ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, March 24, 1996 TAG: 9603250089
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C.
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Even though it got just the spot it wanted, this was not the way the Roanoke Express wanted to enter the East Coast Hockey League's playoffs.
The Express ended its regular season by being shot down 3-2 by the Raleigh IceCaps in an overtime shootout at Dorton Arena on Saturday night. Though the point earned with the shootout loss was enough to secure the East Division's No. 4 spot and a first-round engagement with Charlotte in the Riley Cup Playoffs, Saturday's result still extended Roanoke's winless streak to four games.
In other words, the Express isn't exactly picking up steam heading into the playoffs.
``It's disturbing,'' said Express center Dave Holum. ``We're dissatisfied we didn't put it away.''
If Hampton Roads had beaten Richmond on Saturday night, the Admirals could have passed Roanoke in the standings and forced the Express to play Richmond in the first round. Richmond, though, beat Hampton Roads 5-2 and will face the Admirals.
Raleigh scored three times in the shootout against Roanoke goalie Matt DelGuidice, who had an excellent night in 60 minutes of regulation. DelGuidice made 33 saves, but fell to 1-3 in shootouts this season.
``Shootouts are always chancy,'' he said. ``I haven't been very good in them. I have a history of not winning them.''
DelGuidice wouldn't have faced a shootout had the Express buried some quality chances. Jeff Jablonski, the team's leading goal-scorer, sent a 12-foot shot over an empty net with 12:30 left in the game after Raleigh goalie Brad Mullahy was pulled out of position on an earlier save attempt.
``The puck was spinning when it got to me, so I knew I'd have to get good wood on it,'' said Jablonski, who leads Roanoke with 39 goals. ``I tried to bury it and it just sailed high.''
Jablonski almost atoned for that by trying to poke in a rebound with nine minutes left. Jablonski contended that he pushed the puck across the goal line, but referee Paul Mariconda ruled Mullahy covered it first.
``I saw it cross,'' Jablonski said. ``Barely, but it was enough.''
Roanoke (36-28-6) barely scored on Mullahy, who turned aside 38 of the 40 shots he saw. The Express got shootout goals from Ilya Dubkov and Jason Clarke, who tied it 2-2 in the fifth round of the shootout.
Raleigh, which got goals from Maxim Bets in the first round and Jeff Reid in the third, won it when Darren Colbourne beat DelGuidice gloveside.
``We had to have two points tonight,'' said Raleigh coach Kurt Kleinendorst, whose club, despite being in last place in the East, could make the playoffs as a wild-card entry if it wins today in Charlotte.
``We haven't made anything easy on ourselves all year. Tonight wasn't easy. Give Roanoke credit. They could've let up once they heard the Hampton score. They still played hard.''
Roanoke, which never trailed in regulation, led 1-0 on a crisp 2-on-1 rush that ended with Holum taking Tim Christian's centering pass and wristing it past Mullahy at 4:04 gone in the first.
DelGuidice stopped all 16 of Raleigh's 16 first-period shots (Roanoke also shot 16 times in the first), but Raleigh's Jason Hehr scored unassisted with 9:32 gone in the second period to tie it 1-1.
The Express answered less than two minutes later on the power play, as Christian pounced on a rebound in front of the goal and wristed it through Jeff Jestadt's screen and into the net, making it 2-1.
For the next seven minutes, DelGuidice was riddled with IceCaps shots and stopped all but one. He frustrated Raleigh's Paul Vincent no fewer than three times in a 30-second span on 15-footers and close rebounds.
He didn't have a chance on the goal that tied it.
Raleigh's Lyle Wildgoose stole the puck in the Roanoke zone and sent a pass to Colbourne, who walked in and roofed a shot to make it 2-2 with 2:54 left in the period.
The third was scoreless, with the Express getting the best chances.
``We could have had this one,'' said Holum. ``We could've had it.''
ICE CHIPS: Roanoke plays Games 1 and 2 at Charlotte on Wednesday and Saturday. Game 3 will be in Roanoke on Wednesday, April 3. ... The loss was Roanoke's sixth in its last seven shootouts. The Express won its first nine shootouts.
Roanoke||1-1-0-0 - 2
Raleigh||0-2-0-1 - 3
First period-1, Roanoke, Holum 12 (Christian, Potter), 4:04. Penalties-Larson, Ra (boarding), 10:10; Harmer, Ro (holding the stick), 18:14.
Second period-2, Raleigh, Hehr 5 (none), 9:32; 3, Roanoke, Christian 24 (Jestadt, Smith), 11:30, (pp); 4, Raleigh, Colbourne 25 (Wildgoose, Neal), 17:06. Penalties-Holum, Ro (holding), :57; Clarke, Ro, double minor (roughing), 7:42; Willner, Ra (roughing), 7:42; Mullahy, Ra (slashing), 7:42; Colbourne, Ra (tripping), 9:48.
Third period-None. Penalties-Reid, Ra (tripping), 3:38.
Shootout-5, Raleigh, Colbourne 26.
Shots on goal-Roanoke 16-12-12-0 40. Raleigh 16-14-5-1 36.
Goalies-Roanoke, DelGuidice (35 shots-33 saves). Raleigh, Mullahy (40 shots-38 saves).
Power-play opportunities-Roanoke 1 of 3. Raleigh 0 of 2.
Referee-Paul Mariconda. Linesmen-Tim Morris, Borm Eberle.
A-5,352.
LENGTH: Medium: 98 linesby CNB