Checkers at Everblades: 10/28/06

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CHECKERS PRESS RELEASE

CHECKERS TAKE REMATCH IN FLORIDA WITH 3-1 VICTORY
PETRUZALEK AND POTTER SCORE FIRST ECHL GOALS, WESTLUND SPARKLES

FT. MEYERS, FL. - The Charlotte Checkers were tired of losing to the Florida Everblades in the regular season at Germain Arena. The Checkers rebounded from a 4-1 defeat in Florida Thursday night, with a 3-1 triumph over the Everblades Saturday night. The victory snapped an eight-game, regular-season losing streak in Fort Myers. Prior to Saturday, the last Checkers win on Everblades home ice was in March of 2003.

Mark Lee, Jakub Petruzalek and Corey Potter all scored in the third period to snap a scoreless tie after two periods. Charlotte goalie Alex Westlund was solid in goal, notching his second straight win while making 25 saves. Jonathan Lehun scored the only Everblades goal late in the third period to ruin Westlund’s shutout bid.

“We made very few mistakes tonight and Westy (Checkers goalie Alex Westlund) was solid,” remarked Charlotte coach Derek Wilkinson. “Getting our captain back (Jan Vodrazka) really helped too. Both goalies played great but we were fortunate to be the first ones to break through.”

Florida goalie Craig Kowalski and Westlund both took turns sparkling in net, thwarting their opponents for over 53 minutes. The Checkers finally broke the scoreless tie with 6:52 left in the game, as Lee banged home a rebound of a Daymen Rycroft shot for a 1-0 Charlotte advantage. Just 27 seconds later Petruzalek walked out from behind the Florida goal and fired the puck past Kowalski for a two-goal Checkers’ cushion.

With 2:35 left in the game, Potter launched a shot that landed just under the Everblades’ crossbar and into the net to put the icing on the cake while giving Charlotte a 3-0 lead. Florida finally scored with 1:35 left when Lehun converted a breakaway for the 3-1 final. Charlotte outshot the Everblades 17-4 in the final period and 33-26 for the game.

The Checkers improved their record to 3-1-0 for six points while Florida fell to 2-2-0 for four points. Charlotte is tied for the first place in the Southern Division of the ECHL’s American Conference. The Checkers will close out their three-game, Florida road trip Tuesday in Pensacola with a match against the Ice Pilots at 8:00 p.m. The Checkers next home game is Friday, November at Charlotte Bobcats Arena against the Gwinnett Gladiators at 7:30 p.m.

BOX SCORE (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=944)

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CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

CHARLOTTE FINDS NEEDED OFFENSE
Observer News Services

FT. MEYERS, FL - The Charlotte Checkers rediscovered their offense Saturday night, and rebounded from their first loss of the ECHL season with a 3-1 victory against the Florida Everblades.

Two nights after having their shot total doubled by the Everblades in a 4-1 loss, the Checkers clamped down and used a three-goal surge over a span of 4 minutes, 17 seconds for their third victory in four games.

The offense didn't come from Dusty Jamieson either. The league's player of the week after back-to-back hat tricks to start the season, went scoreless for a second straight game.

Instead, goalie Alex Westlund got help from Mark Lee, and rookies Jakub Petruzalek and Corey Potter to end a string of eight straight regular-season losses to Florida.

Next up will be a 8 p.m. game Tuesday in Pensacola, Fla.

[SD12]

floridaeverblades.com

EVERBLADES FALL LATE TO CHECKERS, 3-1

ESTERO, FL - The Florida Everblades (2-2-0) saw the Charlotte Checkers (3-1-0) break open a scoreless game with two goals in 19 seconds midway through the third period, allowing the Checkers to earn a split in the two-game series between the South Division Rivals.

After a scoreless first two periods, Charlotte opened the scoring at 13:08 of the third period when Mark Lee picked up a rebound in front of the Everblades net and chipped it past goaltender Craig Kowalski. Just 19 seconds later Jakub Petruzalek clanged a shot from the left circle off the right goal post and into the net to give the Checkers a quick 2-0 lead. Jan Vodrazka chipped in with an assist.

The Checkers opened a 3-0 advantage with a power play goal by Corey Potter at 17:25 with the assist going to Blake Bellefeuille before Florida tallied its lone goal when Jonathan Lehun converted a breakaway sneaking a shot past Charlotte net minder Alex Westlund with 1:35 remaining in regulation. Vince Bellissimo and Jeremy Swanson assisted on Lehun’s second goal of the season.

Kowalski suffered the loss, allowing the three goals on 33 shots to drop his record to 0-2-0, while Westlund improved to 2-0-0 on the season by turning away 25 of 26 Everblades shots.

On the power play, the Everblades finished the night 0-for-6, while the Checkers converted on one of their six attempts.

The Florida Everblades, proud affiliate of the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers, take to the road for the first time in 2006-07 when they travel to Cincinnati for the first of a four-game road trip at 7:35 p.m. on Wednesday, November 1. The Everblades’ next home game is Friday, November 10 vs. the Columbia Inferno.

Florida Everblades full season tickets & mini-plans are now available! Reserve your seat for all the exciting action today by calling (239) 948-7825. Visit www.floridaeverblades.com and www.germainarena.com for more information on group ticket packages, pricing and upcoming Germain Arena events.

3 Stars:

1 – Alex Westlund - CHR

2 – Mark Lee - CHR

3 – Craig Kowalski - CHR

[SD12]

NAPLES NEWS

CHECKERS' OUTBURST IN THIRD DOOMS EVERBLADES
by Andy Kent

ESTERO, FL. - Hockey purists caught a glimpse of the past Saturday night at Germain Arena, as the Charlotte Checkers and Florida Everblades played an old-style defensive hockey game.

Not even the presence of the Stanley Cup, however, could push the host Everblades to victory as Charlotte scored two goals 19 seconds apart in the third period to break a scoreless tie and go on to a 3-1 win.

"We just ran out of gas and they came at us pretty hard there in the third,'' said Everblades head coach Gerry Fleming. "We started rolling nine forwards and they just kept grinding with 10 and six (defensemen), kept their game simple and got a couple of bounces.''

In addition to the loss, Florida (2-2-0) also will be without veteran defenseman and team captain Ryan Brindley for an undetermined length of time. The 30-year-old was injured in the first period and did not return, forcing Fleming to move veteran forward Ernie Hartlieb back to defense for the final two periods.

Florida was wearing replica Hurricanes jerseys as part of a tribute to last year's Stanley Cup champions. Carolina owns the Everblades, and Hurricanes and Everblades co-owner Tom Thewes was driven around the ice in a convertible with the prized trophy during the first intermission. That only seemed to motivate the Checkers (3-1-0).

"I think our speed ended up getting to them and we finally found a way to get a puck past Kowalski. He plays great against us every time we face him,'' Checkers head coach and general manager Derek Wilkinson said. "It was one of those games where that first goal was going to mean everything to somebody and deflate the other team, and for us to score right back again to make it 2-0 was critical.''

Charlotte's Mark Lee knocked in the rebound of Daymen Rycroft's shot past Everblades goalie Craig Kowalski 13:08 in, then Jakub Petruzalek pounced on a turnover in front of Florida's net and beat Kowalski again at the 13:27 mark.

Florida now heads out on its first road trip, leaving Tuesday by plane for Cincinnati where the Cyclones await for a Wednesday night game.

Then it's on to Toledo on Friday and Dayton on Saturday before ending the trip back in Cincinnati a week from Monday.

"We played well for two periods and they played a lot better in the third than we did. I think they had more shots in the third than they did the rest of the game,'' said Kowalski, who got to hoist the Stanley Cup after Carolina's Game 7 win over Buffalo in June as the emergency third goalie. "It's a good learning experience for us, knowing that we have to play a full 60 in order to win, and hopefully guys learn that early. Better to learn it now than in April.''

Corey Potter erased any doubt with a one-timer for insurance 17:25 in off an assist from Blake Bellefeuille, and a minute later Florida's Jonathan Lehun spoiled Checkers goalie Alex Westlund's bid for a shutout with his second goal of the season. Vince Bellissimo got the assist.

What was a clean game to that point got a little ugly after Lehun's goal when Everblades defenseman Chris Lee was leveled by two Checkers players and had to be helped from the ice. Florida's Ernie Hartlieb and Charlotte's Ryan Constant fought along the back boards, then the game came to an end.

"I kind of got caught in the trolley tracks so to speak and it was a pretty solid hit,'' said Lee, who expects to play Wednesday. "It feels like he made contact with every part of my body right now, but it was a clean hit. I'm all right. I've got a sore jaw and it knocked the wind out of me.''

Florida had the game's first power play 3:38 in but didn't even manage shot until less than a minute remained with the man advantage. Rookie forward Derek Damon flew in from the bench and fed Lehun in the right circle, but Westlund made the save.

It was a very even first period as both teams had their share of quality scoring chances. With 1:14 left the shots were even at 8-8 and both goalies were solid in net, keeping the game scoreless.

Kowalski, a Carolina Hurricanes contract player, made a big save with

1:01 left on Charlotte's Bruce Graham, who weaved his way through the Florida defense but had the near post taken away by Kowalski.

Each team had two power plays and there was one 4-on-4 s.

Game Photos (http://www.naplesnews.com/photos/galleries/2006/oct/29/checkers_outburst_third_dooms_everblades/15190/)