Titans Defeat Rebels 3-2 in Shootout
October 22, 2022 – North American Hockey League (NAHL) – New Jersey Titans News Release
Ben Muthersbaugh scored a pair of goals in regulation while Michael Young and Anthony Calafiore score in a shootout to give the visiting Titans a 3 – 2 win over the Rebels at the Hollydell Ice Arena.
It was the Red Buckets fourth straight win and seventh out of their last ten improving their overall record to 7 – 8, after starting the season 0 – 6.
Muthersbaugh scored a powerplay goal with1:28 remaining in the first period to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead. A minute and eleven seconds before Muthersbaugh opened the scoring, the Rebels’ Jared Kaplowitz was called for interference to give New Jersey the man advantage.
After Ben Yurchuk won the draw deep inside the offensive zone, the puck went back to Leo Schwartz at the far side point. Yurchuk sent a cross-ice pass to Muthersbaugh at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Muthersbaugh sent a pass back to the far side point to Robert Hyde. Hyde made a return pass to Muthersbaugh who took a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that hit the near side post and went in past Rebels netminder Jakub Krbecek for Muthersbaugh’s fourth goal of the season.
The Rebels’ Kristians Samitis knotted the score at one at 5:17 into the second period. With play inside the Titans zone, forward Johnny McMahon tried to bring the biscuit out of his own end but was stripped of it by the Rebels’ Matt Lewis. As Lewis went towards the slot, he passed the puck over to Samitis on his left and Samitis took a one-timer that beat Titans goalie Marino Ramirez for Samitis’ second goal of the season.
The Titans regained the lead at 9:31 into the middle stanza on Muthersbaugh’s second goal of the contest. Tyler Sanborn picked up the loose puck at the top of his own zone and immediately passed it up to McMahon at the Titans blueline. As McMahon entered the neutral zone, he head manned the puck up to Muthersbaugh just outside the offensive end. As Muthersbaugh gained the line, he took a wrist shot from the near side faceoff dot that beat Krbecek long side to make it a 2 – 1 game.
With 2:37 remaining in the second, Own Wilson was called for tripping to give the Rebels the man advantage. Thirty-two seconds later Samitis scored his second goal of the game to even the score. The Rebels’ Luke deVries started the play by bringing the puck out of his own zone. As he reached center ice, he made a drop pass to Greg Spitznagel who sprinted through the neutral zone and into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, he skate behind the Titans cage and as he circled around the right of Ramirez, he passed it to Samitis in the slot and Samitis took a one-timer that beat Ramirez to make it 2 – 2.
With no scoring in the third, the game went into overtime. The Rebels had a chance to win it with 2:25 remaining in the extra period but Ramirez made a superb desperation save on the Rebels’ Joe Calvarino to keep the score tied at two and send it into a shootout.
Young scored on the Titans first shot to give the Titans the lead. Ramirez made successive saves on Max Hamstead and Spitznagel to set up Calafiore’s goal to seal the shootout win.
Ramirez stopped 22 of 24 shots in his Titans debut while Krbecek turned aside 19 of 21. Click here for the complete box score.
The two teams will meet again tonight at the Hollydell Ice Arena with a puck drop of 8:00PM.
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