ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers edged by Gwinnett 4-3

March 19, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


(Duluth, Georgia - Saturday, March 18, 2006) The Charlotte Checkers battled hard but still fell short in a 4-3 loss to the Gwinnett Gladiators Saturday night in Duluth, Georgia. Trailing throughout the game, the Checkers managed to get within one goal late in the contest before finally bowing out. Cam Brown, Brad Schell, Mike York and Adam Smyth all scored for Gwinnett, with Charlotte getting its goals from Peter Worrell, Mike Bayrack and Daniel Sparre.

Jeff Glass was solid in net for the Checkers with 34 saves, despite yielding four goals. Gladiators' netminder Sean Fields only faced 15 shots and picked up the win with 12 saves.

Turnovers once again led to the Checkers demise. "We seem to always make a mistake in the back and the other teams always seem to capitalize," remarked Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson. "We didn't have Nathan Gillies, Rick Kozak and Ryan Fultz in our lineup tonight and that hurt. It would be nice to get a few wins and clinch a playoff spot so we could rest some guys and take the pressure off us a bit."

Gwinnett started fast and grabbed a 2-0 first period lead. Two minutes into the game Brown knocked in his seventh goal of the season in a scramble in the slot for a 1-0 Gladiators advantage. With Worrell in the penalty box, Gwinnett scored a power-play goal at 11:51 when Schell was open between the circles and blasted a shot by Glass for a 2-0 Gwinnett lead. The Gladiators outshot the Checkers 11-3 in the first period.

In the second period Gwinnett increased its lead to 3-0, after York stole the puck from Jake Ortmeyer and beat Glass in close. A few seconds later the Checkers put the Gladiators on a power-play, but it would be Charlotte who would score. Worrell broke into the Gwinnett zone on a three-on-one break and lifted a shot that bounced off Fields' shoulder and into the net for a short-handed tally while slicing the Gladiators lead to 3-1.

Smyth came back with a goal five minutes later to give Gwinnett its' three-goal lead right back. The Checkers would once again cut the Gladiators advantage to 4-2, getting a power-play goal by Bayrack who launched a shot just under the crossbar at 14:59.

In the third period Charlotte kept the Gladiators scoreless and got within one goal at 4-3. Glass made 14 stops in the period and sparkled while the Checkers tried to fight back. Trailing 4-2 late in the game, Charlotte pulled Glass for an extra attacker and scored. Sparre knocked in a Juris Stals pass with just 33 seconds left in regulation. But the Checkers could get no closer and the Gladiators hung on for the 4-3 victory.

The loss was Charlotte's seventh in its last nine games, and dropped their record back to .500 at 29-29-5 for 63 points. The Gladiators improved to 43-12-7 for 93 points.

The loss also keeps the Checkers magic number for clinching a playoff spot at seven points, with the Columbia Inferno's 7-3 victory over the Greenville Grrrowl Saturday night.

The Checkers will return to Charlotte Bobcats Arena Monday night to open a five-game homestand when they'll host the Augusta Lynx at 7:00 p.m.

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ECHL Stories from March 19, 2006


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