Generals explode in third period for seven goals to hand East Haven first loss

EAST HAVEN, January 28 – The Farmington Valley Generals ice hockey team scored five goals in a span of three minutes and 36 seconds to break open a tight game with No. 9 East Haven and handed the Yellowjackets their first loss of the season with an 8-4 victory at DiLungo Rink.

Junior Tim Arena (Farmington) had five goals and three assists to lead the Generals (8-2) while Owen Lacourciere (Lewis Mills) had two goals and three assists. Arena is the team’s leading scorer with 22 goals and 10 assists.

Four of Arena’s goals came in the decisive third period. Farmington Valley had seven goals in the period — the most they have scored in a single period this season. Eric Schweitzer (Avon) had four assists for the Generals, the co-op team consisting of players from Farmington High, Avon, Windsor and Lewis Mills.

It was the eighth win in the last nine games for the Generals. Goalie Trevor Paluso (Farmington) made 40 saves to earn the victory in net.

East Haven (9-1) led 1-0 after a period before Farmington Valley’s Peter Hoffman tied the game at 1-1 with a goal off an Arena assist with 13:53 left in the second period. About two minutes later, East Haven’s Nick Capone gave the Yellowjackets the 2-1 lead.

In the third period, the Generals tied the game on a goal from Lacourciere with 12:30 remaining. Arena scored off a Hoffman assist with 10:45 left to give the Generals their first lead of the game, 3-2. In less than two minutes, the Generals added another three goals from Lacourciere and Arena (two) to take a commanding 6-2 lead.

Nick Bonino, the former Farmington High star who won a Stanley Cup with the Pittsburgh Penguins, made an appearance before the game to provide the Generals with a pre-game pep talk. Bonino helped Farmington High win the CIAC Division II state title in 2006.

East Haven was ranked No. 9 in the state in the most recent New Haven Register’s coaches poll. At the Hockey Night in Boston website, East Haven was ranked No. 1 in CIAC Division II while the Generals were ranked No. 8.

Farmington Valley 8, East Haven 3
At East Haven
Farmington Valley (8-2)      0  1  7  — 8
East Haven (9-1)                1  0  2  — 4
Goals: Nick Capone (EH) 3, Matt Lattella (EH), Peter Hoffman (FV), Owen Lacourciere (FV) 2, Tim Arena (FV) 5; Assists: Arena 3, Hoffman 2, Lacourciere 3, Eric Schweitzer 4, Jake Aloi (EH) 2, Logan Hamilton (EH), Joe Lorello (EH); Saves: Matt Twarowski (EH) 27, Logan Hamilton (EH) 8; Trevor Paluso (FV) 40