ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 5, 1996 TAG: 9603050031
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
It's hard to decide which is better news for the Roanoke Express: that its arduous five-game road trip is history or that it spends most of the next month in its home rink.
Perhaps only the Griswald family from National Lampoon's ``Vacation'' movies has been through worse road trips than the Express, which was 0-4-1 on its latest excursion.
After playing well for most of February and working its way into fourth place in the East Coast Hockey League's rugged East Division, the Express fell back into fifth during its 10-day, five-game jaunt.
``Did I think we would win all five? No,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone. ``Did I think we would win two of the five? Yes.
``I've always judged the strength of the hockey team by how it plays on the road. We're hoping to do better at home.''
Home is where the wins are for the Express. Only four teams have more home victories than Roanoke's 20. Only one team - Erie - has more than Roanoke's 18 regulation road defeats.
The Express plays seven of its final 10 games of the regular season at the Roanoke Civic Center, beginning with tonight's game against the Mobile Mysticks at 7.
The Express is closing in on a playoff berth, but the team would like to move out of the No.5 spot. Finishing the regular in fifth place would give Roanoke a first-round playoff meeting with the Richmond Renegades.
The top five teams in each division qualify for the Riley Cup Playoffs. Since attendance for playoff games has been disappointing in recent years, the league approved a format that has most teams playing first-round games within their own divisions.
The No.1 team in the division plays No.5 and No.2 plays No.4. The third seed plays outside the division. In the East, that means the No.3 team will most likely receive an easier first-round assignment than the division's top two teams, who will have to endure a tough divisional opponent.
Roanoke (31-26-3) has 65 points, four behind Hampton Roads. If the playoffs began today, Roanoke would play Richmond, Hampton Roads would play Charlotte and South Carolina would journey outside the division to play Louisville.
``We'd like to have a crack at fourth [place],'' said Anzalone. ``The guys in the [locker] room are hoping this homestand will be fruitful.''
ROAD PRACTICE: Because there was no ice in the civic center following last weekend's boat show, the Express left at 5 a.m. Monday to travel to Hillsborough, N.C., for practice.
``We went to Hillsborough today because I won't quit,'' Anzalone said. ``If you'd asked on Friday if we would practice today, I would have said, `No.' But I said, `Let's go.' I hope we don't show any effects of the travel today.''
MYSTICK-ISMS: If the Express is to break out of its slump, Mobile is the right opponent. The expansion Mysticks are winless in their past nine games (0-8-1) and have won just one of their past 12.
Mobile is in last place in the seven-team South Division but is still in the hunt for the ECHL's wild-card spot.
``This will not be an easy game tonight,'' Anzalone said. ``Mobile is a hungry team.''
The Mysticks are also the only team in the ECHL to be led in scoring by a defenseman. Dave Craievich has 18 goals and 43 assists. He also has a minus-32 rating.
ICE CHIPS: Even Sports Illustrated has taken note of John Brophy's hacksaw-throwing incident a couple of weeks ago. The incident received notoriety as ``This Week's Sign That the Apocalypse Is Upon Us'' in the March 4 issue of SI, which reported ``John Brophy, coach of the Hampton Roads (Va.) Admirals of the East Coast Hockey League, was given a three-game suspension last week for throwing a hacksaw at a fan.'' ... Even though the Express hasn't qualified for the playoffs, the club will begin selling tickets for its first home playoff game tonight. ... Four teams - Richmond, Charlotte, Toledo and Wheeling - have qualified for the playoffs.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 linesby CNB