Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510310020
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Better known as a guy who scores points with his fists than with his hockey stick, Clarke had five goals in Roanoke's first four games, including his first hat trick as a professional in the Express' 7-5 victory at Charlotte on Oct. 18.
This scoring outburst was from a guy who scored his first goal of last season on New Year's Day, in the season's 29th game. It was a season he finished with 11 goals and an East Coast Hockey League-record 467 penalty minutes.
So, what can be made of this barrage of goals from a man Express coach Frank Anzalone once described as a ``pugilistic specialist?'' Is Jason Clarke making a career change from hitman to sniper?
``Am I surprised? Me?'' Clarke asked, laughing. ``Kind of.''
Clarke's improved scoring output would seem fluky had it not been for this preseason prediction:
``My goal is to get 20 goals,'' he said shortly before the regular season started. ``There's no reason I can't score 60 points this year.''
Clarke knows that to score goals, you have to be on the ice, so he plans to spend less time in the penalty box. He wants to cut his penalty minutes in half this season.
``I'm happy to hear my name announced [over the public-address system] for scoring goals rather than [for] going to the penalty box,'' he said.
What's this? A kinder, gentler Jason Clarke?
``Not kinder and gentler,'' he said. ``Just smarter, more mature. I want more ice time.''
Through Thursday, Clarke was on track for another season of 400-plus penalty minutes, but he also was averaging a point per game.
One way Clarke has beefed up his scoring totals is by slimming down his waistline. After playing most of last season at more than 240 pounds, Clarke reported to training camp weighing 226. His low scoring total last season was more than he could stomach.
``I spent all summer here in Roanoke competing with [Express radio announcer] Tim Woodburn,'' Clarke said. ``We both wanted to get our weight down. Every day it was on the bike, racquetball or roller hockey. ... I wasn't happy with my stomach. I've cut out late-night eating and I don't eat fast foods anymore.''
He's still a heavyweight for Roanoke, but a trimmer Clarke can provide more help to an Express team that has added some quickness this season. When the team was introduced at a preseason news conference, Anzalone pointed out Clarke's weight loss when he gave the wing his jersey.
``If that jersey's too big, we'll get you another one,'' Anzalone said.
The workout regimen worked even better for Woodburn. The burly broadcaster dropped 43 pounds.
``I outweighed him by 35 pounds [at the beginning of summer] and I told him I'd weigh less than him by the end of summer,'' Woodburn said. ``All I can say is, it would have been close. Somebody didn't show up on the day we were supposed to weigh.''
That's probably because Clarke was spending the final days of summer playing roller hockey in Philadelphia before attending training camps with Las Vegas of the International Hockey League and Cornwall of the American Hockey League.
``I played pretty well there [at both places],'' Clarke said. ``Going to the IHL or AHL isn't out of the question anymore. I realize how hard you have to work for it. You can either play hockey or go to work in a factory. I want to play hockey.''
EXPANSION EXPLOSION: Speaking of surprising starts, two expansion teams - the Louisville RiverFrogs and the Louisiana IceGators - were atop their respective divisions before Friday's games.
Louisiana was 4-1-1 and leading the South Division by one point over Birmingham, which beat the IceGators 5-4 in a shootout Wednesday. Louisville, which crushed the Express 7-2 on Wednesday, was 5-3 and tied with Columbus in the North.
Both teams could stay in their races for the long haul. They're solid defensively and are getting quality play in goal - Louisville's Alain Morissette has a 1.67 goals-against average and Louisiana's Bryan Schoen, who played for the Express during the 1993-94 season, has a .912 save percentage.
by CNB