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 Florida Everblades

Blades capture Brabham Cup with 6-3 win!

March 28, 2009 - ECHL (ECHL)
Florida Everblades News Release


ESTERO, FL - On Saturday night at Germain Arena the Florida Everblades (45-17-5) received a standing ovation from the crowd of 6,503 after handing the Charlotte Checkers (34-26-8) a 6-3 defeat. The ovation was not just for the solid effort, but because with the victory, for just the second time in the team's 11-year history, the Everblades won the Brabham Cup which is awarded each year to the team that finishes with the best record in the ECHL.

Although there are four games still remaining on the Everblades schedule their win tonight meant that no other team in the league can finish with a better winning percentage.

The game, which was the 17th and final one between the South Division rivals, was a closely contested match until the score was blown open by three Everblade goals in less than two minutes midway through the third period.

Colin Nicholson opened the scoring for the Everblades 8:13 into the first period with a short-handed marker. After Michel Leveille's shot from the top of the right circle sailed wide of the Everblade goal, Nicholson scooped up the loose puck and embarked on a 2-on-1 rush. Electing to shoot instead of pass, Nicholson's wrist shot from the right circle sailed past Checkers net-minder Parker Van Buskirk for the 1-0 lead.

Despite notching the first goal, it was the Checkers that carried a lead into the first intermission with a pair of late goals. The first came at 14:28 on nice give-and-go between Brad Ralph and Chris Capraro that ended with Capraro deflecting Ralph's pass between the pads of goaltender David Leggio.

Charlotte then grabbed their only lead of the night with a power play goal off the stick of Jeff Miles with just 35 seconds remaining in the period. Miles deflected a quick pass from Leveille at the right post.

In the second period the Everblades battled back to take the lead with two goals after the midpoint of the frame. Newcomer Mike Reich tied the score at two after redirecting the puck over the shoulder of Van Buskirk at 11:24. Patrick Bordeleau and Dominic D'Amour collected the assists on Reich's first pro goal.

The Everblades took the lead for good with the first of the power play goals at 14:25 when Peter Metcalf's slap shot from the left point snuck through traffic along the ice and into the net. The goal was Metcalf's ninth of the season and was assisted by Kevin Baker and Andrew Sweetland.

Holding a 3-2 lead in the third period, the game changed dramatically just past the 12 minute mark. The teams combined to score four goals in less than two minutes beginning with Florida's second power play goal of the night at 12:24.

Milan Gajic roofed a shot from the right side of the crease over the left shoulder of Van Buskirk for his seventh goal of the year after taking a pass from Sweetland as the play entered the zone. Lee tallied his second assist on the goal that turned out to be the game-winning tally.

After the goal was scored, the Checkers' bench was assed a two-minute unsportsmanlike conduct penalty putting Florida back on the power play, during which they converted again. Just 48 seconds later Lee unleashed a cannon from the blue line that clanged off the underside of the cross bar and in to open a 5-2 Everblades lead. The goal was Lee's 12th of the year and was assisted by Metcalf and Gajic.

Charlotte cut the lead back down to two goals by tallying just 14 seconds after the Lee's goal when Matt Schepke wristed a shot from the left circle into the upper left corner of the net, however Ernie Hartlieb answered to re-open Florida's three goal lead just 40 seconds later to close out the scoring.

Hartlieb's 19th goal of the season came on a rush into the zone down the left side where he cut to the net and flipped a back-hand shot that ricocheted off Van Buskirk's back and across the goal line. D'Amour and Mathieu Roy collected the assists on the goal.

In net, Leggio picked up the win by stopping 27 of 30 shots to improve his record to 24-7-3. Van Buskirk, making just his second pro start fell to 0-2-0 after allowing the six goals on 37 shots.

On the power play, the Everblades finished the night 3-of-8, while Checkers closed out the game 1-of-11.


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