ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, October 14, 1996 TAG: 9610150081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
The Charlotte Checkers were dominating. The Roanoke Express was ready to be dominated.
It looked just like last season. And if there's one thing Frank Anzalone hates to talk about, it's last season.
He was forced to think about it, though, when the defending Riley Cup champions roughed up the Express 5-1 in the final exhibition game of the preseason Sunday afternoon at the Roanoke Civic Center. After the Express scored the first goal of the game on a Dave Stewart slapshot in the first period, the Checkers scored the next five, including three in the second when Charlotte made matters academic.
``The same Charlotte team came in here, beat us, giggled at us and laughed at us,'' said Anzalone, who has been critical of the work ethic of last year's squad, ``just like last year.''
Without naming names, he blamed much of Sunday's debacle on the team's returning players. It wouldn't be a stretch to say that Anzalone was most upset with his defensemen - four of the six returnees from last year are blue-liners. Roanoke outshot Charlotte 30-26, but goalies Dave Gagnon and Scott Donaldson were victimized by a few defensive breakdowns that allowed the Checkers to skate away from the Express.
``We're not pleased right now,'' said Anzalone. ``It looked too much like last season out there. That says there are some problems with our veteran players. The same people as last year, doing the same things wrong.''
The regular season begins Thursday at Knoxville and Anzalone is expected to announce the final cuts of training camp today. When asked if Sunday's game would affect any personnel decisions, he said: ``It may affect a lot of things. It's affecting me right now. We might have to cut some of the vets. The rookies haven't been a problem. We may just have to go younger this year. I'm not impressed. I'm very unimpressed.''
ICE CHIPS: The battle to be Gagnon's back-up continued, as Donaldson stopped 12 of 14 shots in 31 minutes, 7 seconds of action. The game was physical, with 15 major penalties and six game misconducts handed out. The Express opens the home slate Friday against the Huntington Blizzard. Former Checker Shawn Wheeler, now a Charlotte assistant coach, was the Checkers' bench boss Sunday while head coach John Marks watched from the press box.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 51 lines KEYWORDS: HOCKEYby CNB