THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, November 4, 1995 TAG: 9511040511
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 62 lines
Reduced to 13 skaters by injuries, callups and ejections, and victimized by a ``phantom'' goal, the Hampton Roads Admirals nonetheless handed the Richmond Renegades their first loss Friday.
Led by goaltender Mark Bernard, who snuffed out four breakaway shots and collected 28 saves, and Rod Taylor's fifth career hat trick, the Admirals blew past Richmond 6-2 before a frenetic Scope crowd of 8,219.
Hampton Roads (5-1-2) and Richmond (7-1-0) meet again tonight at the Richmond Coliseum. A Hampton Roads victory would put draw the Admirals even with the first-place Renegades in the East Division, each with 14 points.
``It'll be a tough game, going into their place,'' Taylor said.
It can't be much tougher than it was Friday. The Admirals lost three of their top players shortly before game time. Defenseman Chris Phelps was called up by Portland of the American Hockey League; David St. Pierre, the team's top scorer, was scratched with a groin pull, and defenseman Bob Woods was sidelined with a pulled stomach muscle.
Then, early in the first period, defenseman Claude Fillion was ejected for fighting with his hands taped, which is cause for automatic ejection.
The loss of three defensemen forced coach John Brophy to move Jason MacIntyre and Steve Richards back to defense.
``I was nervous. I felt like a rookie,'' said Bernard, who made his first Scope start since leading the Admirals to the 1992 ECHL championship. ``It felt great to be out there again.''
That wasn't the case in the second period, when, with a second left or no time remaining, depending on your point of view, referee Paul Mariconda allowed a goal by Richmond's Brendan Flynn that pulled the Renegades within 3-2.
The goal judge did not set off the light, ruling that the puck hit the net after the horn. But Mariconda overruled him, setting off a storm of protest from fans and Taylor, the Admirals' captain.
Seconds before the goal, linesmen had missed an icing call against the Renegades that would have sent the puck back to the Richmond zone. Taylor was more incensed by the missed icing call than by the ruling on the goal.
``Bernie didn't play the puck because he knew an icing call was coming,'' Taylor fumed.
But the goal proved to be a non-factor as the Admirals dominated the final period. Trevor Halverson knocked in the rebound of a Richards shot to make it 4-2 at 6:28. The Admirals then dug in and played defense until the final minute.
``The defense was great all night,'' Brophy said. ``But when we got up two goals, it got better. Richmond didn't get any chances after that.''
Richmond coach Roy Sommer pulled goaltender Grant Sjerven with a minute left, and Taylor promptly slapped in his third goal at 19:10 to seal the victory. Dozens of hats cascaded on the ice.
Sean Selmser scored the sixth goal, on a centering pass from Halverson, at 19:47.
``Richmond's trying to run off and hide'' in the East standings, Brophy said. ``But we're going after them and we'll fight them until they die.'' by CNB