ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, February 25, 1996 TAG: 9602260085
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-2 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: HOCKEY
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER JR.
Less than one minute remained in regulation play and the Roanoke Express was nursing a one-goal lead. After the Columbus Chill pulled its goalie for an extra attacker, Roanoke's Jeff Jestadt got loose on a breakaway toward the empty net.
In a position to add to his franchise record for goals in a career and help his team seal the victory, Jestadt shot on the fly while being pressured from behind.
And missed.
That's the way it has gone for Jestadt lately. It didn't matter to him that he was being jerked to the ice by a defender as he shot.
``I missed an open-net goal at the end,'' he said. ``I can't make excuses for myself. It's frustrating. The good thing is that the team has been winning.''
That's the way it's been lately for Jestadt, who had scored one goal in his past 10 games before the Express embarked on a weekend trip.
Jestadt, 25, has watched his goal-scoring numbers drop precipitously since he had a team-high 43 goals in 67 games as a rookie in 1993-94. It took 107 games in the next 11/2 seasons before he scored another 43 goals.
With 18 goals through 53 games this season, Jestadt likely will finish close to his 1994-95 total of 26 goals.
For most players, that would be a respectable total. For Jestadt, it's a disappointment.
``That first year, I could be in what I considered a slump and still score goals,'' he said. ``Now, when I'm playing well, I have a hard time scoring goals.''
A lot has changed in three seasons for Jestadt. As a rookie, he was part of a high-scoring line that featured gunners Tony Szabo and Pat Ferschweiler as the trio combined for 112 goals and 128 assists.
Playing with those guys allowed Jestadt to get his chances. He took 277 shots as a rookie, followed by 190 the next season. He won't come close to 200 shots this season.
``Basically, my shooting percentage has stayed about the same,'' he said. ``The more shots you take, the more goals you score. My first year, we had some very offensive players. I got a lot of opportunities. Having two good linemates gave me confidence.
``Now, there are a lot of other things to do. One is to work hard on the penalty kill, another is to work hard on defense.''
In fairness to Jestadt, the personality of the Express has changed. The 1993-94 team had four players with more than 30 goals. Last season, it had one. With 16 games remaining this season, only Jeff Jablonski has scored more than 30 goals.
Likewise, Jestadt has changed. Once a rookie with a boyish faced, he is more mature and rugged-looking with his goatee and shaved head.
``I thought if I changed the way I looked off the ice, maybe it would change me on the ice,'' he said.
Jestadt is older and wiser, and he and his wife, Mary Kay, are expecting their first child in May.
``Other than staying here in Roanoke and having the baby, we don't have any plans for the future,'' Jestadt said. ``I'm just hoping for more success this season for the team. I don't want to say any more than that. You just take it each day, each game.''
He's still a fan favorite, always accommodating with autograph-seekers and the media.
He's just not scoring as many goals. Jestadt believes that can change.
``I'll just keep working,'' he said. ``That's all I can do.''
HACKSAW BROPHY: A week after allegedly throwing a hacksaw or hacksaw blade at a fan during a game at the Norfolk Scope on Feb.14, Hampton Roads coach John Brophy issued a public apology.
The Admirals reached a cash settlement with the fan, who claimed Brophy hurled the saw or blade at him between the second and third periods of a 4-3 loss to the Charlotte Checkers. The fan apparently yelled a derogatory remark at Brophy as the coach left the ice during the intermission.
Two days later, Brophy was handed a three-game suspension by Pat Kelly, the ECHL's commissioner.
SOMETHING FISHY: Following the lead of octopus-hurling Detroit Red Wings fans, some followers of the Huntington Blizzard have begun throwing fish onto the ice after their team scores a goal.
No one is quite sure how this ritual began. Some have theorized the fish are for the team mascot, Klondike, a guy in a polar bear suit. Since polar bears eat fish, the thinking goes, why not heave some seafood for Klondike?
The Huntington Herald Dispatch reported that when the Louisville RiverFrogs came to town recently, frogs became part of the mix.
ICE CHIPS: When the Express plays at Erie today, it will see former teammates L.P. Charbonneau and Paul Croteau. Charbonneau has made his mark with the Panthers with two goals, two assists and 112 penalty minutes in 14 games. ... The Express logo was rated the 36th best in minor-league hockey in The Hockey News' annual logo poll. The logo of the Jacksonville Lizard Kings was rated best in the ECHL, 10th overall. The Carolina Monarchs, who had a crown logo in their ECHL days but switched to a lion's head when they moved to the American Hockey League, were picked as having the top logo in minor-league hockey. ... Johnstown traded the ECHL's all-time leading scorer, Trevor Jobe, to Tallahassee last week. ...
Hampton Roads regained one of its most popular players when Victor Gervais was temporarily assigned from the International Hockey League's Cleveland Lumberjacks. Gervais, who played for the Admirals' 1991 and 1992 championship teams, scored two goals in his first game back, a 3-2 loss to Erie. ... Talk about a strange reassignment. South Carolina wing Mike Barrie was called up by the AHL's Rochester (N.Y.) Americans, then was reassigned to Hampton Roads and played against the Stingrays in his first game with the Admirals. ... Former Richmond goalie Aaron Israel was called up by the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers last week. Goalie Sandy Allan was re-assigned to the Renegades from Springfield (Mass.) of the AHL. ...
Charlotte received some backup goaltending help when rookie Ken Shepard was assigned to the Checkers from Binghamton (N.Y.) of the AHL. The Checkers have needed someone to spell Nick Vitucci for most of the season. ... Howie Rosenblatt, a longtime ECHL enforcer most recently with Dayton, has retired.
LENGTH: Long : 112 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: ERIC BRADY/Staff. Jeff Jestadt (right) has watched hisby CNBgoals total drop from a team-high 43 as a rookie in '93-94.