The Generals traveled to the first place Maryland Black Bears this weekend, splitting the series with a 6-4 win on Friday, Feb. 2, before falling 4-1 on Saturday, Feb. 3.
Game one on Friday saw the Generals find the early lead, with forward Andrew Delladonna a mere second after the powerplay ended just four minutes into the game to make it 1-0. The Black Bears got back into the game quickly though, scoring five minutes later to make it 1-1, before finding the back of the net late in the period to make it 2-1 after one. Forward Ben Campeau scored 13 seconds into the period to make it 2-2 before the Black Bears responded six-and-a-half minutes later to make it 3-2. Forward Joseph McGraw tied the game once more with less than four minutes remaining in the second, before the Black Bears responded once again to take the lead 40 seconds later to make it 4-3 after two.
It was all Generals in the third period, with forward Ryan Remick knocking down the attempted clearance by Maryland’s goaltender to tie the game once more at 4-4 only a minute in. Forward Frank D’Ancona gave the Generals the lead back for the first time since early in the first period with a booming slapshot to make it 5-4 with 10-and-a-half minutes to go. With the net empty, forward Sixten Jennersjo buried the insurance goal with a little over two minutes remaining, leaving the final score at 6-4 with the win.
Goaltender Peter Wickström-Stumer got the start after coming back from injury, stopping 38 of 42 shots in his first appearance since Jan. 6. D’Ancona, Campeau, and McGraw all recorded assists to go with their goals in the victory.
Game two saw the Black Bears strike first seven-and-a-half minutes into the period, before finding the back of the net once more on the powerplay a minute later to take an early 2-0 lead. Maryland scored their third unanswered goal half way through the second period to make it 3-0, before forward Jake Gutwirth, also coming off of an injury, scored two minutes into the third period to make it 3-1. The Black Bears shut down the comeback attempt though late in the third, scoring with three minutes remaining to make it 4-1, which stood as the final score.
Goaltender Toby Hopp received the start for the second night, batting away 28 of 32 shots. Campeau assisted on Gutwirth’s sixth goal of the year, putting him at 26 points on the season.
The Generals continue an adventurous February, with a short break this weekend before traveling next to New Jersey to take on the Titans in a two game series on Friday, Feb. 16 and Saturday, Feb. 17. Those games are scheduled for 7:30 PM EST and 7:00 PM EST respectively. Three different Generals will be attending the NAHL Top Prospects Tournament in Cranberry, Pennsylvania, with D’Ancona, Remick, and Wickström-Stumer all playing for Team East. Those games will begin Monday, Feb. 5 and conclude the next day.