THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, March 11, 1995 TAG: 9503110425
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C5 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 68 lines
The Hampton Roads Admirals won't win the ECHL's East Division title, but they showed Friday they'll have a lot to say about who does.
Hampton Roads knocked Richmond out of a share of first place by holding off the Renegades, 3-2, before a Scope crowd of 8,990, the eighth home sellout for the Admirals this season.
The triumph gave sole possession of first place to Roanoke, which defeated Greensboro. With 74 points, Hampton Roads (34-23-6) is one loss from being mathematically eliminated by the Express and probably can finish no higher than third.
However, the Express will have to skate through Hampton Roads to win the title. The Admirals meet Roanoke in three of their five remaining games, including tonight at the Roanoke Civic Center.
The Admirals got all of their scoring from a trio of players who've been hot as of late, and a superb game in goal from Shamus Gregga, who hadn't played in eight days.
Brendan Curley, Rob MacInnis and Tom Menicci all scored to give the Admirals a 3-1 lead. The Admirals appeared to be coasting to an easy victory when Richmond's Lou Body slapped a loose puck into the net at 18:12 to make it 3-2.
But Richmond was unable to get off a shot the rest of the way as the Admirals smothered the Renegades with their defense.
Gregga, who had 27 saves, played well in five games on a 13-game road trip that ended last week, and he had to. He was the only goaltender on the roster.
But Gregga lost his starting position to Corwin Saurdiff last week when he was optioned from Kansas City of the IHL, and Saurdiff has been nothing short of spectacular.
Nonetheless, coach John Brophy told Gregga only minutes before the Admirals hit the ice that he would start.
``When nobody else was here he was playing every game and playing great,'' said Brophy, who added that Saurdiff will play tonight.
``You've got to keep them playing. You can't have a goaltender sitting on the bench who's capable of playing in this league, which he is.''
Brophy was so upset with his team following a 3-2 loss to Roanoke Wednesday that he banished the Admirals from the Scope ice. The Admirals usually practice the day before a game and almost always have a short practice the morning of a game.
``He said he didn't want to see us again until Friday night,'' Admirals defenseman Ron Pascucci said. ``It was a motivational thing to get us thinking about the game instead of the same old, same old.
``We played a terrible first period against Roanoke (in which they were outscored, 3-0). Broph was mad at us and rightfully so.''
Brophy said he doesn't know and doesn't care if hismotivation worked.
``They came out themselves,'' he said. ``It's got to come within the dressing room. I can't do it for them.''
Bolstered by the return of Rob MacInnis, who was moved from center, the defense limited Richmond to only a handful of high percentage shots. Defenseman Brian Goudie had two assists. Even Gregga had an assist on the Curley goal.
``When we play this hard, it's tough for anyone in the league to beat us,'' Brophy said.
And they will soon get tougher, he said. All-ECHL forwards John Porco and Rick Kowalsky, both in the AHL, should come back to Norfolk soon, he said.
``When we get them back, we're as good as anyone in this league,'' Brophy said. by CNB