THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 28, 1996 TAG: 9603280506
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C8 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY HARRY MINIUM, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: RICHMOND LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines
You'd think the Richmond Renegades had just taken it on the chin as they walked, grim-faced, into their locker room at the Richmond Coliseum.
Some cussed and slammed their sticks. Others muttered to themselves. A few just exhaled a breath of relief after the Renegades eked past the Hampton Roads Admirals 6-5 in the first game of the Jack Riley Playoffs.
``We were fortunate to win,'' said Scott Gruhl, the 36-year-old Richmond player-assistant coach. ``Very fortunate.''
Indeed they were. Hampton Roads was short three skaters thanks to ECHL suspensions that resulted from a series of temper tantrums last week in Richmond's 5-2 victory over the Admirals at Scope.
Nonetheless, the Admirals rallied from a 3-goal deficit and led 5-4 midway through the third period.
``They were down to 12 skaters and they kept coming at us,'' Gruhl said. ``You've got to hand it to them for that.''
And for staying out of the penalty box. The Admirals compiled 171 penalty minutes last Saturday against the Renegades, but had just 10 minutes Wednesday.
That was by plan. Assistant coach Al MacIsaac, subbing for suspended coach John Brophy, implored his players to stay out of the penalty box at all costs.
``In the five games Richmond beat us this year, they beat us on the power play,'' Admirals forward Sean Selmser said.
``In the (five) games we won, we stayed out of the box. Five-on-five, I think we have a better team.''
Unfortunately for the Admirals, they weren't able to play five-on-five for most of the game's last five minutes thanks to a double-minor on defenseman Sergei Voronov.
After being assessed a two-minute minor for tripping Greg Hadden, Voronov received an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for swinging his stick at Hadden. Down 6-5 at the time, the penalty killed just about killed any hope for an Admirals comeback.
``That four-minute penalty at the end really hurt,'' Admirals forward-defenseman Steve Richards said. ``We were still all over them, we were still in it.''
Now the trick is to stay in it. David St. Pierre, the team's second-leading scorer, returns from a one-game suspension when the best-of-five series resumes Friday in Richmond. The teams then meet again Saturday at Scope.
``Friday's a big game,'' defenseman Chris Phelps said. ``We go home tied at one game apiece or down 0-2.''
HACKED OFF: Admirals forward Rod Taylor, the recipient of two of his team's five penalties, was none too pleased with referee Scott Hansen.
Taylor said he took numerous cheap shots from the Renegades and simply got off the ice and kept skating, and that both penalties came after Richmond obstructed or slashed him.
``He (Hansen) hates me, so he stayed on my ---,'' Taylor said. ``If anything, one penalty (for tripping) should have been obstruction (on the Renegades).
``I guess the play was a little too fast for him.''
PENALIZED: Though the Admirals drew numerous fines and suspensions following last Saturday's game with the Renegades, Richmond remains the tough guy of the ECHL, and of all pro hockey for that matter.
The Renegades compiled 3,505 regular-season penalty minutes, the most ever by a professional team. The previous record was 3,077 minutes by the Indianapolis Ice of the International Hockey League in 1988-89. by CNB