck into the zone, lined up alone in the slot and sent a rocket shot past Berthiaume.
Roanoke didn't get off a shot in the second period until 17 minutes had elapsed. Craig Herr picked up a bouncing puck in front of the goal and fired on Littman, who made a sprawling save.
``If we needed a goal tonight, we got the goal,'' Sommer said. ``If we needed a save, we got the save.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB