Roland Ponechal scored at 1:04 into overtime to give the Titans a 6 – 5 win over the visiting Bay State Bobcats.
Alex Blaszak opened the scoring for the Titans just 2:34 into the first period. Sam Senft brought the puck up the near side boards and into the offensive zone. As he circled behind the Bay State net, he tried a stuffer, but it was blocked by Bobcats goalie Cameron Schnopp but the rebound came right out to Blaszak who tucked in the rebound to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Bay State’s Dylan Gallagher tied the game at 9:08 into the first period for his first goal of the season.
The Bobcats then took the lead at 5:51 into the second period when Landon Boothe scored a powerplay goal to make it a 2 – 1 game.
The Titans tied it a minute later. After the Titans won the draw deep inside the Bobcats end, the puck went back to Lucas Salas at the near side point. Salas took a shot that was blocked out front but the biscuit game right out to Ponechal who turned and beat Schnopp high blocker side.
Just eighteen seconds later, Bay State regained the lead on Tima Basarab fourth goal of the season to make it a 3 – 2 game.
The Titans then scored three straight goals to make it 5 – 2.
First it was Teito Ishigaki with 8:30 remaining in the middle stanza. Blaszak picked up the loose puck outside a scrum along the near side boards inside the Bay State zone and passed it to Ryan Kenna in the corner. Kenna passed it out to Ishigaki in the slot, and he took a shot that hit the near side post and into the net past Schnopp to tie the game at three.
Kenna gave the Titans the lead with 3:15 left in the period. After Basarab was ejected from the game, the Titans were on a five-minute powerplay. Salas brought the puck up out of his own end, through center ice and into the offensive zone along the far side boards. As he gained the line, he passed it up to Kenna who took a shot that was saved by Schnopp but Kenna picked up his own rebound and beat Schnopp long side to make it 4 – 3 Titans.
Just sixteen seconds later the Titans doubled their lead on Isaiah McKinney’s second goal of the season. Noah Scherff picked up the loose puck behind his own net and passed it to McKinney on his left. McKinney skated down the near side boards and into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, McKinney took a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that beat new Bay State goaltender Ben Di Fiore high glove side which knocked off the water bottle.
Bay State would then score two unanswered goal to tie the game at five. Will Cormie scored twenty-six seconds into the third period to make it 5 – 4 Titans, and then Matt Schirm knotted the game with 5:45 remaining in regulation and send the game into overtime.
Playing three-on-three hockey, Senft picked up the loose puck at center ice and made a cross-ice pass to Ishigaki. As Ishigaki gained the line, he skated towards the faceoff circle and dropped it back to Ponechal who took a wrist shot that beat Di Fiore high glove side to win the game.
Colin Freitas stopped 33 of 38 shots in the win while the Bobcats netminders turned aside 40 of 46. Click here for the box score.
The Titans will play three games this upcoming week. They will play home Wednesday against Danbury and home again on Thursday against Long Beach. They will travel to Norwich on Saturday to play the Sea Captains.