T-Birds Drop Weekend Opener to Checkers

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – The Springfield Thunderbirds (30-17-5-2) could not recover from an early offensive blitz from the Charlotte Checkers (31-22-3-0) in a 5-1 loss on Friday night at Bojangles' Coliseum.

After falling 7-1 in their prior game, the Checkers came out with a burr under their saddle in the first period. After goaltender Joey Daccord kept the game scoreless with a pair of point-blank saves on Klim Kostin in the opening minutes, Charlotte rewarded their goaltender with two goals in less than five minutes. Former T-Bird Aleksi Heponiemi picked up a puck and turned toward the goal from the right-wing circle. 

Rather than drive to the goal, Heponiemi made a sneaky back pass into the slot, where Cole Schwindt fired a wrister over Joel Hofer on the blocker side to make it a 1-0 lead for the Checkers at 2:14.

The red-hot Charlotte penalty kill, which had killed 21 of its last 22 penalties entering play, then shut the door with help from Daccord moments later to keep the lead, and at 6:22, Luke Henman crashed the goal crease to scoop up a rebound from Heponiemi and cash in to make it a 2-0 lead for Charlotte.

Matt Kiersted then joined the scoring party from the back end when he picked up a puck along the right-wing half wall, cut to the slot between Springfield defenders, and beat Hofer with a short-side wrister at 12:33 of the first, making it 3-0.

Charlotte picked up where they left off at 9:17 of the second as Alexander True took advantage of a Hofer giveaway to add a fourth tally for the Checkers' offense. With a power play less than four minutes later, Owen Tippett beat Hofer high to the glove side to end the Springfield starting netminder's night and make it 5-0.

James Neal would finally end Daccord's shutout bid on Springfield's 32nd of 42 shots on the night with a one-time power-play goal at 6:32 of the final period. It was Neal's eighth goal in his first nine games with the Thunderbirds.

The T-Birds get a chance at instant payback on Saturday night in a rematch with the Checkers; puck drop is set for 6:00 p.m. at Bojangles' Coliseum. 

For more information on the Springfield Thunderbirds and to learn more about becoming a 2022-23 ticket member, please visit www.SpringfieldThunderbirds.com or call (413) 739-GOAL (4625) to speak to a Thunderbirds representative.