CHECKERS JUMPED IN GAME ONE

     VERSUS    

CHARLOTTE EDGED, 4-3, BY CINCINNATI IN SERIES OPENER

Checkers Lose For Only Second Time In Last 12 Home Games

The Charlotte Checkers held a two-goal lead early in the second period but could not hold on as they were edged, 4-3, by the Cincinnati Cyclones in Game 1 of the American Conference Semifinals on Friday evening.

The loss snaps a three-game win streak for the Checkers and is only their second loss at home in the last 12 home games. Charlotte went 2-for-5 on the power play and Cincinnati scored while shorthanded. The Cyclones had 16 shorthanded goals during the regular season, leading the entire ECHL. The regulation loss was the Checkers’ first defeat when leading after two periods, including the playoffs, all season (28-1-3-2).

Charlotte opened the scoring midway through the first period on a power-play goal by David Marshall. David Urquhart fired a wrist shot from the point through traffic and Marshall was parked in the slot and redirected his third of the playoffs past Cincinnati starter Jeremy Smith (21 saves, 5-1-1).

Two minutes later, Cincinnati defenseman Kevin Roeder was assessed a penalty for roughing up Randy Rowe behind the Cyclones net.

The Checkers went to work on the power play and tallied for the second straight time. Kenny Roche would score his second of the post-season. Rowe worked the puck along the left side boards before firing a slap shot at Smith between the pipes. Aaron Slattengren took a swing at the rebound and missed but Roche found the puck and deposited it into the back of the cage.

The Cyclones got on the board with four minutes to play in the period off a 3-on-2 odd-man rush. Brett Robinson skated down right-wing and launched a pass across the crease that found the blade of Dustin Sproat who redirected it past Ryan Munce (23 saves 5-3-2), cutting Charlotte’s lead in half.

Early in the second, (2:06) the Checkers gave themselves a two-goal lead for the second time when they made it a 3-1 game on Mike Taylor’s fourth goal of the playoffs. Julien Brouillette, just back from the Hartford Wolf Pack (AHL), started the play with a stretch pass up to Michel Leveille on the right-wing side. Leveille then drove wide around a Cincinnati defender and sent a backhanded saucer pass to Taylor who sent it past Smith.

With 3:24 left in the period, Roeder went off to the sin bin for elbowing granting the Checkers another man-advantage. But it was the Cyclones who would take advantage just 10 seconds into the Checker power play as Maxime Lacroix tipped a Matt Pierce wrist shot past Munce. The shorthanded goal was Lacroix’ first goal since being returned from the Hamilton Bulldogs (AHL) prior to the game.

The Checkers’ power play went to work again early in the third and created many scoring chances but Smith rose to the occasion and kept the score 3-2.

Charlotte was just never fully emotionally engaged in the game and Cincinnati just kept consistent pressure on the puck until they could find an open door.

The Checkers gave the Cyclones that opening at 9:25 of the final frame when defenseman Brett Motherwell let go what seemed like a harmless shot from the corner. Munce, who was solid all game long, was unable to squeeze it in his pads and it trickled by the Charlotte netminder for the equalizer.

With less than five minutes to play, Cyclones forward Brett Robinson would score what would prove to be the game-winner when he entered the Checkers’ zone and fired a wrist shot that went through the legs and deflected off the pants of defenseman Steve Ward. Munce lost the puck and it went over his catching glove and found the top corner of the net.

The deficit woke the Checker’ up from their doldrums and they played inspired desperate hockey the final few minutes of regulation, but it was too-little-too-late, and they are down a game in their best of seven series.

Remember, Charlotte lost the first game on the road to Toledo in the last series and came back to win it. They will need a stronger effort for a full sixty minutes when they lock up with the Cyclones for Game 2 at 7pm Saturday night at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Ticket information can be obtained by calling 704-342-4-ICE or visiting www.gocheckers.com/playoffs.

GAME SUMMARY and OFFICIAL SCORERS SHEET

NOTES:

* Charlotte is 10-2 in its last 12 home games

* Mike Taylor leads the Checkers with four goals and two assists in the playoffs

* Charlotte clinched its first division title and #1 conference seed in franchise history heading into the playoffs

* The Checkers had the four largest crowds in the ECHL this season

* Ryan Munce led the ECHL in save percentage (.913), was third in wins (26) and was named ECHL Goaltender of the Month for March

* Andrew Carroll led the Checkers this season with 30 goals, including six game winners.

LINES:

Taylor – Leveille © – Slattengren
Roche – Carroll – Bartlett
Rowe – Tkaczuk – Marshall
Stefanishion

Hendrikx – Ward
Schaeffer – Brouillette
Urquhart – Reynolds

Munce
Zemlak

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

 
SCRATCHES:
Mike Berube – Healthy Scratch
Matt Schepke – Healthy Scratch
Brock Bradford – Healthy Scratch
Jared Nightingale – Healthy Scratch
Tyler Doig – Healthy Scratch

THREE STARS

1. CIN – B. Robinson
2. CHR – K. Roche
3. CHR – R. Rowe

ON-ICE OFFICALS:

Referee:
Geno Binda (15)

Linesmen:
Mathieu Chenier (71)
Paul Reid (97)

NEXT GAME:

Jason Shaya and Chris Snavely will call Game Two at the Time Warner Cable Arena 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:

Cincinnati Cyclones 4 At Charlotte Checkers 3 – Status: Final

Apr 16, 2010 – Time Warner Cable Arena

Cincinnati 1 1 2 – 4

Charlotte 2 1 0 – 3

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Marshall 3 (Urquhart, Tkaczuk), 11:07 (pp). 2, Charlotte, Roche 2 (Bartlett, Rowe), 14:15 (pp). 3, Cincinnati, Sproat 2 (Robinson, Motherwell), 16:00. Penalties-Robinson Cin (roughing), 9:15; Roeder Cin (roughing), 13:07; Stefanishion Chr (roughing), 16:10; Eddy Cin (roughing), 19:39; Marshall Chr (roughing), 19:39.

2nd Period-4, Charlotte, Taylor 4 (Brouillette, Leveille), 2:06. 5, Cincinnati, Lacroix 1 (Pierce), 16:36 (sh). Penalties-Pierce Cin (high-sticking), 5:52; Tkaczuk Chr (hooking), 11:03; Roche Chr (slashing ), 14:02; Roeder Cin (elbowing), 16:26.

3rd Period-6, Cincinnati, Motherwell 1 (Roeder), 9:25. 7, Cincinnati, Robinson 1 (Kilpatrick), 15:38. Penalties-Kilpatrick Cin (slashing ), 4:20; Stefanishion Chr (roughing), 7:22; Sheahan Cin (delay of game), 16:58.

Shots on Goal-Cincinnati 9-7-11-27. Charlotte 9-4-11-24.

Power Play Opportunities-Cincinnati 0 of 4; Charlotte 2 of 6.

Goalies-Cincinnati, Smith 4-1-1-0 (24 shots-21 saves). Charlotte, Munce 3-2-0-0 (27 shots-23 saves).

A-2,013