ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, January 15, 1997 TAG: 9701150082
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
The Roanoke Express and the Richmond Renegades did a remarkable job of keeping the peace on the Roanoke Civic Center ice Tuesday night.
For 15 seconds.
Then, Richmond goalie Tripp Tracy did a remarkable job of keeping the puck out of the net the rest of the way in helping the Renegades break their season-long jinx against the Express with a 4-1 victory before 4,239 witnesses. Scott Burfoot, who toiled with the ill-fated Roanoke Valley Rampage four years ago, scored twice to lead the Richmond attack.
It was a game that began with 10 sets of gloves being dropped right after the puck was, as all 10 players on the ice for opening faceoff were involved in a free-for-all. Four players, two from each side, were handed game misconducts and 130 penalty minutes, 65 for each side, were racked up during the scrum.
The fight was a draw, but more importantly for Richmond, it won for the first time in five meetings with Roanoke. The Express, which lost 4-3 to Hampton Roads on Saturday, dropped back-to-back games for the first time since Nov. 30 and lost its third consecutive home game.
``We're a little flat,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone, whose team had gone 10-1 before the modest two-game skid. ``We're not getting scoring and we're not getting some contributions from some people. We're a little selfish and a little disoriented. We don't have everybody on the same page. We've got a lot of guys who think they're going to get called up who aren't giving us what we need.''
After failing to get but one of its 31 shots by Tracy - a third-period goal by Ilya Dubkov that made him the leading goal-scorer in franchise history with 91 lamp-lighters - Roanoke clearly needed some punch. Fortunately, center Jeff Loder arrived in town Tuesday from a stint with the International Hockey League's Manitoba Moose and will be back in the lineup.
``We need every line to score,'' said Dubkov.
Considering that Richmond coach Scott Gruhl earlier this season had barely stopped short of suggesting Roanoke players wear full-body armor the next time they met the Renegades, and considering Anzalone had insinuated that he wanted to see his players toughen up, Tuesday's fight probably was inevitable.
Not to suggest that the fisticuffs were choreographed, but only Sylvester Stallone could have scripted a better fight sequence than the one that kicked off the proceedings. Fifteen seconds after the opening faceoff, play stopped when the puck settled on the back side of the Express net and didn't begin again for nearly 15 minutes.
``We started out with a physical aspect,'' said Gruhl. ``That's what we've needed against this club. It's taken us five games to figure it out, but it was certainly worth it.''
First, Doug Searle got tangled up behind the net. Then, everybody had a partner. Searle and Jeff Cowan were banished the rest of the night, as were Richmond's Chris Pittman and Gary Gulash. Also, Roanoke's Jason Smith fought Mike Harding, Express wing J.F. Tremblay played rough with David Dartsch and Express center Chris Lipsett and Richmond's Brian Goudie were given 10-minute misconducts, although they just held each other away from the brawlers.
The early fight ``was not a plan at all,'' said Anzalone. ``If they're going to fight, the ref should toss 'em out. Really, how many good fights were there?''
``We set the tone early,'' Burfoot said. ``We showed we weren't going to be pushed around in this place.''
ICE CHIPS: Loder's presence will necessitate some roster maneuvering by the Express, which already is at the league-limit of 20 players. ``I could probably cut six players tonight and it wouldn't hurt our team one bit,'' Anzalone said.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for satistics.
LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: DON PETERSEN STAFF. Roanoke's Chris Lipsett (right) laysby CNBout Richmond's Scott Burfoot as goalie Dave Gagnon makes the save.
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