Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, October 14, 1995 TAG: 9510150017
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
The reigning champs of the East Coast Hockey League showed that they most likely will be one of the league's elite teams by pounding the Express 6-3 in the season opener for both teams Friday night at the Roanoke Civic Center.
The Renegades, who beat the Express three games to one in last season's Riley Cup playoffs, made it a frightening Friday the 13th for the Express by scoring four straight goals to vaporize a 3-2 deficit and by notching three power-play scores and a short-handed tally.
``I thought Richmond was the better hockey team, but you know, I didn't think we'd get trounced,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone.
Roanoke will have a chance for its first regular-season victory tonight against the Raleigh IceCaps, who figure to be one of the ECHL's most improved teams.
After scoring three times in the first 21:46, the Express was shut down by Richmond goalie Sandy Allan, who was starting in place of an ill Grant Sjerven.
Even for a Friday the 13th, it was a tough start for a team that went 3-0 in the preseason after being picked to win the East Division by The Hockey News.
``Maybe we started to believe that,'' said Anzalone.
These numbers don't lie: When it was on the power play, the Express allowed more goals (one) than it scored (none). Roanoke was 0-for-9 with a man advantage.
The short-handed goal Richmond's Kurt Mallett scored at the 11:11 mark of the second period turned the game's momentum and began the four-goal rally.
Roanoke had taken a 3-2 lead with 18:14 left in the second period when Ilya Dubkov took a feed from Chris Potter on the right side near center ice, skated around a defender and deftly flicked a short wrist shot through the pads Allan.
The Express had a chance to extend the lead, but was vexed by its inability to produce on the power play. A man down, Richmond captured the puck outside the Express zone and Mallett finished a give-and-go run by knocking in a pass from Kevin Meisner to beat Roanoke goalie Mike Parson and tie the score 3-3.
``That's one of the prettiest goals I've seen,'' said Richmond coach Roy Sommer. ``We built off that.''
Richmond took a 4-3 lead when Trevor Senn knocked a rebound past Parson at the 16:23 mark. Sixty-eight seconds later, the Renegades made it 5-3 with a power-play goal when Scott Gruhl tipped Lou Body's blast from the point over Parson's left shoulder.
The Express led 1-0 and 2-1 in the first period, with goals by Jason Clarke and Jeff Jablonski sandwiching a goal by Mallet. However, after stopping Richmond's first three power plays, the Renegades got an extra-man tally with help of a lucky bounce.
Richmond was on a power play with 28 seconds left in the period when Jacque Rodrigue's shot from the point hit a stick up front, then sailed toward the goal, where it glanced off Express defenseman Dave Stewart and fluttered past Parson and into the net.
ICE CHIPS: Express center Marty Schriner was suspended - possibly for three games - by ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly for fighting with Hampton Roads' Jason MacIntyre in the penalty box during Tuesday's exhibition game at the civic center.
\ see microfilm for box score
by CNB