THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Saturday, December 10, 1994 TAG: 9412100394
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 74 lines
The sign dangling atop the Scope bleachers across the ice from the Hampton Roads bench didn't go unnoticed by the Admirals.
``All we want for Christmas is to get out of last place,'' it read.
Merry Christmas, compliments of the Admirals.
Buoyed by a spectacular performance in goal from Corwin Saurdiff and another productive offensive night from Rod Taylor, the Admirals skated past the Richmond Renegades, 3-2, and out of last place in the ECHL's East Division.
Saurdiff had 38 saves, including four in the last two minutes after Richmond pulled its goaltender. He even had an assist - after blocking a shot, he lobbed a long pass to Trevor Halverson, who then passed to John Porco for a breakaway goal.
At game's end Saurdiff was mobbed by his teammates, and then skated across the ice and gestured at the sign with his stick. Dozens of fans tore it down as most in the crowd of 7,579 cheered.
``We're not in last place anymore,'' Saurdiff said. ``We all saw the sign. We wanted it down. We wanted it down before the game.
``And there'll be no need to put it back up.''
Hampton Roads (10-10-3), 2-0-1 in its last three games, moved past fifth-place Greensboro and into a fourth-place tie with Raleigh, which fell at home to South Carolina.
Richmond (16-4-4), 3-4-1 in its last seven games, still leads the East Division but has lost two in a row to Hampton Roads. The teams meet again Sunday in Richmond.
The Admirals bolted to a 3-0 lead, then managed to blunt a Richmond rally.
Porco scored first, at 10:56 of the first period. Rick Kowalsky followed at 5:06 of the second period and Taylor then added what proved to be the game winner a minute later.
Taylor, who slumped through the team's first 20 games, had a goal for the third game in a row, and this one was classic Taylor - a sling shot from just inside the circle that zipped into the net before goaltender Verne Guetens could react.
Richmond then rallied, getting goals from both Blaine Moore and Scott Gruhl, the last at 16:12 of the third period.
``I had the puck (on the Gruhl goal) on my stick and let it get away,'' Saurdiff said.
But he let no more get away. The final 3:48 looked like a Richmond power play, with the Renegades pounding Saurdiff with shots, none of which found the net.
Admirals coach John Brophy was ecstatic with what was clearly his team's best performance of the season.
``This is the way hockey is supposed to be played,'' he said. ``We played hard and physical and won a close game. We didn't lose the lead in the third period.
``We're coming, and one thing that's making it come is the goaltending. He's coming up with the big saves and that keeps everyone in the game. One thing he's done well is to kick the puck out, and that kills penalties.
``That's another thing we did great. We killed penalties.''
Richmond was 0-for-7 on the power play, including a five-minute power play late in the second period that came after Halverson was ejected for buttending.
``That's the kind of hockey we've got to play every night in this division,'' Brophy said. ``Play hard, and you've got a chance.''
And you get out of last place. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo by Paul Aiken
Chris Phelps of the Admirals, left, attempts to cut off Richmond's
Andrew Shier in Friday's game at Scope.
by CNB