Checkers fall in overtime to Augusta 5-4
March 20, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
(Augusta, GA - Friday, March 19) The Charlotte Checkers dropped a 5-4 overtime decision to the Augusta Lynx Friday night in Georgia. Terry Marchant's goal with just 33 seconds left in the five-minute, sudden death overtime session proved to be the game winner. The Checkers failed to hold a two-goal third-period lead and never trailed in the game until the Lynx's overtime tally. Doug Christiansen scored twice for the Checkers while Allan Egeland and Blaz Emersic had single goals. Goalie Gregg Naumenko was the hard-luck loser after coming in for starting goalie David St. Germain late in the third period. St. Germain began to suffer serious cramping and was forced to leave with 5:46 left in regulation.
With seven games left in the regular season the Checkers are in fifth place, three points behind Greensboro for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Southern Division. The Generals have two games in hand on Charlotte. The Checkers are five points behind second-place South Carolina while giving away two games to the Stingrays, and four points behind third place Florida with one game in hand on the Everblades. Sixth place Roanoke is just two points behind the Checkers and has a game in hand on Charlotte. Greensboro, South Carolina and Roanoke all won Friday night while Florida lost.
Charlotte took a 1-0 lead in the first period as Doug Christiansen batted in his own rebound at 15:45. The Checkers held the 1-0 lead until late in the second period when Louis Goulet's short-handed goal tied the game at 1-1 after two periods.
Charlotte scored two goals early in the third period for a 3-1 advantage. Christiansen scored his second of the game after taking a pass from Konrad McKay at 2:47 while Egeland lifted a backhander over Lynx goalie Jason Saal at 4:01. Augusta roared back with two unanswered goals to tie the game at 3-3 on tallies by Scott Kellman and Jonathan Gagnon. The Checkers regained the lead at 11:17 when the puck took a crazy bounce off the back boards, and came in front to Emersic who scored into the empty net after Saal had gone behind the goal to play the puck. But once again the Lynx came back to equalize as Todd Bennett's goal at 13:20 tied the score at 4-4. There was no further scoring until Marchant's goal in overtime for the 5-4 final. The overtime loss gives the Checkers a 31-26-8 record for 70 points while the victory saw Augusta raise its record to 28-28-7 for 63 points.
The Checkers return home to Cricket Arena Saturday night to host the Alaska Aces at 7:30 p.m. The first 1,000 fans who enter the arena Saturday night will receive a free Checkers water bottle, compliments of Horizon Eye Care.
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