DATE: Saturday, March 1, 1997               TAG: 9703010633

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   63 lines

RICHMOND RALLIES FOR OT VICTORY THE LOSS DROPS THE ADMIRALS INTO A TIE FOR FIRST IN THE ECHL EAST.

It was the type of game that makes rivalries what they are.

After two consecutive victories over the Richmond Renegades last month - one of them an 8-0 shellacking - the Hampton Roads Admirals seemed confident they had what it takes to handle their I-64 nemesis.

But the Renegades proved otherwise Friday night, dominating play and ultimately beating the Admirals 3-2 in a shootout that was very costly to the home team. The loss, coupled with South Carolina's 8-1 victory over Roanoke, leaves the Admirals and Stingrays tied for first place in the ECHL's East Division. Each has 78 points, although South Carolina has a game in hand.

The loss so aggravated coach John Brophy that he spent the better part of 15 minutes angrily lecturing his team about their shortcomings.

Although two weeks apart, it also was Hampton Roads' second consecutive loss at Scope, one witnessed by a sellout crowd of 9,010. There's little time to analyze what went wrong. Tonight, Hampton Roads plays in Raleigh against an IceCaps team that has presented the Admirals with stiff challenges the last two times they've met.

``We didn't do our jobs tonight,'' the Admirals' Randy Pearce said. ``We gave up too many opportunities. On the road, we were playing great. But we sat in the penalty box all night and you have to score more than two goals to win games in this league.''

In the shootout, Jay McNeill, Tom MacDonald and Scott Burfoot beat goalie Darryl Paquette, who stopped 41 shots during regulation and was otherwise sterling in keeping the Admirals in the game. Paquette got large pieces of MacDonald's and Burfoot's shots, but each dribbled by him and into the net.

Victor Gervais scored Hampton Roads' only overtime goal. Richmond's Grant Sjerven stopped Pearce and Dominic Maltais. Newly signed Phil Berger, who had an assist on one of Gervais' goals, tried to put a move on Sjerven on his rush but couldn't get off a shot.

``It's very disappointing,'' Paquette said. ``This is a game we have to step up for. We've got to be ready to play, but we didn't play well. We took some foolish penalties.''

Gervais was one of the few bright spots for the Admirals. He scored both of the team's goals, and nearly had another 7:10 into the third period. But it was waved off by referee Terry Koharski.

Richmond got a fluke goal from recently acquired Sebastien Fortier three minutes into the second period to tie the score at 1. Martin Roy's shot from behind the Admirals' net appeared to glance off Fortier, change direction and escape Paquette.

With time winding down in the second period, Chad Ackerman drew a penalty from Richmond's Craig Paterson. Seconds later, Ackerman blistered a power-play shot at Sjerven. Gervais, camped in front of the goalie, deflected the shot to give the Admirals a 2-1 edge.

When MacDonald took a foolish elbowing penalty six minutes into the third period, the Admirals looked to expand their margin. Instead, McNeill stole the puck in Hampton Roads' end and slipped it past Paquette. ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]

L. TODD SPENCER

The Virginian-Pilot

L. TODD SPENCER

The Admirals' Aaron Downey skates away after leveling Richmond's

John Lovell. Lovell was helped off the ice.

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