ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, December 10, 1995 TAG: 9601020161
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C12 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
ROANOKE LOST FOR the first time in five games and the first time in over a year at Independence Arena.
Nick Vitucci turned aside 25 of 26 shots in leading the Charlotte Checkers to a 4-1 victory over the Roanoke Express in East Coast Hockey League action at Independence Arena on Saturday night.
Vitucci, the only player to play in each of the ECHL's eight seasons, was stellar in the first period, stopping Roanoke's Jeff Jablonski twice at point-blank range, the only period of the game that the Express sustained much offensive pressure.
Charlotte's Darryl Noren opened the scoring just 1:41 into the game, ripping a blue-liner bomb past Roanoke goalie Malt DelGuidice for his team-leading 14th goal of the season, and the only goal of the first period.
After Vitucci denied Roanoke's Craig Herr and Michael Smith on a second-period power play, the shorthanded Checkers raced up the middle. Scott Kirton corralled Gerry St. Cyr's breakout pass up the right wing, and beat DelGuidice through the pads from the top of the right circle at 7:01 of the second period for a 2-0 lead.
Charlotte converted on a power play just over two minutes later, as Eric Flinton deflected Scott Meehan's center point blast through a sliding DelGuidice for a 3-0 lead.
Roanoke's only goal of the game came late in the second period, as Ilya Dubkov pushed through a face-off to Vitucci's left. Express winger Jablonski swept in, bursting through the Checkers' defense, and slid his team leading 16th goal under Vitucci to cut the deficit to 3-1 after two .
However, a second consecutive giveaway by the Express defense enabled Charlotte's Francois Bouchard to shuffle his second goal of the season under DelGuidice, who seconds earlier had stopped Bouchard in spectacular, sprawling fashion.
The Express (16-10-0) saw its four-game winning streak end, in addition to a four-game winning streak at Independence Arena. Charlotte (13-9-2) beat the Express at home for the first time in over a year.
ICE CHIPS: Scratched for the Express were center Marty Schriner and left winger Mike Stacchi ... Defenseman Paul Croteau watched the third period from the stands . . . Charlotte's second period power play goal snapped a string of 18 consecutive penalties killed by the Express.
see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 53 linesby CNB