Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, February 8, 1992 TAG: 9202080315
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B2 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING SPORTSWRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Medium
REBELS GET EASY VICTORY
In a season in which they have had to fight for table scraps in the East Coast Hockey League, the Roanoke Valley Rebels must have felt like room-service recipients Friday night.And the hungry Rebels enjoyed a delectable entree, chewing up and spitting out the Johnstown Chiefs 6-2 at the Vinton LancerLot.
While the Chiefs unwillingly picked up the tab, the Rebels cashed in with some of their best hockey of the season.
"You've got to feast when the feasting is good," said Rebels coach Roy Sommer, all smiles after one of his club's few easy nights of the season.
"You've got to remember we've got a lot of new personnel in here. We've got a lot more speed now and speed is the name of the game."
It was never a contest. The alert Rebels pounced on stunned Chiefs goalie Stan "Smokey" Reddick for four goals in the first period and coasted to their third straight home win.
A stranger to the LancerLot and the ECHL would never have guessed that Johnstown (31-14-2) has the second-best record in the 15-team league; the Rebels (17-26-3) are fighting for a playoff berth.
"We've proved we can beat anybody," said forward Wayne Muir, who paced the Rebels with two goals.
"I think a lot of people wrote this team off. Well, we want to prove them wrong. We've got a hell of a team now and we still have time to do something spectacular here."
Reddick, who entered the game with a league-best 22-6-1 record and nifty 3.60 goals-against average, lasted only 20 minutes before being yanked by Chiefs coach Steve Carlson in favor of backup John Fletcher.
Peter Kasowski, Scott Eichstadt, Mark Woolf and Muir all scored in the Rebs' big first period.
After Brett Stewart made it 5-0 2:25 into the second period, the Chiefs responded with two goals in the next 1:40 to cut the deficit to three. But any hopes of a Johnstown comeback were snuffed out with 8:43 left in the period when Muir made a slick move past a defender and beat Fletcher on a short-handed breakaway goal.
"Muirsey's short-hander was the back-breaker," Sommer said. "He's playing better every game now. He had a tough start [broken left arm in first game], but he's weathered the storm and playing with a lot more confidence now."
Muir, who two weeks ago thought he might be dealt to another club, said new linemates Eichstadt and Corey Lyons have given him a new lease on his hockey life.
"Those guys have been the difference for me," Muir said. "I thought for sure I would be traded. I'm glad I wasn't. I think some good things are going to happen here."
The Chiefs have been hit hard by player losses the past 10 days, losing Boston Bruins farmhands Brian Ferreira, Ted Miskolczi and Mark Krys to the American Hockey League.
"Sure, they were missing a few guys out of their lineup," Sommer noted. "But people beat up on us when we were missing some top guys, so I'm not going to feel sorry for anybody."
\ ICE CHIPS: Eichstadt's first-period goal was also a short-handed score. The Rebs had scored only nine short-handed goals in 45 games before Friday's pair. . . . Goalie Mike James had another stellar night for the Rebels, swatting away 35 of 37 shots. . . . Stewart had two assists to go with his 23rd goal. Lyons also had two assists. . . . Johnstown and Roanoke Valley play again at 4 p.m. Sunday. \
see microfilm for box score