The New Jersey Titans scored three goals in the second period to defeat the visiting Aston Rebels 4 – 1 at Middletown’s Ice World last night. The two teams split their home-and-home series over the weekend.
After a draw deep inside the Titans zone New Jersey wrapped the puck around the boards where defenseman Gvido Jansons tried to keep it in the zone. The puck skipped by him where it was picked up by the Titans’ Danny Eruzione at center ice. He entered the Rebels zone along the far side boards on a two-on-one with teammate Nick Boyagian. Eruzione took a planned low line shot that was saved by Rebels goalie Mareks Mitens. The goalie went down to make the save but the rebound came off of his right pad directly to Boyagian who put it passed him to give New Jersey a 1 – 0 lead 7:56 left in the first.
New Jersey would go up 2 – 0 on Boyagian’s second goal of the game. With three minutes into the second, Boyagian brought the puck up through the neutral zone on another two-on-one. As he entered along the near side boards, he dropped passed the puck to trailing Eruzione. Eruzione went around the Rebels defenseman and passed it back to Boyagian who was wide open in the slot and he redirected the puck passed Mitens for his sixteenth goal on the season.
The Rebels would cut the lead in half on Carter Woolley’s seventh goal on the season. New Jersey’s Anthony Cusanelli was called for cross checking at 4:40 into the second to put the Rebels on the power play. After the Titans dumped the puck into the Rebels zone, Ryan Solomon went behind his own net to set up the play. He passed the puck up the near side boards to Michael Underwood. Underwood then sent a bank pass off the boards to Woolley right before the blue line. Woolley entered the Titans zone along the boards and skated to the faceoff circle and he took a wrist shot that beat New Jersey’s goalie Ryan Ferland long side 5:25 into the middle stanza.
Two minutes later New Jersey would regain the two goal lead. Todd Goehring entered the Rebels zone along the far side boards. At the top of the faceoff circle he made a cut back move to let this line mates enter the zone. Goehring sent a pass back to the point to a trailing Jordan Kaplan. Kaplan brought the puck down along the far side boards and passed it back to Goehring. As Goehring started to go behind the net he passed it to Dylan Healey who was to the side of Mitens. Healey received the pass and took a wrist shot that beat the Rebels goalie long side to make it a 3 – 1.
Ryan Wheeler would score the Titans third goal of the second period with four minutes remaining. After the Titans won the draw deep inside their own zone, the puck came out to Wheeler. Wheeler would take it end to end untouched and take a wrist shot in the slot that went by Mitens to make it a 4 – 1 game.
Mitens would end up stopping fourteen of eighteen shots while Ferland turned aside 24 of 25. Click here for the box score.
The Rebels and Titans will play their remaining game of the regular season against each other on Wednesday night at 7:00pm at Middletown’s Ice World.
