The Northeast Generals announced today a charitable partnership with the amazing charitable organization Defending The Blue Line (http://www.defendingtheblueline.org).  Defending The Blue Line (DTBL) is ensuring that children of military members are afforded every opportunity to participate in the game of hockey. They accomplish this by providing free hockey equipment, access to some of the finest summer hockey camps at no cost, and grants to help with local association fees.  Defending The Blue Line was established and incorporated by a group of active duty soldiers in the spring of 2009 with the spirit of keeping hockey alive for the children of our nation’s military heroes.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with DTBL,” said Generals President and Coach Bryan Erikson.  “They represent everything that is great in our Country and within our sport.  Defending The Blue Line will be our charity of choice for this year as we do events, raffles, auctions and our Military Appreciation Night on October 15, 2016.  All of the profits will go directly to the DTBL.  Anything we can do to help raise money for America’s heroes and their families will be an honor.”

President and Founder of Defending The Blue Line, Shane Hudella said " We're excited and honored to partner with the Northeast Generals for the 2016-2017 hockey season to support military families in the greater Boston area.  The Generals share our core values of integrity, teamwork, & respect, and their partnership will help deliver additional opportunities to some great military kids who face challenges with the high cost of hockey.  We're extremely thankful for the help, and look forward to a fantastic season with a first class hockey club like the Generals! "

For information on Defending The Blue Line please visit http://www.defendingtheblueline.com and for more information of the Northeast Generals please visit http://www.northeastgenerals.com.

The Northeast Generals NA3HL team opens their 2nd training camp on August 22nd at the SportsPlex in Canton, MA.  With the new season comes a new resolution:  win the division.  With a revamped roster and key returners General Manager Bryan Erikson thinks they are poised to do just that.  "We have added key players at all positions and have returned a good core of players.  We had a feeling out process last year with the league, but that is over.  We expect our guys to better prepared, more skilled and ready to compete from Day 1.  Training camp will go a long way towards determining what type of team we have."  The Generals 2016-2017 roster is below (returners are marked with a *):

Goalie:

Leo Lake*

Peter Ciccarelli

Jake Zomick 

Defense:

Adam Carvalho*

Billy Hickey

Campbell Jackson

Craig Lauzon

Paul MacDonald*

Ryan Newman

Shawn Peckham

Luke Whalen*

Forwards:

Tommy Bellew*

Austin Braley*

Jared Butler*

John Catania*

Conor Davis

Dylan Figueora

Cam Gibbs

Landon Hasenfuss

Conor Harrington*

Zach Needham*

Cam Piorkowski

Tyler Rudek

Stephen Toal

Derric Trudeau*

The NA3HL schedule was recently released by the league and has the Generals starting with a 3 game homestand.  The Generals start the season in Canton on September 9th at 8:30pm vs Eastern Division Champion Cape Cod Islanders.  They follow the next weekend with one of their affiliates the East Coast Minutement with the division runner up L/A Fighting Spirit coming to town on September 23rd.  

The Generals have 15 new players added to a great core that is expected to compete for a league title this season.  You can find the full schedule here:  http://na3hl.com/schedule/index.cfm?teamid=226.

 

In today's NA3HL draft the Northeast Generals were able to select all 3 players they targeted to complete their roster for the 2016-2017 season.  In the first round the Generals picked D man Avery Keith, in the second they got forward Matt Bartel and in the 3rd they got forward Cullen Kane.  Below is more information about each player:

Round 1:  Avery Keith, Defense, Detroit Fighting Spirit

"Avery is a huge addition for our team.  Not only is he 6'4 and 200 plus pounds but he is a great kid and has all the qualities of a General.  He is big, but has great hands and sees the ice very well.  He will punish people in open ice and along the boards but will also add a great element to our power play.  We think Avery has a great chance to develop into one of the top D men in the league and advance quickly to the next level."

Round 2:  Matt Bartel, Forward, Tampa Bay Juniors

"Matt is also a big kid.  Great kid from a great family who is just starting to tap into his potential.  He has excellent vision on the ice and has great awareness in all 3 zones.  Matt will put points up on the boards with his passing and his ability to get to the net.  He has a fluid stride that will continue to get stronger as he develops and will be pushing for a spot on the NAHL team very quickly."

Round 3:  Cullen Kane, Forward, Middlesex Black Bears

"Cullen is a dynamic offensive player.  He sees the ice extremely well and hits holes with aggression.  He scores in buckets and is great at distributing the puck.  Cullen is also extremely defensively aware and does a good job battling in the dirty areas.  He has a real chance to jump to the NAHL this season.

The Northeast Generals are extremely excited about the additions and look forward to having them all pul on the Generals sweater.

 

After struggling in the win/loss column in the 2015-2016 season the Northeast Generals have started to build a solid foundation which they hope will allow them to jump dramatically in the standings.  The Generals have signed 6 tenders to date to help them do just that (all quotes by Generals Head Coach Bryan Erikson):

Cam Gibbs, Forward, Weymouth, MA:  "Gibbs brings NAHL ready speed to go with his great hands and scoring touch.  He has the ability to put the puck in the net in bunches and will be a key contributor in the top 6."

Kevin Kaufman, Defense, Medway, MA:  "Kevin is a great kid who works extremely hard.  He is a very gifted player on the blue line and we expect big things from him this season as a force both in the offensive and defensive zone."

Dylan Figueroa, Forward, Plymouth, MA:  "Dylan brings crazy energy.  Although he isn't very big he plays big.  Does a lot of dirty work in the corners, goes to the net hard and can kill penalties and play on the power play.  He brings leadership to the Generals and is going to have a big year."

David Hayes, Defense, Smithfield, RI:  "David brings a lot of Junior Hockey experience to our back line.  He has played in the WSHL for the last season and is a physical and punishing presence on the backend.  We are excited to have David as part of the Generals."

Guy Scarpaci, D/F, Maryland:  "Guy brings great versatility to the team.  He can swing up to forward or pound people on defense.  He is a player that loves the contact and is very hard to play against.  He will help make the Generals more physical than last year."

The Northeast Generals are still adding players but with the above 6 as a base they appear to be heading up in 2016-2017.

 

Today was a historic day for the Northeast Generals.  After being accepted to the NAHL the Northeast Generals tapped one of their own to be the first tender in franchise history.  Kevin Perry, who led the NA3EHL Northeast Generals with 51 points (25 goals, 26 assists), will make the jump after being named to the 2nd team all NA3EHL and to the NA3EHL all rookie team in his first year of junior hockey.

"Kevin is the exact type of kid we are trying to build around.  Great in the locker room, great on the ice.  We say it all the time but it is true, we are not only looking for the best players, we are looking for the best kids," said Head Coach Bryan Erikson.  "This isn't simply a case of rewarding one of our own, this is a case of a player earning this spot.  Doing everything it takes on and off the ice to make the jump to the next level."

Director of Operations and Co-Owner Rich O'Dowd added "we are going to bring in kids that will not only be great hockey players but great role models for our fans and the surrounding community, and Kevin has those qualities."

When asked about the signing Kevin Perry (18) said, "I loved being part of the Generals last year and I am honored to have been tendered to the NAHL.  I think this presents a great opportunity and challenge for me.  I look forward to growing with the Generals."

Lewiston/Auburn relied on the scoring touch of Dylan Vrees, who netted four goals, to beat Northeast, 6-0.

Vrees\’ first goal came 5:55 into the first period. He then added goals at 16:25 into the first, at 5:52 into the second, and at 19:42 into the second.

Lewiston/Auburn put up an impenetrable defensive front on the penalty kill, and did not allow Northeast to score on any of its five power plays. Lewiston/Auburn kept Northeast\’s goalie busy throughout the game, and Trevor Trudeau made 48 saves on 54 shots.

Lewiston/Auburn also had goals scored by Joseph Mooney and Alexander Friend, who scored one goal each. Other players who recorded assists for Lewiston/Auburn were David Fish, who had two, Brett Bittner, who had three, and Linder Kenyon, Walker Hamilton, Thomas Puetz, and Austin Siering, who each chipped in one.

Northeast was held below its usual level of production. Northeast averages 2.6 goals per game.

Lewiston/Auburn\’s Marcus Mitchell stopped 16 shots out of the 16 that he faced. Lewiston/Auburn incurred 30 minutes in penalty time with five minors. Northeast incurred 16 minutes in penalty time with eight minors.

Northeast fell behind early, and Lewiston/Auburn kept piling on the points on the way to an 8-0 victory.

Brett Bittner was all over the ice for Lewiston/Auburn, as he tallied two goals and two assists in the win. Bittner scored the first of his two goals at 5:00 into the first period to make the score 1-0 Lewiston/Auburn. Jordan Crowe assisted on the tally. Bittner\’s next tally made the score 6-0 Lewiston/Auburn with 10:32 left in the second period. Lewiston/Auburn earned a power play opportunity when Brendan Collins was put in the box for slashing. Dylan Vrees picked up the assist.

Lewiston/Auburn was boosted by Marcus Mitchell, who turned in a shutout with 41 saves. Mitchell certainly lowered his goals against average, which was 1.4 entering the contest.

Lewiston/Auburn forced its penalty killing units to work especially hard during the game, picking up six minors and one major for 27 minutes in penalty time. Lewiston/Auburn had been averaging 20.0 minutes in penalties per game. Lewiston/Auburn excelled on the penalty kill, not giving up a single goal in six chances. Northeast was unable to stop Lewiston/Auburn from sending pucks towards the net, and Lewiston/Auburn eventually piled up 58 shots on goal. Lewiston/Auburn outdid its season average for goals scored. This season, Lewiston/Auburn averages 4.4 goals per contest. Lewiston/Auburn got an offensive boost from its blueliners, who contributed two goals during the game.

Lewiston/Auburn also got points from Mike Heffernan, who also registered one goal and one assist, Thomas Puetz, who also tallied one goal and two assists, Vrees, who also had one goal and one assist, and Colby Siering, who also racked up one goal and one assist. Others who scored for Lewiston/Auburn included Austin Davis and David Fish, who scored one goal each. Other players who recorded assists for Lewiston/Auburn were Linder Kenyon, Clay Janowiak, and Jon Paul Chauvin, who each chipped in one.

Northeast\’s offense operated below its season average. Northeast puts an average of 2.6 pucks into the net per game. Northeast\’s offense rang up 41 shots on Lewiston/Auburn\’s net.

Lewiston/Auburn registered one goal on four power play opportunities. For Lewiston/Auburn, Vrees was ejected from the game. Steven Murphy rejected 50 shots on goal for Northeast. Northeast incurred 10 minutes in penalty time with five minors.

Alex ODowd had two goals and one assist to lead Northeast to a 5-2 victory over Maine.

ODowd scored at 19:18 into the second period to make the score 3-2 Northeast and again while 13:34 into the third to make the score 4-2 Northeast.

Northeast\’s offense rang up 48 shots on Maine\’s net. Northeast bested its season scoring average. This season, Northeast averages 2.7 goals per contest. Northeast\’s defensemen played an important role in the offense, chipping in two goals.

Northeast additionally got points from Adam Carvalho, who also tallied one goal and one assist and Derric Trudeau, who also racked up one goal and two assists to lead the team in points. Northeast also got a goal from Tim Rheault as well. In addition, Northeast received assists from Zachary Smith, who had two and Brendan Collins and Zachary Needham, who each chipped in one.

Maine managed to stay out of the box better than usual, racking up one minor for two minutes in penalty time. Maine ended up below its season average of 16.0 penalty minutes per game. Northeast was unable to stop Maine from sending pucks towards the net, and Maine eventually piled up 42 shots on goal.

Maine was helped by Greg Terlov, who registered one goal and one assist. Terlov scored 16:23 into the second period to make the score 2-1 Northeast. Noel Fischer picked up the assist. Maine also got points from Fischer, who also grabbed one goal and one assist. Other players who recorded assists for Maine were Jordy Knoren, who had two.

Northeast\’s Trevor Trudeau stopped 40 shots out of the 42 that he faced. Northeast incurred eight minutes in penalty time with four minors. Brandon Daigle rejected 43 shots on goal for Maine. Maine registered one goal on four power play opportunities.