ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Monday, February 12, 1996 TAG: 9602120081
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B1 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR. STAFF WRITER
ROANOKE CAPS a successful weekend by defeating Charlotte 4-2 at the civic center.
For several weeks, it's been as if the Roanoke Express has been climbing a ladder that extended into the clouds - climbing, climbing, climbing, but never seeming to get anywhere. This weekend, the top, or at least the top few rungs, came into view.
When the Express polished off the Charlotte Checkers 4-2 on Sunday afternoon at the Roanoke Civic Center, it marked the team's third win in as many days, all over teams ahead of it in the East Coast Hockey League's East Division.
Even after wins Friday at Hampton Roads, Saturday in a shootout over Richmond and Sunday, Roanoke (29-21-2) is still in fifth place, where it's been for three weeks, but now only four points separate the Express from the second-place Checkers.
``We've been playing consistent and that's what the good teams do,'' said Express goalie Matt DelGuidice, who had 25 saves in winning for the third straight time. ``Now is the time to do it. You should peak near the end of the season, never in the middle.''
The Express is definitely back on track. It's won four straight games for the third time this season, has won nine of its past 12 and picked up its fifth straight victory at home.
Sunday's goals came from unexpected sources and from players who are shaking off slumps. Jeff Jablonski, who scored his team-leading 31st goal of the season to make it 4-2 in the third and seal the win, has scored in back-to-back games for the first time since Jan.12-13. Ilya Dubkov, who scored his 12th goal of the season, has four goals in his past nine games.
``Our guys played pretty well this weekend,'' said Express coach Frank Anzalone. ``To win three in a row like that, you've got to work hard, make your breaks ... and get great goaltending. We had all of that.''
The Express had a three-goal lead cut to one after Charlotte (30-15-4) notched a couple of power-play goals. The Checkers got on the board on the power play with 46 seconds left in the second period, when J.F. Aube lifted a rebound after DelGuidice had stopped Kimbi Daniels' left-point drive.
But just 45 seconds after Eric Flinton scored to cut Charlotte's deficit to 3-2 at 9:18 of the third, Jablonski took a great left-to-right pass from Dubkov to beat Charlotte goalie Paul Krake high and make it 4-2.
Charlotte's last surge was squelched when Phil Berger, the ECHL's second-leading all-time scorer who was acquired from Louisiana on Saturday, was handed a major penalty, a 10-minute misconduct and a game misconduct for spearing Dubkov with 3:06 left in the game.
That set off Charlotte coach John Marks, who received a gross misconduct and an automatic one-game suspension for going after referee Todd Anderson after the game.
Later, Marks said, ``We just didn't have the spark today. Quite honestly, I knew we'd have a tough time here today.''
A couple of unheralded Roanoke guys got their day in the spotlight before a matinee crowd of 5,779. Defensemen Duane Harmer and Tim Hanley - who had a combined five goals between them - scored goals on long shots in helping stake the Express to a 3-0 lead against Krake, who was playing so iron man Nick Vitucci (34 games played) could have a day off.
``Yeah, we're usually known as defensive defensemen,'' said Harmer, who has played some great defense for the Express but hadn't scored a goal in 18 games. ``We were both fairly lucky with some long shots. It doesn't matter how they go in, all that matters is how many.''
Harmer's goal was his third of the year, and it came at 5:30 of the first period to give the Express a 1-0 lead. With both teams changing, Harmer took the puck across the Charlotte blue line and sent a slap shot from the left side that slipped through the legs of Krake, who had a clear view at the shot.
The Express made it 2-0 at 14:32 of the first when Dubkov picked up the puck after Tim Christian forechecked it free and slid a backhand between Krake's split pads.
Hanley's was the weirdest looking goal. He didn't get good wood on a shot from the right point near the blue line, but the puck sneaked through some light traffic and eluded Krake, who reacted too late. That made it 3-0 at 4:57.
``Anything we can contribute is a plus,'' Hanley said of his and Harmer's scoring output. ``My job's to prevent the puck from going in. If we score, great.''
ICE CHIPS: The Express is 22-0 when scoring four or more goals. ... The 8,640 fans that saw the Express-Richmond game Saturday was the seventh crowd of 8,000 or more in Express history. Six of those have come since Jan.14, 1995. see microfilm for box score
LENGTH: Medium: 94 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. ERIC BRADY/Staff Roanoke's Jeff Jablonski blasts aby CNBshot against Charlotte on Sunday during the Express' 4-2 victory
over the Checkers. color
2. ERIC BRADY/Staff Roanoke's Tim Christian (left) battles
Charlotte's Gerry Daley for possession of the puck on Sunday.