THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 23, 1994 TAG: 9410230215
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
The Hampton Roads Admirals played inspired, hard-checking defense, rocketed 42 shots on goal and got an outstanding effort from goaltender Shamus Gregga. But they still lost Saturday to the Charlotte Checkers.
The Admirals failed to score on eight power-play opportunities and failed to take advantage of a series of temper tantrums that left the Checkers three players down to drop a bitter 2-1 defeat.
Charlotte, picked in several publications to win the East Division title, was ``desperate for a victory'' after losing its first two games, coach John Marks said.
``No way we wanted to be 0-3,'' Marks said. ``Hampton Roads played well, but this was by far our best effort of the season.''
The Checkers appeared desperate early on when they came out swinging. In all, they had three players ejected.
The first player thumbed was a familiar face - Shawn Wheeler, the Charlotte player/assistant coach who played for the Admirals last season. He was booted three minutes into the game for pummeling Admirals right wing Martin Laitre from behind.
Laitre, who made his first start, was tangling with Charlotte's Eric Fenton in front of the penalty box. When Admirals defenseman Brian Goudie appeared to be coming into the play, Wheeler charged. After being separated by the linesman, Wheeler went after Laitre again and had to be restrained by both linesmen after pulling off Laitre's jersey.
Wheeler was assessed a game misconduct, which calls for an automatic ejection.
Meanwhile, Charlotte's Steve Foster and Goudie were holding onto each other, talking and shoving at center ice. Again, the linesman tried to pull them apart and they wouldn't let go. Again, fists began flying.
Both were ejected, Goudie relatively unscratched and Foster with a nasty gash on his forehead.
In the third period, Fenton, another former Admiral, was assessed a game misconduct after pulling Matt Mallgrave to the ice.
``Not very smart,'' Marks said. ``We had another player hurt and were four players down.''
Hampton Roads coach John Brophy said the Admirals performed well in all but one area.
``Five-on-five, we were good,'' he said. ``We played great defense. You can't play any better.''
``But our power play went to -------. I don't know what happened because it's been going well.''
Mullgrave scored the Admirals' only goal on an assist from Rod Taylor, who made Charlotte goaltender Jonn Hilldebrandt commit by a faking a shot, then passed to Mallgrave about 8 feet in front of the net. Mallgrave scooped it into the empty net at 19:28 of the first period to tie the score at 1-1.
The Admirals peppered Hilldebrandt with 25 shots in the final two periods, but he held off the assault.
Charlotte scored the game winner at 2:57 of the third period. Joe Hawley fired a hard shot that Gregga blocked. But Roman Gorev, one of three Russians for the Checkers, backhanded in the puck to put Charlotte ahead, 2-1.
Defenseman Jason MacIntyre said the Admirals were victims of both poor shooting and poor luck.
``We had so many chances, so many shots on net,'' he said. ``Sometimes the puck wasn't shot well, but when you have that many shots and score one goal, the bounces didn't go your way.'' by CNB