NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA, CFL stats



Generals Fall To PrairieThunder 5-4in OT

March 14, 2010 - International Hockey League 2 (IHL 2)
Flint Generals News Release


FLINT, MI - The Flint Generals played host to the Bloomington PrairieThunder Sunday afternoon at Perani Arena and Bloomington increased the gap between them and Flint in the standings with their 5-4 overtime win, making the Gens run for the final playoff spot a little more difficult. Despite earning only one of two possible points, the Generals were able to improve their unbeaten streak to five games.

Opening period action favored the home team as the Gens as they managed to keep pressure on Sebastian Dahm. At 3:46 the effort paid off; Bryan Smolinski was on the doorstep when he took a pass from Jamie Schaafsma from behind the net and across the crease, taping it up and over Dahm's right pad. Craig MacDonald tied the game ten minutes later on the power play. After hitting the left post and bouncing safely to the side, MacDonald took another shot from the stop of the point this time hitting the crossbar with the puck dropping down and in behind Rob Nolan. Flint regained the lead with a great effort from Chris Bogas, short two players Bogas chased the puck down and from the boards got the puck to Dan Lapointe who had an open net.

The second period saw some early chances for the Generals but it was the PrairieThunder that capitalized while on the power play, getting a goal from Robin Gomez 3:28 into the period. Brett Holmberg gave Bloomington the lead on a lucky bounce off the faceoff deep in the Generals defensive zone. Bryan Smolinski tied it back up at 13:20, deflecting a Rheaume shot past Dahm.

With just under five minutes to play in the second, Lapointe and Nate Ward had a 2- on- 1, Lapointe took the shot from bottom of the circle and the rebound went across the crease to Ward who took another shot, that rebound landed on the stick of a trailing Matt Moffat who poked it into an open net to give the Gens a 4-3 lead. Things headed up between Chris Kovalcik and Gomez at the buzzer at center ice, each doing their best to duck the fist of the other.

Kovalcik, late to the ice entering the third period, was greeted to cheers and applause from the crowd as he skated the width of the ice to the penalty box. The PrairieThunder tied the game for a third time thanks to Matt Woodward who was the beneficiary of a rebound landing on his stick.

Both teams came close to taking the lead late in the game but Dahm and Nolan held strong forcing the game to overtime. Unfortunately for the Generals and their fans, MacDonald needed less than two minutes to give Bloomington the win.

Flint went 1 of 3 on the power play and allowed Bloomington to score 2 power play goals on six opportunities. Nolan stopped 39 of 44 shots while Dahm turned aside 39 of 43 Generals shots.

The Generals hit the road for three games beginning Wednesday as they take on Quad City. They face Bloomington Friday and then visit Port Huron to take on the IceHawks Saturday, March 20th. The next Generals home game is Sunday, March 28th when they host the Fort Wayne Komets.

• Discuss this story on the International Hockey League 2 message board...

International Hockey League 2 Stories from March 14, 2010


The opinions expressed in this release are those of the organization issuing it, and do not necessarily reflect the thoughts or opinions of OurSports Central or its staff.

OurSports Central