ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 9, 1997 TAG: 9702100131
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
There are a few college basketball teams that don't shoot as well as the Toledo Storm did Saturday night.
On one hand, the Roanoke Express played a great defensive game in holding its visitor from the East Coast Hockey League's North Division to 18 shots on goal. On the other, Toledo scored on 28 percent of those shots in a 5-3 victory before a crowd of 7,508 at the Roanoke Civic Center.
It was a night that began with the Storm worried that it would get beaten as if it were a rented goalie. That's because it began with Toledo employing a rented goalie by the name of Jon Newhort, a veteran of adult leagues in the Hampton Roads area who was dragooned into service when the Storm had no one to crouch in its crease.
Fortunately for Toledo, Marc Siegel arrived just as the game began, got into the net 1 minute, 26 seconds later and stopped 32 of 35 shots. Early on, it wouldn't have mattered if it was Marc Siegel, Jon Newhort or Bob Newhart in net because the Express didn't lift a shot in the first two minutes while the rent-a-goalie was on the ice.
Thirty-five Roanoke shots and four Toledo power-play goals later, the Express was looking at its first home loss in five games.
``We certainly did not outplay them,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone. ``We outshot them. There is a difference.''
Toledo (22-20-6) was without regular goalie David Goverde, who was suspended for seven games for swinging a stick at a referee. Siegel, who had been with the American Hockey League's Adirondack (N.Y.) Red Wings, spent the day snowbound in Washington awaiting a flight to Roanoke.
``I didn't know he was going to be here until he walked into the building,'' said Toledo coach Greg Puhalski.
Roanoke (26-16-3) trailed 3-2 after two periods and fell behind 4-2 when Rob Thorpe scored a back-door goal with 13:25 left. Express left wing and Toledo native Jeff Jablonski made it 4-3 when he scored a power-play goal with 8:13 showing on the clock, but the Storm got an empty-net, power-play goal from Mike Kolenda with 30 seconds left.
After a scoreless first period, the teams combined for five second-period goals, three of those from Toledo - all on the power play. The Storm led despite being outshot 24-11 through two periods.
The Express got on the scoreboard with a man advantage in the second when Wayne Strachan tipped in a Dave Stewart shot from the point at 2:48 to make it 1-0.
The teams then scored three times in 59 seconds midway through the period. Dennis Purdie made it 1-1 with a power-play goal at 11:29, the same moment Rick Judson's stick was being held by Roanoke's Matt O'Dette, resulting in another power play.
Louis Bernard responded 23 seconds later with a slap shot from the right point that made it 2-1. Roanoke's Jeff Cowan continued the offensive explosion by backhanding a rebound past Siegel while tumbling at 12:28. Aaron Nagy then made it 3-2 at 15:24 with a left-point blast for the Storm's third power-play goal of the period.
ICE CHIPS: Strachan was named offensive player of the month for January by the Roanoke Valley Hockey Boosters. Stewart was named defensive player of the month. ... The Express plays at Richmond at 7:05 p.m. tonight in a game that was postponed Jan.11 because of a fire at the Richmond Coliseum. ... Jablonski's goal was the 70th of his Express career, the third most in franchise history.
LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY STAFF. 1. Express forward Sean Brown (left)by CNBtries in vain to knock the puck past Storm goalie Marc Siegel and
defender Rick Judson. color. 2. ERIC BRADY STAFF Express players
celebrate with teammate Jeff Cowan after his second-period goal tied
the score at 2 on Saturday night.