ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, April 4, 1997 TAG: 9704040047
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NORFOLK
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. THE ROANOKE TIMES
Down 1-0 after Wednesday's triple-overtime loss, the Express tries to gain a split with the Admirals in Norfolk.
Thursday was supposed to be the off day of the Roanoke Express' playoff series with Hampton Roads.
Instead, Thursday, April 3, was the day the Express suffered its most disheartening loss of the season. For it was in Thursday's early morning hours that the Hampton Roads Admirals beat the Express 4-3 in a third overtime to take Game 1 of their first-round East Coast Hockey League playoff series.
For 102 minutes of hockey action that began Wednesday night, the Express had done nearly everything right. It had battled back from a two-goal deficit and had ridden the masterful goaltending of Dave Gagnon, who finished with a team-record 64 saves, the second-highest total in ECHL history.
But he never had a chance to stop Alain Savage's short wrist shot, the Admirals' 68th of the game. The puck came off the endboards to Aaron Downey (NOTE: story originally said Aaron Gagnon), who found an open Savage in front of the net.
At 1:31 of the third overtime - 101 minutes, 31 seconds of hockey - the second-longest game in ECHL history was over. As the Admirals celebrated, the stricken Express players were already wondering how they would bounce back tonight in Game 2 at Norfolk's Scope.
``I don't really know,'' said Roanoke's Tim Christian, who had tied the game at 2 early in the third. ``We'll try to put it behind us. We've got to win the next game here and come out with a split. If we can, it turns the favor to our side. We had our chances. We didn't bury them.''
Roanoke was outshot 68-42. Both goalies had outstanding nights and both played their best in overtime.
The Admirals' Darryl Paquette turned aside 39 shots and made a miraculous save in the first overtime. After making a save, Paquette was out of position as the puck bounced loose in front. Roanoke's Sean Brown skated in and lifted the puck toward an empty net, but Paquette dived to his left and gloved it.
Now, the Express will try to even the best-of-five series, which heads to Roanoke for Game 3 on Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
If Game 4 is necessary, it will be Sunday at 6 p.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center. A fifth game would be in Norfolk next Wednesday.
ICE CHIPS: Roanoke's Chris Lipsett was forced out of the lineup due to a wrist injury he suffered when he and defenseman Cory Peterson collided in practice. Lipsett is questionable for tonight. ... To make room on its playoff roster for Eric Landry, the Express waived forward Valeriy Svoboda, a rookie who had come to Roanoke from the major juniors just three weeks ago. Landry re-joined Roanoke after spending much of the last month with the American Hockey League's Saint John Flames. ... Before Christian's goal, Paquette had not allowed an even-strength goal in 269 minutes, 7 seconds.
Roanoke||0-1-2-0-0-0 -- 3
Hampton Roads||1-1-1-0-0-1 -- 4
First period--1, Hampton Roads, Krivchenkov 1 (Alexeev, Pearce), 9:47. Penalties--Landry, HR (high-sticking), :33; Maltais, Ro (hooking), :59; MacIsaac, Ro (hooking), 8:13; MacIsaac, Ro (roughing), 16:46; Maltais, HR (slashing), 16:46; Equale, Ro (holding), 19:29.
Second period--2, Hampton Roads, Maltais 1 (Gervais, Phelps), 9:55, pp; 3, Roanoke, Landry 1 (Harmer, Dubkov), 12:58, pp. Penalties--Alexeev, HR (roughing), 4:16; Dubkov, Ro (coss-checking), 7:54; Krivchenkov, HR, double minor (high-sticking), 10:36; O'Dette, Ro (high-sticking), 15:12; Larkin, HR (holding), 18:20.
Third period--4, Roanoke, Christian 1 (Loder, Tremblay), 1:46; 5, Hampton Roads, Kowalsky 1 (Gervais, Maltais), 8:28, pp; 6, Roanoke, Jablonski 1 (Harmer), 14:26, pp. Penalties--Stewart, Ro (hooking), 3:27; Maltais, HR (cross-checking), 5:36; Dubkov, Ro (tripping), 7:58; Larkin, HR, minor, major, game misconduct (charging, head-butting), 10:57; Brown, Ro (holding), 14:42.
First overtime--No scoring. Penalties--Landry, Ro, double minor (roughing, unsportsmanlike conduct), 5:19; Kowalsky, HR (roughing), 5:19; Pearce, HR (roughing), 7:03.
Second overtime--No scoring, Penalties--Jablonski, Ro (slashing), 11:01; Shemerhorn, HR (slashing), 11:01.
Third overtime--7, Hampton Roads, Savage 1 (Downey, Martin), 1:31.
Shots on goal--Roanoke 5-9-11-7-10-0 42. Hampton Roads 15-11-12-7-16-3 68.
Power-play opportunities--Roanoke 2 of 7. Hampton Roads 2 of 7.
Goalies--Roanoke, Gagnon (68 shots-64 saves). Hampton Roads, Paquette (42-39).
A--4,709.
Referee--Koharski. Linesmen--Wicklum, Spannus.
LENGTH: Medium: 87 linesby CNB