LEWISTON — The Maine Nordiques and the Northeast Generals had played five times before Friday afternoon’s contest and combined for 43 goals, with 19 of those coming either in the third period or overtime.
Add 13 more goals to the season total, as the Generals earned a 7-6 victory in overtime at Androscoggin Bank Colisee. Eight of Friday’s 13 goals came in the third period and overtime. Generals forward Gerald Marretta scored three of them, two in the third period and had the game-winner 41 seconds into overtime.
“I knew it was going to be a close game going into the third, and someone had to step up,” Marretta, who has committed to play at Trinity College, said. “I like to be a leader on the team, and I was counting on (myself) to do that.”
The Nordiques took a 3-2 lead into the third period and soon started a five-minute major power play 15 seconds after Ricky Boysen was called for checking from behind on Nordiques forward Isaiah Fox 15 second into the period.
The Generals (12-14-2), though, were the ones to find the scoreboard, twice, during those five minutes. Maine’s Tyler Harvey was called for an interference minor, and as the teams played 4-on-4, Cam Gaudette and Marretta scored 36 seconds apart to give Northeast a 4-3 lead.
The Colisee seems to bring out the best in the Generals.
“In this building, for some reason, 4-on-4 we are very good,” Northeast Generals general manager and coach Bryan Erikson said. “It seems to be only in this building; a couple weeks ago we scored three goals in 30 seconds of 4-on-4 and today we scored two. That was a big momentum shift for us.”
In the other locker room, the Nordiques are still trying to find a strategy that will work when playing 4-on-4 and 3-on-3.
“We got to continue to teach them and hold guys accountable,” Nordiques head coach Nolan Howe said. “If it comes to giving new guys opportunities, that’s what we are going to do.”
Harvey redeemed himself later in the third. Generals forward Carson Asper — who spent a lot of time in the Colisee’s penalty box last season playing against the L/A Nordiques as a member of Northeast’s Tier III team, and who tried out for the Twin City Thunder this summer — took a minor for checking from behind. Harvey beat Northeast goalie Matt Pasquale from the point to tie the game, 4-4, 7:40 into the third period.
The power play goal was the Nordiques’ (13-17-2) third of the game, in which they went 3-for-6. The Generals were 0-for-4 on the power play.
“Coach Cam (Robichaud) and Coach (Matt Pinchevsky), they do a great job putting our guys in position to be successful,” Howe said. “We got a lot of faith in our power play, there’s guys we believe in, and with a couple guys out injured and suspended, some new guys got some opportunities. Like we told them in (the locker room), the guys who continue to get the job done will continue to get those opportunities.”
Marretta scored his second of the period to give the Generals a 5-4 advantage with less than seven minutes remaining in the game, and Dylan Schuett scored a minute later to extend the lead to 6-4.
Maine’s Cole Ouellette recorded his second point of the period when he assisted on Harvey’s goal that cut the deficit to 6-5. Fox tied the game at 6-6 with less than five minutes to play to force overtime.
The goal was Fox’s second of the game, as he also scored one of the Nordiques’ three second-period goals. Cannon Green and Kevin Pitts also had goals in the middle frame.
Clark Kerner gave the Generals a 1-0 lead in the first period. Boysen scored in the second period for Northeast.
Pasquale, who just joined the Generals this week from the New Hampshire Junior Monarchs of the National Collegiate Development Conference, made 35 saves in his first win with the Generals.
Connor Androlewciz, who spent the past two weeks with the Sioux City Musketeers of the United States Hockey League, returned to the Nordiques’ net and made 29 saves in the losing effort.
The two teams meet again Saturday at 7 p.m. at the Colisee.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
