Checkers End Road Trip with 5-4 OT Win
AHL Charlotte Checkers

Checkers End Road Trip with 5-4 OT Win

Published on March 7, 2026 under American Hockey League (AHL)
Charlotte Checkers News Release


ALLENTOWN, Pa. - Sandis Vilmanis scored twice, including the game-winning goal in overtime, as the Charlotte Checkers (33-18-5-0) beat the Lehigh Valley Phantoms (24-25-3-3) by a score of 5-4 on Saturday night at PPL Center.

Vilmanis broke the ice in his first shift after being assigned by the Florida Panthers this morning, firing home his ninth goal of the season at 1:13. Jack Devine tallied at 5:35, scooping a rebound past Phantoms goaltender Carson Bjarnason. Ben Steeves and Brett Chorske assisted on Devine's 14th goal of the year.

Nate Smith scored for the second straight night against Lehigh Valley, putting the visitors up 3-0 at 10:24. Jake Livingstone and Nolan Foote provided the assists on Smith's 12th goal of 2025-26. Mitch Vande Sompel capped off Charlotte's explosive first period, snapping his second of the year from the left circle at 14:12.

Aleksei Kolosov entered the game for the Phantoms in between the pipes after Vande Sompel's goal, relieving Bjarnason.

Lehigh Valley responded with two goals in the second period and two in the third to force overtime. Adam Ginning, Jacob Gaucher, Anthony Richard and David Jiricek notched a goal each for the Phantoms, sending the game past 60 minutes.

Vilmanis ended the game 1:54 into overtime, sliding a backhanded shot around the left leg of Kolosov after a pass from Robert Mastrosimone. Cooper Black recorded 26 saves in his 22nd win of the season; Charlotte outshot Lehigh Valley 36-30.

The Checkers are back at Bojangles Coliseum on Friday, March 13, against the Bridgeport Islanders to begin a six-game homestand.

NOTES

Charlotte finished their six-city, ten-game road trip with a 6-2-2 record ... Saturday's game marked the first Checkers appearance for Sandis Vilmanis since January 5 in Cleveland ... Tobias Bjornfot's last outing with Charlotte was December 30 in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton ... Vilmanis' two-goal effort was the second of the season, as he scored two goals in a game previously on November 1 in Springield ... the Checkers are 5-5 in overtime this seasojn ... Ludvig Jansson, Eamon Powell, Colton Huard, Kai Schwindt, MacKenzie Entwistle, Kirill Gerasimyuk, Gracyn Sawchyn, Marek Alscher and Riese Gaber were scratched for Charlotte.

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