THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, February 11, 1995 TAG: 9502110255
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 82 lines
Sometimes you play as hard and well and with as much heart as you possibly can, and it still isn't enough.
Such was the case Friday for the Hampton Roads Admirals, who lost in overtime to the Wheeling Thunderbirds, 4-3, in a game that had the taste and feel of an ECHL playoff game.
A Scope crowd of 8,987, three short of a sellout, cheered throughout as the Admirals outhit and at times outhustled the Thunderbirds (34-12-5), who have the league's best record.
But it was Wheeling contingent of about 100 fans that cheered last.
At 2:20 into overtime, Wheeling defenseman Brent Pope knocked the puck from Jim Brown at the Thunderbirds blue line and to teammate Claude Jutras. He passed to Xavier Majic at center ice, and the pass gave the Thunderbirds had a 3-on-1 advantage that they didn't waste.
When Majic reached the right circle he shoveled a centering pass to Pope, who wristed in the game winner between goaltender Todd Hunter's legs at 2:34 of overtime.
``It was the biggest shot of Pope's career,'' said Wheeling coach Doug Sauter, whose team plays at Richmond tonight.
``We'll probably watch it on the replay 20 times tonight on the way to Richmond.
``We viewed this game as a playoff game and it sure looked like one. No fights, just hard-hitting, tough hockey.
``Both teams played very well and got great goaltending.''
Hunter indeed played well. He had 44 saves, including half a dozen on 5-on-3 power plays.
Though Hunter was unable to stop the last shot, Admirals' coach John Brophy said he wasn't at fault.
``When you get caught 3-on-1 in overtime, what do you think is going to happen?,'' he said. ``What could he do? It's tough to stop a shot like that.
``We had a great comeback, and then we gave it away.''
The Admirals indeed came back, and in courageous fashion. Trailing, 3-2, in the waning minutes of the third period, the Admirals were awarded a two-minute power play when Xavier Majic, first cousin of Admirals forward Ron Majic, was called for slashing at 16:52.
A minute later, Admirals center John Porco was knocked to the ice when a shot by Chris Phelps hit him in the back. When he got up he was clubbed with a stick in the back of the neck by a Wheeling defender.
He got up again in time for Phelps to pass to defenseman Rob MacInnis in the left circle. MacInnis fired a daring pass across the ice and the Wheeling defense in front of the net to Porco.
Porco then redirected the puck into the let at 18:04 to knot the score at 3-3.
``From that point on, we just wanted to get into overtime,'' Sauter said. ``They had the momentum, and I thought the crowd noise was going to knock the building down.''
The building stood, as did the Wheeling defense in the final 1:56 of regulation.
Brown gambled on the play that led to Pope's game-winner. He attempted to carry the puck past Pope, and if he'd done so, would have had a breakaway shot.
But three of his teammates were adjacent to him, and got caught flatfooted.
``I didn't know I had that many guys down with me,'' Brown said. ``I thought I had him (Pope), but his stick came out of nowhere.
``That's the kind of mistake we have to eliminate. We can't make mistakes like that in a game like this.''
The overtime loss gave the Admirals (28-16-4) a point, and thus allowed them to retain second place in the East Division, a point ahead of Charlotte.
But it was a bitter way to begin a five-day break.
``It was a shame anyone had to lose this game,'' Admirals' defenseman Brian Goudie said.
``This was like the games last year in the playoffs. Everyone played hard.
``But close hockey games are usually decided by mistakes. I guess we just made one too many.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo by MOTOYA NAKAMURA, Staff
John Porco, left, and Claude Jutras are up, Kelly Sorenson, bottom
left, and Xavier Majic down in this scrap.
by CNB