Titans Blanked by Jr. Blues 4-0
September 17, 2022 – North American Hockey League (NAHL) – New Jersey Titans News Release
The Titans were shutout today by the Springfield Jr. Blues 4 – 0 in the fourth and final game of the annual NAHL Showcase. The Red Buckets lost all four games in the tournament – the first time in the team’s eight-year history. The defending Robertson Cup Champions have yet to win a game in the 2022-23 season. They are now 0 – 6 so far.
Springfield’s Tyler Borgula opened the scoring with 6:42 remaining in the first period. The Jr. Blues’ Nikita Nikora intercepted the puck at center ice along the far side boards and brought it into the offensive zone. As Nikora reached the faceoff dot, he started to circle towards the net but made a nice pass to Borgula on his right and in the slot. Borgula took a wrist shot that hit off the far post and behind Titans netminder Ben Charette and into the net to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Two minutes later Justin Kingery doubled the Jr. Blues lead. Springfield’s Carter Cloutier picked up the loose puck at the top of his own blueline and into center ice. Before he gained the offensive zone line, he passed the biscuit to Ben Edwards on his left. As Edwards entered the zone and went to the far side half wall, he made a cross-ice pass to Kingery who one-timed it past Charette for Kingery’s first goal of the season.
The Jr. Blues went up 3 – 0 with 4:18 into the second period. After the Titans dumped the puck deep into the Springfield zone, it was picked up by Jr. Blues goalie Aksel Reid who made a long stretch pass to Lucca Munoz down the near side boards. As Munoz gained the line, he cut downlow at the end of the faceoff circle and went towards the net. Prior to reaching the cage, he made a centering pass out front to James Callahan who roofed over Charette’s glove hand and into the net for Callahan’s first goal of the season.
Springfield’s Jake Peterson scored with nine minutes remaining in the middle stanza to close out the scoring.
Charette stopped 30 of 34 shots in defeat while Reid turned aside all thirty. Click here for the box score.
Division play will resume next week as the Titans will travel to Danbury to play the Jr. Hat Tricks for a pair of games.
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