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

DATE: TUESDAY, April 4, 1995                   TAG: 9504050040
SECTION: SPORTS                    PAGE: B-2   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

EXPRESS' LAXDAL FACING CHARGE

Roanoke Express player Derek Laxdal was charged with disorderly conduct following an incident in which he was sprayed with Mace as he sat in the penalty box during Sunday's East Coast Hockey League playoff game at the Richmond Coliseum.

Laxdal, also an assistant coach with the Express, was charged after squirting water into the crowd behind the penalty box during Roanoke's 4-0 loss. Some of the water hit a police officer, who then sprayed the gas into the penalty area.

Laxdal will have to appear May 10 in Richmond General District Court.

``This is really silly,'' said Pierre Paiement, Roanoke's general manager. ``We believe this is just a procedure Derek is forced to go through. We anticipate they'll drop the charges. Everything will work out fine.''

The incident occurred with 6:41 to play in the first period, when Laxdal was given a high-sticking penalty. He was taunted by a group of Richmond fans sitting behind the penalty box and he responded by squirting water into the stands.

Ron Gathright, the off-ice official in the Roanoke penalty area, said Laxdal had words with the officer, whose name is not known.

After being hit with the water, the officer said, ``I'll lock you up,'' Gathright said.

``Then he squirted the mace,'' Gathright said. ``It filled the box up. You couldn't stay in there. You couldn't breathe.''

Laxdal had no comment Monday on the incident.

by CNB