ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, December 12, 1996 TAG: 9612120049
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-4 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: EXPRESS NOTES
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
Jeff Loder is getting a nibble of the International Hockey League this week. Whether he's invited to stay for the main course depends on what he brings to the table.
Loder, the second-leading scorer for the Roanoke Express, is joining the IHL's Manitoba Moose during its three-game road trip this week. The plan is for him to return to Roanoke on Sunday, but that could change if the 20-year-old center makes a good showing.
``He's getting his first taste of the IHL,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone. ``If he goes up there and scores two goals a game, he'll stay. The gut plan is to let him go up, see what the IHL is like and send him back Sunday.''
The 5-foot-9 Newfoundlander has 23 points in 22 games on 12 goals and 11 assists. He joined the Moose on Wednesday in Detroit and is expected to play in other road games at Cincinnati and Grand Rapids.
``It's a great chance,'' said Loder. ``I'll just stay calm and play the best I can. My plane ticket says I'm coming back the 15th [of December]. They'll let me know then if I'm really coming back or not.''
If he plays well, though, he could be coming back to Roanoke to pick up his things.
``If he was to come up and rip it up, we're not sending him back,'' said Frank Serratore, Manitoba's player personnel director.
Serratore was in Roanoke two weeks ago to watch Loder, but didn't see him play because Loder was out with an elbow injury. Manitoba signed Loder to a contract in the preseason then asked him to come to Roanoke to get increased playing time.
``He deserves a chance,'' said Serratore. ``He'd done a very good job in Roanoke. Frank Anzalone has given us a very good report on his progress. This is a great chance for him.''
Even if he reports back to Roanoke on Sunday, he will miss the Express' game against Knoxville on Saturday.
``The original plan was for him to stay here all year instead of sending him back to juniors,'' said Anzalone, who doubts that the Express would get another center from Manitoba in exchange for Loder.
``Now, he gets to see what it's like. He's got a chance to do well. If we lost him, it would be a loss.''
WELCOME TO ROANOKE: Defenseman Corey Peterson made his Express debut by notching an assist in Sunday's 4-2 win over Richmond. Peterson was claimed off waivers from Raleigh last month, but took time making up his mind before coming to Roanoke.
Peterson was a 10th-round draft pick of the Dallas Stars in 1993.
ICE CHIPS: Roanoke is in fourth place in the East Division with 27 points. The East is the only one of the three ECHL divisions in which every team has at least 10 victories.
Jeff Jablonski leads the Express with 16 goals and 30 points. He's the fifth-leading goal-scorer in the league and the 12th-leading point-scorer.
The Express plays just seven games the rest of the month, including five at home.
LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Loderby CNB