Photo: Patrick Garriepy Photography
Written by: Rory McGouran
A 2-1 third-period lead, along with a victory and two points, all vanished in a matter of a minute.
The Northeast Generals were handed a humbling 5-2 loss at the hands of the Danbury Hat Tricks on Friday night, a game in which they weren’t their best, but they certainly had a chance to win.
Although the Hat Tricks sustained much of the offensive zone time and high-danger goal scoring opportunities, it was still a 1-1 deadlock that carried throughout the first 40 minutes of action.
Danbury opened the scoring with Matt Shpungin’s eighth, and his third in five games against the Generals this season. Following that, the Hat Tricks also provided the Gens with a gift, scoring on their own net when Ludovik Gauvin fired a puck that redirected off the skate of Josh Williams and through goaltender Jon Dukaric. Spencer Hirsch was credited with his 11th of the season as the last to touch the puck for the Generals.
In the third period, Owen O’Rear continued his scoring touch, netting a power-play goal for a 2-1 Generals’ lead, which also extended his point streak to a team-high seven games.
Then the collapse. Three goals in 61 seconds.
Wil Mizenko, who had been a stone wall stopping 33 of the first 34 shots, had a net-front rebound bounce to Evan Regan, who tied the game. The very next shift, the Generals let Gavin O’Hara skate through the team and slide a puck through the five-hole of Mizenko, and once again on the very next shift, Luke Melnik broke into the zone and his long-distance wrist shot found the back of the net.
Although still within striking distance and just under four minutes remaining, those three goals were too deflating to overcome. Danbury’s Ben Dempster added an empty netter and sealed the 5-2 victory.
The Generals will get one more look at the Danbury Hat Tricks to seek revenge. For the fourth time in a row, and sixth overall this season, the two sides will drop the puck tonight at 7:00 pm
The Generals currently hold a 3-2 season series lead.