ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers drop close 3-2 decision to Pee Dee

November 27, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


Florence, South Carolina - The Charlotte Checkers have been great at winning one-goal games this season, but dropped one Saturday night at Pee Dee in a 3-2 loss to the Pride. Brian Collins strike with 2:21 left in the second period proved to be the game-winner. Mark Mullen and former Checkers center Chad Spurr scored the other Pee Dee goals. Mike Harder and Lee Falardeau lit the lamp for the Checkers, who lost two straight for the first time this season. Charlotte goalie Alex Westlund made 38 saves after dropping his second close game in as many nights. The victory pulled the Pride to within one point of the Checkers for first place in the East Division of the ECHL's American Conference.

"It was another terrific hockey game and we just came up a bit short," commented Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson. "We were snake-bit around the net tonight as we could have had several more goals. We've got almost a week to regroup and get a few of our injured players back for next week's rematch with Pee Dee which should be another good contest." The Checkers took the lead just 5:36 into the first period as Harder backhanded the puck from the slot by Pride goaltender Nick Boucher for a 1-0 advantage. Ryan Cuthbert and Rory Rawlyk assisted. Pee Dee tied the game at 1-1 with 2:24 left in the period. Mullen went coast-to-coast and after his initial shot went wide, picked up the puck again and while cutting to the slot drilled a shot by Westlund.

The Checkers took their second lead of the game early in the second period as Falardeau, while anchored in the slot, muscled a rebound by Boucher for a 2-1 Charlotte advantage. The Pride once again equalized as Spurr ripped a shot top shelf on a power play to knot the score at six minutes, fifty nine seconds of the period. The score remained tied until late in the period when Collins scored just outside the slot for a 3-2 Pee Dee advantage after two periods.

Charlotte turned things up a notch in the final period but was unable to get the tying goal as the Pride held on for the 3-2 final. The Checkers out shot Pee Dee in the third period 10-9 but were out shot for the game 41-33. Charlotte's record dropped to 11-4-1 for 23 points while Pee Dee won its third straight to improve to 10-4-2 for 22 points. The Checkers will be off until next Friday when once again they'll travel to Florence to meet the Pride at 7:30 p.m. Saturday night the Checkers return home to Cricket Arena to host the Columbia Inferno at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are available now through the Charlotte Checkers office by calling (704) 342-4ICE, through all TicketMaster locations, or on line through www.TicketMaster.com.

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ECHL Stories from November 27, 2004


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