After a deadlocked opening period, the two sides exchanged chances up and down the ice in the second - combining for 24 shots across the period - but it was only Hershey who ended up on the score sheet. Aided by a few fortunate bounces, the Bears struck three times during the middle frame to establish a towering lead through 40 minutes of play. The Checkers refused to roll over, however, and a shorthanded strike from Connor Bunnaman just 18 seconds into the third provided a spark for the visitors. Fresh off setting up Bunnaman’s tally, Riley Nash battled in front and punched in a goal of his own minutes later to pull the Checkers within one before the midway point of the period.
Stuck with it! pic.twitter.com/pQz8cKUbj9
— Charlotte Checkers (@CheckersHockey) December 7, 2022
Charlotte continued to push from there, but ultimately couldn’t dig their way completely out of the hole. Strong play between the pipes by Zach Fucale and an empty-net dagger Mike Vecchione put the Checkers’ comeback hopes to bed as they were saddled with a 4-2 road defeat.
