Generals, IceRays help playoff hopes with wins on Sunday

April 1, 2019

Jamestown 1 @ Northeast 3 – The Northeast Generals gave their Robertson Cup Playoff hopes a huge shot in the arm thanks to a 3-1 home win on Sunday over the Jamestown Rebels. With the win, the Generals are now three points ahead of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights for the fourth and final playoff spot in the East Division. A win of any kind or a regulation loss by the Knights in either of the last two games would clinch the spot for the Generals. Alex Cohen have the Generals an early 1-0 lead with a goal in the 1st period. The Rebels tied the game early in the 2nd period thanks to Jake Felker’s 18th goal of the season. However, the Generals put the game out of reach with a 2nd period goal from Brady Gaudette, which stood as the game-winner. Matthew Rutigliano would add an empty-net goal to secure the win. David Fessenden stood tall in goal for the Gens, making 25 saves, while Noah West made 26 saves in the loss for the Rebels. Boxscore

 

Corpus Christi 4 @ Amarillo 3 - Mitch Walinski recorded a hat trick as part of a four-point outing to lead the Corpus Christi IceRays to a 4-3 comeback win against the Amarillo Bulls on Sunday. Walinski tied the game with 9:39 remaining, then Che Landikusic registered the game-winning goal off a feed from Walinski with 3:36 left. Samuel Vyletelka made 39 saves. Walinski opened the scoring 3:29 into the game, cashing in on an end-wall feed from Landikusic. Brendan West tied the game for the Bulls with his fifth goal of the weekend at 9:06, but Walinski regained the lead for the IceRays with a shot from the slot at 13:31. Logan Jenuwine scored a pair of goals in the second period (3:33, 9:00) to give the Bulls a 3-2 lead. Jenuwine hit the 100-point mark with his second tally, a power play goal, while also increasing his NAHL all-time single-season goal record to 58. Walinski completed the hat trick midway through the third period with a shot from the right point to tie the game, 3-3. Landikusic then registered the game-winning tally just over six minutes later with the assists going to Walinski and Jake Stella. With the win, the IceRays inched closer to a playoff berth. Corpus Christi (57 pts.) hosts the Topeka Pilots (54 pts.) in a pair of games next weekend to close the regular season, and the IceRays need just one point against the Pilots to secure a playoff spot. If the IceRays make the postseason, they would be the #4 seed in the South Division and face the #1 seed Bulls in the first round of the 2019 Robertson Cup Playoffs. Boxscore