The Quality Foods Oceanside Generals scored their second win in a row in 2022, stopping the visiting Westshore Wolves 6-3 in a Vancouver Island Junior Hockey league game at Oceanside Place on Jan. 15.
It was a close game at the start with both sides trading goals to close the period tied 1-1. Evan Dyce scored the first goal for the Gens.
In the second period, the Generals picked up the pace and paid off as Carter Johnson took a pass from Greyson Weme near the point and went on to score a breakaway goal.
Dyce scored his second goal of the night to give the Generals a 3-1 cushion. But the lead was short-lived as the Wolves scored back-to-back goals within a minute to tie it up 3-3. The Generals halted the Wolves comeback when Brett Arnett scored a power-play goal to end the period with a slim 4-3 edge.
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The Generals skated hard at the start of the final frame and their relentless forechecking wore out the Wolves defence. The Generals scored two unanswered goals by Johnson, his second of the evening, and Chase Heslop to seal the win 6-3.
Generals captain Arnett said they were a bit sluggish early but once they started to have good shifts, they skated hard and got their offense going. However, Arnett also had concerns about the two quick goals they gave up in the second.
“Our team is pretty notorious for emotions getting a little too high,” said Arnett.
“Then we got too wrapped up with what was going on with the refs rather than focusing on our own game. We were fortunately lucky enough to get another goal to end the period and we carried that into the third to win this game.”
The Generals outshot the Wolves 40-28. Goalie Ashton Sadauskas made some good saves turning away 25 shots to earn his 11th win of the season.
Johnson, who leads the Generals in scoring with 29 goals and 39 assists for 68 points, said after finishing 2021 on a sour note, losing three games in a row, they’re now playing with renewed vigour and enthusiasm.
“It’s nice to get a little rest during the break, took the time to recover a bit and come back ready for the new year,” said Johnson, who ranks fifth on the VIJHL scoring list. “We’re off to a good start winning two games in a row and I feel were really buzzing out there.”
The Generals are currently ranked second in the North Division with 22 wins, 10 losses, 1 overtime loss and 1 shootout loss.
This coming weekend, the Generals host the Nanaimo Buccaneers at Oceanside Place at 7 p.m. On Sunday, the Generals head to Lake Cowichan to take on the Kraken at 5:30 p.m.