DUNNE SCORES LONE GOAL IN 2-1 LOSS TO CHECKERS
Rochester goes 1-2-0-0 on homestand
Mar 21, 2025The Rochester Americans (35-18-3-3) returned to action after a week off, but the team was unable to overcome a slow start and strong goaltending, dropping a 2-1 final to the Charlotte Checkers (34-19-3-3) Friday night at Blue Cross Arena.
The Amerks have hit a bump in the road over the last couple of weeks, dropping six of their last seven games while closing out the four-game season series with Charlotte with a 1-3-0-0 record.
Josh Dunne scored the lone goal for Rochester, doing so on a last-second buzzer-beater with to spoil Charlotte’s shutout bid. Noah Östlund and Konsta Helenius earned the assists on Dunne’s ninth of the season.
Devon Levi made 16 saves in his 33rd start of the season. Charlotte’s Kappo Kähkönen recorded the win with 24 saves for the Checkers.
FIRST PERIOD
Charlotte had its skating legs through the first period, putting the Amerks on their heels throughout the frame.
Rochester ran into some bad puck luck as the team had a power-play expire over 12 minutes into the game. As the man-advantage came to a close, Charlotte’s Matt Kiersted stepped out of the penalty box at the perfect time, intercepting a puck in the neutral zone to race down for a two-on-one that was finished off by former Amerk C.J. Smith, who shelved the puck over the shoulders of Levi for the 1-0 Checkers’ edge.
SECOND PERIOD
The Amerks returned to form from the drop of the puck in the second, thwarting several Charlotte clearing attempts and creating several chances, including an Östlund breakaway that Kähkönen was able to steer aside. Just 5:07 into the frame, Jack Rathbone engaged in a fight with another former Amerk in Rasmus Asplund, getting the better end of that exchange.
Late in the period, Östlund stole a puck in transition for an odd-man rush that ended with Riley Fiddler-Schultz crashing the net for a shot that Kähkönen swallowed into his stomach to prevent the Amerks from tying the game.
THIRD PERIOD
Jagger Joshua appeared to have tied the game with 5:36 remaining. The power forward drove the net, whacking away at the puck along with Dunne until it went through, however, the goal was immediately waived off by the officials due to goaltender interference.
Rochester fired a game-high 12 shots on goal in the third, trying to tie the game late with the goaltender pulled.
On a night where Amerks from yesteryear shined, Smith intercepted a puck in Charlotte’s defensive zone, then raced the other way toward the empty net before shoveling the puck across to John Leonard for the empty-net conversion and his team-leading 29th goal of the season to make it 2-0.
The Amerks continued pressing in the dying seconds, with Dunne eventually being rewarded and subsequently spoiling Kähkönen’s shutout in the final second of the game. While set up in the attacking zone, Östlund scooped the puck towards Dunne, who was parked in the slot for a one-timer to solve the Checkers’ goaltender before time expired.
UP NEXT
The Amerks second game of this three-contest weekend comes on the road on Saturday, March 22 in Syracuse against the Crunch. The game will be carried live on The Sports Leader 95.7 FM/950 AM The Fan Rochester, beginning at 7:00 p.m. Saturday night, as well as AHLTV on FloHockey.
Goal Scorers
CLT: C. Smith (4), J. Leonard (29)
ROC: J. Dunne (9)
Goaltenders
CLT: K. Kähkönen – 24/25 (W)
ROC: D. Levi – 16/17 (L)
Shots
CLT: 18
ROC: 25
Special Teams
CLT: PP (0/4) | PK (5/5)
ROC: PP (0/5) | PK (4/4)
Three Stars:
1. CLT – K. Kähkönen
2. CLT – C. Smith
3. ROC - D. Levi