Jamestown’s defenseman Liam Hansson had a goal and two assists to lead the Rebels to a 5 – 3 victory over the visiting New Jersey Titans last night at the Northwest Arena. With the loss coupled with Johnstown’s victory, the Titans lead in the East Division now is three points.
The Rebels jumped out to an early 2 – 0 lead in the opening period with the first goal coming just 1:08 into the game. After a scrum along the far side half wall, Hansson picked up the loose puck and skated down low to the left of Titans goalie Patrick Pugliese. As Hansson reached the net, he made a centering pass out front to Carter Korpi who one-timed it past Pugliese to give Jamestown the 1 – 0 lead.
Jamestown doubled its lead at 8:48 of the first period off the stick of Tyler German. After the Titans won the draw just outside the Rebels zone, the puck was dumped into the Jamestown end behind goalie Noah West and picked up by Conner Couet who sent the puck up along the near side boards where it as picked up by Joe Teasdale at this own blueline. Teasdale made a backhanded pass to a German. As German entered the neutral zone, he sent a bounce pass off the boards to Jordan Cormier who entered the Titans zone with the biscuit. As Cormier reached the top of the faceoff dot, he made a backdoor pass to German in the slot and German redirected it past Pugliese for his third goal of the season.
Midway through the opening period, Jamestown’s Spencer Cosway was called for boarding to give the Titans the man advantage. With 8:44 left in the first, Matthew Iasenza cut the Titans deficit in half. Shane Haviland had the puck in the far side corner and passed it behind the Rebels to Iasenza who was to the left of West. Iasenza passed it up to Haviland at faceoff dot and Haviland passed it back to Brody Medeiros at the point. The Titans captain took a clapper from the point that hit the post but Iasenza was right there to tuck in the rebound past West for his twelfth goal of the season.
Jamestown regained its two-goal lead with 4:41 remaining in the first. Cormier picked up the loose puck at center ice along the far side wall and passed it up to Teasdale. As Teasdale reached the top of the faceoff circle, he turned and sent a cross-ice pass to Seth Bergeron at the top of the near side circle. Bergeron took a snapshot that went through Pugliese’s five hole and into the net to give the Rebels a 3 – 1 lead.
With 6:51 left in the middle stanza, Chris Garbe made it a 3 – 2 game. Michael Outzen intercepted a Rebels pass at the top of the far side faceoff circle and took a shot that was saved by West, but the rebound was picked up by Gavin Gulash to the left and behind of the Rebels net. Gulash centered the puck out front to Garbe who wristed the puck past West for his twenty-second goal of the year.
The Rebels went back up 4 – 2 just 1:05 into the third period. Couet picked up the loose puck in his own far side corner and passed it up to Hansson at the top of the faceoff circle. Hansson found a breaking Janis Vizbelis on his left and head manned Vizbelis the puck. Vizbelis skated down the far side boards and started to cut across the goal mouth and took a shot that beat Pugliese high, short side.
At 6:01 into the third Vizbelis served a Jamestown bench minor to put the Titans on the power play. As time was running out with the man advantage, Matt Cameron picked up the loose puck from a scrum along the near side half wall. Cameron passed it out to a wide-open Cade Penney in the slot. Penney took a clapper that was saved by West, but Penney followed up his own rebound and tucked into the open net to make it a 4 – 3 game.
The Titans closed out the scoring on Hansson’s ninth goal of the year. After Hansson dumped the puck into the Titans zone, Pugliese went to stop the puck behind his own net but there was a miscommunication between him and David Parker. Hansson’s picked up the puck wrapped it around into an open net to make it 5 – 3. Pugliese was pulled in favor of Ryan McInchak.
Pugliese and McInchak combined to stop 30 of 35 shots while West turned aside 30 of 33. Click here for the box score.
The two team will close out their weekend series tonight at 7:05 PM at the Northwest Arena.