ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 24, 1996 TAG: 9611260044
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: RALEIGH, N.C.
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
Jeff Cowan's goal wasn't a game-winner, but at least it was a point-saver for the Roanoke Express.
Cowan scored with two seconds remaining in regulation to tie the score, but the Express lost 2-1 in a shootout to the Raleigh IceCaps in an East Coast Hockey League game at Dorton Arena.
By making it to a shootout, Roanoke (10-9-2) gained a point in the ECHL's East Division standings. The Express is 5-1-1 in its past seven games.
Lee J. Leslie scored past Roanoke goaltender Dave Gagnon in the seventh round of the shootout to win it for Raleigh (10-8-0). (Summary in Scoreboard. C10)
The teams played scoreless hockey for 56 minutes, 28 seconds of regulation before Raleigh's Steve Potvin intercepted a Gagnon clearing attempt and scored a power-play goal with 3:32 left.
Roanoke got one last chance when Raleigh's Rob Pattison was given a two-minute minor penalty for cross-checking Ryan Equale with 2:08 left. With the clock winding under one minute, Gagnon was pulled to give the Express a 6-on-4 advantage.
The power play ended, but the extra attacker paid off when Cowan one-timed a pinpoint pass from Duane Harmer and scored from the slot past goalie Patrick Charbonneau with just two seconds left.
The teams each scored once in the five-round portion - Raleigh's Jeff Reid scored in the third and Roanoke's Ilya Dubkov in the fourth - then the Express went ahead with a Jeff Jablonski goal when sudden death began in the sixth. Raleigh forced a seventh round when Jason Karmanos beat Gagnon.
Charbonneau made a great kick save against Tim Christian in the seventh, then Leslie scored to win it.
The Express returns to action Thanksgiving night at home against South Carolina at 7:30.
LENGTH: Short : 44 lines KEYWORDS: 2DAby CNB