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January 6, 2003 - ECHL (ECHL)
Roanoke Express News Release


ROANOKE, VA – The Roanoke Express finished this past week's action with a 2-2-0 record. The Express has reached the half-way point in its schedule and enters this week with a 21-14-2 record (44 pts., 3rd NE Division).

LAST WEEK'S ACTION

MONDAY, DECEMBER 30 vs. TRENTON 4-3 Loss

The Express wrapped up the 2002 portion of its schedule last Monday with a 4-3 loss to the Trenton Titans at the Roanoke Civic Center. The Titans got off to the quick start scoring two first period power play goals to open a two-goal advantage after the first 20 minutes. The Express battled back in the second period however, scoring twice to tie the game. Dylan Gyori found the scoreboard at the 10:17 mark of the middle stanza and Rick Kowalsky added a power play goal at 18:11 to send the teams to the locker rooms knotted at two. In the third period Trenton opened a 3-2 lead with a goal at 2:54, but Roanoke again battled back to force a tie on Gyori's second goal of the game at 4:41 on the power play. However, just one minute and four seconds later, the Titans recaptured the lead at 4-3, and would hold off the Express throughout the remainder of the game.

Evan Lindsay started in goal for the Express and faced 24 Trenton shots in suffering the loss. The loss snapped his personal six-game winning streak and dropped his record to 11-6-1. Cody Rudkowsky started in goal for Trenton and stopped 32 of 35 Roanoke shots to earn the win.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 3 at TRENTON 5-4 Shootout Win

The Express and the Titans met for the sixth time this season, and for the third time, Roanoke won at Sovereign Bank Arena in a shootout. All three wins for the Express over the Titans have come in a shootout this season. In a wild game, which saw Trenton twice hold three-goal leads, the Express battled hard to earn the two points. Trenton opened a 2-0 lead after the first period, and extended the lead to 3-0 six minutes into the second period before Roanoke found the scoreboard on Joe Dusbabek's power play goal at 10:08 of the middle period. The Titans extended the lead to 4-1 on a shorthanded goal at 13:30 of the second period.

Roanoke began their comeback at 16:32 of the second period on a power play goal by Dylan Gyori to cut the lead in half. Dan Carlson added a third Roanoke power play goal with eight seconds left in the period to bring the Express within one after two periods. Trailing by one goal throughout most of the third period, Josh Barker tied the game at four with a slap shot from the left point at 16:47 of the final period. Neither team found the back of the net during the five minute four-on-four overtime session, sending the game to a shootout. In the shootout Jason Jaffray and Rick Kowalsky both scored for the Express and Sebastien Laplante stopped all four Trenton shooters to seal the win.

Evan Lindsay started in goal for the Express and played the first period allowing two goal on 10 shots. Laplante replaced him to begin the second period and allowed two goals on 15 shots over the final two periods and overtime. The win raised his record to 9-7-1. Cody Rudkowsky once again started for Trenton and faced a Roanoke season high 52 shots, including 28 on the 10 Roanoke power plays.

SATURDAY, JANUARY 4 vs. CHARLOTTE 4-3 Overtime Win

The Express and the Charlotte Checkers met up for the fourth time this season on Saturday night, and for the second consecutive night, Roanoke came from behind to force overtime and win. For the third straight game, the Express found themselves trailing 2-0 after the first period of play. In the second period, Dylan Gyori continued his hot play scoring at 13:43 to cut the Checkers' lead in half. Charlotte extended their lead to 3-1 early in the third period, only to see the Express battle back. At 6:12 of the final period Blair Stayzer stuffed home a rebound to cut the lead to 3-2 and at 9:21 Jason Jaffray slipped a shot under the pads of Checkers netminder Jeff Salajko to tie the game at three. In the closing moments of the third period, Charlotte was awarded a power play which carried into the overtime session. While on the power play, the Express found themselves on a delayed penalty situation against the Checkers. Without allowing the Checkers to gain control of the puck to force the whistle, the Express rushed up ice and completed a pretty tic-tac-toe goal between Jaffray, Dan Carlson, and Joe Dusbabek, who hammered the puck into a gaping net for the game winner just 39 seconds into overtime.

Sebastien Laplante earned his third straight win stopping 23 of 26 Charlotte shots, raising his record to 10-7-1. Salajko faced 30 Roanoke shots and suffered the loss allowing the four goals. The win evened the season series between the teams at two.

SUNDAY, JANUARY 5, vs. READING 5-4 Loss

Roanoke wrapped up the week with a controversial 5-4 loss to the Reading Royals on Sunday afternoon at the Roanoke Civic Center. The Express got off to the quick start against a shorthanded Reading team, which had just 14 skaters for the game. Dylan Gyori found the back of the net at 6:23 of the first period to open the scoring. Reading answered back with a power play goal at 10:25 of the first period to send the teams to the locker rooms tied at one. In a tight checking game, Reading notched the only goal of the second period at 17:53 to take the one-goal lead.

In the third period, the scoring erupted with four goals coming in a 3:14 span. The Express struck first on Gyori's second of the game and his sixth goal in the last four games, at 7:12. the Royals notched the next two goals to take a 4-2 lead with goals at 8:31 and 9:40. Down by two, for the third straight night, the Express found a way to battled back to a tie. Rick Kowalsky slapped home a power play goal at 10:36 to cut the lead to one. Jason Jaffray completed the comeback tapping in a beautiful pass by Doug Schueller at 13:55. With the game looking like it was heading to overtime, Reading scored the game-winner on a play which saw Express defenseman Doug Schueller get hooked down to the ice in the Roanoke zone. With no penalty called on the play, it set up the goal with 1:44 left to give Reading its first win over Roanoke in four tries this season.

Sebastien Laplante made another start in goal for the Express and suffered the loss allowing the five goals on 28 shots to see his record fall to 10-8-1. Jeff Sanger started in goal for Reading and made several big saves in the first two periods to keep the game close, and overall stopped 38 of 42 Express shots to pick up the win.

UPCOMING GAMES

TUESDAY, JANUARY 7 vs. ATLANTIC CITY 7:05 p.m.

The Express and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies will meet up for the seventh of nine games this season. The Express currently holds a record of 3-2-1 vs. Atlantic City. The game will be the third of four between the teams at the Roanoke Civic Center. The Boardwalk Bullies won the most recent match up 4-2 at Boardwalk Hall in New Jersey on December 18. Two of Roanoke's three wins vs. Atlantic City have come at the Roundhouse. Atlantic City enters this week with a record of 22-7-9 (53 pts., 1st NE Division). The Express is 9-5-2 all-time vs. Atlantic City.

FRIDAY, JANUARY 10 at COLUMBIA, 7:05 p.m.

The Express makes its only trip of the season to Columbia, South Carolina on Friday night. Overall the game is the second and final meeting of the year between the two teams. Columbia earned a 7-4 win over the Express on November 29 at the Roanoke Civic Center in the first meeting. The Inferno enter the week with a record of 19-14-1 (39 pts., 4th SE Division).

SATURDAY, JANUARY 11 at CHARLOTTE 7:35 p.m.

The Express makes its second trip to Charlotte, NC on Saturday night to face off against the Checkers. Overall it will be the fifth of eight meetings on the season between the Northeastern Division rivals. The season series is tie 2-2-0. Roanoke won the most recent match up 4-3 in overtime on January 4 at the Roanoke Civic Center. In the only other game played in Charlotte between the teams, the Checkers earned a 4-3 win on October 25. Charlotte begins the week with a record of 16-15-2 (34 pts., 7th NE Division).

NEWS & NOTES

TEAM & LEAGUE LEADERS

The Express continue to have three of the top 10 scorers in the league at this point of the season. Rookie Jason Jaffray tied for the ECHL lead in scoring with 53 points. Jaffray has picked up 24 goals and 29 assists on the season. His goal total is tied for the overall league lead, and he leads all rookies in goals and assists. Rick Kowalsky is currently tied for seventh in the league with 49 points (19 G, 30 A), and Dylan Gyori is tied for 10th in the league with 46 points (16 G, 30 A). Gyori still holds the league's longest streak for consecutive games with an assist this year, having picked up an assist in nine straight games from

10/11 – 11/5.

ONE HOT ROOKIE: For the second consecutive month, Jason Jaffray was named the East Coast Hockey League's Rookie of the Month. Jaffray won the award for the month of December scoring 16 points in 13 Express games. Jaffray picked up the award in November as well, earning 24 points in 14 games. Overall it marked the first time in ECHL history, that one rookie was twice named the player of the month.

HOT STREAK'S

Several players currently have point-scoring streaks for the Express. Defenseman Duncan Dalmao has picked up points in five of the last six games (1 G, 4 A)...forward Jason Jaffray has four points in the last two games (2 G, 2 A)...forward Dylan Gyori is currently riding a six-game points scoring streak (7 G,4 A) ...forward Dan Carlson has eight points in the last five games (2 G, 6 A)...forward Rick Kowalsky is also riding a six-game points streak (2 G, 7 A)...forward Joe Dusbabek has notched a point in six of the last seven games (4 G, 6 A).

COUNTDOWN TO 100: Roanoke Express head coach Perry Florio is closing in on 100 wins as an ECHL head coach. Entering this week, Florio's win total stands at 94. He piloted the Express to a 38-30-4 record in the 2000-2001 season, and followed that with a 35-26-11 mark last season. Florio's overall career record currently stands at 94-70-17.

ALL-STAR INFO

The Express will have one representative at the 2003 Compuware/ECHL All-Star Game on January 21 in Estero, Florida. Jason Jaffray was selected as a starting forward for the Northern Conference All-Star team. The starting team was selected by ECHL coaches and media.

COACH'S SHOW: The next edition of "Coach's Corner LIVE!" will be held on January 6 from 6:30 – 7:30 p.m. from Cornerstone Bar & Grill. Fans are encouraged to attend to show which features Express broadcaster Kevin Reiter and Head Coach Perry Florio. This week's special guest will be Express defenseman Tim O'Connell.

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