ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 3, 1995 TAG: 9512040099
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Some night down the road, the Roanoke Express may actually lose an overtime shootout.
Then again, after what happened on Saturday night - when the Express outlasted the Richmond Renegades through 16 gut-wrenching shootout rounds to win 3-2 on Jeff Jablonski's goal - maybe the Express is destined to be the Doc Holiday of East Coast Hockey League shootouts.
For the second straight night, the Express came from behind to force a shootout against the defending Riley Cup champions by tying the game in the final two minutes.
That makes it automatic for Roanoke (14-9-0), which has won five of its past six games, all by way of shootouts.
None was more dramatic than Saturday's thriller, the longest shootout in Express history. Twice in the sudden death portion, Roanoke got goals to sustain the shootout.
``Boy, I'm tired,'' said Express goalie Daniel Berthiaume, who stopped 13 of 16 shooters on Saturday and has stopped 33 of 39 shootout attempts overall. ``I'm not in shape for marathons.''
Even though Jablonski won it in round 16 with a wrister that beat Richmond goalie Grant Sjerven stick-side, the most memorable goal was scored by that sniper Tim Hanley, who was penciled in as the last shooter in Roanoke's lineup.
``It was a miracle,'' said Jablonski.
That's as apt a description as any. After Richmond's Trevor Senn beat Berthiaume - who has been terrific in shootouts - Hanley, a rookie defenseman, had to score.
He skated straight down the middle - no faking or deking - and fired directly at Sjerven .
The shot was partially blocked by Sjerven, but the puck began rolling. And rolling. Wobbling like a drunken codger trying to find his way home after a night at a gin mill. Sjerven jerked backwards and dived.
The puck barely rolled across the goal line.
``I didn't know if it was going to make it,'' Hanley said. ``I thought it had a chance.''
After both teams failed to convert in round 15, Berthiuame stopped Dmitri Pankov, then Jablonski won it, ending a game that was 2 hours, 45 minutes of great hockey and nearly 20 minutes of great drama.
``Maybe it's not real hockey in the purest sense,'' Express coach Frank Anzalone said of shootouts, ``but it's great when you're winning them. We haven't lost one in awhile.''
The teams matched each other in the fourth round when Pankov and Roanoke's Jason Clarke scored. After five rounds, the shootout became sudden death, and Chris Potter kept the Express alive in round eight after Todd Sparks scored for the Renegades.
The excitement began even before then, as the Express scored twice in the final 13:20 of the third period to tie it. After the Renegades took a 2-0 lead on Brendan Flynn's deflection of a Scott Gruhl shot at 5:13 of the third, the Express came to life thanks in part to an altercation involving Express captain Dave Stewart and Richmond's Martin Roy.
That put the Express on a power play and Craig Herr scored off a rebound at 6:40. The Express tied it when Marty Schriner flew down the right wing and set up Dave Holum on the left doorstep with a pass that Holum buried with just 1:12 remaining.
``The gods of hockey look down on you when you work hard,'' said Anzalone. ``Sometimes, might makes right.''
ICE CHIPS: Both teams had to sign players from the respective local adult leagues to serve as emergency back-up goalies for the weekend series. Roanoke signed local boy Rick Kelley since Matt DelGuidice was out of town for a family engagement. The Renegades inked Bob Jones, a Richmond insurance salesman who has a few games of ECHL experience, after Sandy Allan was recalled by Springfield of the AHL. ... The Roanoke Valley Hockey Boosters' 50-50 raffle raised $1,008 for the Travis Roy fund. Roy is the Boston University player who was paralyzed from the neck down after crashing into the boards 11 seconds into his first college game.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 78 linesby CNB