A crowd of over 11,000 saw the Checkers put on a show in Uptown Charlotte, beating the Rochester Americans 5-2 in the Queen City Outdoor Classic.
It was a back-and-forth affair for the first 40 minutes, with the two sides feeling out the chilly conditions and trading goals to set up a 2-2 deadlock heading into a decisive third.
Mackie Samoskevich kicked the third off with a bang, ripping a quick shot from the right circle to give Charlotte its first lead of the night and starting the fireworks for the home team. Brendan Perlini struck midway through the third to extend the Checkers’ advantage, and Lucas Carlsson deposited a dagger into the empty net to seal the impressive win in front of a raucous crowd.
Spencer Knight came up big when the Checkers needed him – stopping all 12 shots he faced in the pivotal third period – and his 25 saves earned him the victory between the pipes.
