THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, February 1, 1995 TAG: 9502010619
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
That it was a bitter day for the Hampton Roads Admirals on Tuesday was apparent in the 15 minutes following the team's 3-2 loss to the Charlotte Checkers, when the team's best player lost his cool and coach John Brophy had to be restrained from taking on a fan at Independence Arena.
The game ended with John Porco, playing for the first time for Hampton Roads in three weeks, screaming and cussing at linesman John Horan. He twice smashed his stick into the glass, had to be restrained by teammates, then tossed his stick down a hallway.
Porco said Horan had dropped the puck prematurely on two faceoffs in the final 15 seconds, both won by Charlotte.
``He kept saying hurry up, like he had a date or something waiting for him,'' Porco said. ``He's supposed to give me time to get set. He didn't.''
Brophy put his arm around Porco and led him to the locker room. About 10 minutes later, Brophy emerged and muttered a comment in the direction of Charlotte coach John Marks, who was walking past to do a postgame radio show.
Several dozen fans standing around the Admirals' locker room then began yelling at Brophy, including one who uttered a curse word and gestured at Brophy.
Brophy ran up into the stands and momentarily grabbed him before being restrained by security personnel. The fan was ushered out of the arena, and Brophy was ordered to the locker room by Charlotte police, who threatened to arrest him if he came out again.
Brophy was allowed to leave with Nancy White, the LPGA pro with whom he shares a Virginia Beach home. Brophy, who spoke with the media immediately after the game, was unavailable for comment after the brief altercation.
The defeat was the third in a series of bitter, one-goal defeats to Charlotte and came only hours after the Admirals learned they had lost goaltender Corwin Saurdiff to Kansas City of the IHL.
Pouring salt into the Admirals' wounds was the fact that two former Admirals, who left on poor terms and have become bitter rivals since coming to Charlotte, scored the tying and winning goals.
Eric Fenton, who quit the Admirals last season in a dispute with Brophy, tied the game at 10:25. Shawn Wheeler, who was given a release from the Admirals last summer to play for Columbus, then signed with Charlotte, scored the game-winner on a power-play goal at 16:20.
The loss extended a four-game non-winning streak, in which untimely penalties have played a major role. That was the case again Tuesday, as Wheeler's game-winner came on a power play set up by a roughing penalty on Matt Mallgrave.
Minutes later, a tripping penalty on defenseman Rob MacInnis gave Charlotte a power play for all but 29 seconds of the final three minutes.
``He let the game be decided on a tripping call,'' MacInnis said of referee Kevin Maguire. ``The guy (who fell) has been taking dives all year. The referees aren't getting any smarter.''
Brophy harshly criticized his team for penalties in recent games, but not so Tuesday.
``It always seems to happen to us, doesn't it?'' he said of the two penalties. ``We did not deserve those last two penalties.''
A bright spot for Hampton Roads came in goal, where Todd Hunter, purchased Tuesday morning from Raleigh, had 32 saves, including three in a one-minute stretch when the Checkers skated with a two-man advantage.
``We've got ourselves a great goaltender,'' Brophy said.
The Admirals also apparently regained the services of Shamus Gregga, whose junior-hockey team in British Columbia had not granted him a release to play for Hampton Roads. Gregga said Tuesday night that a financial settlement had been agreed upon. The Nanaimo Clippers had asked for $5,000, but Brophy indicated that the Admirals paid far less.
After having lost six key players in less than three weeks, the Admirals finally regained one Tuesday in Porco. Brophy said the team needs more players to return.
``We're short a few players. We need to get some guys back into the lineup,'' he said. ``There wasn't a guy on the ice who didn't play his ---- off. We played as hard as we can play.'' by CNB