THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 24, 1996 TAG: 9601240525
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 60 lines
Richmond Renegades center Greg Hadden thought he'd never see a rivalry like the ones he cherished as a collegian at Northern Michigan. Then he was introduced to the Hampton Roads Admirals.
``Our big rival was Michigan Tech,'' the rookie said Tuesday. ``When we played them, it was a weekend series. We'd play a game at their place on Friday, a game at our place Saturday. We were about an hour apart. The players would get psyched and the fans from both towns got really involved.
``Now that I think about it, sounds a lot like us and the Admirals.''
Indeed, earlier this season the Admirals and Renegades met for a home-and-home weekend series. The Renegades were undefeated, having reeled off seven wins to open the season. But before 8,219 at Scope, Rod Taylor scored a hat trick and goalie Mark Bernard blocked 28 shots in a 6-2 win.
The next night in Richmond, Trevor Halverson scored two goals and assisted on two others and goalie Darryl Paquette stopped 41 Renegades shots in a 4-3 victory.
``I think that's my fondest memory of the rivalry,'' Bernard says, ``beating them two nights in a row when they were undefeated.''
Richmond, the defending ECHL champion, has had its revenge. Heading into tonight's 7:30 match at Scope, the Renegades are 3-0-1 against the Admirals since that weekend and hold a seven-point lead over Hampton Roads in the race for first place in the East Division. Included in that success is a 7-1 rout of the Admirals at the Richmond Coliseum on Jan. 13.
``I think that was a one-game deal,'' Hadden said. ``Everyone has an off night. These teams are so close in ability, that's not going to happen often.''
Bernard says he's sure there are good rivalries in other ECHL divisions - Columbus vs. Dayton in the North, maybe Knoxville-Nashville in the South.
``And we used to have a pretty good one with Greensboro,'' he said. ``But this one has a different feel. The fans are a big part of it. Theirs come here. Ours go there. No one wants to let them down. It makes it all the more intense.''
The last Admirals-Renegades encounter degenerated into a series of fights late in the final period, individual battles raging on long after the outcome had been determined.
``When you have two teams with such an intense rivalry, whatever style of play the teams use always escalates,'' Bernard said. Things are always more heated.''
Bernard sees tonight's game as critical for the Admirals. Win and pick up two points; lose and fail to make up valuable ground.
``If we want to take first place, we've got to beat them when we have the chance,'' he said.
Those are dwindling. After tonight, the teams don't meet until March 16 at Scope, then a home-and-home weekend series starting March 22 to end the season.
``Don't ask me why, but I've got a feeling that last series is going to decide who finishes first in the division,'' Bernard said. by CNB