LEWISTON – The Northeast Generals’ top two lines were unstoppable Friday night at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.
Those lines accounted for seven Generals goals in a 10-7 victory over the Maine Nordiques in front of 1,237 fans who saw a third-period line brawl, a fight and six misconducts handed out.
Dylan Schuett had a hat trick, while Merrimack College commit Jonathan Young and Tyler Cooper added two goals apiece for the Generals. Also scoring from the top six were Liam McCanney and Gerard Marretta.
“Marretta had seven points for us, and, obviously, Dylan Schuett had a Gordie Howe hat trick, three goals an assist and a fight,” Generals coach Bryan Erikson said. “Not that we want fighting to be a part of the game, sometimes when kids do stuff that needs to be answered for, that’s what happens.”
Cannon Green and Tristan Thibeault each had two goals for the Nordiques.
Right after Schuett completed his hat trick with six and half minutes remaining a game, a line brawl broke out. Northeast’s Michael Heneghan received a double minor for roughing, and teammates Marretta and McCanney received roughing minors. McCanney also received a 10-minute misconduct.
For the Nordiques, Cale Dubrul, Andrius Kulbis-Marino and Kane received roughing minors. Kulbis Marino also got a 10-minute misconduct. Kane also got called for boarding.
Schuett’s completed the Gordie Howe hat trick on the ensuing faceoff as he went after Kent as the puck was dropped. Schuett received a fighting major, cross check minor and a instigator penalty. Kent received a fighting major and a 10-minute misconduct.
The Nordiques and Generals finish off a three-game series with games Saturday and Sunday.
Erikson expects the next two games will be called tighter than normal.
“Our guys are mature enough, I just told them its going to be called really tight early, and that’s how the refs can gain control the game,” Erikson said. “I thought the game got away from them a little bit.
“It’s hard, you have a pretty vocal crowd, which is awesome, I wish we could say the same on a consistent basis. I am not saying the refs get swayed by it, but it certainly helps the emotions of the game. It doesn’t help our guys, they get ramped up a little bit and don’t know how to control themselves. I don’t think it will carry over, but if it does we have guys that are tough and guys that will respond.”
Erikson said he expects Schuett will be suspended for Saturday’s meeting.
Howe didn’t say much about the physical finish to the game.
“It was a competitive brand of hockey, a lot of things went on that I don’t think belong in our game,” Howe said. “Stuff like that is out of my control, it will be up to the league on how they discipline some of the behavior that went on.”
Maine got off to a quick start, as captain Noah Kane found the back of the net a little more than a minute into the game. Kane’s goal was set up by Tim Kent and Cannon Green.
The Nordiques took a 2-0 lead a few minutes later when Kent fired a shot on net that deflected off Northeast goalie Joey Stanizzi’s glove and into the net. The goal came nearly four minutes into the contest.
“Again, we got the start that we wanted, executed a couple of plays that we have been working on,” Nordiques coach Nolan Howe said. “Good success there, then we got sloppy with our structure and at the same time our compete level wasn’t where it needed to be.”
Nearly six minutes into the game, the Nordiques (19-27-2, 40 points) turned the puck over in their offensive zone, and Northeast’s Liam McCanney gathered it and raced in all alone and beat Maine goalie Wesley Mankowski to make it 2-1.
Northeast (18-24-2, 38 points) tied the game 23 seconds later on a goal by Michael Heneghan.
Young gave the Generals a 3-2 lead just past the eight-minute mark. Two minutes later, the lead became 4-2 lead as Tyler Cooper beat Mankowski.
The goal marked the end of Mankowski’s night in goal after making made four saves on eight shots. He was replaced by Avery Sturtz.
“Obviously, a less than ideal start, but I felt if we stuck to our game plan, we would be able to get back in,” Erikson said. “I knew we could score goals and I knew it was going to open the game up; that was the plan from the beginning for it to be a little bit of a track meet and see who scored the most goals.”
The Nordiques went on the power play late in the first period, and Filip Lofdahl quickly scored to cut the deficit to 4-3 before the end of the frame.
Cooper stretched the Generals’ lead to 5-3 early in the second period when his shot trickled past Sturtz around the two-minute mark. The Nordiques want a tripping call prior to the goal, but the referees disagreed.
Green got the Nordiques within one when he tipped a Noah Kane shot in the slot past Stanizzi near the nine-minute mark of the second.
Northeast answered right back as 39 seconds later Dylan Schuett jammed the puck home, and three minutes later, Gerard Marretta’s goal extended the lead to 7-4.
Schuett’s and Young’s second goals made the lead 9-4.
Tristan Thibeault tried to spark a Nordiques comeback, tallying a pair of goals 14 seconds to make in 9-6.
Green scored a power play goal late in the game.
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