Charlotte Checkers Check-In (April 5)
Welcome back to another Friday edition of our Charlotte Checkers Check-In. The Checkers have played four games since our last report, last Friday afternoon, winning three of the four games. They split a pair on the road last weekend, beating the Hartford Wolf Pack and dropping a close one to the Bridgeport Sound Tigers. They came back to Charlotte for a mid-week series against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms, where they swept them winning both games by four goals.
Photo: Charlotte Checkers
Last Friday in Hartford the Checkers got on the board first with a goal from newly-acquired Stelio Mattheos. It was the 19 year-old’s first professional goal. When the Wolf Pack answered in the second, the Checkers poured on three more goals in the third. Dustin Tokarski got the nod in the net and he took care of the rest, only allowing one goal on the night. The 4-1 win gave the Checkers 100 points on the season for the first time in franchise history.
The next night wasn’t as successful, even though it was an exciting game. It was knotted at 0 heading into the third frame where the Sound Tigers finally sent one past Charlotte goalie Alex Nedeljkovic seven minutes in. Four minutes later they would score again. Julien Gauthier would answer for the Checkers, but the good guys never were able to get that game-tying goal to force an OT period. This was the first loss in regulation for the Checkers in nearly a month.
Back in Charlotte on Tuesday, the Checkers already knew they had clinched the division title, but that didn’t stop them from coming out strong. That’s exactly what they did Tuesday and Wednesday against the Phantoms. Aleksi Saarela led the way on Tuesday with two goals while Nedeljkovic turned away 16 of 17 shots for a 5-1 victory. It was Tokarski’s time on Wednesday and he stopped 22 of 24 shots. Two goals weren’t enough for the Phantoms as six different Checkers each scored a goal in a 6-2 victory.
I really love how this team is playing right now. They’re having fun, competing at a high level, and having a lot of success at the right point in the season. Even after learning they were the division champs, they didn’t come out flat at all. The defense is playing great right now, making life pretty easy for Nedeljkovic and Tokarski in the net. The offense is rolling with many different players getting in the scoring column. Playoffs start in just under three weeks and I couldn’t be more excited. Until then there’s four games to go in the regular season. Tomorrow night and Sunday afternoon will be the last regular season home games, and they will be against the Springfield Thunderbirds. The season will wrap up next Thursday and Friday in Cleveland against the Monsters. It’s a very exciting time for Checkers fans and the excitement is only beginning. Don’t miss out on all the action and let’s go Checkers!
Garett