THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, November 27, 1994 TAG: 9411270242
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 63 lines
RICHMOND - Patrick LaLime never played in a shootout prior to this season. Games end in ties in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League, from where the rookie goaltender came to the Hampton Roads Admirals.
The inexperience showed in his first two shootouts, 6-5 losses to Raleigh and Richmond at Scope, in which opponents scored over his shoulders, through his legs and around his feet.
But Saturday, before a stunned Richmond Coliseum crowd of 8,071, LaLime looked like an experienced veteran in his third shootout.
He snuffed all three Richmond shots in the extra period, and John Porco then put in the game-winner, to give the Admirals a 6-5 victory over the Renegades.
The triumph was the first for the Admirals (8-8-2) over East Division leader Richmond (14-1-4) in four tries and gave Hampton Roads a two-game winning streak, its first winning streak in 23 days.
``It goes without saying that we needed that,'' coach John Brophy said.
Especially LaLime. Four Raleigh IceCaps scored with ease in the shootout loss four days ago, in which LaLime never got his glove on the puck.
Although he gave up five goals, Saturday's performance was one of his best of the season. Richmond outshot the Admirals, 49-24, and LaLime had more than a dozen diving saves.
He credits goaltender Corwin Saurdiff, who came to the Admirals two weeks ago, for a tip that helped him in the shootout.
``He told me to play back'' toward the goal, LaLime said.
Shane Henry, the first Renegade to shoot, tried to fake LaLime into committing as Raleigh had done with such success. But LaLime didn't budge, and gloved a short backhanded shot.
``I was a little nervous,'' LaLime acknowledged. ``But after the first one I felt better. I was saying, `Bring on the rest.' ''
Matt Mallgrave, Jim Brown and Porco scored in succession for the Admirals while LaLime was slapping away shots by Jay Murphy and Andrew Shier.
``It's a great win, a great feeling,'' LaLime said.
Had the Admirals lost, a gutty comeback would have gone for naught. The Admirals trailed, 4-2, after a fight-plagued second period, then came storming back to take a 5-4 lead.
Porco, Tom Menicci and Mallgrave all scored in the first eight minutes, then the Admirals attempted to hang on by playing tough defense.
``We laid back a little,'' Brophy said.
And it cost them. The final six minutes looked like a Richmond power play, as the Renegades peppered LaLime with shots and the Admirals appeared content to dump the puck in the Richmond end.
Richmond pulled its goaltender with 1:50 left, and several times the Admirals had open shots at the net. But they were so intent on just slapping the puck away that they never took a shot.
Sean O'Brien finally scored for Richmond at 19:24 on the rebound of a missed shot to send the game into overtime.
Richmond dominated the overtime, outshooting the Admirals, 4-0. But the shootout was all Hampton Roads, and LaLime.
``It feels great to win this one, especially since we played two bad periods,'' Mallgrave said. ``It showed we have a lot of heart to come back like we did, on the road, against the first-place team.'' by CNB