Hat Tricks Fall to Generals, Settle for Split in High-Stakes Weekend Series
NAHL Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks

Hat Tricks Fall to Generals, Settle for Split in High-Stakes Weekend Series

Published on March 21, 2026 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks News Release


In a game that carried the intensity and urgency of postseason hockey, the Danbury Hat Tricks battled throughout but fell 6-2 to the Northeast Generals, earning a split in a crucial late-season weekend series.

Kai Elkie and Ludovik Gauvin each scored for Danbury, but a late first-period swing and a second-period surge by Northeast proved to be the difference.

The Generals struck first at the 9:50 mark of the opening period when Andrew Gibbons and Tyler Kelly broke into the offensive zone on a 2-on-1. Gibbons fed a cross-ice pass to Kelly in the slot, where he snapped a wrist shot past Jon Dukaric for his ninth goal of the season.

Danbury answered almost immediately.

Just over a minute later, Matt Dabrowski carried the puck up the near-side boards and delivered a perfect backdoor feed to Elkie, who redirected the pass past Northeast goaltender Keegin Wilson to even the game at 1-1.

But with the period winding down, momentum shifted.

With just 36 seconds remaining in the first, Vinny Ipri pounced on his own rebound in the crease and lifted the puck over a downed Dukaric to give Northeast a 2-1 lead heading into the intermission.

The Generals carried that momentum into the second period, scoring three unanswered goals to extend their lead to 5-1 and seize control of the game.

Gauvin provided a spark early in the third period, cutting into the deficit just three minutes in. Skating into the near-side faceoff circle, Gauvin snapped a wrist shot past Wilson for his ninth goal of the season, making it 5-2.

However, Northeast sealed the outcome with an empty-net goal with three minutes remaining to bring the final score to 6-2.

Dukaric and Luke Brassil combined to stop 29 of 34 shots in the loss, while Wilson turned aside 31 of 33 for the Generals. Click here for the complete box score.

Despite the setback, the Hat Tricks earn a split on the weekend and remain firmly in the playoff hunt as the regular season enters its final stretch. Danbury will now hit the road for their final away game of the season, traveling to the Middletown Sports Complex on Tuesday night to take on the New Jersey Titans.

Check out the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks Statistics

Share: Facebook | Twitter/X | LinkedIn | Reddit | Email



North American Hockey League Stories from March 21, 2026


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