THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, October 5, 1995 TAG: 9510050530
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
A Scope crowd of 1,520 got its first look Wednesday at the Hampton Roads Admirals, who showed spurts of skill in an intrasquad scrimmage, but mostly looked like a team sorely in need of more manpower.
Veteran Kelly Sorensen scored two goals for the Blue team, which lost to the Gold, 4-3. Because only 15 skaters were available, much of the scrimmage was 3-on-3 with a running clock.
``I thought our guys did a good job, but it you can't tell much by tonight,'' coach John Brophy said. ``All we wanted to do was to put on a good show for the fans, and that we did.''
He added that he won't begin to know how good this team is until Friday, when the Admirals host Roanoke at Scope in the first of three exhibition games.
The good news for Brophy is that help apparently is on the way. Forwards Trevor Halverson and Rick Kowalsky are expected to report by Saturday. They are expected to be released by the Portland Pirates, the Admirals' American Hockey League affiliate, Brophy said. Kowalsky was an All-Star last season and Halverson was the team captain.
Moreover, Dennis McEwen, the only player left from the team's first practice in 1989, said he will begin working out with the team today. A veteran in a league that limits veterans to three per team, he had declined to show up at training camp without an assurance that he would play.
McEwen talked with officials from the players' union, which is negotiating a contract with the ECHL. They told him that an agreement is imminent and that it likely will include a provision to exclude veterans from the three-man cap who are under contract to teams from higher leagues.
With such a rule, the Admirals would have room on their roster for McEwen.
``I'm taking a chance that the rule will be changed,'' McEwen said.
Meanwhile, the Admirals also lost a player - forward Ron Majic was signed by St. John of the AHL to a 25-game contract. Majic had just 15 points in 51 games last season, but he led the team in penalty minutes and was the team's most feared fighter.
Chris Phelps, Jason MacIntyre, Aaron Downey Bob Rishell and Chad Wagner all added goals for the Admirals. Jeff Kostuch had three assists, Steve Richards two and Martin Woods, Tom Menicci and Ian Keiller one apiece.
Downey, who played despite suffering lingering effects from food poisoning, Rishell, Wagner and Menicci all scored in a postgame shootout.
Most players found their toughest adjustment was trying to figure out the new obstruction rule, dubbed the New Jersey Devils Rule, that basically eliminates defensemen from touching players away from the puck.
Seven obstruction penalties were called in the first 25 minutes.
``I'm used to putting wood on a guy next to me,'' Sorensen said. ``But you can't do that now. The effect will be that everyone, even the third-line grunts, will all have to be skilled skaters.''
The Devils won the Stanley Cap with their famed neutral zone trap defense, and the obstruction rule was enacted primarily to nullify the defense, which was so effective that NHL officials feared it was making the game dull.
``I guess when teams are paying guys $3 million, they've got to figure out a way to let them score goals,'' Brophy said. ``I doubt if a team in the NFL won the championship with great defense that the rules would be changed. But I think everyone will get used to it. The players seemed to adjust.''
Rod Taylor, the team's top scorer back from last season, missed the scrimmage with a back injury. He is listed as day-to-day. ILLUSTRATION: Photo by PAUL AIKEN, Staff
Jeff Kostuch tries to get a stick on the puck as goalie Shamus
Gregga blocks the net. The Gold edged the Blue, 4-3, before 1,520 at
Scope. Kostuch had three assists Wednesday night.
by CNB