CHARLOTTE PUTS “CHECKERS” IN BOX FOR PLAYOFFS 

      VERSUS     

CHECKERS EARN PLAYOFF BERTH WITH SEVENTH STRAIGHT WIN

Stefanishion Nets Two Including Game Winner; Munce Wins Sixth Straight Start

The Charlotte Checkers scored a late power-play goal and held on for the win as they downed the Trenton Devils, 4-3, on Friday evening.

With the win, their seventh in a row, the Checkers clinch a playoff berth with seven games to play in the regular season.

Matt Stefanishion scored twice, including the game-winning goal, while Ryan Munce stopped 33 of 36 shots for his sixth straight victory. Andrew Carroll notched a goal and an assist while Michel Leveille chipped in with two assists.

The Checkers opened the scoring six minutes into the game on a power-play goal by Aaron Slattengren. Carroll dumped the puck into the Trenton end and it bounced off the boards and onto the stick of Slattengren. Slattengren then beat Devils goaltender Dave Caruso low blocker side for his 15th of the season.

Trenton would even the score just 36 seconds later when Jack Combs took the puck at the side of the crease, skated around the net and stuffed it home.

With less than four minutes to play in the period, Charlotte took their second lead of the game when Carroll buried the rebound off of a Trevor Hendrikx point shot for his team-leading 25th of the season.

The Checkers then took a two-goal lead midway through the second period on a great individual effort by Stefanishion. Trenton attempted to clear the zone however Stefanishion stripped the lone defender of the puck and skated in alone on Caruso. The Checkers forward then deked and flipped the puck into the top corner for his first of two on the night.

The Devils cut Charlotte’s lead in half with six minutes to play in the period as they skated in on a 3-on-1. Slavomir Tomko took a drop pass in the slot and fed Chris Poli who fired it home from the side of the net past a sprawling Munce.

Midway through the third, Trenton would tie the game when Dan Eves beat Munce through traffic with a wrist shot from the high slot.

Just two minutes later, the Devils were assessed back-to-back penalties and the Checkers went to work on a 5-on-3 power play. Michel Leveille and Stefanishion played keep-away at the blue line before Stefanishion one-timed a heavy slap shot into the top corner for the go-ahead goal.

Trenton would pull its goaltender for the extra attacker with time winding down, but Munce was there to shut the door and pick up his sixth win in a row, clinching a playoff berth for Charlotte.

The Checkers (38-20-7) will host Florida on Tuesday and Thursday. The puck drops at 7 p.m. and ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com. Season tickets for the inaugural 2010-11 AHL season are now on sale and 40-game packages start as low as $200

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

SCOREBOARD:

In South Division action, South Carolina broke the game open in the final frame scoring three times to gain two points on third place Florida with a 5-3 win. Keith Johnson had two goals for the Stingrays.

In other ECHL action, at the Lucas County Arena, Toledo beat Cincinnati 3-1. Kalamazoo saw five different Wings put the puck in the net and beat Wheeling 5-2. Reading got three point nights, two goals and an assist apiece, from Stefano Giliati and Andrew Sarauer as the Royals trounced Elmira 6-2. Victoria went into the Rabobank Arena in Bakersfield and just slammed their hosts 5-1. Alex Bourret continues to light it up for Las Vegas with a goal and an assist bringing his year to date numbers to an impressive 15g, 26a for 41 points in 29 games. However, it wasn’t enough as the Wranglers dropped a 3-2 decision to Alaska. Tony Voce netted a pair and Greg Hogeboom and had a goal and two helpers while Geoff Walker had one of each as Ontario got a home win over Idaho 7-4. Last but not least, Ryan Kinasewich netted a pair and Tom May had a goal and a helper as the Utah Grizzlies, the Bridgeport Sound Tigers farm team, knocked off Stockton 6-2.

NOTES:

* The Checkers have won seven in a row, are 8-0-1 in their last nine games and 12-2-1 in their last 15 at home

* Ryan Munce has won six straight games, is 7-0-1 in his last eight starts and ranks third in the ECHL with 22 wins

* Matt Schepke leads the team with a +19 rating

* Andrew Carroll leads the ECHL with five shootout-winning goals and leads the Checkers with 25 goals

LINES:

Carroll – Leveille © – Slattengren
Doig – Tkaczuk – Stefanishion
Crane – Chabot – Schepke

Urquhart – Schaeffer
Berube – Hendrikx
Dowzak – Ward

Munce
Zemlak

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:

Mike Taylor – Sick – Day-to-Day
Randy Rowe – Recall in Lake Erie
Matt Ford – Recall in Lake Erie
Julien Brouillette – Recall in Hartford
Ethan Graham – Recall in Texas
Kenny Roche – Recall in Providence
T.J. Reynolds – Lower Body – Day-to-Day
Devin DiDiomete – Lower Body – 2-3 weeks
Chris Snavely – Upper Body – 2-3 weeks
Trevor Glass – Back Surgery – Season over
Codey Burki – Undisclosed – Season over
Chris Chappell – Shoulder Surgery – Season over

THREE STARS

1. CHR – M. Stefanishion
2. CHR – A. Carroll
3. CHR – M. Leveille

ON-ICE OFFICALS:

Referee:
Jason Rollins (13)

Linesmen:
Mark Hamlett (81)
Terry Wicklum (98)

NEXT GAME:

The Checkers have a couple of days off now as they play their next five games at home. Florida comes in to the Time Warner Cable Arena for Tuesday and Thursday night games. Reading comes in for a pair on the Weekend and then the last regular season home game is Tuesday the 30th against Gwinnett. The Checkers finish the season with two on the road in Florida. Jason Shaya will be on the air both Tuesday and Thursday night at 7pm.

For live in-game coverage from your cell phone or computer, we’ll have the action for you at www.twitter.com/howlingstoday.

You can always buy tickets for any Checkers game home or away at Ticketmaster.com.

Should you want to watch this very exciting team from the comfort of your computer chair, all Checkers games are available on B2Live.

SCORE-SHEET:

Trenton Devils 3 At Charlotte Checkers 4 – Status: Final

Mar 19, 2010 – Time Warner Cable Arena

Trenton 1 1 1 – 3

Charlotte 2 1 1 – 4

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Slattengren 15 (Carroll), 6:02 (pp). 2, Trenton, Combs 22 (Vokes), 6:38. 3, Charlotte, Carroll 25 (Hendrikx, Leveille), 16:39. Penalties-Kell Tre (roughing), 4:59; Zancanaro Tre (hooking), 7:15; Eves Tre (tripping), 10:51; Coutu Tre (boarding), 14:37; Berube Chr (holding), 17:16.

2nd Period-4, Charlotte, Stefanishion 18   7:17. 5, Trenton, Poli 11 (Tomko, Charleston), 14:10. Penalties-Thomas Tre (roughing), 11:46; Murray Tre (roughing, fighting – major), 12:18; Hendrikx Chr (instigating, fighting – major), 12:18; Coutu Tre (double – roughing), 20:00; Berube Chr (roughing), 20:00.

3rd Period-6, Trenton, Eves 17 (Charleston, Poli), 11:02. 7, Charlotte, Stefanishion 19 (Leveille, Tkaczuk), 13:07 (pp). Penalties-Schepke Chr (interference on the goalkeeper), 5:05; Urquhart Chr (elbowing), 6:19; Charleston Tre (tripping), 11:30; Vokes Tre (high-sticking – double), 12:32; Kunes Tre (elbowing), 18:55.

Shots on Goal-Trenton 9-12-15-36. Charlotte 15-7-10-32.

Power Play Opportunities-Trenton 0 of 3; Charlotte 2 of 10.

Goalies-Trenton, Caruso 17-18-1-1 (32 shots-28 saves). Charlotte, Munce 22-13-2-1 (36 shots-33 saves).

A-6,898