Sam Senft scored with 1:38 remaining in overtime to give the Titans a thrilling come from behind win over the visiting Long Beach Sharks.
The Titans were trailing 3 – 1 with 6:44 remaining in the third period when Brian Lupo made it a 3 – 2 game and then Senft scored with 0:02 left in regulation to send the game to overtime.
Long Beach’s Tyler Zembrzycki opened the scoring at 7:15 into the first period. The Sharks sent the puck deep into the Titans zone where it was retrieved by Red Bucket’s netminder Donovan Alfama went to play the puck behind his own net. Alfama went to leave it for Senft but Zembrzycki picked up the loose puck and wrapped it around and into and open net for seventh goal of the season.
The Sharks’ Spencer Dixon was called for tripping at 3:32 into the second period to give the Titans the man advantage. With thirty seconds remaining on the powerplay, Isaiah McKinney scored to tie the game at one with assists from Alex Blaszak and Senft.
With 7:33 remaining in the middle stanza, Long Beach’s Francis Gallagher was call for roughing to give the Titans the powerplay. Less than a minute later, the Sharks’ Jake Weikel scored shorthand. With Senft looking to bring the puck up out of his own zone, he was stripped of the biscuit to the right of Alfama. Weikel turned and shot the puck long side past Alfama for his second ninth goal of the season.
Weikel scored his second shorthanded goal of the game at 6:25 into the third period. After Alfama stopped Weikel on a breakaway, the puck went into the far side corner and was sent back to Hayden Doggett at the point. Doggett took a low line shot that Weikel stopped in the slot, turned, and deked Alfama and deposited the puck into the open net to give the Sharks a 3 – 1 lead.
Then Lupo scored to bring the Titans within one. Jake Spangler picked up the loose puck in the offensive zone’s far side corner. As he stared to go up along the wall, he turned and sent the biscuit back to Lupo in the corner. Lupo started to circle and took a sharp angle shot that beat Sharks goalie Greyson Skirpan long side for this fifth goal of the season.
With thirty-one seconds remaining in regulation, the Sharks’ Dylan Harbour was called for tripping. As the game was about to expire, Ryan Kenna took a shot that was saved by Skirpan but the rebound came right out to Senft who quickly shot it into the open net as the buzzer was about to sound.
At 2:29 into overtime, the Sharks’ Mikita Miadzvedzeu was called for tripping to give the Titans the man advantage. Less than a minute later the comeback was complete. Ryan Miller brought the behind and around the Sharks’ net and tried a wrap around but was stopped, and then he made a centering pass out to Senft who took a wrist shot that beat Skirpan high glove side to win the game.
Alfama stopped 42 of 45 shots while Skirpan turned aside 47 of 51. Click here for the box score.
The Titans will now travel to Attleboro, MA on Saturday to place a two game series against the Northeast Generals.