The visiting Northeast Generals defeated the New Jersey Titans 7 – 3 yesterday in the fourth of five straight games between the teams with each winning a pair of games.
Eyan Gonzalvez-Helm opened the scoring for the Titans at 7:30 into the first period. After the Titans won the draw deep inside the Generals zone, the puck went back to the near side point where it was picked up by Helm. The tall defenseman took a shot that went wide of the net but was picked up by Michael Macieri at the top of the far side faceoff circle. Macieri sent it back to the point to Helm who took a clapper that found its way through a screen and past Northeast’s goalie Espen Reager to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Riley Haviland was called for tripping 8:49 left in the first. A minute later the Generals tied it. After the Titans won the draw deep inside their own zone, the puck went back to center ice where it was picked up by Deacon More who passed it over to Nicklaus Obourn along the far side boards. Obourn found a breaking Payton Felix who skated in all along on Titans goalie Dimitrii Kapranov and deked around the netminder for his third goal of the season.
Thirty-nine seconds later the Generals took the lead. Felix brought the puck into the Titans zone on a three on three along the far side boards. As he gained the line, he passed the puck to Obourn on his left. Obourn took a shot that was saved by Kapranov but the rebound came off his right pad to Ben Pizzimenti who tucked in the biscuit into the net to make it a 2 – 1 game.
With 4:53 left in the opening period, Isaiah McKinney tied the game at two. As the Generals Austin Crisp tried to clean the puck out of his own zone by bouncing it high off the glass, it was gloved down by McKinney who took a wrist shot that beat Reager high glove side for his first goal of the season.
The Generals regained the lead just 1:20 into the second period. After a scrum in the Titans zone along the near side half wall, Northeast’s Tyler Kaminski made a centering pass out front to James Clarke who took a wrist shot that beat Kapranov down low to make it a 3 – 2 game.
Kaminski took a interference penalty at 6:51 of the period to give the Titans the man advantage. Almost a minute later Philippe Doucette tied it. With the puck in the Titans far side corner, Brandon Avezov stole the puck off a Generals player and made a cross-ice pass to Nick Byron. The West Springfield, MA native skated down the near side boards and into the offensive zone. As he went around the faceoff circle he centered the puck out front to Doucette who shot it past Reager for his third goal of the year.
The Generals would take the lead for good with 3:07 left in the second. After McKinney tried to clear the puck out of his own zone, it was intercepted by Jacob Kaminski at the near side point. Kaminski started to walk the line towards his left and he took a shot that was redirected out front by Clarke past Kapranov to give Northeast a 4 – 3 lead.
Northeast would score three goals in the third to close out the scoring. Kapranov stopped 30 of 37 shots while Reager turned aside 16 of 19. Click here for the box score.
The teams will meet again today at 3:30 PM to finish out their five straight game series.