Vipers roughed up by Riverdogs 5-4
November 26, 2005 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Roanoke Valley Vipers News Release
RICHMOND, VA - The Roanoke Valley Vipers, member of the United Hockey League (UHL), battled back and forth with the RiverDogs through the duration of Saturday night's match at the Richmond Coliseum. The Vipers fell short, however, after a third period skirmish and a thirteen-round shootout by a final score of 5-4.
The RiverDogs were on the board first, scoring the only first period goal of the game at the 11:38 mark. The Vipers would not stay quiet for long, as they answered Richmond with two second period goals to give themselves a 2-1 lead. Rookie defenseman Alex Jerofejevs would score the first goal off a pass from Petr Jelinek just a minute and forty seconds into the second period. David Beauregard would score next at the 3:32 mark, unassisted as he slid a wrap-around shot between the post and the skate of netminder Mike DAlessandro.
Richmond was determined not to give up easily, and rallied back to score three consecutive goals before the second period buzzer would sound, the last coming with just four seconds remaining on the clock. The Vipers, returning to their former ways, came out strong in the third period, battling back from a then-two goal deficit to tie the game. Dave Shillington and Mike Krelove fed the puck to Matt Kenny, who came up with the Vipers' third goal just 29 seconds into the third period. Three and a half minutes later, the Vipers' top offensive pair of Beauregard and Mark Scott would collaborate to tie the score at four apiece, as Scott dumped the puck in the net past DAllessandro.
With six tenths of a second remaining in regulation, the Vipers found themselves at a faceoff in front of the RiverDogs' net. The 'Dogs, fearing the offensive power of the Vipers, who had come off two consecutive shootout wins, reacted as the final buzzer sounded, going after Beauregard and forward Steve Crusco, as a brawl broke out among those on the ice. Beauregard was tagged with an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty and a 10-minute misconduct as the Vipers were robbed of the opportunity to utilize their leading scorer in the shootout. Richmond's RC Lyke and Bobby Kukulka were each tagged with five-minute majors and game misconducts for their actions in the free-for-all. Both teams' goaltenders were each given a two-minute penalty for leaving the crease.
The shootout went long, as each teams sent 13 shooters to the ice before a winner was declared. Mike Oliveira scored for the RiverDogs in round one, and shootout specialist Josh Tataryn matched Oliveira's goal to tie the match in round four. In the eighth round, Scott and Brian Goudie were each successful. After two rounds of five players, the teams utilized the ability to reuse shooters; Tataryn and Oliveira were the respective 11th-round shooters for the Vipers and the RiverDogs, and each scored in his turn, as the shootout continued. J.J. Wrobel would finally bring an end to the shootout, scoring in the 13th round after the Vipers had failed to do so in their half.
The Vipers gain a point in the standings with the shootout loss, as their record goes to 7-6-2 (16 points). They now find themselves tied for second place with the Danbury Trashers, who took a big win over the first-place Adirondack Frostbite on Saturday. Richmond will follow the Vipers home for a Sunday afternoon game at 5:05p.m. at the Roanoke Civic Center. Be sure to come out and support your Vipers as they look to avenge their loss to the 'Dogs. Call (540) 345-PUCK (7825) to get your tickets. The Roanoke Civic Center Box Office will open at 2:00p.m. on Sunday and will remain open through the start of the game. Roanoke Valley Vipers - Catch the Fever!
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