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SPORTS 6ROLLER HOCKEY: Anaheim defeats Vancouver, 6-1, and now facesOrlando for the RHI*championship.By REID McCLATCHYTh§ Orange County Register* *, .ANAHEIM — For the fourth time in four seasons, the Anaheim Bullfrogs advanced to the Roller Hockey International Western Conference championship series.;\But for the first time in three seasons, the Bullfrogs will play for it all.Five players scored goals as the Bullfrogs (26-5-2), who last played for the Murphy Cup in 1993, defeated the Vancouver VpoDoo, 6-1, in front of an announced crowd of 6,797 on Tuesday night at Arrowhead Pond of Anaheim.The Bullfrogs, who won the series 2-1, will meet the Orlando Jackals in the best-of-three Murphy Cup Finals beginning Friday at 7:30 at The Pond. Orlando defeated the St. Louis Vipers, 8-7, on Tuesday for a 2-0 sweep of the Eastern Conference series.B.J. MacPherson, Rick Jud-son, Joe Cook, Savo Mitrovic and Glenn Stewart scored for the Bullfrogs and goalie Rob Laurie allowed just one goal.“We had to come out and step it up/’ Mitrovic said. “They were (trash) talking after the first game, so we wanted to embarrass them.’’... •The game was scoreless until 2:44 in the second quarter when MacPherson beat Robert Bell. Judson increased the Bullfrogs’ lead to 22 seconds later.Judson’s first shot hit Bell, then trickled behind him. Judson, diving over the fallen goalie, guided it back in.The Bullfrogs extended their lead to 3-0 early in the third quarter on a goal by.Cook (assists from Sean O’Brien and MacPherson) and made it 4-0 shortly after that when Mitrovic scored on a pass from Victor Gervais.Vancouver (21-10-3) finally beat Laurie early in the third quarter on a goal by Shayne Green.- Stewart scored (with assists to Darren Perkins and Judson) 20 seconds into the fourth quarter and Mitrovic concluded the scoring with his second goal of the night, an empty-netter with 2:38remaining.“We sacrificed our bodies and* *that’s basically what it came down to,” Anaheim coach Grant Sonier said. “They guys came out hard and sacrificed everything they had. Sacrifice and discipline. That’s what it took tonight, and that’s what it will take against Orlando.”Laurie was tough in net, stopping 30 shots for his 12th consecutive victory, but the defense in f^ont of him was better.“This was perhaps the best defensive game I’ve ever seen,” said Laurie, who stopped Doug Ast, Vancouver’s leading scorer, on a one-on-one opportunity in the second quarter. “The way they played tonight is the waychampionships are won.”Ast, who had for six goals and five assists in the first two games, was held to one assist.“B.J. (MacPherson) was the key player tonight,” Sonier said. “He did a heck of a job.”
Newspaper Details
Santa Ana Evening Blade
Santa Ana, California, US
Wed, Aug 28, 1996
Page 25
Full Page
Clipped by
Jake C.
USA 31 Oct 2022
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