THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, February 29, 1996 TAG: 9602290482
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 96 lines
``Old time hockey.''
That's how Hampton Roads Admirals center Jeff Kostuch described his team's 3-2 victory over the South Carolina Stingrays Wednesday night, the first at Scope for the Admirals in two weeks.
The victory, the team's second in a row, came in coach John Brophy's first game at Scope since being suspended for three games for tossing a hacksaw-like object at a fan. The win ended a three-game home losing streak, and came four days after the Admirals ended a 9-game losing streak.
``We were playing our position, we were tying up our men and we were waiting for the breaks to score,'' continued Kostuch, who scored the game-winning goal 11:23 of the third period.
True enough. But there were some relatively new faces in new places who staged this revival and guided the team to its second straight victory.
Add in Roanoke's 6-0 loss to Richmond and the victory enabled the Admirals to break their fourth-place East Division tie with the Express. And they pulled within two points of third-place South Carolina.
There was Rod Taylor killing penalties, duty not normally drawn by the Admirals sharpshooter.
There was David St. Pierre, a center by trade, and the team's third-leading scorer. With the Admirals down to three defensemen - and just 13 skaters in all - St. Pierre slid to the back line for the first time this season. He kept his hand in the offense, assisting on the Admirals' second goal. More importantly, he was solid on practically every shift at his new location.
``David looked like he'd been playing defense for years,'' crowed a rightly euphoric center Fran Bussey..
On Monday, Brophy called the seldom-used Bussey into his office at Scope and informed him he was in line for more ice time.
``I had no idea he meant this much ice time,'' said Bussey, who has battled knee problems for more than a year. ``He was hoping it would lift my spirits.''
It did, and he reciprocated by lifting his team's. Skating a regular shift, Bussey notched a goal and an assist on Kostuch's game-winner 11:23 into the final period.
Finally, there was goalie Mike Torchia. He faced 41 Stingray shots and stopped 39 in posting his second win in three starts.
He was especially cool at the end. South Carolina, having already come back from a 2-0 deficit, was madly scrambling from a 3-2 deficit and had a man advantage with goalie Sean Gauthier on the bench.
With 32 seconds to play, South Carolina won a face-off in Admirals' zone. Stingray Mike Ross and a horde of teammates crowded Torchia, straining to get their sticks on the puck.
Finally, it bounded into the air, where Torchia calmly gloved it and waited for the next faceoff.
That came with six seconds to play, again in the Admirals end. South Carolina's Mark Bavis launched a shot from the right circle, headed for the top right corner.
But Torchia gloved that one, too, holding his arm aloft as the final horn sounded and those who actually attended from a crowd of 4,921 stood in tribute.
``Actually, I thought the guys on defense did a great job tonight,'' Torchia said. ``They kept everything on the outside. That made it easy for me.''
The only aspect of Torchia's game not razor-sharp was his puck-clearing. Late in the second period, he was penalized for delay of game after his clearing attempt landed between sections 113 and 219.
Other than that, the newest Admiral was practically impregnable. On the power play that accompanied his errant clear, Torchia used everything the game allows to foil Stingray shots - right led pad, left leg pad, the stick and blocker.
For a while, it looked like Torchia's Scope debut would be a Sunday skate.
Ron Majic, who scored five of his nine goals in February, opened the scoring with blast past Gauthier 13:54 into the first period. He was the recipient of a brilliant set-up pass from forward Mike Barrie, just seconds after defenseman Bob Woods cleared a bouncing puck from in front of Torchia.
Barrie fed Majic on the right wing and he slapped it by Gauthier for a 1-0 lead.
Bussey got his second goal of the season just 36 seconds into a second period that ended with Hampton Roads ahead 2-0.
``We played good hockey, stayed out of the penalty box, were solid all over,'' Brophy said. ``The more we play this way, the more we're going to learn we can win this way. And it helped that the goaltender made the big saves at the end.''
Don't it always. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo
John Brophy
Photo LAWRENCE JACKSON/The Virginian-Pilot
David St. Pierre of the Admirals fights for the puck against South
Carolina on Wednesday. The Admirals defeated the Stingrays 3-2.
by CNB