Checkers Shut Down Bears 4-1 at GIANT Center, Split Two-Game Set

Charlotte completed a statement road win at GIANT Center, taking a 4-1 decision over the Hershey Bears to split the two-game set after Hershey’s overtime victory the previous night. Cooper Black made 24 saves to secure his 21st win of the season as Charlotte delivered timely scoring from Noah Gregor, Robert Mastrosimone, Nolan Foote and Jack Studnicka.

After a scoreless first period, Noah Gregor opened the scoring at 4:19 of the second period, his seventh goal of the season, on assists from Brian Pinho and Mike Benning to put Charlotte up 1-0. Alex Suzdalev evened the game for Hershey at 13:41 of the second period; Suzdalev had scored twice in Hershey’s 3-2 overtime win the night before and scored again here. Robert Mastrosimone then gave Charlotte the lead with an 11th-goal marker at 19:07 of the second, assisted by MacKenzie Entwistle and Riese Gaber, a go-ahead strike the Checkers took into intermission.

The third period opened quickly for Charlotte when Nolan Foote ripped a shot from the high slot through Bears netminder Clay Stevenson just 31 seconds into the frame for his 13th of the year, assisted by Mikulas Hovorka, pushing the score to 3-1. Jack Studnicka sealed the result with an empty-net goal at 17:59 of the third, credited with assists from Robert Mastrosimone and MacKenzie Entwistle.

Goaltending lines and team numbers underlined the tightness of the contest: Hershey outshot Charlotte 25-23, Clay Stevenson stopped 19 of 22 shots according to the official box, and Cooper Black finished 24-for-25. Special teams had no influence on the scoreboard - Hershey was 0-for-0 on the power play and Charlotte went 0-for-3.

Individually, Mastrosimone and Entwistle paced Charlotte with two points apiece, Mastrosimone finishing with a goal and an assist. Gregor’s tally was his seventh on the campaign, Mastrosimone’s his 11th, and Foote’s third-period strike his 13th. The win improved Charlotte’s record to 31-18-5-0 while Hershey fell to 26-21-6-2; the loss snapped Hershey’s four-game win streak.

Hershey head coach Derek King reflected on fatigue and learning moments after the loss: “I thought our first period was really good. We were in the game. I think we just kind of ran out of gas. Just our travel lately, a lot of games in a short period of time. I think the young guys feel that a little more. The older guys know how to play through all that stuff. So it's a good learning experience, especially against a good team like that. I'm very happy with our performances over the course here. But the big thing here is we've got to learn to play a little playoff hockey. Like, okay, it's 1-1, 2-1, don't let it slide. And I think we let it slide there, you know. Maybe get that [third] goal back, kind of trickled in, but we just didn't have any gas to do a push at all at the end.” He added, “I always say to these guys, your habits will protect you. When you're tired, your brain shuts off. But if you have good habits, they will protect you in a game, and we're not there yet.” (Answers edited for clarity)

The result leaves the season series tilted 3-2-0-1 in Hershey’s favor with two games remaining at Bojangles Coliseum, and Hershey’s Magic Number to clinch a berth in the 2026 Calder Cup Playoffs remains at 28. Charlotte will carry this victory into the continuation of a ten-game road trip on Friday night against the Lehigh Valley Phantoms at PPL Center, with coverage available on FloHockey and Mixlr, while Hershey visits the Hartford Wolf Pack on Saturday, March 7 at PeoplesBank Arena and returns home March 14 to host the Belleville Senators at GIANT Center for Penn State Health Drawstring Bag Night.