Checkers snap four-game slide with 5-2 win at South Carolina
Published on November 23, 2005 under ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
(Charleston, South Carolina - Wednesday, November 23, 2005) The Charlotte Checkers snapped a four-game losing streak Wednesday night with a 5-2 Thanksgiving eve victory over the South Carolina Stingrays in Charleston, South Carolina. Blake Bellefeuille and Nathan Gillies each had a pair of goals for the Checkers while Hugh Jessiman had a goal and two assists for the winners. Charlotte goalie Chris Holt was also big in the win with 42 saves in earning his first victory as a Checker.
The triumph by the Checkers was their fourth straight over South Carolina this season including three wins at the North Charleston Coliseum. The loss also extended the Stingrays winless streak to ten games for a franchise worst 0-7-3 slide.
"We finally got the puck to go into the net and the guys were having fun tonight for the first time in five games," remarked Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson. "Chris Holt had another good game for us in goal and the guys did some things better tonight. This game should give us some confidence going into our game with Florida Friday night in front of a big crowd at the new uptown arena."
The Stingrays grabbed their only lead of the game at 4:42 of the first period when Robin Gomez blasted a shot right off the face-off by Holt for a 1-0 South Carolina advantage. The Checkers tied the game late in the period with three minutes to go as Bellefeuille took a spin-a-round pass from Jessiman and tapped the puck in the net to knot the match at 1-1. The Stingrays and Checkers went to the locker room tied at 1-1 as South Carolina outshot Charlotte 16-8 after one period.
In the second period Charlotte scored a pair of goals in just under three minutes to take a 3-1 advantage. At 9:16 with the Checkers on a power play, Jessiman rammed a shot in through traffic for Charlotte's first lead at 2-1. Bellefeuille scored his second goal of the night 2 minutes and 36 seconds later tipping a shot into an open net by Stingrays goalie Maxime Daigneault for a 3-1 Checkers advantage.
Just after Charlotte killed off a two-man advantage, the Stingrays cut the Checkers lead to 2-1 on a power play goal by Brad Parsons at 16:58 of the second period. Charlotte came right back with less than a minute to go in the period as Gillies scored his first of two goals on the night for a 4-2 Checkers lead after 40 minutes.
South Carolina came out in the third period pressing and gambling in an attempt to get back in the game. The Checkers were able to spring Gillies open on a breakaway and he connected at 3:13 for a 5-2 Charlotte advantage. Despite 15 shots by the Stingrays in the third period, the Checkers kept South Carolina off the scoreboard the rest of the way for the 5-2 final.
The win improved Charlotte's record to 6-4-1 for 13 points, while South Carolina fell to 2-8-5 for nine points. The Checkers will continue their busy week of four games Friday night when they return to St. Lawrence Homes Home Ice at Charlotte Bobcats Arena when they'll host the Florida Everblades at 7:00 p.m.
ECHL Stories from November 23, 2005
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