DATE: Friday, October 10, 1997              TAG: 9710100897

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C5   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: YORK COUNTY                       LENGTH:   48 lines

ADMIRALS FALL FLAT IN EXHIBITION OPENER A YOUNG RICHMOND SQUAD OUTSHOOTS THE HOME TEAM 31-22.

Fortunately for the Hampton Roads Admirals, it was only an exhibition game and only a few hundred people saw it.

Richmond got goals from four different players and stellar goaltending from rookies Dave MacDonald and Stuart Logan, who probably won't make the team, and pounded the Admirals 5-1 Thursday night in the exhibition opener for both teams.

The game was played at the Ice Palace, a rink with no seating, because Scope was unavailable. The 300 or so souls who stood for 2 1/2 hours had little to cheer for even though the home team appeared to have the deck stacked in its favor.

Richmond dressed 16 newcomers and just two returnees, while the Admirals's veterans included forwards Victor Gervais and Rod Taylor and most of their defensemen.

But Richmond dominated, outshooting the Admirals 31-22.

``Richmond had a lot of guys who wanted to make the team and some of our guys didn't, I guess,'' coach John Brophy said.

Brophy praised newcomers Billy Lincoln and Dan Carney. Left wing Brian Callahan, a rookie from Boston College, scored the only goal in the first period.

Otherwise, there were few highlights except for boxing enthusiasts. There were six fights, including three in a 13-second stretch in the second period.

The oddest bout matched Gervais, a 5-foot-10 center who rarely fights, against 6-foot-4, 225-pound rookie Brad Mahoney. The fight was brief, but Gervais appeared to land more solid punches than his larger opponent.

Goalie Corwin Saurdiff, playing in his first game in nearly two years, played well, Brophy said.

Saurdiff, who had surgery on his colon in 1996, allowed only one soft goal - an over-the-shoulder wrister by Chris Wheaton.

``Saurdiff did a great job for a guy who hasn't played in two years and has no colon,'' Brophy said.

Brophy had planned to make most of his cuts Monday, but said he'll made some today, prior to tonight's exhibition with the Chesapeake IceBreakers at the Ice Palace.

``I'm just disappointed our guys didn't try harder,'' Brophy said. ``The other guys are Richmond, they're the enemy. That's as ugly as it gets. I guarantee you this: Every guy on our team who plays Saturday night in Richmond will know the difference. They'll get their snouts punched every time they move.''

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