ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Saturday, March 23, 1996 TAG: 9603250057
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
CHARLOTTE BOLTS to an early lead and wins easily, beating Roanoke 6-2.
The Roanoke Express was taught the meaning behind the old saw ``Be careful for what you wish, for it might come true.''
For the better part of a month, the Express has been vying for the No. 4 spot in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division, hoping to draw the Charlotte Checkers in the playoffs rather than Richmond, the thinking being that the Checkers would be more beatable than the division-leading Renegades.
The Express may want to change its thinking after taking a 6-2 slashing from the Checkers on Friday night at Independence Arena.
Still, there are no guarantees Roanoke (36-28-5) will draw the Checkers, who won seven of 10 regular-season meetings with the Express.
Roanoke needed to win at Raleigh in the regular-season finale Saturday to clinch the fourth spot over Hampton Roads, which pulled into a tie with the Express by beating Richmond 6-3 on Friday.
The Admirals entertained the Renegades again Saturday. A Roanoke loss combined with a Hampton Roads win would give the Admirals the fourth spot and set up a first-round meeting with Richmond for Roanoke. If Hampton Roads lost, the Express plays Charlotte in the playoffs regardless of what it did Saturday.
``I can't speak for everyone,'' said Express center Dave Holum, ``but if we play with the kind of effort we had [Friday], it doesn't matter who we play in the playoffs. We'll be three [losses] and out.''
Holum, who scored a third-period goal, was one of few bright spots for the Express, which trailed 3-0 after only 16 minutes and 4-0 early in the second period.
``If we play these guys [the Checkers] in the playoffs, it won't be easy,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone. ``They're a good hockey team. They took it to us early. You're not going to win a playoff game when you fall behind 3-0.''
Express goalie Daniel Berthiaume was pulled for the second time in less than a week - this time after allowing five goals in two periods - but he had little defensive help, as replacement Matt DelGuidice soon found out when Dennis Maxwell hammered home an uncontested back-door goal that made it 6-2 with 6:33 left.
``We came out tonight and did everything we had decided we were not going to do,'' said Express defenseman Dave Stewart, who cast himself as one of the reasons why Roanoke's defense constantly broke down.
``I take a bad penalty [in the first], we kill it off, I come out and lose my man and suddenly we're down 3-0.''
While the Express did everything but shout ``Ole!'' in letting Checkers rush past, Charlotte (44-20-4), which has the third-most points in the division behind Richmond and Toledo, set the tone early. Francois Bouchard scored two goals - part of a four-point night - to give the Checkers a 3-0 lead after a period.
Kimbi Daniels, playing in his first game since being returned from Baltimore in the American Hockey League, made it 4-0 when he scored off a rebound while being dragged to the ice with 17:49 left in the second.
For the third straight time, Charlotte coach John Marks did not start Nick Vitucci against the Express. Vitucci, the ECHL's all-time winningest goalie who leads the league with 32 victories this season, has won five straight starts against Roanoke.
Vitucci had the night off, as did Charlotte's starter, Ken Shepard, who made 29 saves. The Checkers' dominance had little to do with goaltending because the puck spent little time in Charlotte's zone.
Roanoke didn't score until Ilya Dubkov put away his own rebound at 9:42 of the second to make it 4-1. Scott Kirton answered for Charlotte two minutes later.
The Checkers lived up to their name, as they regularly won the battles along the boards and down low behind the Express goal. This was especially true during Charlotte's three-goal first period.
``We just had to play hard, that's all I care about,'' said Marks, who celebrated his 48th birthday by watching his club end a three-game losing skid. ``We're getting some guys back from injuries now. You know, it's not cut and dried that we'll play Roanoke in the playoffs. If it's Hampton, it'll be a tough series. If it's Roanoke, it'll be a tough series.''
Speaking of which, Stewart noted: ``The one positive is that this wasn't a playoff game. We're not down 1-0 in a series.''
ICE CHIPS: Roanoke's Jason Clarke and Charlotte's Shawn Wheeler fought in the third and missed the final 9:51 after receiving 10-minute misconducts. ... In the first, Clarke and Wheeler went at it as Wheeler sat on the Checkers bench, causing a melee involving players on both benches. ... Dubkov's goal was his 20th.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 linesby CNB