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ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers lose lead late in 4-3 defeat to Greensboro

February 22, 2004 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


(Charlotte, NC - Saturday, February 21) The Charlotte Checkers let a two-goal lead slip away and eventually lost in a shootout to the Greensboro Generals 4-3 Saturday night at Cricket before, 7,159, the second-largest crowd of the season. Geno Parrish ‚¬â„¢s shootout goal in the eighth round proved to be the game-winner. In regulation the Checkers got a pair of goals from Dusty Jamieson and a single goal from Richard Keyes. Mike Bayrack, Derek Crimin and Matt Chandler and scored single goals for Greensboro, while Generals goalie, Jamie Hodson, made 30 saves to gain the win.

‚¬Å“We played well and had opportunities but let it slip away, ‚¬Â commented Checkers interim coach Derek Wilkinson. ‚¬Å“David St. Germain played fine when he came in to replace Scott (Meyer), and their goalie played great. ‚¬Â

Charlotte grabbed a 1-0 lead 4:13 into the first period as Keyes wristed a shot from the slot by Hodson off assists from Kengo Ito and Lucas Lawson. The Checkers made it 2-0 as Jamieson flipped one in just as a Checkers power play was ending at 7:29 of the period. The Generals got on the board at 12:48 as Bayrack poked home a loose puck at the feet of Meyer who didn ‚¬â„¢t see the disc after making an initial save. A close first period saw the Checkers outshoot the Generals 13-12 as the two teams went to the locker room with Charlotte on top 2-1.

In the second period the Checkers failed to increase their lead as Marc St. Jean was stopped on a breakaway by Hodson at the 8:00 minute mark. Charlotte did get their two-goal lead right back five minutes later as Jamieson blasted in his second goal of the night from 35 feet on a power-play at 13:16 for a 3-1 Checkers advantage after two periods. At the start of the period Wilkinson was forced to switch goalies as St. Germain came in to relieve Meyer who suffered a pulled groin earlier in the contest that continued to get worse as the game wore on.

Early in the third period the Generals got within one goal again at 3-2 on a power-play goal by Derek Crimin at 2:05. Greensboro finally tied it with 4:37 left on a scramble in front of St. Germain, with Matt Chandler getting credit for the tally for a 3-3 score.

Regulation ended with the teams tied at 3-3 heading into sudden-death overtime. After a scoreless, five-minute, sudden-death overtime period, the teams went to the shootout, where the Checkers had a two-to-one lead through three rounds. But Matt Elich ‚¬â„¢s shootout goal in the fifth round, along with a Richard Keyes ‚¬â„¢ miss, extended the contest until the eighth round. Gino Parrish ‚¬â„¢s goal won the game for Greensboro just before Ryan Cuthbert ‚¬â„¢s shootout try missed to end the game.

The Checkers earned a point for the shootout loss, and coupled with South Carolina ‚¬â„¢s 3-1 loss to Columbus, tied Charlotte with the Stingrays for the fourth and final playoff spot in the Southern Division. Charlotte ‚¬â„¢s record now stands at 26-21-7 for 59 points, while the Generals improved to 32-21-1 for 65 point.

Charlotte will begin a four-game road trip Tuesday at Greenville with a special 10:30 a.m. starting time at the Bi-Lo Center.

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