LaRusso Nets OT Winner in First Game as a General. Gen’s Top Johnstown 4-3 (OT)
September 24, 2022 – North American Hockey League (NAHL) – Northeast Generals News Release
Northeast Generals celebrate win
(Northeast Generals)
(Attleboro, Mass.) – After being traded to the Generals earlier this week Jake LaRusso skated in his first game as the Gens welcomed Johnstown to the village for the season home opener. The New Jersey native ended the game with his first goal in Attleboro in overtime winning it 4-3 in overtime.
With the win Northeast ends their four game slide and improve to 2-5 while Johnstown continues to search for a solution falling to 1-4.
Despite leading in the shot department 12-9 in the opening period the Generals entered the first intermission trailing 2-0 to the visitors. Johnny Ulicny opened the scoring by finished a 2-on-1 break with linemate Gavin Klaassen after the Gens were caught deep in the Tomahawks zone at 11:20 into the period. Drake Albers doubled up finished on a broken play in front that watched Generals netminder Cullen DeYoung sprawled out in his crease and out of position with 4:40 to go in the period.
Arizona State Commit Paul Minnehan got the Generals on the board with the only goal of the second period at the 16:27 mark. With an offensive zone David Andreychuk pushed the puck towards the slot where Minnehan found it and fired to the back of the net bringing the score back to within one heading to the final period of regulation.
Late in the third period the goals started flowing for both teams starting with the Generals at 13:25. On a routine dump Matt DeSpirt threw the puck towards the net from his own half of the neutral zone. Thanks to a fortuitous bounce the puck found its way over the shoulder of Alec Rajalin-Scharp and into the top corner of the net tying the game at 2.
The Tomahawks took the lead back in the final two minutes at 18:42 while on the powerplay. James Barbour took a shot from the right side of the blue line that produced a rebound in the slot for David Matousek to bang home.
The Gens wouldn’t go down without a fight scoring with 9 seconds left on the clock. With the goalie pulled Sixten Jennersjö threw a puck to the right side corner for LoRusso who carried it behind the Johnstown net. Andreychuk popped down to the left side circle and received a pass from LoRusso before finding the back of the net by picking the far side corner and tying the game 3-3.
Overtime didn’t last long, only 28 seconds to be exact. Minnehan took the puck back to his own end of the ice then skated it up the left side wall and into the offensive end. He then dropped the puck for LoRusso who carried it down the wall before cutting towards the net, holding possession, then lifting it past the outstretched Rajalin-Scharp.
DeYoung (1-3) earns his first win of the year stopping 20 of 23 shots in the start. Rajalin-Scharp (1-2) earns the overtime loss while stopping a plethora of shots from the Generals going 34 for 37.
These two teams will hit the ice for the second game of the two game weekend series tomorrow Saturday September 24th. Puck drop is scheduled for 7 p.m. at the Village.
Follow the action all season long on HockeyTV and follow the Generals on social media @negenerals for game updates and more!
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