FORD EARNS CHECKERS FLAG

OK, we admit that’s a pretty hokey hockey racing reference but it’s a truth of sorts.

The Pack’s Matthew Ford, who has been with the Charlotte Checkers for most of the season, was the MVP of the ECHL All-Star game. Ford had three goals and an assist in leading the American Conference over the National Conference 11-5. Congratulations to Matt for a great effort.

Here’s the complete story as released by the ECHL.

Matthew Ford of Charlotte and Kevin Baker of Florida each scored three goals and four points to lead the American Conference to an 11-5 win over the National Conference in the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game presented by Guardian Wear on Wednesday in front of 5,693 fans at the Sovereign Center.

The 11 goals by the American Conference tie the record for most goals set by the Canada All-Stars in 1998 at Lafayette, La. and the six-goal margin of victory ties the record set by the Northern All-Stars in their 8-2 win at Estero, Florida in 2003. The combined 16 goals is the fourth-most in All-Star history.

Trailing 3-1 after the first period, the American Conference scored five goals in the second and third periods while David Leggio of Florida stopped 10 of 11 shots in the second to pick up the win and Michael Neuvirth of South Carolina turned aside 19 of 20 shots in the third to preserve the win. The five goals in a period equals the All-Star record set by the West All-Stars in 1995 at Greensboro, North Carolina and tied by the Canada All-Stars at the 1998 game at Lafayette, Louisiana.

The American Conference scored three goals in a span of 1:19 in the third period, breaking the record for fastest three goals of 1:50 set by the West All-Stars in 1995 at Greensboro, North Carolina.  The American Conference scored the first two goals of the third 18 seconds apart to equal the third-fastest two goals by the Southern All-Stars in 1999 at Biloxi, Miss.

The two teams combined for 98 shots which is the second-most shots by both teams in an All-Star Game, behind only the 110 shots in the 1994 game at Norfolk, Virginia The 26 shots by the American Conference in the second period tied the record for second-most shots in a period set by the Eastern All-Stars at the game in Peoria, Illinois in 2004 while the 54 shots by the American Conference tied the record for third-most shots set by the Eastern All-Stars in 2004.