THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 15, 1996 TAG: 9602150510
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 71 lines
Enough's enough.
That's the message everyone in the front office of the struggling Hampton Roads Admirals made loud and clear Wednesday night after the team's 4-3 loss to the Charlotte Checkers.
The contest was played before a crowd of 4,512, smallest and by far least enthusiastic of the season. Even their unofficial mascot, the YMCA Song dancing-man, was absent.
Immediately after the defeat, the Admirals' 10th in the last 11 games, fifth in a row and fifth in their last six home games, coach John Brophy and president Blake Cullen held a closed-door meeting.
While that was happening, assistant coach Al MacIssac was holding a brief meeting with a team that couldn't face a worse time to embark on a two-week road trip.
``Right now, the guys are so down on themselves and one another,'' MacIssac said. ``When you're going the way we are, finger-pointing starts because the frustration gets so high - and that isn't going to help us get winning again.
``It can't get any lower than this. We've got to clear the slate and find some way for everyone to be more positive.''
Goalie Todd Hunter's performance might be a good place to start. Hunter faced 41 shots, many of them excellent scoring opportunities, and turned away 37.
The Admirals opened the scoring. After an initial power play that netted not even a shot on goal, Hampton Roads found its stride on the next man-advantage.
Rod Taylor, aided by passes from Ron Majic and Sergei Voronov, slipped the puck past Charlotte goalie Ken Sheppard for a 1-0 lead.
But after killing off three penalties - and seven of eight in the game - the Admirals surrendered two full-strength goals in the final 90 seconds of the first period. Noren got the Checkers' first goal. Then Matt Robbins got lucky.
His shot at Hunter clanked off defenseman Steve Richards' stick and hopped over a prone Hunter and into the net with 10.9 seconds before the first intermission.
The teams battled evenly for the opening 17 minutes of the second period. Then, the Checkers scored two goals in a 40-second span to take a 4-1 lead.
The third goal, in particular, upset the crowd.
Ex-Admiral Shawn Wheeler scored a power-play goal after Noren passed the puck to Phil Berger and his shot clanked off Wheeler's body and caromed past Hunter.
The Noren-to-Berger-to-Wheeler combination was one the Admirals faced many times in the past when the trio played for Greensboro. Berger was recently reunited with his old teammates via trade.
Less than a minute later, Charlotte's Kimbi Daniels took a pass from Scott Meehan and outraced the Hampton Roads defense to score a breakaway goal.
Majic, who had his best offensive night of the year, scored for Hampton Roads three minutes into the third period. He came back with another goal with 10 seconds to go to make the score more respectable, but still depressing.
``There's no question things are low right now,'' Majic said. ``But I believe we'll turn it around. What's it going to take? Hard work.''
NOTES - Admirals owner Blake Cullen will make a guest appearance on the Admirals Report tonight at 7 on WTAR-AM (790). ... Cullen announced Wednesday night that he has decided not to raise ticket prices for the 1996-97 season. All seats will remain $8 apiece. ILLUSTRATION: GARY C. KNAPP
Charlotte's Darryl Noren, left, slides after knocking over Admirals
goalie Todd Hunter, who recovered and notched 37 saves.
by CNB