The New Jersey Titans started the NAHL showcase on the right foot by defeating the Lone Star Brahmas in a 1-0 shootout win on Wednesday afternoon.
Hunter Alden and Nick Boyagian scored in the shootout while goaltender Brandon Perrone made 28 saves and stopped both shootout attempts to earn the shutout and defeat the defending Robertson Cup champion Brahmas.
It was the first win of the season for the Titans, who dropped their first two games against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. Coming off the victory, head coach Craig Doremus said it was a good turnaround for the team.
“I think overall it’s a stepping stone game for us. The Brahmas are a very impressive veteran team, and it’s good for our young players to learn to play at this level,” Doremus said.
Doremus also emphasized that there is still work to be done. The Titans have three more games to play in the showcase and he believes the team can make improvements in different parts of their game.
“I thought at times we did well and at others we struggled a bit and hung on,” he said. “But any time you can walk out of the rink with two points, a victory is always uplifting.”
The Titans will look to make it two in a row as they face the Topeka RoadRunners at 3:30 p.m. The game will be streamed on hockeytv.com
Photo credit: John Elftmann