THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, November 15, 1995 TAG: 9511150371
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 72 lines
There's no telling where this string of shootout losses will end. Things like this have a way of snowballing, as if it hasn't already.
The Hampton Roads Admirals lost their 11th consecutive shootout Tuesday night, falling to the Toledo Storm 4-3 at Scope.
The Admirals even went as far as to practice their shootout rushes Monday. But they aren't accepting invitations to the OK Corral right now.
``You can go in and shoot on the goalie, but it's a whole different world in a game,'' forward Rick Kowalsky said. ``The pressure is 50 times what it is in practice.
``For this team right now it's a mental thing. We've lost every shootout this year (five). We've got to win one of these things or every time we head into one we'll be thinking, `Oh no.' ''
To get into this shootout, the Admirals (7-1-5) let a 3-1 lead slip away in regulation despite attempting 16 more shots on goal than the Storm (40-24).
Power-play goals by Alexei Krivchenkov, Sean Selmser and Kowalsky gave the Admirals their cushion. But a funny bounce here and a perfect shot there, and the lead was gone.
With less than two minutes to play in the second period, Admirals defenseman Sergei Voronov mishandled a loose puck in front of the Admirals' goal, and when Angelo Ricci took it off Voronov's stick, Admirals goalie Mark Bernard was so far out of position he had no chance to make a stop on a point-blank shot.
``It was a tough break,'' Kowalsky said. ``Sergei tried to stop it in the slot, but you can't take too many chances when you've got a lead and it's near the end of the period. You want to play safe. You've got a lead and you want to keep it. He took a high risk and we got burned.''
Toledo's Todd Wetzel scored on a rush less than three minutes into the third period when his slap shot sneaked past Bernard and nestled just inside the far post to tie matters 3-3.
At that point, Admirals head coach John Brophy pulled Bernard in favor of Darryl Paquette.
``Three goals against us on 17 or 18 shots or whatever it was,'' Brophy said. ``It wasn't a hard decision. The puck was in the net, and it's the goaltender's job as much as anyone else's to stop the puck from going in the net.''
Wetzel scored on Toledo's second shootout effort, and the Admirals played catchup the rest of the way. Serge Aubin knotted the shootout at one apiece, but Rick Judson scored on the Storm's fourth attempt.
Hampton Roads' Trevor Halverson tied it again, but then Mark Stitt's goal made the Storm 3 for 5.
When Laurie stopped Rod Taylor's effort, the Admirals' string of futility reached 11.
Such futility, however, can be overcome. And Toledo knows as much.
``The first year we won the Jack Riley Cup (1992-93), we lost 11 of those shootouts ourselves,'' said Toledo coach Greg Puhalski, who played on that Storm squad. ``I know how disheartening they can be. You feel a bit cheated.
``We were just glad the playoff games weren't decided in shootouts. We won three of those in overtime, two in double OT.'' ILLUSTRATION: BILL TIERNAN
The Virginian-Pilot
Admirals goalie Mike Bernard plays the puck as two teammates
sandwich Toledo's Mike Whitton.
SUMMARY
STANDINGS
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]
by CNB