Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: SATURDAY, November 26, 1994 TAG: 9411280060
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B3 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: STAFF REPORT
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium
Lost in the shuffle was a franchise record-tying four-goal effort by Derek Laxdal, the Express' player-assistant coach.
Richmond, which outshot Roanoke 50-26, pummeled Express goalie Dan Ryder with a season-high seven goals against - including three on major power plays.
Jan Benda opened the scoring at the 4-minute, 44-second mark, jamming home a rebound after Gruhl's backhand on an end-to-end rush had been kicked out by Ryder.
Benda added his second goal of the night exactly eight minutes later, banging home a behind-the-goal feed from Gruhl.
Laxdal cut the lead in half with 26 seconds left in the period, slamming home the puck off a goal-mouth scramble after Dave Stewart's drive from the point sailed wide of RIchmond goaltender Grant Sjerven but bounced into the crease off the end boards.
The period ended with the Express on a five-on-four power play, but the second period would begin with the Express down five-on-four and eventually five-on-three as a brawl developed behind the Richmond net, with Ryder skating the length of the ice to pummel Sjerven while Jon Larson and Oleg Yashin were ganging up on Renegades center Blaine Moore. Larson and Yashin were given game-misconduct penalties, with Yashin given a rare match penalty - carrying an automatic suspension - for holding Moore's arms while Larson pounded away.
The Renegades capitalized, with Shane Henry banging home the loose puck off a goal-mouth scramble 57 seconds into the second period and Benda completing his hat trick by scoring from between the faceoff circles at 3:59.
After the Express killed another major penalty - this one on Jason Clarke for spearing - Laxdal netted another last-minute goal, tapping home a feed from Ferschweiler seconds after a goal by Ferschweiler had been waived off because of a late offside call.
Trailing 4-2 entering the third period, the Express pulled out all stops after a tap-in by Richmond defender Sean O'Brien and a rocket by Gruhl extended the Renegades' lead to four.
The Express gained a major power play of its own after Shawn Snesar high-sticked Andrew Dickson at 10:06.
After Express coach Frank Anzalone replaced Ryder with a sixth attacker, Laxdal scored his final two goals of the game - on the deflection of a Mark Luger shot from the right circle and a 35-foot sizzler set up by Ferschweiler - to match Lev Berdichevsky's feat last season.
But Gruhl again killed the Express' momentum, beating Ryder above the glove after walking out from the left-rear of the goal for his sixth point of the game.
Richmond improved its record to 14-1-3 at the quarter mark of the season; the Express is 9-5-3.
see microfilm for box score
by CNB