Checkers finish up stretch 6-3-1
Published on February 22, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
CHARLOTTE, NC â The Charlotte Checkers (31-19-3; 65 PTS; 1ST East Div) finished up one of the most grueling stretches in their 2004-05 season yesterday, playing their tenth game in 14 days. Last Tuesday, the Checkers took on the Columbia Inferno in a make-up game originally scheduled for January 28. The Checkers lost to the Inferno 2-5, allowing Columbia to close in on the Checkers first place position in the East. On Wednesday, Charlotte faced Gwinnett, and defeated them in a close match, 2-1. The Checkers swept a weekend series against the Mississippi Sea Wolves beating them 7-4 Friday and 4-1 on Saturday. Yesterday, Charlotte lost to Gwinnett 1-2.
THIS WEEK
Friday, February 25, at Greenville, 7:05 p.m.
Saturday, February 26, at South Carolina, 7:05 p.m.
Sunday, February 27, at Pee Dee, 2:30 p.m.
CHECKERS NEWS
· The Checkers are currently first in the East Division with 65 points. They are second in the American conference, and fifth in the league overall.
· Team points leader Eddie Pershin is tied for seventh in the league with 50 total points (20g, 30a). He has eight points in the last six games. Pershin is also tied for the most shorthanded assists in the league (3).
· Dusty Jamieson has 12 points over the past ten games, with 9 goals and 3 assists. His total includes two power play goals, a hat trick, and the game winner against Gwinnett on February 11.
· Mike Wirll has a four game point streak, scoring 5 points in the last four games. Over the last ten games he has ten points (6g-4a).
· For the 2004-05 season, Alex Westlund set the league's new single game second period save mark during the Checkers victory over Gwinnett on Wednesday night. He had 26 saves in the period. He is third in the league for minutes played and fourth in saves (2058 min, 983 svs). Westlund is also tied for the most overtime wins in the league (3).
· Rory Rawlyk is among the top 20 leading defenseman scorers in the league with eight goals and 16 assists on the season. He also leads the team with a +/- rating of +14.
LAST WEEK
Tuesday, February 15, vs. Inferno, L 2-5
The Inferno came into the match-up with a 3.10 goals-against-average and a 3-2-2 record against the battle-weary Checkers. It looked like it would be a scoreless first, but Ryan Glenn came through at 19:33 to put the Checkers up 1-0. It is his fourth goal of the season, and his second goal in four games. Credit the assist to Eddie Pershin, team points leader. In the second, Inferno's Brad Ralph put the puck past Checkers goaltender, Kelly Guard, to put Columbia on the board. 38 seconds later, Rory Rawlyk answered with his eighth goal of the season. The period ended with a goal from Columbia to tie it up after two. Columbia soared in the third with three goals. Although Charlotte out shot Columbia in the game 42-21, the Inferno pulled away with a 5-2 victory.
Wednesday, February 16, vs. Gwinnett, W 2-1
The Charlotte Checkers saw one of the ECHL's ironies play out in front of their eyes Wednesday at Cricket Arena. The night before, the Checkers outshot Columbia 42-21 and lost. Wednesday, Charlotte was outshot 20-50 but defeated the Gladiators 2-1 with help from goaltender, Alex Westlund. Gwinnett came out quickly, scoring at the 1:19 mark in the first period. Dusty Jamieson evened the score 1-1 with a power play goal. Just 48 seconds later, Mike Wirll took a pass from Ryan Lang to edge Gwinnett 2-1 after the first. It was a scoreless second and third period. Westlund's 26 saves in the second period set a new mark for the league this season. The Las Vegas Wranglers previously had the most number of saves in the second period this season with 25.
Friday, February 18, vs. Mississippi, W 7-4
The Charlotte Checkers, scoring at will, were able to pull out a physical victory in the first of a two-game weekend series with the Mississippi Sea Wolves. Although the second period was defensively unsound for the Checkers, they ended the game 3-4 on the power play and outshot the Sea Wolves 48-22. In the first, Jason Dawe helped the Checkers come out of the gates swinging, scoring Charlotte's first goal and assisting on a Ryan Glenn goal. With less than a minute to go, Dusty Jamieson scored a power play goal to bring the score to 3-0 at the end of the first. Mississippi came out ready to play in the second, scoring three goals to tie it up 3-3 at 9:21 of the period. Charlotte pushed ahead once again, when Brian Escobedo primed the puck on a power play at 15:00 of the period. Credit the assists to Glenn and Mike Wirll. The Sea Wolves answered 1:47 later, tying the match once again. Charlotte regrouped in the third, holding Mississippi to two shots on goal. Eddie Pershin put the puck past Sea Wolves goaltender once in the period and then rang the bell in an empty Mississippi net with about a minute left. Ryan Lang's power play goal helped secure the 7-4 victory.
Saturday, February 19, vs. Mississippi, W 4-1
The Checkers skated hard in the first period and shut the Sea Wolves out, limiting them to six shots on goal in the first. Thomas Bellemare, with help from Eddie Pershin and Dusty Jamieson, started Charlotte off with a goal at 11:01. Charlotte is now 19-3-0 when leading after one period. The Checkers game-winning goal came in the second when Mike Wirll fed a pass to Lee Falardeau to put Charlotte up 2-0 on a power play. The Sea Wolves only goal came on a power play opportunity in the third. At 14:16 of the period, Dwight Helminen took a pass from Rory Rawlyk to put the Checkers up 3-1. This was Charlotte's second power goal of the night, giving them five power play goals in their last two games. In a last minute attempt to tip the scales, Mississippi pulled their goaltender leaving an empty net for Pershin to find for the second night in a row.
Sunday, February 20, at Gwinnett, L 1-2
The score was the same when the Checkers faced Gwinnett on Wednesday, only the victors were reversed. Charlotte goalie Kelly Guard faced 41 shots, stopping 39 of them but the second period lead established by the Gladiators proved insurmountable. After a scoreless first period, Gwinnett's Mike Vigilante put it between the pipes at 2:53 in the second. A little over four minutes later, Vigilante struck again, making the score 2-0. Twenty-seven seconds later, Mike Wirll drew the Checkers to within one. Thomas Bellemare and Kenton Smith are credited with the assist. That's as close as it would get after a scoreless third period for both teams.
CHECKERS LEADERS
Goals: Dusty Jamieson (22)
Assists: Eddie Pershin (30)
Points: Eddie Pershin (50)
Plus/Minus: Rory Rawlyk (+14)
PIM: Steve MacIntyre (123)
Wins: Alex Westlund (19)
GAA: Alex Westlund (2.97)
Save Pct.: Alex Westlund (.906)
ECHL Stories from February 22, 2005
- Sea Wolves Stun Inferno 6-5 In Shootout - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Rudkowsky Shines in Royals 3-1 win over Chiefs - Reading Royals
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- ECHL Attendance Up Five Percent From 2003-04 - ECHL
- Hockey Hall Of Fame Weekend With The Storm - Toledo Walleye
- Lynx' Johnson is ECHL Player of the Week - Augusta Lynx
- Augusta's Johnson Named In Glas Co ECHL Player of the Week - ECHL
- Whyte Sent To Pee Dee - Toledo Walleye
- Rudkowsky Returnsâ¦O'Leary and Yeats Placed on IR - Reading Royals
- Church Night starts busy weekend for Grrrowl - Greenville Grrrowl
- Louisiana's Shepherd Suspended Five Games, Fined - ECHL
- Johnstown's Cann Named Reebok Hockey ECHL Saver of the Week - ECHL
- Cann Named ECHL/Reebok Saver of the Week - Johnstown Chiefs
- Greeley Goes On Injured Reserve - Mississippi Sea Wolves
- Checkers finish up stretch 6-3-1 - Charlotte Checkers
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Players To Appear At Sports Avenue and Barnes Ace Hardware This Week - Pensacola Ice Pilots
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