Written By Aidan Charde
Recap: Northeast Generals on Oct. 3 and 4
For just the third time in team history, the Rochester Jr. Americans failed to come away from a home weekend with points, dropping both games to the Northeast Generals.
Game one started on a sour note as the Jr. Amerks conceded the fastest goal in team history, falling behind 25 seconds into the game. Northeast remained in the driver’s seat the rest of the period, capitalizing on mistakes and taking a 2–0 lead into the locker rooms.
What was a tough start got worse in the second period when, after deflecting a shot out of play, standout goalie Jensen Carlstrom waved in the backup goalie and left for the locker room with an apparent injury. Dylan Michelow, who had not appeared in a game this season, ultimately played the remaining 35 minutes of the game in Carlstrom’s place.
Not long after, though, forward Keanan Dewberry took advantage of an errant Generals pass and got Rochester within one, scoring his first goal of the season. It was part of an explosive second period that saw Rochester outshoot Northeast 13–6, but it was also unfortunately the only goal of the period.
Despite a strong effort to tie the game in the third, the Generals got one past Michelow to make the game 3–1, a score that held until the final buzzer.
After falling short of a comeback in game one, Rochester came out firing in game two. Forwards Owen King and Colin Watson each earned their first goals of the season 49 seconds apart in the first period to give Rochester an early 2–0 lead. Carlstrom also had returned to the ice and ultimately earned his first 30-save performance, 25 of which came in the first two periods.
Northeast earned one back at the end of the first and tied the game in the second, though, before pouncing in the final period with three goals in eight minutes to take a 5–2 lead that stood as the final score.
Rochester now has to reset and prepare for the Johnstown Tomahawks who come to town next weekend for another rowdy series.
Preview: Johnstown Tomahawks on Oct. 10 and 11
WHERE: Rochester Ice Center | Fairport, NY
WHEN: Oct. 3 at 7:30 p.m. | Oct. 4 at 7 p.m.
WATCH: NAHL.tv
FOLLOW: @JrAmerksNAHL
History
Last season, the Tomahawks held the edge in the regular season series against the Jr. Amerks, with Rochester holding a 2–4–0 record, their worst against any divisional opponent. However, they also faced off in an electric postseason series that the Jr. Amerks came out on top during. After a pair of Rochester home wins, the Tomahawks won back-to-back overtime games in Johnstown to take the series back to Rochester for game five, where the Jr. Amerks came back from down 4–1 in the third period to win the series.
Familiar faces for Flaherty
Forward Ryan Flaherty joined the Jr. Amerks this season after spending last year as a member of the Tomahawks. With the squad, he put up 12 goals and 18 assists in 57 games, but did not stay with the team in the offseason. Instead, he has put on the red, white and blue and played a considerable role for Rochester. So far, he has three points on the year, all from assists.
Michelow looks solid in NAHL debut
Goalie Dylan Michelow has not started a game yet in the NAHL, but his 35 minutes of relief for an injured starter made him shine. The 19-year-old stopped 11 of 12 shots, allowing just one on a breakaway late in the game. Although Jensen Carlstrom has earned the starting job, Michelow’s strong performance in his absence provides much-needed depth.
Nothing new
The Jr. Amerks have faced the Tomahawks more than any other team besides the Maine Nordiques. In 19 contests across the regular season and playoffs, Rochester holds an 11–5–3 advantage and a +10 goal differential. Interestingly, though, both teams have swept the other two times. Johnstown was the only team to win back-to-back regulation games against the Jr. Amerks last season, doing so twice, but the Jr. Amerks also had a sweep of their own to go along with one from the 2023–24 season.
Time to get it going
An early storyline for Rochester this season has been a lack of offensive production, especially when compared with last season’s squad. Rochester has been held to one goal four times in nine games this year, something that only happened seven times all of last season. All four of the team’s wins have come in games where they score three or more times, so it is clear that it is the key for improving the team’s fortunes. With so much scoring talent on the roster, it is a matter of when, not if, the team starts dominating.
Sharpshooters
Across the first month of the season, the Tomahawks have proven to be one of the better scoring teams in the NAHL. They have the third-most goals scored in the league with 34 while forward Nick Jarmain leads the league in goals with 9 of his own. It has also powered the team to a seven-game points streak and the best record they have ever had through nine games. But while the scoring numbers look scary, it is worth noting that it is a very top-heavy team: 29 of the team’s 34 goals come from five players.
