The Maine Nordiques are getting good goaltending, according to coach Matt Pinchevsky, but mistakes continue to cost the team. The Jamestown Rebels scored three unanswered goals in a 3-2 overtime victory at The Colisee in a North American Hockey League East Division game.
“They were only cashing in on mistakes we made and offered up to them,” Pinchevsky said. “(Goaltender) Avery Sturtz was perfect besides two (defensive) zone breakdowns and a one-on-one opportunity on the overtime breakaway. We are getting the goaltending we are looking for out of our leader in the net. No matter who’s in the net, they know the expectation is consistency and giving us a chance to win. They are motivated to do that for the team because we need to get ourselves back in a playoff position. We nipped away one point tonight, and we got to get two tomorrow.”
The Nordiques are 8-12-3 (19 points) and sit sixth out of seven teams in the East Division. They are nine points out of fourth place, the final playoff spot in the division. Jamestown (12-11-3, 27 points) is in fifth place.
The teams went nearly two periods without scoring until Brown University recruit Nicholas Bernardo scored his third goal of the season to give Maine a 1-0 lead with about three minutes remaining in the second period. Auburn native Reese Farrell and Brendan Gibbons had the assists.
Newcomer Henry Thrun scored to give the Nordiques a 2-0 lead with 97 seconds remaining in the second. Patrick Schmiedlin set up the goal. The pair have a history together, as they were teammates in 2019-20 with the Omaha Lancers in the United States Hockey League. Defenseman Marty Marnauzs, who was acquired in a trade with the Northeast Generals this week, had the secondary assist.
Pinchevsky said Thrun and Schmiedlin, along with Johnny Meiers, are similar to the line of Mark Pavelich, John Harrington and Buzz Schneider of the 1980 USA Olympic team.
“They got that whole Conehead thing going on: the skate, pass, shoot, score,” Pinchevsky said. “They feel comfortable with one another. They are types of players that can play with anyone.”
Jak Vaarwerk scored with under a minute remaining in the period to get Jamestown on the board. It was his fifth goal of the season.
The Rebels carried the momentum into the third period, and Mitch Lafay scored his fifth goal of the season.
“I think that team sometimes plays out of a little fear,” Pinchevsky said. “Fear can motivate you to do big-time things, and it was big for them to cut the lead in half and respond early as they did.”
James Lundy scored his 13th goal of the season in the overtime session to complete the comeback for the Rebels.
Nolan Suggs made 39 saves in the victory, and Avery Sturtz stopped 41 saves in the loss for the Nordiques.
Maine will look to split the weekend series Saturday at 7 p.m. at The Colisee.
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