Checkers defeated 7-3 by South Carolina
April 1, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
(Charleston, South Carolina - Friday, March 31, 2006) The South Carolina Stingrays wrapped up fourth place in the ECHL's Southern Division with a 7-3 triumph over the Charlotte Checkers Friday night in Charleston, South Carolina. Cail MacLean scored twice for South Carolina, while the Stingrays got single goals from Danny O'Brien, Robin Gomez, Anders Strome, Likit Anderson and Darren Lynch. Stingrays goalie Davis Parley got the victory with 30 saves.
The Checkers scored a short-handed goal from Dusty Jamieson, and even-strength tallies from Juris Stals and Kris MacPhee. Charlotte netminder Chris Holt suffered the loss making 31 saves. Despite the loss, the Checkers won the eleven-game season series going 9-2-0 against the Stingrays.
"We didn't come out tonight with same fire and intensity that we started last night's game with." Remarked Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson. "We had that intensity last night (Thursday) for the whole game but only for stretches tonight. What we're looking to do for the rest of the regular-season is to get our team focused and playing with passion. It makes no difference to us who we play in the playoffs."
South Carolina jumped all over the Checkers and built a 4-1 first-period lead. MacLean banged in is own rebound three minutes into the game for a 1-0 Stingrays lead. Two minutes later, O'Brien completed a two-on-one break, taking a pass from Evan Schwabe and tipping the puck in by Holt for a 2-0 South Carolina advantage.
The Checkers, who had three breakaways in the first period, connected on one for their first goal, as Jamieson tipped a shot in by Parley to cut the Stingrays lead to 2-1. But two goals later in the period in a 1:33 span by Gomez and Strome gave the Stingrays a three-goal lead after one period.
In the second period Charlotte chopped the lead to 4-2, as Stals blast from the right wing circle went in and out of the glove of Parley and into the net at 14:32. But South Carolina discouraged a Checkers comeback by following up Stals' goal with two tallies in a 38 second span. Anderson and Lynch connected to increase the Stingrays lead to 6-2 through two periods.
In the third period MacPhee scored on a goalmouth scramble for Charlotte, and MacLean added a final goal for the Stingrays for the 7-3 final. The loss dropped the Checkers two games under .500 at 31-33-5 for 67 points, with South Carolina improving its record to 31-23-14 for 76 points.
The Checkers will continue their season-ending, four-game road trip Saturday night when they'll close out their season series with the Augusta Lynx in Georgia at 7:30 p.m.
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