Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: WEDNESDAY, November 8, 1995 TAG: 9511080085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
In scoring six goals for the second consecutive game, Roanoke (7-5) played well enough offensively to hold off the Stingrays, but just bad enough defensively in the third period to cause some concern.
That third period a llowed coach Frank Anzalone to keep the team's attention as it travels to Norfolk on Friday to take on the Hampton Roads Admirals, with whom the Express is tied for second place in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division.
The Express never was threatened after scoring three consecutive goals to bridge the first and second periods, but two special-teams breakdowns led to a couple of South Carolina power-play goals in the third to cut Roanoke's lead to 5-3.
``Every night it's one line or one guy on one line making errors,'' Anzalone said. ``We know what we want to do, but we've got to do it. We're still sloppy.''
Offensively, the Express was crisp, as Jeff Jestadt and Dave Holum each scored two goals and Craig Herr and Tim Christian each added one.
``We came out and had some good low play and got some good shots,'' Anzalone said. ``But I don't even look at our offensive zone. I couldn't tell you who scored. I watch us in the defensive zone.''
Roanoke's coach probably liked what he saw in goalie Matt DelGuidice, who improved his record to 6-0. Anzalone had been rotating DelGuidice and Mike Parson, but he made DelGuidice the first goalie to start back-to-back games this season.
DelGuidice turned aside 31 of 34 shots and made several sprawling saves in the first period, when South Carolina (3-7-1) squeezed off 17 shots.
He was beaten for two power-play goals in the third - both by Rob Concannon, who was left alone on the doorstep for both scores. The Express is next to last in the ECHL in penalty-killing efficiency.
``We need to cut down on the power-play goals,'' DelGuidice said. ``We give up too many. Five-on-five, we're fine. We played pretty well defensively.''
Jestadt's second goal made it 4-1 at 7:04 of the second period as the teams skated four-on-four. Thirteen seconds after Roanoke's Jeff Jablonski and South Carolina's Chad Seibel were sent to the penalty box for roughing, Jestadt banged a shot off goalie Sean Gauthier's pads, got his own rebound in the slot and popped the puck into a wide-open net.
``My grandmother could've scored on that one,'' Jestadt said.
Three of Roanoke's goals came when the Express had only four skaters on the ice. Roanoke was 0-for-3 on power plays, but the Express scored its first goal with the Stingrays holding a man advantage when Jestadt stole the puck in the South Carolina zone and beat Gauthier through the pads to make at 1-0 at 1:52 of the first period.
The goal was the first short-handed tally this season for the Express, which entered the game as one of four teams without a short-handed goal.
After the Stingrays tied it on Tom Menicci's goal at 6:32, the Express took the lead for good at 2-1 when Holum took a behind-the-goal feed from Jestadt and sent a shot low past Gauthier's stick at 9:11.
Craig Herr made it 3-1 at 1:52 of the second with the teams again skating four-on-four. He won a faceoff in the neutral zone, then beat the defense down the ice and scored off Jason Clarke's assist.
After Concannon's first goal, Christian made it 5-2 by roofing a long rebound under the crossbar. Holum put it away with a goal at 16:08 off a centering pass from Chris Potter, who had made a steal on the right wing.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
by CNB