ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, November 20, 1996 TAG: 9611200080
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
ROANOKE'S BLUE-COLLAR approach yields another ECHL win, this one over the visiting Wheeling Nailers.
For a team that takes its name from a working-class town's railroad heritage, the Roanoke Express was as workmanlike on Tuesday evening as an assembly team building a mammoth locomotive in the city's West-end shops.
The way the Express hammered out a 5-2 victory over the Wheeling Nailers in the Roanoke Civic Center typified the way this team has to win games - three lines working together, solid goaltending and a railroad car full of hustle and unselfishness.
``It's all work ethic,'' said Express center Chris Lipsett, one of several talented Roanoke rookies who have made worthwhile contributions to the team. ``The essence of our game is hard work.''
It was the kind of journeymanlike effort that would leave dirt under a person's fingernails if the game weren't played on frozen water. It was typified by guys like Lipsett, who picked an insignificant moment to provide a significant play.
That play came with 59 seconds left and the Express holding a fairly secure two-goal lead. A minute earlier, Lipsett had an empty-net goal stripped away when he was ruled offsides on a breakaway. With time winding down and Wheeling goalie Mike Minard off ice for an extra attacker, Lipsett had the puck in front of an empty net again.
Instead of burying it and moving into a tie for the team lead in goals, Lipsett handed off to veteran winger Jeff Jablonski, who had single-handedly worked the puck free from two Nailers along the boards and gotten it to Lipsett. Jablonski slam-dunked Lipsett's assist to make it 5-2.
It was Jablonski's ninth goal, moving him - instead of Lipsett - into a tie for the team lead with rookies Jeff Loder and Jeff Cowan.
``That is one of the most unselfish plays you will see in hockey,'' said Jablonski. ``And we've got a lot of guys in the room who would do the same thing. Something like that means a lot to the guys in this room.''
There were other guys who personified Tuesday's gritty effort: Tim Christian, who worked feverishly for a goal and an assist; Kyle Millar, who pounced on a rebound to score the third and game-winning goal; and Dave Gagnon, who made 21 saves in the second period on his way to stopping 38 shots.
It was the fourth straight win for Roanoke (9-8-1) and Gagnon (8-5-1), who became the first goalie in the league to pass the 1,000-minute mark this season and has played 1,006 minutes in a league-high 15 appearances. With a game tonight at Knoxville and at home against Charlotte on Thursday, Gagnon may not get much time to rest.
``Sure, I will,'' he protested. ``This summer.''
In Christian, the Express has an ECHL All-Star who now has been relegated to the position of a grinding role player, a job he worked to the hilt Tuesday. His goal at 13:29 of the second period gave the Express a 2-0 lead. It came after he worked the puck from one side of the endboards to the other before shoveling in a wraparound while falling down.
``All three on our line [Christian, Loder and Millar] are hard workers,'' said Christian, who has five goals in 16 games but leads the team with 47 shots. ``I've been getting chances. They're just not going in right now. As long as we win, it doesn't matter who scores.''
The Express led 1-0 at 15:00 of the first when Ilya Dubkov stole the puck and scored on a breakaway one second after a Wheeling power play ended. Christian scored, then Wheeling's Eric Royal scored on a rebound at 17:49 of the second for the Nailers' only score in a 22-shot second period.
``Things were going good in the second but we didn't score,'' said Wheeling coach Tom McVie, a 40-year veteran of professional hockey who has coached three NHL teams. ``We got pretty much what we deserved. [The Express] played hard. They're solid.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 73 linesby CNB