THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, January 29, 1997 TAG: 9701290650
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JIM DUCIBELLA, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: 99 lines
It's been eight games since Rick Kowalsky and Ryan Mulhern left Portland, Maine, and the American Hockey League for Hampton Roads and positions flanking Admirals' center Randy Pearce. Their reunion has been spectacular.
Entering tonight's home game against Huntington, the Admirals' MPK Line has scored 12 goals and earned 16 assists. With center and offensive beacon Victor Gervais injured and out last Saturday at Richmond, the MPK Line - sounds like ``Impact Line,'' no? - made the plays necessary for the Admirals to grab an important 2-1 victory.
First, Pearce and Kowalsky executed a textbook give-and-go with just seconds left in the second period and the Admirals behind 1-0. Kowalsky passed to Pearce, which immediately brought a Richmond defender charging towards Pearce. Suckering the man closer, Kowalsky suddenly took off for the goal and Pearce zipped the puck back to him.
Mulhern, watching on the left, dashed towards the goal, too, drawing the other Renegades' defender and leaving Kowalsky one-on-one with goalie Grant Sjerven. A flick of Kowalsky's wrist and the Admirals had scored the crucial tying goal.
Next period, Mulhern rammed home the game-winner on a power play after Pearce tied up Sjerven in front. That sealed the Admirals' league-leading sixth straight win.
``They stepped it up a notch, knowing that our line wasn't intact,'' Gervais said Tuesday. ``They knew they had to do something extra. I've seen them in big games before and they always seem to respond.''
It's been that way since coach John Brophy put them together. Brophy took one look at 6-foot-1, 195-pound Kowalsky and 6-foot, 198-pound Pearce, each of which has experience above the ECHL, and envisioned them as perfect partners for Mulhern, a 6-1, 198-pound rookie from Brown University.
``You put people together and see how they work out. Sometimes, they stay together, sometimes not. These guys have stayed together,'' Brophy said. ``We knew Pearce and Kowalsky could play hockey because of their record. Mulhern was good at Brown. . . He's been one of the biggest surprises on our team because of how he plays - really tough, and he moves without the puck well.''
All of them have similar pluses. They're good skaters who are sophisticated enough to enjoy playing defense as much as scoring. They're all strong enough to skate through check-attempts in open ice, or scrap in the corners. They're unselfish, Mulhern and Kowalsky being content to work the puck out to Pearce and let him set the tone of the play.
``We're all pitching in and we're still getting to know each other,'' said Mulhern, who has 22 goals and 15 assists. ``I think we can play better.''
Brophy likes their versatility.
``Every one of them can play any position,'' Brophy said. ``Pearce has played on the wing, Mulhern can play center, Kowalsky has played some center, too. Plus, they've played both sides of the rink. They fit in any place.''
All three are aware that most fans look only at goals and assists in determining who had a good game. All three say that's their last avenue of satisfaction.
``It's more important to look at the stat sheet and see a plus, rather than goals and assists,'' Pearce said. ``If we can get a plus and get a win, we're happy.''
Pearce is plus-13, meaning the Admirals have scored 13 more goals than their opponents this season when he was on the ice. Mulhern is plus-20, Kowalsky, who admits he has struggled on offense and has just eight goals, 16 assists, is plus-9. Healthy figures, all.
``We take pride in being strong defensively in our own end,'' Kowalsky said. ``We get put on for a lot of faceoffs in our own end. Some people would look at that as no big deal but I know that I, Randy and Ryan all take pride in that. It tells us that Broph has confidence in us and knows we're going to get the puck out.''
Mulhern, who Brophy says has NHL potential written all over him, almost relishes the fact that no one on MPK Line has scored a hat trick this season. To him, it's a symbol of the all-around game they bring to the arena each night.
``We're not setting the world on fire scoring six, seven goals a night,'' he said. ``But our plus-minus figures say what we are. We'll chip in offensively, but we're not having huge nights.
``To me, a great night is getting five or six really good chances at scoring. That usually means we've done the things in other areas that lead to scoring chances.''
Gervais is confident that, barring another round or two of callups, Mulhern, Pearce and Kowalsky are just starting to reach their potential together.
``Randy's more mature, more comfortable with professional hockey,'' he said. ``He doesn't just score goals. He penalty kills, he's a good defensive player. The kind of player you need to win championships.
``Mulhern's fearless. He goes to the net well, he works in the corners. He should be up in that next level - and I'm sure he'll get that chance if he continues playing.
``Kowalsky has played in some bad luck at times. But things are changing and I think you're going to see a lot more goals from him.'' ILLUSTRATION: [Color Photo]
TAMARA VONINSKI
The Virginian-Pilot
Center Randy Pearce fires a shot past a Raleigh Icecap. Rick
Kowalsky, Ryan Mulhern and Pearce, left to right, have combined to
make a formidable line for Hampton Roads.
GAMEWATCH
GRAPHIC
[For a copy of the graphic, see microfilm for this date.]