Checkers vs. Stingrays: 2/8/07

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CHARLOTTE OBSERVER

Checkers' defensemen keep streak alive (http://www.charlotte.com/mld/charlotte/sports/hockey/echl/charlotte_checkers/16658483.htm)

Veterans score to give Checkers their 7th straight win at home

CLIFF MEHRTENS

cmehrtens@charlotteobserver.com (cmehrtens@charlotteobserver.com)

<!-- begin body-content -->CHECKERS 3, STINGRAYS 2 Jan Vodrazka and Kenton Smith don't get noticed much doing hockey's dirty work.

When you're a stay-at-home defenseman, scoring is an afterthought. Until Thursday.

Each of the veteran defensemen scored a goal in the Charlotte Checkers' 3-2 victory against South Carolina at Bobcats Arena.

It was Smith's first goal in 28 games.

Vodrazka hadn't found the net in 14 games.

It's not a slump. It's just not their primary role.

"It's always fun to score goals," said Vodrazka, a Czech Republic native and team captain. "Obviously, me and Smitty don't get to do it too much. We're blocking the shots and getting the puck out of the (defensive) zone. That's not the glorious job, so you don't notice us as much as the goal-scorers. It's nice to get a little bit of the spotlight."

The victory was the seventh straight at home for Charlotte (25-16-3).

Vodrazka ripped a high slapshot, on a nice feed from Dan Murphy early in the third period for a 3-1 lead.

Smith slammed in a slapshot from the top of the face-off circle for Charlotte's first goal.

He had 10 goals last season (Thursday's was his fourth of this season), so he's not lost in the offensive end.

"Those two do a lot of the thankless things that go unnoticed," coach Derek Wilkinson said. "We haven't gotten a lot of offense from our blueline this year, that's not how we're built. It's great when those guys step in."

Hugh Jessiman -- expected to score goals -- had one of the season's prettiest moves on Charlotte's second goal. He exited the penalty box, took about three strides and a perfect pass from Mike Ouellette.

Jessiman showed the puck at a defenseman, whipped it in the opposite direction and flipped a backhand under goalie Davis Parley's arm for a 2-1 lead. It was his ninth goal in 15 games.

"Our defense is physical, and a pretty intelligent group," Wilkinson said.

"They're not flashy, and you don't see a lot of big hits. They stand up well and they're not glaring, which is good. We want them to be a group that makes you pay a price, and sometimes (opposing) forwards don't want to pray that price."

"They're a good group, a veteran group and they're playing well together."


<TABLE class=story-table border=0><TBODY><TR class=story-table-even-row><TD>South Carolina</TD><TD>0</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>2</TD></TR><TR class=story-table-odd-row><TD>Charlotte</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>1</TD><TD>3</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>


First period-1, Char., Kenton Smith 4, 11:18. Penalties-Rodney, C (tripping), 6:21; Konkle, SC (holding), 17:23.

Second period-2, SC, Bernakevitch 12, 11:28 (sh). 3, Char., Jessiman 9 (Ouellette, Kenton Smith), 15:21. Penalties-Pokulok, SC (slashing), 6:50; Dovgan, SC (hooking), 10:12; Jessiman, C (slashing), 13:11; Bellefeuille, C (hooking), 17:52; Rycroft, C (roughing), 17:52.

Third period-4, Char., Vodrazka 3 (Murphy), 6:45. 5, SC, Bernakevitch 13 (Schwabe), 16:23 (pp). Penalties-Falardeau, C (tripping), 15:33; Lee, C (hooking), 15:49.

Shots: SC 5-10-7-22; Charlotte 10-9-11-30. Goalies: SC, Parley (22-13-3) 30 shots, 27 saves; Charlotte, Holt (14-11-2), 22-20; Att-6,071.

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<TABLE class=article width="100%" align=center><TBODY><TR><TD class=news_date>CHECKERS PRESS RELEASE


02/09/07

</TD></TR><TR><TD class=news_title>CHECKERS STRETCH HOME WINNING STREAK TO SEVEN WITH 3-2 WIN OVER SOUTH CAROLINA</TD></TR><TR class=trow2><TD height=1></TD></TR><TR><TD class=news_text>


http://www.prosportsmedia.com/checkers/news_images/07.2.8_Lee_strech.jpg The Charlotte Checkers continues their winning ways Thursday night before the largest weeknight crowd of the season in a 3-2 triumph over the South Carolina Stingrays. A crowd of 6,071 at Charlotte Bobcats Arena witnessed the Checkers win their seventh straight home game and eighth victory in their last ten games overall. The win also allowed Charlotte to secure sole possession of fourth place in the crowded Southern Division of the ECHL’s American Conference.

Charlotte defensemen Kenton Smith and Jan Vodrazka scored single goals, sandwiched around a Hugh Jessiman tally. Brendan Bernakevitch scored both Stingrays goals. Checkers goalie Chris Holt earned his 14<SUP>th</SUP> win of the campaign with 20 saves, and has been victorious in four of his last five starts. South Carolina goalie Davis Parley, making his 20<SUP>th</SUP> consecutive start, took the loss making 27 saves.

“It’s great when the guys on the blueline can step in and provide some offense,” remarked Charlotte Coach Derek Wilkinson. “Our team’s not built expecting a lot of offense from back there but we’ve been encouraging our defenseman to jump into the play when they can and they did that tonight.”

Charlotte (25-16-3 for 53 points) drew first blood midway through the first period as Kenton Smith's blast from the right point deflected in to give the Checkers a 1-0 lead. Charlotte dominated the period, outshooting the Stingrays 11-5.

South Carolina (24-18-3 for 51 points) tied the game at 1-1 in the second period as Bernakevitch scored short-handed with a shot over Holt's shoulder at 11 minutes, 18 seconds. Four minutes later Jessiman popped out of the penalty, took a pass from Mike Ouellette and somehow put the puck through Parley on the short side from right on the doorstep. Jessiman’s ninth goal of the season gave Charlotte a 2-1 advantage.

Late in the period, outstanding penalty killing by the Checkers allowed them to keep their one-goal lead. Charlotte’s Blake Bellefeuille and Daymen Rycroft each received two-minute minors at 17:52, giving the Stingrays a full two-minute, two-man advantage. The Checkers trio and Holt managed to stymie the South Carolina power play and preserve their lead through two periods.

Vodrazka’s goal down the slot off a pretty pass from Dan Murphy increased the Checkers lead to 3-1 at 6:45 of the final period. Another Stingrays two-man advantage late in the third, this time for 1:44 allowed South Carolina to pull within one at 3-2 on Bernakevitch’s second goal of the night.

South Carolina pulled Parley with just under a minute to go for a sixth attacker, but the Checkers held on for the 3-2 triumph. The win gives Charlotte a 4-2-0 lead in the 11-game season series.

CHECKERS THURSDAY NIGHT SCRATCHES: Dusty Jamieson, Rick Kozak, Nathan Gillies and Adam Nightingale.

FOR <STOCKTICKER>BOX </STOCKTICKER>SCORE CLICK: http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1457 (http://echl.leaguestat.com/stats/game-summary.php?game_id=1457)


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