ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 3, 1996 TAG: 9611050099
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C-9 EDITION: METRO
COLUMN: Hockey
SOURCE: RALPH BERRIER, JR.
It's probably a good thing that most of the Roanoke Express fans attending last Tuesday's game against the South Carolina Stingrays did not know the life story of the guy in the other team's net.
They might have found themselves pulling for him.
John ''J.P.'' McKersie earned his first professional victory in his very first pro start by limiting the Express to two goals in regulation and warding off four shooters as the Stingrays pulled out a 3-2 shootout victory. Two years ago, it would have been almost ridiculous to have expected McKersie to be playing hockey at all.
McKersie was coming off an All-America junior season for Boston University when he was nearly killed in July of 1994. He was struck by a utility vehicle while riding his bike home from his summer job at the popular Bull and Finch Tavern (the bar where ''Cheers'' was based).
He sustained severe head injuries. For the next six days, McKersie was comatose. His nervous system was so damaged, doctors feared he would never walk again.
That fall, McKersie returned to BU to help raise the team's NCAA Final Four banner from the previous season. In 1995, he re-joined the squad.
On Oct. 29, 1996, he dropped to his knees and was mobbed by teammates after holding off the Express.
''To see J.P. go out and do that was fantastic,'' said South Carolina coach Rick Vaive. ''It was a very emotional game for all of us.''
THE BIG KINGFISH: While campaigning in New Orleans on Oct. 24, President Clinton received a Baton Rouge Kingfish jersey. The jersey, autographed by the entire team, was presented by U.S. Senate candidate Mary Landrieu.
''Our entire organization is thrilled that the President of the United States has a Kingfish jersey,'' said general manager Ron Hansis, whose team was toiling away as the Erie Panthers a year ago.
''We were overwhelmed. As newcomers to this state, we appreciate being so well-received.''
JOHNSTOWN MOURNS LOSS: Former Johnstown Chiefs owner and general manager John Daley died Oct. 24 of cancer. He was 73.
Daley was the GM for the Johnstown Jets of the Eastern League from 1962-66 and brought hockey back to Johnstown, Pa., in 1988 as a co-owner of the Chiefs along with Vinton businessman Henry Brabham, who owned the Roanoke Valley franchise and was instrumental in starting the ECHL.
ICE CHIPS: The Louisiana IceGators, who led the ECHL in attendance last season, broke the league record for attendance at a home opener with a crowd of 11,700 Oct. 24. The IceGators have sold 6,180 season tickets this season.
In just its second year, Louisiana holds ECHL records for attendance for a home opener, a playoff game (11,042), single-season total (342,154) and single-season average (9,775). ...
Four women hoping to play for the U.S. or Canadian Women's Hockey Teams have ECHL ties. Manon Rheaume and Erin Whitten earned their first pro wins with Knoxville and Toledo, respectively, Erin Villiotte trained this preseason with Baton Rouge and Susan Williams is training with Huntington. ... Hampton Roads was without forward Rod Taylor when it played the Express on Wednesday. Andy Van Hellemond, the league's vice president of hockey operations, handed Taylor a two-game suspension for attempting to injure a Pensacola player on Oct. 27.
NOTE: Please see microfilm for scores.
LENGTH: Medium: 65 linesby CNB