Unbeaten Utica rolls to victory

The Utica Comets blanked the Charlotte Checkers 8-2.

UTICA, N.Y. >> Fueled by a franchise-record-tying offensive output, the Utica Comets improved to 4-0-0-0 after defeating the Charlotte Checkers by an 8-2 score on Friday night at the Adirondack Bank Center.

After a scoreless 10:55 to start the game, Utica erupted for three goals over the span of four minutes and took complete control of the action. Carter Camper began the scoring with a onetime finish fromthe low slot, using a Kole Lind takeaway to create the opportunity. Brogan Rafferty scored his first career goal on a tic-tac- a toe play at 14:26, and Justin Bailey completed the period’s scoring 28 seconds later with his second of the year. The goal marked the end of Alex Nedeljkovic’s night, who allowed three goals on five shots faced.

Cracking open a four-goal lead late in the second period, Reid Boucher struck in his fourth consecutive game and registered his sixth of the season. While shorthanded, Boucher forced a steal in the neutral zone and created a breakaway where he finished with a backhand through the five hole of Anton Forsberg.

Generating their only productivity of the night, the Checkers scored at 2:47 and 3:41 of the third period, but Sven Baertschi sandwiched his first of the season in between the tallies, as

the two teams combined for three goals over a span of 54 seconds in the third.

The Comets grabbedcontrol of the game six minutes later by earning another three unanswered goals and tying a team-record with eight goals scored. Lind got in the scoring mix with a power play marker for his first of the year, while Dylan Blujus created a 7-2 gap at the 15:26 mark of the period. Bailey put the icing on top of a throttling of the defending champs with his second goal of the night with under a minute remaining.