Three, First Period Goals Propel Titans to 5-1 Win over Nordiques
October 9, 2022 – North American Hockey League (NAHL) – New Jersey Titans News Release
Ben Yurchuk, Ben Muthersbaugh and Reece Brednich scored in the first period to propel the Titans to a 5 – 1 win over the visiting Maine Nordiques to earn a split between the teams this weekend.
Yurchuck opened the scoring just 1:03 into the first period to give the Titans the early lead and never looked back. Anthony Calafiore came away with the puck from a scrum at the far side corner in the Nordiques zone and started to skate back along the boards. As he reached the half wall, he passed the puck to Yurchuk on this left. Yurchuk passed the biscuit through the slot to Michael Young, who was to the left of Maine’s goaltender Thomas Heaney. Young took a shot that was saved by Heaney, but Yurchuck fired in the rebound past the fallen netminder and into the net for Yurchuk’s third goal of the season.
Muthersbaugh doubled the Titans lead midway through the first. As Maine’s Brendan Kimball started to bring the puck out from behind his own net, he went to make a cross-ice outlet pass but it was intercepted by Muthersbaugh in the slot. As Muthersbaugh went towards the near boards on his backhand, he cut towards the net and took a shot that beat Heaney short side to give Muthersbaugh his third goal of the season.
Brednich then scored his first of two consecutive goals to make it a 3 – 0 with 1:07 left in the opening period. Ethan Wongus picked up the loose puck just outside the Nordiques zone and passed it to up Brady Hildreth on his left. As Hildreth gained the line along the far side boards, he took a wrist shot from the half wall that was saved by Heaney but the rebound came right out to Brednich on the doorstep and jammed the puck into the back of the net for his first goal of the season.
Brednich made it 4 – 0 at 5:35 into the second period. After Wongus won the draw deep inside the offensive zone, the puck went back to Brian Robertson at the far side point and he immediately passed it over to Owen Luik on his left. Luik passed the biscuit to Hildreth at the top of the faceoff circle who made a shuttle pass to Wongus in the slot. The Edmonton, AB native turned and took a shot that was saved by Heaney but Brednich buried the rebound into the net for Brednich’s second goal of the game and season.
Maine’s Kellen Murphy scored at 7:12 of the middle stanza to make it 4 – 1 but Brendan Dumas hit the back of the net 1:33 remaining in the second to close out the scoring and make it a 5 – 1 game. It was Dumas’ team high fifth goal of the season.
Jacob Torgner, who rebounded nicely from Friday night’s game, stopped 27 of 28 shots for his second win of the season while Heaney and Kael Depape combined to turn aside 30 of 35 in defeat. Click here for the complete box score.
Last night’s game concluded a Titans four game homestand. They will play the next two weekends on the road (Northeast next weekend in Hollydell against the Rebels the weekend later) before returning at the end of the month for a series against the Generals.
The October 28 and 29 weekend series will be breast cancer awareness weekend. The Titans will be wearing special jerseys that will be auctioned off online with the proceeds going to Breast Intentions. The jerseys are sponsored by Fireside Bar and Grill.
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