Written by: Rory McGouran
Photo: Patrick Garriepy
The Northeast Generals are one of four remaining teams in the East Division after punching their ticket to the semi-finals with a 3-1 victory over the Maine Nordiques on Sunday.
After dropping Game One, the Generals kept their season alive on Saturday with a dominating 8-2 win, forcing a winner-take-all Game Three. What occurred was one of the highest-intensity, electric, playoff-like games you could wish for inside the Canton Ice House.
Cole McKenna and the Generals opened the scoring in the first period, and that 1-0 lead stood intact for another 40+ minutes until Spencer Hirsch provided the Generals with an insurance marker in the third period. There was no room for error on either side, fast-paced, and physical play throughout the full 60 minutes, and it was backstopped by two superb goaltending performances by Nordiques’ Lukas Fursten and Generals’ Will Mizenko.
Fursten stopped 39 of 42 with several highlight-reel saves, including a save of the year candidate on Rich Rucireto. Mizenko, meanwhile, nearly had a shutout, allowing the only goal against with 18 seconds left in the game to Austin Borggaard. Mizenko turned aside 31 of 32 for his second career playoff win.
Logan Poulin provided the third Generals’ goal with 38 seconds left in the game for his third postseason goal in three games. Poulin is also on an 11-game point streak with 16 points throughout that stretch.
Kody Moyer added another assist in the postseason and leads the NAHL with 11 playoff points in 3 games.
With a five-game winning streak entering the playoffs, the Generals have now won seven of their last eight games.
The Rochester Jr. Americans finished 2nd in the East Division and will have home ice advantage in the best-of-five series. The two teams evenly split their six-game season series with three wins apiece. The Generals outscored the Americans 21-18 throughout those games.
The semi-final series will start on Friday, April 17th, in Rochester