CHECKERS GO CHAPUT VS. SYRACUSE 

VERSUS    

CHECKERS BURNED BY FORMER TEAMMATE IN 3-2 LOSS
Chaput’s late tally lifts Syracuse to second win in 10 games

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Former Charlotte Checkers forward Stefan Chaput burned his former team and scored his first of the season with less than three minutes to play as the Syracuse Crunch won, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon.

Chaput was traded by the Hurricanes, along with forward Matt Kennedy, on Nov. 23 for Anaheim Ducks center Ryan Carter. The win was just the second in 10 games for the struggling Crunch.

Jerome Samson and Chris Terry scored for Charlotte, while netminder Justin Pogge stopped 18 shots for his second loss in nine games. Crunch goalie Timo Pielmeier stopped 34 of 36 shots and Syracuse also had goals from Patrick Maroon and Trevor Smith.

Syracuse got on the board first, at 5:42 of the first period, when Maroon got his stick on a Jake Newton shot and redirected it past the screened Pogge on the power play.

Midway through the second period, the Checkers knotted the game at 1-1 on Samson’s 13th goal of the season. While forechecking hard, Drayson Bowman intercepted a pass in the Syracuse zone and slipped it to Samson who went top shelf over the glove of Pielmeier.

Minutes later, while on the power play, Terry gave Charlotte a 2-1 lead when he faked a shot from the point, stepped around a defender and blasted a slap shot from the top of the left-wing circle.

Early in the third, Syracuse drew even when Smith tipped a shot by Maroon over the glove of Pogge.

With 2:23 left in regulation, Chaput buried his first goal of the season and put Syracuse up 3-2. Chaput won the battle in front of the net and chipped the puck over a sprawling Pogge.

Charlotte pulled its netminder for an extra attacker, with less than a minute left, but couldn’t score the equalizer.

The Checkers (13-9-3) are back in action tomorrow when they face Syracuse for the second half of the two game series. Holiday packs are now on sale and include four games, a merchandise certificate and a puck for as low as $35. Call 704-342-4423 or head to www.gocheckers.com for more information.

NOTES:

The Checkers are 7-2-0 in their last nine games… Bryan Rodney is third amongst defensemen in points with 17 (4g, 13a)… Jacob Micflikier has 13 points (7g, 6a) in his last eleven games… Justin Pogge has won seven of his last nine decisions.

Syracuse Crunch 3 at Charlotte Checkers 2 – Status: Final
Sunday, December 5, 2010 – Time Warner Cable Arena

Syracuse 1 0 2 – 3
Charlotte 0 2 0 – 2

1st Period-1, Syracuse, Maroon 7 (Newton, Macenauer), 5:42 (PP). Penalties-Bowman Cha (hooking), 1:11; Maroon Syr (holding the stick), 1:17; Herauf Cha (holding), 4:55; Clark Syr (roughing), 14:53; Mitera Syr (delay of game), 16:52.

2nd Period-2, Charlotte, Samson 13 (Bowman), 11:19. 3, Charlotte, Terry 11 (Micflikier, Osala), 13:06 (PP). Penalties-Macenauer Syr (hooking), 1:43; Clark Syr (holding), 12:04; FitzGerald Cha (interference), 15:00.

3rd Period-4, Syracuse, Smith 5 (Maroon, Green), 2:37. 5, Syracuse, Chaput 1 (Deschamps, Clark), 17:37. Penalties-Micflikier Cha (slashing), 7:20; Micflikier Cha (tripping), 14:34; Maroon Syr (goaltender interference), 18:57; Micflikier Cha (hooking), 19:08.

Shots on Goal-Syracuse 6-5-10-21. Charlotte 11-14-11-36.
Power Play Opportunities-Syracuse 1 / 5; Charlotte 1 / 6.
Goalies-Syracuse, Pielmeier 6-7-1 (36 shots-34 saves). Charlotte, Pogge 7-6-0 (21 shots-18 saves).
A-5,888
Referees-Keith Kaval (40).
Linesmen-Ben Shiley (21), Paul Carnathan (93).