Trailing 4 – 1 with 7:37 remaining in the game, the Northeast Generals scored five unanswered goals to defeat the visiting Rebels 6 – 4 in game one of this two-game series. It was the most goals the Rebels have allowed in one period this season. The Rebels were outshoot 27 – 14 in the game.
With 9:53 remaining in the first period, Mikey Conlon was called for tripping to give the Generals the man advantage. However, seventeen seconds later Charles Panchisin put the Rebels on the board. With Brock Jones pressuring in the offensive zone, he was able to strip the Generals’ Benjamin Campeau off the puck behind the goal line and make a backhanded pass to Panchisin just inside the far side faceoff circle, and Panchisin took a one-timer that beat Northeast goalie Carson Barnes for the Rebels fourth shorthanded goal this season.
Northeast’s Rich Rucireto evened the score at 6:04 into the second period. The Generals’ Jaden Sikura picked up the loose puck along the near side boards at center ice and passed it up to William-Francisco Parent. As Parent gained the line on a two-on-one with Rucireto, he made a backhanded pass from the top of the faceoff circle to Rucireto on his left and Rucireto took a wrist shot that beat Rebels netminder Anthony Sciere blocker side for Rucireto’s team high 22 goal of the season.
The Rebels then scored three unanswered goals to give themselves a 4 – 1 lead starting with 7:53 into the middle stanza.
Ryan Vaites started the play from the bottom of his own near side faceoff circle and head manned the puck up to Ethan McEneany at center ice. As McEneany came up the near side boards, he cut towards center ice and gained the line where he took a wrist shot from the far side faceoff dot that beat Barnes long side for McEnearny’s first career junior goal.
Hudson Weber-Stewart made it 3 – 1 with 3:38 remaining in the second when Zach Spagnuolo kept the puck just inside the offensive zone along the near side boards and passed the biscuit up to Weber-Stewart in the corner. Weber-Stewart went towards the cage and jammed the puck passed Barnes for Weber-Stewart’s fourth goal of the season.
Jared Coccimiglio made it 4 – 1 at 6:00 minutes into the third period. Joe Stauber brought the puck into the offensive zone along the near side boards and passed the biscuit to Charlie Spencer in the slot. Spencer took a shot that was saved by Barnes but the rebound came right out to Coccimiglio who jammed the biscuit past Barnes for Coccimiglio’s fifth goal of the season.
The Generals came roaring back, scoring five unanswered goals with 7:37 remaining in the game.
Northeast’s Mikey Bartkowski received a pass from Owen O’Rear behind the Rebels goal line and Bartkowski immediately passed the puck from the far side faceoff circle to Kody Miller in the slot and Miller took a clapper that caught Sciere moving to his right and Miller’s shot was downlow to the left of Sciere and beat the Rebel netminder to make it a 4 – 2 game.
A minute and twenty-two seconds later Parent brought the Generals within one. Rucireto had the puck in the far side corner and started to skate back along the boards but made a centering pass out to Parent in the slot. As Sciere moved to his right, Parent took a wrist shot that went over Sciere’s left shoulder and into the net for Parent’s fifteenth goal of the season.
Campeau tied the contest at four with 3:54 remaining in the game. Northeast’s Emerson Miller took a wrist shot from the top of the slot that found its way through a screen that was saved by Sciere but after the third attempt Campeau put the rebound past Sciere for Campeau’s eighteenth goal of the season.
With 2:08 remaining in regulation, the Rebels’ Charlie Spencer was called for high sticking to give the Generals the man advantage. As time was winding down on the powerplay, Sikura scored the eventual game winner with thirty-four seconds left in the game. Parent took a shot from the top of the near side faceoff circle that found its way through a screen and off the stick of Sikura and past Sciere to give the Generals a 5 – 4 lead.
Northeast’s Owen O’Rear scored an empty net goal with two seconds left in the game to close out the scoring and make it 6 – 4.
Sciere stopped 21 of 26 shots while Barnes turned aside 10 of 14. Click HERE for the complete box score.
