(Sewell, NJ) – The NAHL Generals are hitting the road this weekend for a series against East Division opponent, the Philadelphia Rebels. For the Gens it’s the final two games on a lengthy road trip dating back to the beginning of December when their last home game was a 4-3 overtime win over the Maryland Black Bears on the back end of a weekend sweep at the Village on December 3rd.
On the road trip the Generals are 4-2 starting with a series split in New Jersey on December 9th and 10th followed by a pair of wins on the 16th and 17th over the Danbury Hattricks. After a small break for the Holidays the Gens took the ice in Johnstown for a series against the Tomahawks to close out 2022. Friday the 30th brought a serious offensive output for Northeast winning 9-2. Saturday was much closer with the teams needing an 11 round shootout to decide a winner. Eventually it was the Tomahawks that came out on top 3-2 after the shootout.
Top of the Tables
Three of the top four scorers in the NAHL find themselves on the Generals roster. Starting at the top, the league leader in total points is 2002 birthyear Dave Andreychuk. The uncommitted forward has 42 points in 32 games this season striking at a 1.31 points per game rate. Right behind Andreychuk is linemate and Arizona State (NCAA DI) commit Paul Minnehan with 39 points in 29 games. Minnehan started this season in the USHL with the Sioux Falls Stampede before joining his teammates in Minnesota at the NAHL’s showcase back in October. Finally, in 3rd place in the NAHL for total points is Jake LaRusso with 37 points in 29 games. All but one for LaRusso come with the Generals as he was traded from the North Iowa Bulls just 3 games into the season. LaRusso is averaging 1.38 points in a Generals uniform which would rank first in the league among players with at least 20 games played.
Young Guns
Success isn’t only being found by the Veterans in the Generals locker room. Ryan Schelling a rookie out of Suffern, NY ranks 2nd among first year players for points this season with 29 on the year. Toby Hopp meanwhile ranks among the league leaders for save percentage with a .930 through 13 starts. Hopp is 10-1-2 this season in the crease which puts him in the top 10 for wins in the league as well.
New Faces, Old Friends
The Generals have not been afraid to add new players to the mix in order to find success. Starting with LaRusso the Gens have added some names to the line chart this season through trades, tenders, and signings. Many of the “new guys” have spent time playing with current Generals as part of Roc City Elite a showcase team partnered with the Generals. Frank D’Ancona who joined the Generals from the USHL, and Ryan Remick coming via trade from Chippewa both played with Roc City in the past and have had immediate impacts in the lineup. As of late the duo has been playing on a line with former Roc City player Andrew DellaDonna.
Records
This past weekend while in Johnstown two Generals were within a stones throw from the organizational record for most career points as a General. Dave Andreychuk entered the weekend with 118 points in his career with Northeast, while Minnehan followed close behind. Louis Boudon the record holder scored 119 points as a General before moving onto college hockey where he currently plays with the Lake Superior State Lakers. With 2 goals on Friday, and an assist on Saturday Andreychuk leap frogged Boudon to become the all-time leading point scorer in Generals history with 121 points. Minnehan finished the weekend tied with Boudon at 119 points but has the rest of this season and another year of eligibility to break the record.
Season Series
The Gens and Rebels have only met twice this season as part of a weekend series down in Sewell at the Hollydell Ice Arena. The Generals were on a 5 game win streak entering the series and looking to continue their strong play. Friday night was a 4-2 win for the Generals in a game that saw Hopp stop 30 of 32 shots fired his way. Four different Generals scored goals including Jackson McCarthy, Sixten Jennersjö, Bryce Cooper, and Minnehan. Schelling lead the game in points though with 3 assists in the game.
Saturday night’s game brought a 2-0 shootout win for the Generals and Cullen DeYoung in between the pipes. The netminder stopped all 19 shots against him while Andreychuk and DellaDonna each found the back of the net in the win. With the wins the Gens extended their win streak to 7 games.