Phantoms Fall in Weekend Opener at Charlotte

Rematch Sunday at 1:00

March 8, 2025

Charlotte, NC – Zayde Wisdom (9th) broke through with nine minutes remaining and got the comeback going for Lehigh Valley but the Charlotte Checkers pushed through with a pair of late goals, including an empty-netter, to snag a 4-1 victory on Saturday evening at Bojangles’ Coliseum.

New Jersey native John Leonard (24th, 25th) led the Checkers’ attack with goals in the first and second periods. The two teams will rematch on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. to conclude the season series.

The Phantoms’ offense got out of neutral in the third period with 12 shots on goal to cut a 2-0 deficit down to 2-1 after various difficulties penetrating Charlotte’s stingy defense through the first 40 minutes.

Cal Petersen was on top of his game to start. And the Phantoms needed him to be. Some close-range opportunities were knocked away including one shot off his shoulder that deflected in the air, landed behind him, but somehow stayed out when Adam Ginning got his leg in the way of the Checkers’ efforts from the side of the net to knock it in.

Charlotte (31-16-6) finally broke through near the end of the first period with John Leonard receiving a connection from the right boards by Justin Sourdif on the rush to bury it at 18:23 into the first period. The Checkers out shot the Phantoms 11-3 in the first period.

Lehigh Valley (28-22-7) would muster only three shots in the second period as well but also had better success limiting Charlotte’s chances. But the Checkers had a nice sustained push in the second period including Ethan Samson playing without a stick while the Phantoms continued to block various Charlotte efforts. Sawyer Boulton pushed a Checkers’ forward off the puck to help clear the zone but the Phantoms weren’t completely off the hook. Charlotte quickly worked back into the zone and Leonard on the rush had a give-and-go with Rasmus Asplund to make it 2-0  at 13:13 into the middle frame with his second multi-goal game against the Phantoms this season.

The Phantoms came out buzzing to begin the third and made 6’8″ rookie goaltender Cooper Black work on some tricky chances. A chip into the zone off a faceoff would handcuff Black who felt pressure from speedy J.R. Avon closing the gap quickly. Black desperately shoved the puck to the right-wing boards but Wisdom was there with a quick intercept and shot to the far post before the goaltender could reestablish himself. With 9:10 to go, the Phantoms had finally broken through and made it a 2-1 game.

But the Checkers finished it off with Oliver Okuliar (13th) receiving a cross-ice seam pass and then carefully carrying from the top of the right circle to the slot while waiting for his perfect opportunity to score on the glove side of Petersen for a 3-1 lead. Will Lockwood (9th) finished it off with a steal at the Phantoms’ line and a quick backhander into the empty net with 36.1 seconds left for the 4-1 final.

The Phantoms are 1-2-0 against the Checkers entering the last game of the season series Sunday at 1:00 p.m. which is also the finale of a three-game road trip before returning to PPL Center for their longest homestand of the season. Lehigh Valley’s five-game stretch of home games commences with games on Friday, March 14 and Sunday, March 16 against the rival Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.

SCORING SUMMARY
1st 18:23 – CLT, J Leonard (24) (J. Sourdif, T. Bjornfot) (PP) (0-1)

2nd 13:13 – CLT, J. Leonard (25) (R. Asplund, M. Kierstad) (0-2)

3rd 10:50 – LV, Z. Wisdom (9) (Unassisted) (1-2)
3rd 16:35 – CLT, O. Okuliar (13) (W. Skoog, J. Megna) (1-3)
3rd 19:23 – CLT, W. Lockwood (9) (J. Megna) (EN) (1-4)

Shots:
LV 18 – CLT 23

PP:
LV 0/1, CLT 1/2

Goaltenders:
LV, C. Petersen (L) (11-12-3) (19/22)
CLT, C. Black (W) (9-3-1) (16/17)

Records:
Lehigh Valley (28-22-7)
Charlotte (31-16-6)

 

UPCOMING

Sunday, March 9 (1:00) – Phantoms at Charlotte Checkers

Friday, March 14 (7:05) – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – St. Patrick’s Day Fun

Sunday, March 16 (3:05) – W-B/Scranton Penguins at Phantoms – Kids Takeover

 

 

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