Brendan Dumas and Michael Young each had a goal and two assists to help lead the Titans to a 5 – 3 win over the visiting Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks last night at the Middletown Sports Complex.
It was the Red Buckets eighth win out of their last nine games, and it was their fifth victory in as many games against Danbury this season.
Ben Muthersbaugh opened the scoring just 1:52 into the first period. After Danbury attempted to clear the puck out of their own end, it was kept in the zone by Tyler Sanborn at the near side point. Sanborn made a bounce pass up to Dumas at the half wall who made a cross-ice pass to Muthersbaugh who took a wrist shot from the bottom of the far side faceoff circle the beat Jr. Hat Tricks goalie Matthew O’Donnell long side for Muthersbaugh’s eleventh goal of the season.
The Titans doubled their lead with 7:25 remaining in the first on a highlight reel goal from Dumas. After Danbury dumped the puck deep into the Titans zone, it was fielded by Marino Ramirez at his own cage and he passed the puck up to Dumas who immediately advanced it to Joe Harney. As Harney exited his own zone, he made a cross-ice pass up to a breaking Dumas down the near side boards. As Dumas gained the line, he cut from the outside and towards the net, dangled the puck through his legs and flicked the puck up and over a down O’Donnell for Dumas’ seventh goal of the season.
Danbury cut their deficit in half with 1:40 left in the period. After the Trick’s Nash Jacobsma took a wrist shot that was blocked out front by Reese Brednich, the loose puck came out to Jacobsma who jammed home the rebound past Ramirez and into the back of the net for Jacobsma’s eighth goal of the season.
The Titans regained their two-goal lead with thirty seconds remaining in the opening period on a tic-tac-toe goal. After Danbury dumped the puck deep inside the Titans zone, it was picked up by Leo Schwartz behind his own goal. As he skated towards the right of Ramirez, Schwartz passed the biscuit through the slot to Harney who immediately made a stretch pass to Young at center ice. As Young gained the line, he split the defense and walked in all alone on O’Donnell, and Young beat the Tricks goaltender long side to make it a 3 – 1 game. It was Young’s ninth goal of the season.
Just 1:30 into the middle stanza, Danbury’s Logan Furstenau, was called for tripping to give the Titans the man advantage. A minute and a half later Dominik Bartecko gave the home team a 4 – 1 lead. After Dumas was knocked off the puck by a Danbury defender along the Tricks far side half wall, the loose biscuit was picked up by at Danbury’s half wall, the biscuit came out to Young who skated to the faceoff dot and made cross-ice pass to Bartecko who wristed the puck past O’Donnell for Bartecko’s fifth goal as a Titan. Since being acquired in mid-November, Bartecko has eleven points (5 goals and 6 assists) in eleven games played with the Red Buckets.
The Tricks made it 4 – 2 at 9:52 of the second when Ryan Johnson intercepted a pass in the Titans slot and wristed a shot past Ramirez shot side for Johnson’s eighth goal of the season.
Levente Keresztes scored a powerplay goal midway through the third period to the Titans a 5 – 3 lead, and then Furstenau lit the lamp for his fifth goal of the season with 6:40 remaining in the contest to close out the scoring and make it 5 – 3.
Ramirez stopped 24 of 27 shots in the win (his third of the season) while O’Donnell turned aside 46 of 51 in defeat. Click here for the complete box score.
The Titans will resume play this weekend for a two-game series at home against the Northeast Generals, their last home series of 2022.