The New Jersey Titans defeated the visiting Aston Rebels 3 – 1 last night keeping the second place Titans six points behind the Rebels for the East Division lead. The win earned the Titans a split during this weekend’s home-and-home series.
The Rebels started off fast. With 4:31 into the first period, New Jersey’s Nick Boyagian was called for slashing putting the Rebels on the power play. A minute and eleven seconds later, Drew Blackmun picked up a rebound off of an Evgeny Yakovlev shot and beat Titans goalie Brandon Perrone on a backhander to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead.
The Titans would come back and tie the game at with 9:52 left in the opening period. The home team was able to capitalize on a broken down play at center ice when Gordie Helmuth brought the puck into the offensive zone and passed it to his left to Victor Ostling who beat Mareks Mitens long side.
After no scoring in the second, the Titans were able to take the lead a minute and five seconds into the final period. Boyagian won the drawl deep inside the Rebels zone and the puck went back to Jordan Kaplan. Kaplan passed it over to Todd Goehring who took a blast from the point. The puck initially hit the post but immediately went in behind Mitens.
Three minutes and ten seconds later, Peter Zhong was called for a delay of game penalty during a faceoff. The Titans would add their third goal of the game at 4:41 in the third when William Riedell and Anthony Cusanelli set up Dylan Healey with his seventh goal of the season when he beat Mitens long side.
Mitens stopped 17 of 20 shots while Perrone turned aside 17 of 18 shots. Click here for the box score.
It was the Rebels second loss out of the past three they have played. They play only one game next weekend when the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights visit IceWorks on Friday night. It will be country night sponsored by 92.5 WXTU.
