Checkers top Wolves 4-1

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Chicago Wolves saw a 1-1 tie turn into a 4-1 loss after surrendering 3 goals in a 7:26 span to the Charlotte Checkers on Sunday at Time Warner Cable Arena.

Left wing Brett Sterling scored the only goal for the Wolves, playing their second contest of a five-game road trip.

After a scoreless first period, Charlotte (7-2-0-1) opened the scoring 6:25 into the middle period when the puck broke loose from a scrum at the far boards and landed at the stick of left wing Drayson Bowman in the slot. Bowman flipped a backhand past Wolves goaltender Matt Climie.

The Wolves (6-3-1-0) tied the score when defenseman Brad Hunt’s shot from the point was kicked away by Charlotte goalie Justin Peters, but the rebound stayed in the crease and Sterling pounced on the puck and poked it over the goal line at 16:58.

Peters (4-1-0) stopped 27 of 28 shots.

The Checkers grabbed control at the end of the second period when they scored twice in a 58 second span.

Charlotte went up 2-1 with a power-play marker at 18:01 when forward Zach Boychuk redirected defenseman Bobby Sanguinetti’s shot from the far point over the shoulder of Climie.

Forward Brett Sutter inched the Checkers ahead 3-1 when his shot from the near circle hit off the skate of a Wolves defender and past Climie at 18:59.

Charlotte closed scoring when it entered the Wolves’ zone on a 3-on-2 rush and defenseman Justin Faulk flipped a pass to the slot, where center Riley Nash redirected a shot past Climie at 5:27 of the third period.

Climie (1-2-0) notched 30 saves in the loss.

The Wolves and Checkers meet again Tuesday at 6 p.m. at Time Warner Cable Arena.