Oceanside’s Save On Foods Generals upped their win streak to a season-high five games over the weekend as they swept the Campbell River Storm in their home-and-home series.
Now 6-1 in their last seven games, the locals also got a taste of what it’s like to play in front of a packed house, as an estimated 700 fired up fans turned out Friday in Campbell River to support their team.
The hosts scored the only goal of the opening period that night, but Oceanside replied with three unanswered goals in the second and added another in the third.
Newest Gen, freewheeling 18-year-old forward Jared Chinn from Raleigh, North Carolina, scored his first with the team unassisted 11:03 into the second period. Kyle Yamasaki and Travis Briggs each scored and assisted on the others for a 3-1 Gens lead after 40 minutes. Cam McKarrick salted the win on the power play.
Oceanside outshot the Storm 42-26. Michael Gudmandson, who has picked up the nickname ‘Pistol’, made 25 saves for the win in net.
The Gens were 1-for-8 on the power play while the Storm were 0-for-7.
Back in action Oceanside Place on Saturday in front of an announced attendance of 210, it was a determined Campbell River team that showed up, and the Generals had to be good to carve out a 2-1 win.
The cyclone they call Dylan Haugen blew in down the right side and rang a howitzer off the cross bar, and shortly after that the ‘Pistol came up with a sprawling pad save to deny a Storm goal at the other end.
Chinn (Yamasaki, Garrett Kemmler) opened the scoring at 7:32 on the power play and Campbell River tied it up 1-1 at 15:29 which is how it stood after 20 minutes.
The two teams skated to a wide-open second period, and Haugen scored what would prove to be the winner at 9:26 on the power play.
“They’re a gritty hard team to play against,” Johnston said after, “they bring it — without question they play hard. Although we got off to a slow start Friday I thought we were a good team both nights.”
As for Haugen, the 17 year old forward from Port Alberni was named the game’s first star Saturday “and for good reason,” said his coach. “Hoags is a pretty special player. He’s tenacious … he’s old school, he just has that old-school mentality where every shift is full-out.”
Haugen, who came to camp 15 pounds heavier than last year, has already played five games up with the BCHL’s Alberni Valley Bulldogs.
As for the newest addition to the team, Chinn played 27 games with the Jr. A Nanaimo Clippers this season and was sent down to the Generals last Thursday.
Johnston said Chinn will continue to practice with the Clippers and can play up to 10 more games with Nanaimo, but beyond that he’ll be helping the Generals in their quest for playoff success.
As evident by his play and his two goals in his first four periods with the Generals, Chinn, said Johnston, “is a very high skilled player. Smart, very responsible with strong offensive instincts. He’s a great addition.”
Oceanside outshot the Storm 27-18 Saturday night. It was Pistol’s’ fourth straight start and forth straight win in net for the Generals. The 5’10”, 180 pound ‘tender, a native of Sherwood Park, Alberta, has posted a record of 9-3.
As for the big crowd in Campbell River, their team may be dead last in the standings but they’re fans are still turning out in big numbers. Johnston agreed “that kind of atmosphere motivates athletes.”
GAME ON
The Gens are down Island Friday for the front end for their home and home against Peninsula, and return home Saturday to face them again 7:30 p.m. start Saturday. The Generals’ last game before the Christmas break is Wednesday in Comox.
