Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: TUESDAY, March 2, 1993 TAG: 9303010059
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
CELEBRATION SHORT-LIVED FOR RAMPAGE
There was no amazing underdog story Sunday at the Vinton LancerLot.Playing eight hours after arriving back in town from Saturday night's colossal upset victory in Johnstown, Pa., the Roanoke Valley Rampage was slapped back into the world of reality by the Richmond Renegades.
As expected, the tired, short-handed Rampage was no match for the fresh-legged Renegades, and Roanoke Valley was drilled 9-2 in front of 953 spectators.
Forget loss No. 44 in 57 games, though. The big story Sunday still was the Rampage's monumental achievement in Johnstown - a 6-5 overtime shocker that ended the longest losing streak in East Coast Hockey history at 26 games.
In one of the most bizarre story lines in a league known for its zany scripts, the Rampage, spurred by coach Steve Gatzos' decision to suit up and play, scored one of the unlikeliest wins in the ECHL's five-year history.
In his first professional action in two years, Gatzos scored a goal in regulation, then assisted on Ken House's winning goal in overtime as the Rampage won on the road for the first time in 119 days.
"Steve Gatzos is my hero," said Rampage owner Larry Revo, still shaking his head Sunday over what happened 350 miles north of Vinton 15 hours earlier. "I just can't believe he did what he did."
Gatzos paid the price for his impromptu ice time. The 31-year-old coach barely could walk when the club, after an all-night bus ride, arrived at the LancerLot at 5:30 a.m. Sunday. His left knee, the same injured knee that cut short short his NHL career in 1985, was swollen like a water balloon.
"There's absolutely no way I could have played again [Sunday]," Gatzos said. "I'm just glad I picked the right spot to get out there. I'm hurting now, but at least we ended that damned losing streak. That makes it worth it."
Gatzos, who recently insisted he would never play again, said he made his decision to suit up before the club boarded the bus for Johnstown early Saturday morning.
"After Claude Maillet and Roger Larche went down [with knee injuries in Friday's 5-4 loss to Johnstown], I put the equipment on and played an Adult League game here just to see if I could still skate with the stuff on. I could, and that was it," Gatzos said. "I would never ask the guys to do anything that I wouldn't do myself. I'm asking them to play hard and we're so short-handed. So why shouldn't I, if I'm able-bodied enough to get out there and help, get out there and do it."
After scoring two goals in the final three minutes of regulation to force overtime, Roanoke Valley won when Gatzos set up House with a perfect pass on a two-on-one break.
"I was coming back down my wing and I look up the middle and [the Chiefs] are bobbling the puck a little bit," Gatzos said. "So I scoot in there, knock the guy over and take the puck. Me and Housey go in on two-on-one, I pass to Housey, he makes a nice play, and it's all over.
"It couldn't have been any better. It's funny how being a coach, not playing for a couple years, the team struggling, a long winless streak on road . . . and I end up setting up the overtime goal. It's just funny how things happen.
"I think if it showed the guys anything, it's regardless of how negative the situation is, we're all here trying to win."
Gatzos said the road win easily was the high in a season full of lows.
"Because of the year we're having, it's nice something finally went our way," he said. "I only played one game and I was able to help."
Sunday was an entirely different story. The Renegades (29-25-1) did not play on Saturday, and they were waiting to ambush a Rampage club that was not only travel weary, but playing without Gatzos.
Roanoke Valley's 15-man roster included two local pickups - former player Bobby Smith, now a brick mason, and Virginia Tech student Tom Benezio, who plays for the Washington Capitals' junior league team in his spare time.
The result was predictable. Richmond scored six goals in the first period and waltzed over a club that had nine skaters.
"I was glad to hear Gatzos wasn't playing," Renegades coach Roy Sommer said.
Gatzos got a charge out of that one.
"I think I'm done," he said, massaging his knee and cradling three bottles of painkillers just delivered to his office desk. "Of all the negative records we've broken this year, maybe we've finally set a positive one - the first coach to ever suit up and assist on the winning goal."
\ ICE CHIPS: Mark Hicks led Richmond with his first hat trick of the season. The win was pivotal for the Renegades, who are in five-way battle for the final two playoff spots. . . . Rampage goalie Chris Puscian, the winner in Johnstown, was pelted for nine goals on 49 shots. . . . The Rampage (13-43-1) must win its final seven games to avoid setting a league record for least wins in a season. . . . Nashville's Trevor Jobe shattered the ECHL's all-time season record for goals and points Saturday in Raleigh. Jobe had three goals and an assist, pushing his season totals to 82 goals and 150 points and surpassing the 80 goals and 148 points by Erie's Bill McDougall in 1989-90. Jobe's hat trick was his league-record 12th of the season. Jobe, who leads the ECHL in five offensive categories, has a 33-game scoring streak, two short of Brian Martin's league-record streak in '90-91. \
see microfilm for box score