Ersson 32 Saves Backstops Road Win
December 2, 2022
Charlotte, NC- Jordy Bellerieve and Adam Brooks scored their first career goals for the Lehigh Valley
Phantoms in the third period Friday night to propel Lehigh Valley to a 3-2 win in the first of back-to-back games at Charlotte.
Lehigh Valley (9-7-2) picked up its seventh one-goal win of the season while defeating Phantoms goaltending great Alex Lyon in his first-ever game against his former team. The Phantoms held off the Charlotte Checkers through the first two periods before turning it on in the third and pushing through for the win. The Phantoms have points in eight of their last 10 games with a 7-2-1 mark over the recent hot stretch. And this time they utilized their depth to provide the scoring punch.
The Phantoms struck first at 4:28 into the first period as Wyatte Wylie’s shot from the rights boards eluded Lyon for his second goal of the season on a set up by Adam Ginning and Cooper Marody. Despite being outshot by the Checkers 13-4 in the first period, the Phantoms took a 1-0 lead into the dressing room at the first intermission as
Sam Ersson made 13 of his 32 saves in the contest in the opening frame. Lehigh Valley killed three Charlotte power plays in the first period including 39 seconds of 5-on-3 time.
Charlotte (11-6-3) evened the score midway through the second period on a shorthanded conversion by NHL veteran Riley Nash who cut across the slot and beat Ersson with a backhander.
But Lehigh Valley’s power-play unit would come through when it mattered most at 10:58 into the third period. Adam Brooks scored with a backhander on a rebound off a leg in the slot following a centering pass by Cal O’Reilly from the corner. The go-ahead goal came in Brooks’ first game since October 16 when he suffered an injury on a hit in a game against the Hershey Bears. O’Reilly recorded his 541st career assist in the American Hockey League, eighth-most all-time.
The Checkers equalized exactly one later on a shot from center-point by Logan Hutsko that appeared to deflect on its way past Ersson at 11:58 into the third period thus forging a 2-2 tie.
The Phantoms quickly restored their lead again with just 6:27 left as Jordy Bellerive, from the corner and beneath the goal-line, banked a puck off the back of former Lyon for his first-ever goal with the Phantoms. Hayden Hodgson and Ronnie Attard generated the entry into the zone and worked the puck to Bellerive in the corner for the assists on the game-winning play.
Lehigh Valley cranked up 16 shots in the third period after registering only half that total in the first two periods combined. The Phantoms forced Lyon to make a number of strong stops to keep the Checkers in the game.
The Phantoms will go for the weekend sweep of the Checkers on Saturday at 6:00 p.m. Following a mid-week game at Hartford on Wednesday, the Phantoms will return to PPL Center for a back-to-back set against Charlotte on December 9 and 10 .
Scoring Summary:
1st 4:28 – LV W. Wylie (2) (Ginning, Marody) 1-0
2nd 8:25 – CLT R. Nash (6) (SH) (Tierney) 1-1
3rd 10:58 – LV A. Brooks (1) (PP) (O’Reilly, Belpedio) (PP) 2-1
3rd 11:58 – CLT L. Hutsko (5) (Kinnunen, Tierney) 2-2
3rd 13:33 – LV J. Bellerieve (1) (Attard, Hodgson) 3-2
Shots:
LV 24 – CLT 34
PP:
LV 1/3, CLT 0/3
Goalies:
LV – S. Ersson (W) (6-5-1) (32/34)
CLT – A. Lyon (L) (6-4-1) (21/24)
Records:
Lehigh Valley (9-7-1-1)
Charlotte (11-6-2-1)
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Saturday, December 3 (6:00) at Charlotte Checkers
Wednesday, December 7 (7:00) at Hartford Wolf Pack
Friday, December 9 (7:05) vs. CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
Saturday, December 10 (7:05) vs. CHARLOTTE CHECKERS
UPCOMING PROMOTIONS
Friday, December 9 (7:05) vs. Charlotte Checkers – Berks $1 Hot Dogs!
Saturday, December 10 (7:05) vs. Charlotte Checkers – Phantoms Hat Giveaway Presented by Service Electric
Saturday, December 17 (7:05) vs. Providence Bruins – Teddy Bear Toss Presented by Big Woody’s
Saturday, December 31 (7:05) vs. Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins – New Year’s Eve Celebration presented by Penn Community Bank. Including festivities after the game right outside the arena to ring in 2023!
