THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Monday, March 6, 1995 TAG: 9503060130
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RALEIGH LENGTH: Medium: 66 lines
Perhaps the Hampton Roads Admirals should add the Raleigh IceCaps to their Christmas card list.
Raleigh played the role of congenial host to the Admirals on Sunday as Hampton Roads defeated the IceCaps, 3-0, with a stifling defensive effort at Dorton Arena.
Hampton Roads swept the regular-season series with Raleigh, 8-1-1, including a 4-1 record in Raleigh, the Admirals' best against an East Division opponent.
It was the third victory in a row for Hampton Roads (33-22-6) and allowed the Admirals to hold onto third place in the East with 72 points. The Admirals are four points behind the second-place Roanoke Express, whom they play twice this week, including Wednesday at Scope.
The Admirals also remain seventh in the league in total points. The top eight teams will host first-round playoff games.
Goaltender Corwin Saurdiff recorded his first shutout in two years, thanks to a little help from his teammates, who limited the IceCaps to 28 shots, including five in the final period.
``The last shutout I had was my last regular-season game in college,'' said Saurdiff, a second-year pro who is 21-5-1 overall for the Admirals and 2-0 since being reassigned from Kansas City of the IHL last week.
``They had five shots in the last period, and only one was a good shot. The rest were from the blue line, and I should stop those.''
Rod Taylor had two goals - both on superb centering passes from Rob MacInnis - and had two near-misses that would have given him a hat trick. The second goal, his 37th of the season, pulled Taylor into 10th place in the ECHL scoring race with 73 points.
Taylor's first goal came at 5:14 of a first period in which the IceCaps outshot the Admirals, 12-9, and at times appeared in control. But Saurdiff kept the Admirals in the lead with 12 saves.
Saurdiff stood tall again in the second period when, with the Admirals on a power play, Raleigh had a 2-on-1 break. But he slapped away a 10-foot shot from Scott MacNair at 13:08. Twenty seconds later, center Brendan Curley sent a slap shot into the pads of goaltender Chad Erickson. However, the puck was hit so hard that it went through his left leg pad and into the net.
It was the first goal in 20 games for Curley, who had five assists in the previous three games.
Taylor scored again at 8:04 of the third period when MacInnis forced Erickson to commit, then passed through two defenders to an open Taylor in front of the net.
Raleigh never threatened again.
``We played a great defensive game,'' Admirals coach John Brophy said. ``Giving up five shots in the last period, that's the name of the game. Our defense was tough tonight.''
And tough decisions await Brophy today. By 3 this afternoon he must submit an 18-man playoff roster to the ECHL.
Brophy is undecided as to whether to include John Porco and Rick Kowalsky, both recently called up into the AHL. However, the list will include Steve Potvin, a center from Niagara Falls of the Ontario Hockey League, who agreed to terms with Hampton Roads on Sunday afternoon. Potvin, who is among the OHL's top 20 scorers, is scheduled to arrive in Norfolk today.
``He's one of the top scorers in the OHL even though he plays on a last-place team,'' Brophy said. ``So he must be good.
``How good, we don't know. But we needed a centerman.'' by CNB