Nearly 10,000 fans see Checkers defeat Columbia 4-1
April 1, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release
(Charlotte, North Carolina - Saturday, April 1) The Charlotte Checkers won their fourth straight game and fifth in their last six games with a 4-1 victory Saturday night over the Columbia Inferno at Charlotte Bobcats Arena in front of 9,520 fans.
The win, along with South Carolina's 3-2 loss to Augusta, pulled Charlotte closer to securing a playoff berth in the ECHL South. The Checkers are now tied with Augusta for fourth place in the division with 81 points, two points ahead of South Carolina. The top five teams in the division qualify for the playoffs. Charlotte still holds three games in hand on the Stingrays, and two games on the Lynx. The Checkers can clinch a playoff spot Sunday with a win over Augusta. If Charlotte beats the Lynx, the best the Stingrays could do would tie the Checkers with 83 points. However, the Checkers hold all tiebreakers.
The Checkers got goals from four different players including Shawn Vinz, Zdenek Bahensky, Dan Murphy and Blake Bellefeuille. Goalie Evan Lindsay made only 16 saves, but several were spectacular in getting his second straight win in a Charlotte uniform. Brad Ralph scored the lone goal for Columbia. The Checkers improved to 6-2 against the Inferno
"We've been coming out ready at home and guys are excited to play, especially with the big crowd tonight," said Charlotte Coach Derek Wilkinson. "We've had solid goaltending and timely scoring, which have helped to make the games a little easier."
Once gain the Checkers got off to a fast start with two goals in the first 12 minutes of the game. Vinz, a rookie just signed out of the University of New Hampshire, scored on his first shift. He sent home Daymen Rycroft's rebound at 6 minutes, 8 seconds for a 1-0 Charlotte lead. Bahensky got a partial breakaway and deked Columbia goalie, Todd Ford, for his ninth goal of the season for a 2-0 Checkers advantage at 12:01.
After Columbia sliced the Charlotte lead in half with the lone goal of the second period, the Checkers quickly got their two-goal advantage back early in the third period on Murphy's strike at 2:33. Bellefeuille's wrist shot from 30 feet out with five minutes left in the contest sealed the 4-1 win.
CHECKERS SATURDAY NIGHT SCRATCHES: Rick Kozak and Niko Tuomi
ON RECALL TO (AHL) HARTFORD: Chris Holt, Hannu Pikkarainen, Alex Westlund, Corey Potter and Hugh Jessiman
FOR BOX SCORE CLICK: http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1746
NEXT GAME: The Checkers close out a four-game homestand Sunday afternoon hosting Augusta at 4:00 p.m. at Charlotte Bobcats Arena.
Can't make the game? Watch it on B2 https://www.b2livetv.com/hockey/echl/charlotte/billnow.asp )
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS:
Sunday, April 1 - Augusta @ Charlotte (Ronald McDonald House Day - A portion of every ticket purchased with the promotional code RMH, will benefit the Ronald McDonald House of Charlotte. The first 2,000 fans on Sunday will also receive Team Posters presented by the North Carolina Zoo, Colonial Properties Trust and K104.7 FM. Free public skate and autograph session will follow the game on the Charlotte Bobcats Arena ice. Sunday's game is also "Family Four Pack" day. Fans receive four tickets, four hot dogs, and four sodas for only $49.00.
Tickets for all Checkers home games can be purchased on the official team web site at www.gocheckers.com, on the telephone by using a credit card and calling 1-800-495-2295, or by visiting the Charlotte Bobcats Arena box office.
ECHL Stories from April 1, 2007
- Thunder winning streak hits 10 games as 9,567 witness Radunske's four point-effort - Stockton Thunder
- Bad Bounces Beat Nailers - Wheeling Nailers
- Ice Pilots rally falls short in 5-3 loss to Everblades - Pensacola Ice Pilots
- Wheeling Nailers Game Worn Jersey Auction Ends Saturday - Wheeling Nailers
- Berg becomes all-time Everblades scorer in 5-3 win - Florida Everblades
- Checkers clinch playoff berth with 3-2 shootout win over the Lynx - Charlotte Checkers
- Bombers overpowered by Titans, 5-4 - Dayton Bombers
- Chiefs down Cyclones in overtime - Johnstown Chiefs
- Lynx within one point of playoff berth with shootout win - Augusta Lynx
- Titans power to 5-4 win over Bombers - Trenton Devils
- Johnstown Claims 2-1 OT Win Over Cyclones - Cincinnati Cyclones
- Match-ups If Kelly Cup Playoffs Began Sunday - ECHL
- ECHL Today - ECHL
- Holt reassigned to Charlotte - Charlotte Checkers
- ECHL Transactions - ECHL
- Nearly 10,000 fans see Checkers defeat Columbia 4-1 - Charlotte Checkers
- 7,126 see Wranglers sweep Aces, win ninth straight - Las Vegas Wranglers
- Winning streak hits nine as Ellsworth stops 43 in net - Stockton Thunder
- Stockton Outlasts Bakersfield In Shootout, 4-3 - Bakersfield Condors
- Aces come up snake eyes in Vegas, 4-2 - Alaska Aces
- RoadRunners Clip Falcons 4-2 - Phoenix RoadRunners
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