ECHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers, Westlund winning streaks over - Reading wins 6-3

Published on January 26, 2007 under ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


(Reading, Pennsylvania - Friday, January 26) The Charlotte Checkers saw their five-game winning streak and seven-game unbeaten mark come to a close Friday night in a 6-3 loss to the Reading Royals at the Sovereign Center in Reading, PA. Jon Francisco scored a hat trick for Reading and John Snowden had four assists in leading the Royals (19-18-5 for 43 points) to the triumph. Reading goalie Jeff Pietrasiak had 35 saves in beating the Checkers for the second time in three meetings this season.

Charlotte goalie Alex Westlund had his personal three-game winning streak snapped, suffering the loss with 31 saves. The Checkers (22-15-3 for 47 points) got single tallies from Daymen Rycroft, Bruce Graham and Lee Falardeau. Charlotte finished its three-game season series against Reading with a record of 1-2.

The Checkers fell behind five minutes into the game as Francisco fired a 30 foot shot that somehow eluded Westlund for a 1-0 Reading advantage. Charlotte tied the game at 7 minutes, 3 seconds of the first as Rycroft cleaned up a rebound of a Bryan Rodney shot from the point that hit the crossbar. There was no further scoring in the period as each team had 16 shots on goal.

The Royals opened up a three-goal lead early in the second period with two goals in a 1:51 span, and three goals in 4:30. The siege began a minute and a half into the period on Shawn Collymore's tally. Two minutes later Francisco scored his second goal of the

night on a breakaway, steering the puck into the net from his stomach after falling down for a 3-1 Royals advantage. At 6:02 of the stanza, James Hiebert scored to give Reading a stunning 4-1 lead. Sloppy play by the Checkers defense greatly contributed to the three-goal blitz by the Royals.

Midway through the second period the Checkers got a goal from Graham, his team-leading 23rd of the season. The lamplighter pulled Charlotte to within two goals of the Royals at 4-2, giving it hope for a third period comeback.

In the final period Reading increased its lead to 5-2, as Snowden set up Joe Zappala just 23 seconds in. A minute later and with Charlotte's Corey Potter in the penalty box, Falardeau single-handedly made it a two-goal game again. He bounced the puck off the boards, raced into the Reading zone, charged toward the net, and with two Royals' players hanging on him rammed the puck by Pietrasiak to slice the lead to 5-3.

The Checkers, however, could get no closer. With a minute and a half to go in the game, Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson pulled Westlund for a sixth attacker. The Royals were able to seal the win as Francisco scored into the empty net with 49 seconds left to earn his hat trick, and seal the 6-3 victory for Reading.

Charlotte will conclude its three-game road trip Tuesday night when it travels to Columbia to meet the Inferno at 7:00 p.m. The Checkers next home game is Friday, February 2 when they'll host the Florida Everblades at Charlotte Bobcats Arena at 7:30 p.m. The first 2,000 fans entering the arena on February 2 will receive a free Checkers T-Shirt compliments of Corporate Xposure.

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ECHL Stories from January 26, 2007


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