THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 29, 1995 TAG: 9510290279
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C3 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 61 lines
Here's a tip for East Coast Hockey League teams trying to win in Scope - get the Hampton Roads Admirals into a shootout.
Outplayed for most of three periods, South Carolina sent the game into the extra period Saturday, and, predictably, emerged with a 4-3 shootout victory.
It was the tenth time in a row that the Admirals have lost at home in the extra period. The Admirals last won in overtime at home on Feb. 16, 1993, against Greensboro.
The Admirals (4-1-2) dominated regulation play, outshooting the Stingrays, 43-25, which was remarkable under the circumstances:
The Admirals piled up 38 penalty minutes, giving the Stingrays nine power plays, including four with a two-man advantage. All three of South Carolina's regulation goals came on the power play.
The Admirals lost three defensemen because of injuries to Bob Woods (pulled muscle) and Claude Fillion (slight concussion) and a game misconduct handed to Chris Phelps, all in the first two periods.
David St. Pierre, their leading scorer, was scratched before the game with a bruised tail bone.
``Our guys skated their tails off,'' coach John Brophy said. ``In the third period we were bearing down on them, even when we were down a man. Their goaltender (Eric Raymond, who had 40 saves, 14 in the third period) saved it for them. He had a great game.''
Including the extra period. In the shootout, in which each team sends five skaters out to go one-on-one with the opposing goalies, South Carolina got goals from Justin Duberman, Mike Barrie (game winner) and Paul Rushforth.
The Admirals got a goal only from rookie Steve Richards, who also had a goal and an assist in regulation.
``We were awful in the shootout,'' Brophy said. ``We've got to improve there. To get just one, that's terrible.''
So, he said, were some of the penalties, especially a spearing major and the accompanying game misconduct that sent Phelps into the locker room. South Carolina's Mike Ross went down as if hit by a Mack Truck after making contact with Phelps' stick, then popped up as soon as the penalty was called.
``He ran into my stick,'' Phelps said. ``It was a great acting job.''
On Friday, in a 6-0 victory over Raleigh, the Admirals were penalized for an equal number of minutes by referee Dennis LeClair. He also called Saturday's game.
``We're sitting near the bottom of the league in penalty minutes (14th out of 21 teams), and he came in here and just kept firing us into the box,'' Brophy said. ``When the hell are they going to let us play?
``When we have stupid penalties, I'll say so. Those weren't stupid penalties. They were ridiculous calls.'' ILLUSTRATION: Photo
CHRISTOPHER REDDICK/The Virginian-Pilot
South Carolina's Chad Seibel checks the Admirals' Rick Kowalsky. But
the Admirals committed the most penalties - for 38 minutes, giving
the Stingrays nine power plays.
by CNB