Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, November 28, 1995 TAG: 9511280078
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
Through the first 17 games of the season, Roanoke was one of just three East Coast Hockey League teams that hadn't played a shootout. Now, the Express has had three straight and has won all three.
Instead of dropping the puck, perhaps the games could just begin with shootouts. That would make games go a lot quicker.
``Nah, we'd rather win in regulation,'' said Express forward Craig Herr, who has scored the game-winning goal in each of the past two shootout wins. ``We feel good that we've won some shootouts. We're just happy to get the points [that come with a win].''
The third win came Saturday night at South Carolina, when the Express notched three shootout goals through four rounds, while the Stingrays could score just once against goalie Daniel Berthiaume. The result was a 3-2 Express win.
Roanoke, which plays the Toledo Storm tonight at 7 at the Roanoke Civic Center, has won its past four games.
Roanoke (12-8) won its first shootout 4-3 at Hampton Roads on Nov.22, then followed that with a 6-5 shootout win over the Admirals 24 hours later at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Berthiaume has been sharp in the shootouts, allowing just one goal to the past 15 shooters he has seen.
Until this year, the ECHL played a five-minute overtime period before advancing to shootout rounds, in which skaters take the puck at mid-ice, skate toward the goalie and shoot. ECHL owners voted to eliminate the overtime periods this season, citing statistics that 67 percent of overtime games during the 1994-95 season advanced to shootouts anyway.
After regulation ends in a tie score, the five-round shootout begins, with each team alternating shooters. If the teams score the same number of goals through five rounds, the shootout becomes sudden-death.
The Express seems to have turned the tide from a year ago, when it led the league in overtime losses with 10. This season, Roanoke and Birmingham are the only teams without a shootout loss.
``It helps our confidence knowing we can win these things,'' said Herr. ``It's great considering the way we played last year [in shootouts]. When you get to shootouts, it's such a crapshoot.''
The Express doesn't have to watch the Weather Channel to know that a fast-moving Storm is on the horizon. Toledo (16-3-2), which is 10-1-2 in its past 13 games, has the ECHL's best record and leads the North Division by six points. The Storm leads the ECHL in scoring (105 goals, 5.0 per game), but has allowed the fourth-most goals (83, 3.95 per game).
``They can score the goals,'' said Herr. ``We'll just try to slow 'em down.''
by CNB