Steven Lorentz Scores Overtime Winner Against Cleveland

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Author: Nicholas Niedzielski Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Director of Communications Nicholas Niedzielski joined the Checkers in the summer of 2014. A Texas native, he previously worked for the AHL's Texas Stars.

The Checkers and Monsters locked in another tight battle Wednesday night that took more than 60 minutes to decide, but the home side rallied to claim a big two points in the standings.After killing off over 90 seconds of their own penalty in overtime, the Checkers earned a man advantage and made quick work of it. Less than 30 seconds into it Jake Bean threaded a cross-ice feed to Steven Lorentz, who ripped a shot into the back of the net for his second goal of the night and picked up the win for Charlotte.Regulation was a back-and-forth affair, with Cleveland capturing the lead twice before the Checkers punched back. After the Monsters made it 2-1 midway through the third, it was Bean who came through in the clutch with a point snipe in the waning minutes to force the game into overtime.In his first game since his recent NHL stint, Alex Nedeljkovic delivered a strong performance between the pipes, making 28 saves to put Charlotte in a position to win.They (Cleveland) work hard. They compete. They didn’t come off the gas all night. I thought we had a slow start but we kept playing and just found a way to win.That Lorentz line was really big for us. They played a lot of minutes, one, and they were focused from the start. They were moving their feet and they were playing together. They were really important for us. Bean and McKeown too were outstanding on the back end. Really outstanding.A true pro. He really is. He came in and has had a great attitude. Obviously he’s disappointed to get sent down but it does not change how he treats his body or how he gets prepared. He did a great job tonight and made a huge save late in the third on their power play and then in overtime. Really good, outstanding performance by Ned.We just basically drew up a quick play. When you can get a 4-on-3 it opens up some space out there and we have some guys that can snap it around. We drew up a play and we got a shot and it didn’t work, so we kind of improvised. I was fortunate enough to get an open one-timer there and put it on net.We were pretty resilient and it did pay off in the end, but there were some frustrating moments in that game when the bounces weren’t really going our way, but we stuck with it and that just says a lot about our group. With a lot of new faces in our lineup, guys are stepping up and that’s good to see.The Checkers hold a five-point lead over Springfield, the team chasing them for the final playoff spot in the Atlantic Division, with three fewer games played … Charlotte has won five straight games against Cleveland … Lorentz (2g, 1a) had a point on all three goals, marking his fifth game with at least three points this season … The Checkers were 5-for-5 on the penalty kill … Charlotte improved to 2-5 in games decided during the five-minute overtime period this season … Forward Max Zimmer, who recently completed his senior season at the University of Wisconsin, made his professional debut … Forwards Brian Gibbons, Colin Markison and Spencer Smallman and defenseman Cavan Fitzgerald missed the game due to injury … Defenseman Gustav Forsling served the second of a two-game suspension … Forward Kamerin Nault was a healthy extra.