ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1995, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, December 18, 1995 TAG: 9512180106
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
The sickening way the Roanoke Express fell to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks on Sunday made the team's locker room about as cheery as a hospital ward under quarantine.
When Tallahassee's Matt Osiecki scored on a slapshot with just 39 seconds left to give the Tiger Sharks a 3-2 victory in a matinee game at the Roanoke Civic Center, a sick pallor fell over the Express.
The disease: A four-game losing streak, during which every loss has come in regulation. That ties the longest regulation losing streak in the franchise's three-year history.
The symptoms: Fatigue, brought about by playing three games in three days; a loss of feeling in the power-play, which was 0-for-4 Sunday and is stuck on a 1-for-23 schneid; and a complete lack of luck, as Tallahassee scored all three goals in head-shaking fashion.
``It's like having the flu,'' Express coach Frank Anzalone said. ``You just have to wait for it to pass.''
The Express, which completed a weekend hat trick of defeats that began with an 8-1 drubbing at Hampton Roads on Friday and a 3-2 loss at home to Richmond on Saturday, looked tired early but managed to tie the score after falling behind 1-0 in the first period and 2-1 in the third.
But with time running out in regulation and the game apparently headed toward a shootout - Roanoke is 5-0 in shootouts - Osiecki deflated the Express with a shot from the point that eluded goalie Daniel Berthiaume. The goal came after the Express failed on a couple of attempts to clear the puck.
``We're working hard, but a couple of mistakes killed us,'' said Express left winger Jeff Jablonski. ``We're tired. Everybody's tired. I thought if we could get it to a shootout, we'd have a chance. We've got to stay confident, [and] not get down. A win today would have helped.''
Jablonski set an Express record by scoring a goal in his eighth straight game, breaking the mark held by Tony Szabo. He has 11 goals in eight games, but for the second straight day only he and Jeff Jestadt could score for Roanoke (16-13).
``The way things are going, you don't want to say you always rely on luck,'' said Jestadt, ``but it would be nice to get some every now and then.''
It looked like Jestadt made his own luck at 6:35 of the third period, when he tied the score at 2 by shoving his own rebound past Tallahassee goalie Mark Richards.
That goal came 5 minutes, 3 seconds after Tallahassee (11-9-1), which has won three in a row and broke a four-game road losing streak, took a 2-1 lead when Mark Deazeley spun around and sent a wrist shot that was deflected in front of the net and barely made it under the crossbar, barely out of Berthiaume's reach.
``They scored off posts, gloves, sticks ...,'' Anzalone said. ``No matter what we do, that's the way it goes.''
Since both Berthiaume and Richards played well in net, it appeared that the team who got the last break would win. Richards was afraid that was Roanoke's fortune.
``After [Jestadt scored], I thought, "How did he score on that?' '' said Richards, last year's ECHL/Sherwood player of the year who has sparked the Tiger Sharks since returning from a broken leg. ``We were fortunate. We haven't won a game like this in awhile.''
Roanoke tied it at 1 with 1:45 left in the period when Jablonski capped a breakout by banging home a rebound.
After Berthiaume made two great saves on point-blank tries on one end, the Express cleared the puck and Ilya Dubkov found Tim Christian on the right wing to start the rush. Christian's blast was blocked by Richards, but Jablonski popped the rebound just under the crossbar.
The textbook breakout made up for an embarrassing breakdown that occurred five minutes earlier that led to the Tiger Sharks' first goal. Tallahassee wing Jim Paradise must have thought he was skating through his own surname when he found himself all alone in the left circle, skated in and slid a backhand past Berthiaume at 13:17 for his first goal of the season.
``Our players worked very, very hard,'' said Anzalone. ``We were tired, emotionally and physically. If Tallahassee wasn't rested, who knows? That's the way it goes.''
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 84 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Jeff Jablonski (left) of the Expressby CNBtries to poke the puck past Tallahassee goaltender Mark Richards.
color. 2. Jeff Jestadt (left) of the Express ties the score 2-2
after pushing a rebound past Tiger Sharks goalie Mark Richard.