THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Tuesday, February 13, 1996 TAG: 9602130390
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C7 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 76 lines
The Hampton Roads Admirals suffered another major blow Monday when forward Rick Kowalsky, the team's third-leading scorer, apparently was lost for the season to a broken left arm.
Kowalsky fractured a radius bone in his lower left arm while crashing into the boards Saturday during the Admirals' 5-3 loss at Nashville. He was treated at a Nashville hospital that night.
On Monday, after the team returned from Sunday's game in Birmingham, Admirals team doctors placed Kowalsky's arm in a hard cast and said it's doubtful he'll return to action this season.
``He'll be out a minimum of six weeks,'' trainer Rick Burrill said. ``It doesn't look good. We would have to advance pretty far into the playoffs for Rick to return.''
That assumes that Kowalsky would make the playoff roster, which must be submitted on March 23, six weeks from Monday. The playoffs begin March 25.
Kowalsky, an ECHL All-Star last season, had 50 points (21 goals and 29 assists) in 52 games.
The loss of Kowalsky leaves the Admirals with only one player from the six who started in the season opener.
Trevor Halverson, the team's top player, went to Las Vegas of the International Hockey League last month. The Admirals have gone 3-8-2 since.
Defenseman Ron Pascucci and goalie Darryl Paquette were called up by Portland, the Admirals' AHL affiliate. Halverson, Pascucci and Paquette have not been replaced by the higher leagues.
Defenseman Chris Phelps, an ECHL-All-Star, has also been lost to an injury until mid-March.
Forward David St. Pierre, the only remaining starter from the Admirals' opener, has spent much of the season in Portland.
Serge Aubin, who was not in the starting lineup for the team's opener but nonetheless leads the team in scoring, has been out for two weeks with an elbow injury. He won't play Wednesday when the Admirals host Charlotte at Scope.
``Callups, you expect,'' Admirals president Blake Cullen said. ``It's the injuries that have hurt us. We've had a lot of injuries.''
Pascucci, meanwhile, hasn't played in Portland since being called up two weeks ago, which is a source of some frustration in the Admirals' front office.
``We were kind of led to believe that wouldn't happen,'' Cullen said. ``Pascucci was an All-Star (last season) and hasn't dressed yet for them. They wanted Phelps, too, until they found out he was hurt.''
BERGER BACK: Former Greensboro Monarchs standout Phil Berger will face the Admirals on Wednesday when the Charlotte Checkers visit Scope. Berger, perhaps the most unpopular visiting player ever to come to Scope, was acquired by Charlotte over the weekend and scored two goals in two games for the Checkers.
Berger recently was fired as coach of West Palm Beach Barracudas of the Southern Hockey League and announced he wanted to play in the ECHL. Louisville had his rights, which were traded to Louisiana, then to Charlotte.
Berger is playing on the same line with veterans Shawn Wheeler and Darryl Noren, who combined for years on the Greensboro Monarchs' top line.
Wednesday's game is the last for the Admirals at Scope until Feb. 28, when they return from a two-week road trip. The Admirals have dropped to fourth in the East Division with 62 points. Charlotte is third with 64.
SKATE WITH ADMIRALS: The Hampton Roads Admirals Booster Club will hold its last ``Skate with the Admirals'' session of the season from 7 to 9:30 tonight at the Kempsville Family Skating Center in Virginia Beach.
The $5 admission fee includes skate rental; skaters may also bring their own on-lines. ILLUSTRATION: A broken radius bone will sideline Admirals forward Rick
Kowalsky at least six weeks.
by CNB