THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, February 26, 1995 TAG: 9502260196
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: JOHNSTOWN, PA. LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines
With their head coach suspended indefinitely and their lineup reduced to just 13 players by what seems to be a never-ending series of injuries and suspensions, the Hampton Roads Admirals succumbed to the Johnstown Chiefs, 3-2, Saturday at Cambria County War Memorial Stadium.
Admirals coach John Brophy was suspended indefinitely Saturday by ECHL commissioner Pat Kelly for his alleged role in a fight following the Admirals' 3-2 victory over Wheeling on Friday. Brophy was pounding on the glass and yelling at the Wheeling timekeeper, who failed to start the clock for several seconds after the puck had been dropped late in the game, when a fight broke out behind him.
The Admirals were assessed 12 penalties to six for the Thunderbirds for the post-game fight by referee Paul Mariconda, who spent several hours reviewing tapes after the game. Also suspended indefinitely were Ron Majic and Trevor Halverson.
Halverson is in Portland, Maine, where he was supposed to play Saturday for the Admirals' AHL affiliate. But because the AHL also honors ECHL suspensions, he won't play until Kelly lifts the suspension.
Word on that won't come until Monday, when Kelly has a chance to review the game films. He suspended the players and Brophy on the word of Mariconda, as well as two Wheeling players.
By game's end Saturday, the Admirals were down to 10 skaters and goaltender Shamus Gregga. John Porco, the Admirals' leading scorer, was given a major for spearing and a game-misconduct, and the accompanying automatic ejection, with 40 seconds left in the second period.
Jason MacIntyre was felled by a high-stick at 16:00 of the third period, one that did not draw a penalty.
Another Johnstown high stick, which again did not draw a penalty, knocked three teeth from the mouth of Admirals' defenseman Brian Goudie and left a large pool of blood on the ice late in the third period, but he returned to play in the final minutes.
The Admirals were bitterly critical of referee Dave Brown and linesmen Dan Broniman and Bob Baldwin, especially at Brown's failure to call penalties on the plays that felled Goudie and MacIntyre. Anytime a stick draws blood, a major for high-sticking and a game-misconduct are supposed to result.
Defenseman Ron Pascucci, an alternate captain, said Brown took revenge on the Admirals for Friday's brawl.
``I hate to say it, but the officiating cost us this game,'' he said. ``He (Brown) came out on the ice with the intention of stuffing this one up our -----.''
The Admirals had their chances in spite of it all. With the score tied at 2-2, they killed 4:30 of Porco's major to begin the third period, but the effort appeared to wear them down. Johnstown scored on a Jason Brousseau tip-in at 7:09.
The Admirals shut out the Chiefs the rest of the way, and with 1:30 left pulled goaltender Shamus Gregga. The strategy almost worked, as the Admirals pounded Johnstown goaltender Aaron Israel with four shots in the final 30 seconds.
Admirals president Blake Cullen, who was in Wheeling and Johnstown, said he thinks Brophy's suspension will expire Monday. The suspensions on Majic and Halverson will run a minimum of three games unless Kelly rescinds them.
Brophy, who watched Saturday's game from a cramped corner of the press box, was fuming at Kelly.
``I wouldn't be sitting here if my name was Smith,'' Brophy said in apparent reference to his longstanding animosity with Kelly.
``I did nothing at Wheeling that should have caused me to be suspended. Nothing. Not a damn thing.'' by CNB