ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, March 6, 1996 TAG: 9603060087
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
For a guy born and raised half a world away, Ilya Dubkov certainly feels at home at the Roanoke Civic Center.
Home has been where the goals are for the Roanoke Express' Russian center, who had his first hat trick of the season to account for all of Roanoke's scoring in a 3-2 victory over the Mobile Mysticks on Tuesday night.
Roanoke's victory, combined with Raleigh's 4-3 loss to Louisville, clinched a playoff spot for the Express, which has made the playoffs in each of its three seasons.
Playing at home has been a tonic for Dubkov and the Express, which had gone five games without a victory after an 0-4-1 trip. Never in the Express' three-year history has it had a six-game winless streak.
The home fires have been burning all season for Roanoke, which eclipsed last season's home victory total with its franchise record-tying eighth in a row at home. Roanoke is 21-8-1 at the civic center this season.
``I have no idea why we play well at home,'' said Dubkov, who netted the game-winner with 6:46 left in the game. ``Sometimes we seem to get breaks, like tonight.''
Dubkov has enjoyed the homecooking. After Tuesday's trifecta, 14 of his 16 goals have come in the friendly confines of the civic center.
``I try just as hard'' on the road, said Dubkov, who hadn't had a multi-goal game since Dec.5. ``I don't know why I score more at home.''
The good news for Dubkov and the Express: Six of Roanoke's remaining nine regular-season games are at home.
``This team obviously likes playing at home,'' said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach. ``Last year's team [which went 20-8-6 at home] seemed to like playing on the road. I still remember [goalie] Dave Gagnon being [ticked off] because we lost all those shootouts at home. This year, we've won those shootouts.''
It looked as if Tuesday's game might come to that end, but Dubkov broke a 2-2 tie by snapping a shot through the pads of Mobile goalie Mark Michaud, who lost despite a 41-save performance.
Roanoke's Daniel Berthiaume, who has been nursing a sore shoulder, got his first victory since Feb.16 by turning aside 28 shots. The first-year Mysticks are now winless in their past 10 games (0-9-1)
Dubkov scored a pair of second-period goals on power plays to give Roanoke (32-26-3) brief leads. He made it 2-1 with 1:19 left in the second by chopping a fluttering shot over Michaud as Express wing Jeff Jablonski was sprawled in front of the net.
However, the Express blew its chance to take a lead into the final period when Mobile's Jim Jensen skated from behind the net and shoveled a backhand through Berthiaume's pads with 24 seconds left.
After a scoreless first period, Dubkov put the Express on the board by banging home a feed from Jablonski at 3:19 of the second. Jablonski rebounded his own shot, then sent a crisp right-to-left pass through the crease to Dubkov.
The lead didn't last long. Mobile (19-33-8) tied it when Alex Cherbayev walked in unmolested against from the left and beat Berthiaume at 6:51.
Roanoke failed to put away several quality chances in the first two periods. Michaud made several fine saves, including a doorstep stop of Jablonski on a first-period power play. Later in the period, Karry Biette got loose on a breakaway, but no one was there to take his centering pass after he pulled Michaud out of the net.
``We had some chances,'' said Jablonski, who notched a pair of assists. ``Sometimes we have trouble putting the puck in the net, that's for sure. If you're having trouble doing that, you've got to stop the other team. We usually do a pretty good job of doing that.''
ICE CHIPS: Roanoke right wing Chris Potter and defenseman Wade Gibson missed the game because of illness. ... Craig Herr (broken ribs) and Jason Clarke (fractured shoulder blade) returned to the ice after missing two games. Clarke made his presence known quickly by fighting Craig Binns and Dave Craievich in the first period. see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 83 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. DON PETERSEN/Staff Roanoke's Ilya Dubkov (top) slipsby CNBthe puck into the net past Mobile goalie Mark Michaud on Tuesday
night at the civic center. color
2. DON PETERSEN/Staff Roanoke's Jason Clarke (right) lands a punch
during a fight with Mobile's Dave Craievich. KEYWORDS: HOCKEY