Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SUNDAY, November 14, 1993 TAG: 9311140154
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-13 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RANDY KING
DATELINE: LENGTH: Long
After going 5-7 the first four weeks, the Express, in order to be any factor at all in the ECHL East Division race, will have to gather some steam in the next 31 days. Roanoke plays 10 games during that span, eight at home.
After a 3-1 start, the Express had lost six of seven before scoring an upset win at East-leading Raleigh on Friday night.
"We're going to really need to do some damage at home the next month," Express general manager Pierre Paiement said.
Thus far, the expansion Express certainly hasn't had the easiest task in the ECHL.
Besides playing eight of its first 12 games on the road, the Express also has had to practice on the road for most of the past three weeks.
Lack of practice-time ice at the Roanoke Civic Center has made matters difficult for Roanoke coach Frank Anzalone.
A team gets enough bus sores in the ECHL without making six-hour round trips out of state simply to skate for 90 minutes.
"We've had to go to Hillsborough, N.C., to practice," Anzalone said. "Sometimes you wonder if it's really worth it to bus three hours, skate for an hour and a half, then bus three hours back home.
"No owner, no newspaperman can understand just how difficult it is without any ice to practice. I just wish there was some way we could change the situation. Hopefully, this is just a one-year deal. I don't think we can do this again. Something will have to be done."
The demise of the Vinton LancerLot, which would have been an ideal practice location, and lack of available ice at the civic center has backed the Express into a corner.
Although the civic center bought new floor boards to cover the ice, Mark Collins, the building's assistant manager, said the ice repeatedly must be taken up and down for the numerous exhibit shows on the calendar.
"We can leave the ice down if we have something like a rock show coming in," said Collins, "but it's a different story with the floor shows. It simply gets too cold for the exhibitors who have to sit there for six, eight hours at a time.
"The hockey came in late, after we already had contracts with a lot of people. We felt like it was unfair to make those customers go through that. None of them knew there would be a hockey team here when they signed their contracts. But next year everybody will be aware that there's a hockey team here."
\ BENCH PROTECTION: The civic center is in the process of spending $15,000 on new Plexiglas barriers that will be installed behind the rink's benches and penalty boxes.
Collins said the barriers will in place for this week's three-game home stand, which begins Thursday.
The barriers come just in time. With no protection from the spectators, the area behind the visitors' bench has been a time bomb waiting to explode.
\ BROPHY'S BAD BOYS: The Hampton Roads Admirals are on early pace to obliterate the ECHL's single-season record for penalty minutes - 2,751 by the 1991-92 Columbus Chill.
Coach John Brophy's outfit is spending a hour per night in the box through eight games. Eight days ago in a 9-4 loss at South Carolina, the Admirals were whistled for 154 minutes in penalties, the fourth-highest single-game total in league history. At one point, eight Admirals were serving penalties.
Hampton Roads owner Blake Cullen addressed the situation with Brophy and the players this week in an attempt to stem the possibility of the Admirals earning the ECHL's resident goon-squad label.
"That better not be our reputation," Cullen said. "I won't stand for it. We've won two league titles. I'm not going to let us get a reputation for being goons."
\ EXPRESSIONS: Through Thursday's action, Roanoke ranked 10th in the ECHL in attendance, averaging 3,947 for its first four home games, three of which have been played on "tough-draw" Tuesdays. . . . Dave "Moose" Morissette doesn't require directions to find league penalty boxes. Morissette stockpiled 104 minutes in penalties in his first 10 games, ranking him second in the league behind Huntsville's Pat Cavanaugh. . . . Since missing three games for a deep thigh bruise, Russian Lev Berdichevsky has been one of the league's hottest offensive forces, registering 10 goals and five assists in seven games before being injured early in Roanoke's win at Raleigh on Friday.
\ ICE CHIPS: For the first time ever, ECHL players will be featured in a national trading card set. Classic Cards and the ECHL have signed a contract for 20 to 35 ECHL players to be featured as part of their 1994 Pro Hockey Prospects series. Defenseman Michael Smith and left wing Dave Morissette were the Express' two picks to be considered for inclusion in the national promotion. . . . Expansion entries South Carolina (8,798) and Charlotte (7,573) ranked ranked 1-2 in average attendance through Thursday. Johnstown (2,823), Nashville (2,789) and Huntsville (1,131) are the only clubs in the 18-team loop averaging less than 3,000. . . . The Erie Panthers amassed 159 penalty minutes - the third-highest single-game total in ECHL history - in a brawl-infested 4-2 loss at Wheeling on Wednesday. . . . Charlotte's Jason Clarke, whose running feud with Morissette led to the Roanoke captain's suspension this week, broke an ankle Wednesday against Raleigh and may be out for the season.
by CNB