IT TAKES TWO 

     VERSUS    

CHECKERS EDGED BY CYCLONES IN GAME 5 THRILLER

Rookie Netminder Smith Stops 32 Of 33 In 2-1 Victory; Cincinnati Leads Series 3-2

You’ve heard of the rule of threes? The Charlotte Checkers are in a rule of twos.

Had the team scored two more they would not have gone down in a 2-1 defeat to the Cincinnati Cyclones at US Bank Arena Saturday night off another standout performance by Cyclones rookie goaltender Jeremy Smith (32saves, 29-18-1). Clearly if this series is won by the Cyclones they will have Smith to thank for it as the rookie has looked more like an NHL netminder than one in the East Coast League.

The team now needs to win the next two in order to advance to the American Conference final to take on the waiting Reading Royals.

Ryan Munce has not exactly been chopped liver between the Checkers’ net either. Munce (20 saves, 31-18-2) was also strong in the early part of the first period making several point blank saves when Jared Nightingale took a boarding call just 1:54 into the contest.

Munce kept the puck out of the Charlotte twine on the resulting power play, but the Checkers caught a huge break when Cyclones forward and leading scorer Barret Ehgoetz had a chance to open the scoring but missed a wide open net.

Minutes later, the Checkers had a golden opportunity of their own. With Brock Sheehan already in the sin bin on a Tripping minor, Checkers defenseman Julien Brouillette was cross-checked to the ice by Ryan Del Monte. Charlotte rode 51-second a 5-on-3 man advantage, but Smith kept the Checkers off the scoresheet.

Charlotte then got on the board, scoring first for the third time in their last four road games. Matt Schepke, on a 2-on-1 off-man-rush with Aaron Slattengren, broke down the right wing. When he came to the same spot he scored from in Game Four, Schepke faked the shot, but this time passed to a streaking Slattengren who banged it home from the far post. The goal came at the 15:46 mark of the first period and was the winger’s second of the playoffs.

It would be the Checkers only scoring success of the night.

The Cyclones would tie it up with less than a minute to play in the first period on a goal by Hans Benson. Ryan Del Monte dragged the puck wide around a Checkers defender down low and fed a pass in front to Benson who chipped it into the top corner.

Late in the second period, Cincinnati took a 2-1 lead on a delayed penalty call to Charlotte. Ehgoetz fired a pass up to the far blueline to Dustin Sproat who beat a defender and skated in alone on Munce then stalled and slid it past the diving Checkers netminder.

Both teams came out with something to prove in the third period and exchanged scoring chances early. Munce stopped a Cyclones 2-on-1 in the first minute before Smith countered with an impressive glove save on a shorthanded chance by Charlotte.

With four minutes to play, Schepke had the game on his stick as he circled the net and seemed to have a wide open top corner to shoot at. Smith, however, raised his stick and deflected the puck away with the paddle to keep it a 2-1 game.

The Checkers pulled Munce for the extra attacker with less than a minute to play and immediately went on the attack. Trevor Hendrikx threw the puck on net and but it hopped over the stick of Mike Taylor who was parked in the crease. Cincinnati then iced the puck, resulting in an offensive-zone faceoff for Charlotte. The Checkers won the draw and continued to throw everything they could at the Cyclones’ net but could not beat Smith as the rookie withstood the barrage of Checkers’ attempts but shut the door, earning the 2-1 victory.

Cincinnati now leads the series 3-2 with Game 6 to be played Tuesday in Charlotte starting at 7pm.

If you’re a little on the superstitious side, the Checkers are going to need to come up with TWO more to keep their season alive.

Tickets are now on sale and 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 11-2 in its last 13 home games

* The Checkers are the ECHL affiliate of the Colorado Avalanche (Lake Erie Monsters) and the New York Rangers (Hartford Wolf Pack). Cincinnati is the NHL affiliate of the Nashville Predators (Milwaukee Admirals)  and the Montreal Canadiens (Hamilton Bulldogs).

* Aaron Slattengren leads the Checkers with nine points (2g, 7a) in the playoffs

* Matt Schepke is on a four-game point streak (4g, 2a)…

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

* 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
Rowe – Doig – Marshall
Roche – Carroll – Stefanishion
Schepke

Nightingale – Brouillette 
Urquhart – Reynolds
Hendrikx – Ward

Munce
Zemlak

(Assistant Captains Bold and Italicized)

SCRATCHES:
Mike Bartlett – Recall with Milwaukee Admirals
Mike Berube – Healthy Scratch
Brock Bradford – Healthy Scratch
Kevin Schaeffer – Healthy Scratch
Daniel Tkaczuk – Upper Body Injury

THREE STARS

1. CIN – D. Sproat
2. CIN – J. Smith
3. CIN – R. Del Monte

ON-ICE OFFICALS:

Referee:
Geno Binda (15)

Linesmen:
Mike Hamilton (80)
Matt Macpherson (83)

NEXT GAME:

It’s win-or-go-home for the Checkers Tuesday night and Jason Shaya and Chris Snavely will be on the microphone calling the action for Game Six from the Time Warner Cable Arena starting 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:

Charlotte Checkers 1 At Cincinnati Cyclones 2 – Status: Final

Apr 24, 2010 – U.S. Bank Arena

Charlotte 1 0 0 – 1

Cincinnati 1 1 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Charlotte, Slattengren 2 (Schepke), 15:46. 2, Cincinnati, Benson 1 (Del Monte, Lacroix), 19:09. Penalties-Nightingale Chr (boarding), 1:54; Sheahan Cin (tripping), 6:53; Del Monte Cin (cross-checking), 8:02; Roche Chr (interference), 16:32; Benson Cin (roughing), 19:09.

2nd Period-3, Cincinnati, Sproat 3 (Ehgoetz, Jozsa), 17:08. Penalties-Benson Cin (interference on the goalkeeper), 1:24; Carroll Chr (hooking), 3:33; Reynolds Chr (cross-checking), 7:22; Rowe Chr (roughing), 10:26; Eddy Cin (tripping), 14:52.

3rd Period- No Scoring.Penalties-Leveille Chr (hooking), 3:04; Benson Cin (cross-checking), 8:39.

Shots on Goal-Charlotte 7-11-15-33. Cincinnati 12-3-7-22.

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

Goalies-Charlotte, Munce 5-4-0-0 (22 shots-20 saves). Cincinnati, Smith 6-3-1-0 (33 shots-32 saves).

A-3,813