
DATE: Saturday, November 15, 1997           TAG: 9711150410

SECTION: SPORTS                  PAGE: C1   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER 

DATELINE: NORFOLK                           LENGTH:   68 lines

ADMIRALS STILL PERFECT ON HOME ICE WORDS, FISTS FLY IN A SATISFYING FIFTH STRAIGHT VICTORY

On a night when the head coaches exchanged heated words before the first puck dropped and players left the bench and penalty box to get involved in fisticuffs, the Hampton Roads Admirals claimed a very satisfying 4-1 victory over the Roanoke Express.

Dan Ceman broke open what had been a close game Friday at Scope with a breakaway goal at 18:14 of the third period, then wristed in an empty-netter 40 seconds later to help give the Admirals their fifth victory in a row.

Hampton Roads, 7-2-1 overall but 6-0-0 at home, hosts Louisville tonight.

Roanoke (5-3-0) was the only team to have a winning record against the Admirals at Scope last season, claiming three of four games, and the Express guaranteed an intense contest when they skated onto the ice during the pregame light show.

Admirals coach John Brophy took offense and began pounding on the glass between the benches. Brophy was still angry at game's end in large part because of a series of fights that occurred in the final two periods.

``Bleep Roanoke,'' Brophy said. ``They're a bunch of bleeping dogs.''

Roanoke coach Frank Anzalone said his team meant no offense, that nobody told the Express when to skate onto the ice. He said when he saw Brophy pounding on the glass, he had no idea why.

``If we offended anyone in Hampton Roads, I apologize,'' he said.

The teams emerged tied 1-1 from a largely uneventful first period in which all of the scoring came in the last 2 1/2 minutes.

Alexander Kharlamov gave the Admirals a 1-0 lead on a breakaway slap shot hit so hard and well that goalie Dave Gagnon didn't have time to move when it sailed over his left shoulder at 17:39. Ceman and Yuri Yeresko had the assists.

Roanoke's Todd Norman tied the score at 19:00 with a shot that appeared to catch Admirals goalie Sebastien Charpentier off guard. With a defenseman riding on his left hip, Norman lofted a short wrister that caught Charpentier on the wrong side of the net.

It was the only mistake by Charpentier (4-0-0), who has allowed five goals in five games, including one with Portland of the AHL.

Alex Alexeev put the Admirals back on top 2-1 at 11:06 of the second period with a wrister from between the circles that was again so hard and true - he planted it over Gagnon's left shoulder - that the goalie had no time to react.

Things began to get ugly at 10:48 of the second period, when Admirals forward Rob Bonneau thrashed Roanoke's Jeff Loder.

Then, at 10:55 of the third period, both teams lost their composure. It began when Admirals forward Joel Theriault and Roanoke's Cory Peterson got involved in a shouting match. Roanoke's Duane Harmer interceded and fought Theriault.

A minute later, as Peterson was skating off the ice, he exchanged words with Theriault, who was in the penalty box. Theriault left the box to fight, which could result in a suspension. Roanoke's Matt O'Dette left the Roanoke bench, also an offense that could warrant a suspension, to pull Theriault off Peterson and fight him. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Admirals forward Rob Bonneau, left, and goalie Sebastien Charpentier

double-team a shot on net. Charpentier is 4-0-0 in goal for Hampton

Roads.

Photo

NHAT MEYER/The Virginian-Pilot

Roanoke's Chris Fess, left, played the stumbling block for the

Admirals' Yuri Yeresko and Dan Carney during Friday night's game at

Scope.