ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, March 19, 1996 TAG: 9603200025
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Even though Craig Herr admits he would rather be providing scoring punch to the Roanoke Express, his other punches have been quite effective lately.
Some may be surprised at Herr's recent acts of pugilism on ice. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound wing has gotten into three fights in three games, including a scrap with Raleigh's Rob Pattison six seconds after the opening faceoff on Sunday.
On a team with sluggers like Jason Clarke and Dave Stewart, Herr rarely has had to fight for the Express. However, when those guys went out - Clarke to suspension, Stewart to a hand injury - Herr knuckled down.
Against Johnstown on March 12, Herr went to war for teammates Mike Stacchi and Dave Holum, both of whom were being shoved around by Chiefs players after the whistle.
``Anybody would have done it,'' Herr said. ``Guys can take care of themselves, but I got in there as soon as I could. We can't let anybody push us around.''
Some fans may not know it, but Herr, whose friendly nature and boyish grin belie a fierce intensity, always has been a fighter at heart. Express officials knew he was a rough-and-tumble guy when they acquired him from Tallahassee last year.
``When he got here, he had scars on his knuckles,'' said Express general manager Pierre Paiement. ``He can defend himself. He's so intense. He's the kind of player you want to have in the playoffs.''
CLARKE BACK, STEWART OUT: Clarke will be back from a three-game suspension tonight when Roanoke plays South Carolina, but the Express will be without Stewart, who was suspended after receiving a game misconduct following Sunday's game with Raleigh. It was his third game misconduct of the season, an offense that carries a one-game suspension.
If a player receives three game misconducts in any of three categories - instigating, high-sticking or ``other'' (all other game misconduct) - he must be suspended for a game.
Stewart, who was in the penalty box for cross-checking with 41 seconds left, was given a game misconduct when he skated across the red line to join in a mini-mob scene that developed after the final horn. League rules specify that a player cannot skate across the red line when leaving the penalty box, a rule that still applied to Stewart even though the game had ended.
It is the second time in a week that the Express has lost a player to a rule technicality. Clarke was given a suspension for fighting Hampton Roads' Aaron Downey before a faceoff on March 10. Since Clarke had taken the ice just before the faceoff, it was ruled that he had come off the bench to fight, an infraction that requires a three-game suspension.
TAKING THE FIFTH: Roanoke's 5-1 loss to Raleigh left the Express in fourth place in the East Division, one point ahead of Hampton Roads, which lost to South Carolina 7-1 on Sunday.
If the playoffs began today, Roanoke would play Charlotte, the East Division's No. 2 seed, in the first round. First-place Richmond would play Hampton Roads, with third-place South Carolina opening against a non-division opponent.
The Express has made no secret of wanting to catch the Stingrays in third place, or at least finishing fourth and meeting Charlotte rather than Richmond. Heading into tonight's game against the Stingrays, Roanoke has 76 points, South Carolina 81 and Hampton Roads 75.
Roanoke can gain two points tonight on South Carolina, which has one game in hand on the Express.
``Right now, we're not thinking about finishing third,'' said Roanoke's Jeff Jestadt. ``We just want to stay out of fifth, at least. South Carolina is in pretty good shape. We've got to beat 'em just to have a chance.''
HOME ICE SHUFFLE: Since the Roanoke Civic Center won't be available for hockey the weekend of March 29-31 due to a gun show, Paiement will request that the Express' first-round opponent begin the playoffs in Roanoke on March 26.
Roanoke most likely won't have home-ice advantage in the first round (unless it finishes third and plays outside the division), which means the Express will play two games at home at the most. Usually, the higher-seeded team opens a best-of-five series with two games at home, plays two on the road and finishes with one at home.
If that format is used, the Express will be without ice when it is supposed to be playing its home games. Paiement's alternative would be to open at home on March 26, then play two on the road from March 28-30. If necessary, the teams would close with two games on the higher seed's home ice.
The first round of the playoffs must be concluded by April 3.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 linesby CNB