THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, March 3, 1996 TAG: 9603030286
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 77 lines
Chances are, three men who were in Scope for the Hampton Roads Admirals' 3-1 victory over Johnstown on Saturday will remember the night more fondly than the other 7,234 in attendance.
The first two are Brian and Dennis, last names unknown, fans who used the Scope scoreboard to make marriage proposals to Melissa and Lori, respectively.
The third fellow is Admirals goalie Mark Bernard, whose career now has a twist of ironic symmetry.
Bernard, playing his first complete since a 3-1 loss at Johnstown on Feb. 17, stopped 27 shots in posting his 100th professional victory - and stopping a personal eight-game losing streak.
``It means a lot for obvious reasons, but also because it came against the team I was playing for when I got my first win,'' Bernard said. ``I spent 25 games in Johnstown once I got into the pros. It feels great to get that 100th against them.
``I've been chasing this for a long time. This is the longest losing streak I've ever had.''
Early in the first period, it seemed unlikely that Bernard would be around for the whole game. With Alexander Savchenkov bearing down on him, Bernard came out of net and collided with teammate Steve Richards before caroming into the sideboards. He stayed down for a couple of minutes but never left the game.
Offensively, he got help from Rod Taylor, Joel Poirier and Serge Aubin. After Johnstown took a 1-0 lead on a shorthanded goal in the first period, those three and a supporting cast went elbow-to-elbow with the Chiefs and gradually wore them down, scored three straight goals.
``Overall, we really played with intensity,'' coach John Brophy said. ``At no time did we back off.''
The Admirals went scoreless in the first period and had just two shots during the first 11:30 of the second. Then Taylor took a pass on the right side, made a sharp cut to the net and slipped the puck past Johnstown goalie Peter Skudra to tie the score.
Five minutes into the third period, Poirier got the game-winner, on a power play. David St. Pierre fired at Skudra. He made the save, but the puck squirted to Poirier, who lifted it past the goalie.
With less than two minutes to play, Aubin won a faceoff in front of Bernard. Seconds later, he found himself with the puck and an empty Johnstown net just a few feet away. That gave the Admirals their final margin of victory and more reason to feel good about their recent play. The victory, although against the team with the league's fewest points, was Hampton Roads' third in its last four outings.
Bernard made sure that nothing would happen to overturn it with a couple of last-minute saves.
``I was more nervous tonight that I've been in any other game,'' Bernard said. ``I was stepping into some pretty big shoes. Torgie (recently acquired goalie Mike Torchia) has been playing great.
``I didn't even feel safe when it was 3-1. Hey, there was still a minute and something left. They get a quick one and anything can happen.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
GARY C. KNAPP
Hampton Roads' Aaron Downey and Johnstown's Brandon Christian, left,
tussle on the ice. Downey got five minutes in the penalty box;
Christian was ejected. The Admirals won 3-1 at Scope.
by CNB