THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 2, 1995 TAG: 9512020736
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY RICH RADFORD, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 59 lines
The Hampton Roads Admirals experienced a reversal of fortunes Friday night, coming from two goals down in the last six minutes to force a shootout, then winning one, for a change.
After being on the short end of eight of nine previous shootouts this season, the Admirals beat the Charlotte Checkers 4-3 when Trevor Halverson and David St. Pierre scored on their shootout attempts.
St. Pierre's became the game's winning goal when Admirals goalie Mark Bernard turned back the last four of the Checkers' five shootout attempts.
The Admirals' ship appeared dead in the water with six minutes remaining. Down 3-1, Hampton Roads had been lulled into a game of Penalty Box Bingo much of the third period, which saw an uncommonly high 60 penalty minutes.
But then forward Aaron Downey offered his teammates a challenge.
``I looked down the bench and said, `Let's show some character here, boys,' '' Downey said. ``I didn't think in my heart that this one was over, not by a long shot.''
As incentive, Downey took the reins. With 5:08 left, he raced through the slot, gathered in a puck that had bounced off the back boards and put it past Checkers goalie Nick Vitucci.
A little less than two minutes later, Dominic Maltais took a pass from St. Pierre and beat Vitucci through the leg pads, tying matters at 3-3.
The overtime set up a showdown between former teammates and old friends Bernard and Vitucci, the two goalies with the most appearances in East Coast Hockey League history. Vitucci has played in 264 ECHL games with seven teams and has been a member three Jack Riley Cup champions. Bernard has played in 151 games for three teams and has two championship rings.
``I like shootouts,'' Bernard said. ``But against Nicky they're even better. For six years, we've had a low-key and quiet competition. He's a great goalie. It's hard not to get up against him.''
Halverson beat Vitucci with a hard wrister to the stick side.
St. Pierre's goal came on a three-fake move.
``He went left, I went left. He went right, I went right. He went left, I didn't go left,'' Vitucci said. ``I got jock-strapped.''
St. Pierre's goal ended the Admirals' string of 10 overtime losses at Scope, eight by shootout, stretching back to Nov. 9, 1993.
On a sobering note, the Admirals will await word on a possible suspension of forward Rick Kowalsky, who was given a game misconduct in the third period for running over referee Ian Walsh.
Kowalsky, who said the incident was pure accident, cross-checked Walsh to the ice after firing off a shot in the slot and turning to find himself almost on top of Walsh. The Admirals' Rod Taylor is serving an eight-game suspension for firing a puck at a referee last week. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Hampton Roads Rick Kowalsky, right, checks the
Checkers' J.F. Aube during first-period action at Scope. The
Admirals erased a late 3-1 deficit to win in overtime.
by CNB