ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280070
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
The Roanoke Express can only hope the final score of Wednesday night's Riley Cup playoff opener is not a harbinger of how this series will end.
The Charlotte Checkers won 3-0 at before a crowd of 5,191 at Independence Arena in the first game of the best-of-five East Coast Hockey League playoff series. If Charlotte goalie Nick Vitucci plays any better than he did Wednesday, the series could end with that same 3-0 result.
No one in the Express' locker room was thinking that way afterward, though. Thoughts were turning to Game 2 here at 7:35 p.m. Saturday, when the Express will try to even the series before returning to Roanoke for Game 3 on Tuesday.
``Our goal is to win one game here,'' said Frank Anzalone, the Express' coach. ``Whether it's the second game or the fifth [which would be played here April 5] doesn't matter.''
Charlotte, which won seven of 10 regular-season meetings with the Express, scored three power-play goals Wednesday, although one would have been enough for Vitucci.
The ECHL's all-time victories leader stopped all 26 Express shots in recording only the second shutout in the Checkers' three-year history.
``He's a veteran goalie who's won some championships,'' said John Marks, Charlotte's coach. ``He's done this kind of thing before.''
Instead of Daniel Berthiaume, the Express' leading goalie during the regular season, Anzalone went with Matt DelGuidice. DelGuidice played in nine of the previous 10 games against Charlotte and had gone 2-2-2 with a 3.25 goals-against average.
Anzalone also benched right wing Jason Clarke in the third period. Clarke, who received two penalties - including a charge late in the second that led to Charlotte's third goal - watched the third period from the stands.
Anzalone wouldn't comment on Clarke's benching, which, combined with Wade Gibson's game misconduct, left the Express with 13 skaters.
``We had some penalties that came from guys working hard and some others that were chippy, undisciplined penalties,'' Anzalone said. ``The guys are resenting some of those penalties.''
DelGuidice played well in making 32 saves, but the Checkers, using a surprising power-play alignment of five forwards without any defensemen, went 3-for-5 with a manpower advantage. Express-killer Darryl Noren, who had six goals against Roanoke during the regular season, scored twice Wednesday.
The Express skated loosely and confidently early and DelGuidice looked sharp. Roanoke got several good attempts on goal, but Vitucci stopped every one and covered most of the rebounds.
``We didn't get many quality shots,'' said Roanoke's Ilya Dubkov. ``We had our best chances in the first period. In the second, penalties killed us.''
Events began to turn against the Express midway through the second period when the Checkers scored two power-play goals.
Clarke was penalized for holding at 10:01 after he and Charlotte's Kimbi Daniels got together while going for the puck. The Checkers put the puck in the net on the ensuing power play. DelGuidice made a big save of a Kurt Seher shot, but Berger got the puck to Noren, whose wrist shot barely got under the crossbar at 11:34.
Noren struck again four minutes later. First, Gibson received a major penalty and game misconduct for spearing and fighting after he was roughed by Charlotte's Scott Kirton.
Working on Gibson's major, the Checkers then made it 2-0 when Noren's blast from the right point found the top-left corner of the net at 15:42. Matt Robbins made it 3-0 with another power-play goal 23 seconds into the third period, beating DelGuidice low to the glove side from the point.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 linesby CNB