ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 23, 1996 TAG: 9602230032
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-6 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
It's a rare winter when a trip to Florida pales in comparison to a swing through frozen outposts like Johnstown and Erie, Pa.
Such is the state of the Roanoke Express, as it begins its longest and most important road swing of the season. The Express plays its next five games on the road, including a three-games-in-three-days flurry that begins tonight in Toledo, Ohio, and features stops in Johnstown on Saturday and Erie on Sunday.
Those may not be prime vacation spots, but they're places where the Express needs to shine.
``If we were going to Florida it would be one thing, but we're not,'' said Roanoke goalie Matt DelGuidice. ``We're going to Johnstown and Erie. It's not going to be a fun road trip. We've got to put our hard hats on and go to work, [and] get some points out of this.''
All Roanoke coach Frank Anzalone is saying is that he hopes this trip goes better than his team's last extended vacation from the Roanoke Civic Center. That was in January, when the Express won only one of four games in Florida and South Carolina.
``That road trip is the one that got us going in the wrong direction,'' said Anzalone.
That trip came in the middle of a 6-11-2 stretch that dropped the Express from second place to fifth in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division. It was a low point of the season, literally.
The thoughts and suntans from that Florida swing have faded. Roanoke is 9-2 in its past 11 games and has moved into fourth place, five points behind third-place South Carolina and six points behind second-place Charlotte.
Even though the Express is a combined 10-4-1 against the three teams it plays this weekend, the games likely will be difficult, especially tonight's. Toledo is 16-0-3 since getting goalie David Goverde from Louisville.
``We need to win as many as we can,'' said winger Jeff Jestadt. ``Getting to second place would be really good. After this trip, though, you could find yourself 10 points down.''
The Express comes home Monday, but because of a lack of ice the team immediately leaves for Richmond, where it plays next Wednesday, then heads to South Carolina for a game March 1.
The Express doesn't play at home again until March 5.
``The schedule is almost rude,'' said Anzalone. ``We just need to come out alive.''
GETTING DEFENSIVE: Defense and goaltending have become benchmarks for the Express the past month. Roanoke has allowed more than three goals just twice in the past 15 games.
To whom does most of the credit go? Goalies Daniel Berthiaume and DelGuidice? The defensemen?
Try the forwards.
Several weeks ago, Anzalone made some adjustments in his trap that applies more forechecking pressure while leaving one forward back to help the defensemen neutralize odd-man rushes.
In addition, some defensemen are saying the forwards have taken it upon themselves to step up their defensive play.
``The forwards are working harder,'' said defenseman Michael Smith. ``Before, the whole team was lazy. The defensemen figured they could shoot the puck to center [ice] and the forwards would get it. The forwards figured they could come back to center and just pick it up. We're all working harder now.''
ICE CHIPS: Craig Herr went 14 games without a goal before scoring in Tuesday's 4-2 win over Columbus. The goal was just the second for Herr in 16 games since he returned from a back injury. ... Once the league's worst penalty-killing team, the Express has killed 57 of its opponents' last 62 power plays (92 percent). Roanoke has allowed one power-play goal in its past three games. ... Berthiaume leads the ECHL with a .908 saves percentage. ... Roanoke's magic number to earn a playoff spot is 10, a number that decreases by two if Roanoke wins or Raleigh loses in regulation. It decreases by one if either team loses a shootout.
LENGTH: Medium: 75 linesby CNB