April 14, 2011
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 14, 2011
CONTACT: â€" HERSHEY BEARS â€"
CHARLOTTE RALLIES TO TAKE GAME 1 5-4 AT GIANT CENTER
BOYCHUK, BOWMAN WITH THIRD PERIOD GOALS TO RALLY THE CHECKERS, GAME 2 SUNDAY AT GIANT CENTER AS BEARS LOOK TO TIE THE SERIES
In a back and forth game at
Giant Center Thursday, the Charlotte Checkers scored two third period goals to rally to a 5-4 win in Game 1 of the East Division Semi-Finals. Charlotte claimed, at least for now, home ice in the best-of-seven series with Game 2 looming Sunday.
Steve Pinizzotto got HERSHEY’S postseason off to a big bang with his first goal of the playoffs just 70 seconds into the game. While the crowd was overjoyed to see the early strike from the home team, Charlotte would rally to take a 2-1 lead with goals from Zac Dalpe and Chris Terry. Terry’s goal came midway through the first period, and deflected off a skate blade in front of HERSHEY goaltender Braden Holtby. Keith Aucoin would tie the game at 2-2 before first intermission, with his first of the postseason at 16:34. Brian Willsie and Patrick McNeill would assist, and the game was deadlocked after 20 minutes.
Charlotte took a 3-2 lead in the second period at the 8:15 mark when Brett Bellemore scored a short-handed goal. Bellemore pounced on a rebound of a Nicolas Blanchard shot to give the Checkers the lead, but Boyd Kane would score on Charlotte goaltender Justin Pogge at 13:11. A pretty assist came on the goal from Aucoin, who stole the puck from Zach Boychuk in the HERSHEY zone and slung the puck up ice. Kane would take the pass, skate in and score on a fluttering puck off Pogge and into the net. The BEARS held a 27-16 shot advantage through two periods, but the game was tied at 3-3.
Brian Willsie scored 1:42 into the third period to give HERSHEY a 4-3 lead, but the Charlotte rally began with Zach Boychuk scoring at 8:40 of the period to tie the game. The game-winner came off Drayson Bowman’s stick less than two minutes late at 10:38. Pogge earned the win with 27 saves. Holtby stopped 23 of 28 in defeat.
BEARS Radio Network Three Stars of the game:
1. Drayson Bowman (Game-winner in third)
2. Keith Aucoin (Goal and assist in losing effort)
3. Zac Dalpe. (Goal and two assists)
Notes: Game 2 of the best-of-seven series is Sunday at 5:00 p.m. before the series moves to downtown Charlotte for Game 3, 4 and 5 if necessary. Tickets for Game 2 are on sale at the
Giant Center box office, or by calling (717) 534-3911. Aucoin’s goal in the first period gave him 75 career points in the Calder Cup playoffs.
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