THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, December 11, 1994 TAG: 9412110236
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Short : 47 lines
You can forgive the Richmond Renegades for feeling a bit persecuted.
Following a 13-0-3 start, Richmond became the team every East Division rival had in its sights.
``Everyone's coming after us now,'' said Scott Gruhl, the team's leading scorer. ``That's what happens when you win early. Everyone steps their game up a notch for us. We have to respond by stepping our game up a notch.''
That hasn't happened lately. The Renegades followed their fast start by going 3-4-1 in their next eight games, including a 3-2 loss at Scope on Friday to the Hampton Roads Admirals.
The Admirals visit Richmond today at 3:05 p.m. with a two-game winning streak against the Renegades. The Admirals won in Richmond, 6-5, in a shootout two weeks ago.
Renegades fans chided the Admirals during that contest, shouting, ``Last place, last place,'' to a team then mired in last and off to its worst start.
But the Admirals (10-10-3) are 2-0-1 in their last three games and have pulled out of last place. The Renegades, meanwhile, have seen their lead in the East Division quickly shrink to just a few points over second-place Charlotte.
PORCO SCORING: Center John Porco scored his 20th goal Friday and has 16 assists. At this rate he'll score approximately 60 goals and finish with more than 100 points - assuming he's not called up by another team.
The team record for goals scored in a season is 55 set by Brian Martin in 1991. The team's points record of 118 was set by Victor Gervais in 1993.
QUICK STICKS: Martin, the Admirals' all-time leading scorer, attended Friday's game and was introduced to the crowd. Martin now works at the Ford plant in Norfolk. . . . Goaltender Shamus Gregga, cut by the Admirals several weeks ago and signed by Jacksonville of the Sunshine Hockey League, has left Jacksonville and is playing junior hockey in British Columbia. Gregga has told former teammates in Hampton Roads that he didn't like the situation in Jacksonville. He's also informed Admirals coach John Brophy that he's ready to return if and when the Admirals need another goalie. . . . ECHL attendance surpassed the 1 million mark last week. Officials say the league will surpass 3.5 million in admissions this season, an average of more than 5,000 per game per team. by CNB