Niedert gets close road win

PORT HURON — Having begun 2009-10 with the Madison Icemuskies, 27-yearold goalie Nick Neidert has adjusted well to being called up by the Flint Generals of the International Hockey League, an opportunity that arose after the team released the highly anticipated yet woefully ineffective Jean-Francois Labbe. Last Saturday, Niedert was between the pipes at McMorran Arena as the Generals faced the Icehawks, winning, 2-1.

Drawing the game’s first blood was Port Huron’s Brandon Kaleniecki, giving the Icehawks their only lead of the night at 3:38 of the opening period after luring Niedert out from between the pipes, a mistake the Indiana native wouldn’t make twice. Brandon Gentile then answered back for Flint with a goal of his own at the 11:13 mark to tie things up at 1-1, beating Port Huron’s Adam Russo with a back-hander on a 4-on-4 opportunity.

The difference in the contest for the Generals turned out to be Jamie Schaafsma, connecting on the game-winner midway through the second period. Flint was also the more disciplined of the two teams, getting eight power play opportunities while allowing three.

Last Wednesday the Generals were in Illinois at the iwireless Center to take on Quad City, losing, 4-2, after Brandon Morino gave the Mallards a 1-0 advantage at 8:17 of the initial period. Matt Cook then doubled that lead for Quad City at 13:40 of the second, which Jason Hill answered with a net-bender of his own to pull Flint within a goal at 2-1.

Just 34 seconds after that John Ronan tied things up for the Generals at 2-2, but that’s as close as they’d get, with Chris Lipsett giving the Mallards a 3-2 advantage just 78 seconds into the third. Unfortunately for Flint, Lipsett reared his ugly head one more time before it was all said and done, hitting nothing but net shorthanded with less than two minutes left in regulation to help seal the deal for Quad City.

In net, Niedert once again got the start for Flint in place of Michigan Tech rookie Rob Nolan, casting aside 29 of the 32 shots he faced, compared to the Mallard’s Jerad Kaufman, who made 37 saves on 39 attempts.

After this loss, the Generals made several roster moves before making the trip to Port Huron, trading Rick Varone to the Bloomington Prairie Thunder for future considerations and placing Jason Hill on waivers, who had a goal and three assists this season for Flint. To fill this open roster spot, the Generals announced last Friday the signing of center Chros Kovalcik, a St. Charles, Missouri, native who scored three goals with seven assists in 53 games with the Continental Hockey League’s Tulsa Oilers last year.

The Generals took the ice yesterday at Bloomington and tomorrow the team is at Dayton.