LEWISTON — The Northeast Generals took advantage of their special teams opportunities in a 4-1 over the Maine Nordiques in a North American Hockey League East Division contest Saturday night at The Colisee.

Northeast scored three power-play goals and one shorthanded goal.

“I think it’s a little fluky that they all happened on special teams,” Generals coach Bryan Erikson said. “We had a 4-on-3 goal where we have spent zero time practicing 4-on-3.”

Long Island University commit Sixten Jennersjo scored twice and had an assist for the Generals (1-1, 2 points). Jennersjo had four goals all of last season for the Generals.

“Guys don’t realize how big of a jump it is from midget (AAA youth) hockey to junior hockey,” Erikson said. “This is the Sixten we saw the last eight regular season games and in the playoffs last season. He came in better conditioned and more ready for junior hockey. He’s one of our best players.

The Generals capitalized on a 5-on-3 power-play nearly 14 minutes into the first period. Forward Jacob Schubert slid the puck past Nordiques goalie Thomas Heaney (22 saves), with Jennersjo and defenseman Jackson McCarthy setting the goal up.

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Maine Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said the Generals took care of business on the man-advantage.

“I don’t think it was a special teams battle,” Pinchevsky said. “I think the Generals got a lot of reps to see if they can execute and they did. Good on them; we got a lot to work on, 5-on-3 specifically. I think (the Generals) are a group that don’t have much faith in themselves as they do in the officiating right now.”

Northeast goalie Toby Hopp (25 saves) made an outstanding save on the Nordiques’ first power-play a few minutes after Schubert’s goal. Nordiques forward Brendan Gibbons had a wrap-around attempt, but Hopp kicked out his left leg for the save.

It was the Nordiques’ second grade-A scoring chance of the night. Forward Aidan Coupe hit the crossbar earlier in the first period.

Jennersjo had two power-play goals in the second period. His first goal came just before the five-minute mark when he put the pack into a half-open net on a 4-on-3 power play.

After the Nordiques (1-1, 2 points) couldn’t convert on a 5-on-3 power-play with under five minutes to play in the second period, Jennersjo scored on the Generals’ man-advantage with about a minute remaining in the stanza. McCarthy notched his second assist of the game on the goal.

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Jennersjo said the Generals worked on the 5-on-4 power-play plenty during the preseason.

“We work on it a lot in practice during training camp and we worked on 5-on-5 a lot, as well,” Jennersjo said. “… (Our) 5-on-4 was pretty good, so that’s fun to see.”

Sterling Wolters put the Nordiques on the board early in the third period after Hopp stopped a shot and Wolters put the rebound off the back of Hopp’s left leg, then the puck trickled past the goal line.

Pinchevsky said the Nordiques played better in the third period.

“Our hockey team showed up in the third period,” Pinchevsky said. “Even though we didn’t capitalize outside the shorthanded goal — which I think has a lot to do with the hockey gods.”

Pinchevsky said the officials missed a high-sticking call against the Generals that would have put the Nordiques on the power-play. Nordiques forward Kim Hilmersson took a tripping penalty and then Wolters scored the shorthanded goal.

Nick Ramm scored an empty-net, shorthanded goal in the final minute for the Generals.

The Nordiques travel to Blaine, Minnesota, this upcoming week for the NAHL Showcase. They face the Anchorage Wolverines on Thursday and the Oklahoma Warriors on Friday in regular-season games, and against the USA National Team Development Program Under-17 team of the Tier I United States Hockey League in an exhibition game Saturday.


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