Brandon Avezov had a goal and assist, Anthony Calafiore had two goals and an assist while Chris Carroll assisted on all four Titans goals to lead the Red Buckets to a 4 – 2 win over the visiting Jamestown Rebels to split the weekend series.
The calendar said it was December 4 but it felt like mid-April – as in playoff hockey. It was a very physical game with good scoring chances and a large crowd to create the playoff type atmosphere.
Like Friday night’s game, the Rebels opened the scoring early in the first period – this time just 1:05 into the game. The Rebels’ Reid Lune picked up the loose puck inside the Titans zone along the nearside half wall. Lune threw a centering pass out front to Jak Vaarwerk who took a shot that was saved by Andrew Takacs, but the rebound came right out to Kolby Amici on the doorstep and Amici tapped the puck past Takacs and into the net to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Two and a half minutes later Avezov tied it. Avezov picked up the loose puck at center ice and brought it into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, Avezov took a shot that was blocked out front, but the rebound came right back him and Avezov backhanded a shot past Rebels goaltender Jon Howe for Avezov’s ninth goal of the year.
After Titans tied the game, the fans threw over 250 bears onto the ice for the team’s annual teddy bear toss with all the bears being donated to the Toys for Tots.
Jamestown regained the lead with 7:35 remaining in the opening period from Nolan Grier. Former Titan Noah Szretter picked up the loose puck at the top of his own slot and passed it up to a breaking Grier down the far side boards. As Grier gained the line, he took a wrist shot that beat Takacs long side for his first goal of the season.
Vaarwerk was called for slashing with 2:28 left in the first. Almost a minute later Calafiore knotted the score. Own Luik set up the play by picking up the loose puck in own zone and passed it back to Calafiore. The Staten Island, NY native brought the puck up through center ice and into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, he passed it to Brendan Dumas on his right. Dumas immediately passed to Carroll at the line on his left. Carroll stepped up and passed the biscuit to Calafiore in the slot and he cut across the goalmouth and wristed the puck above Howe’s blocker side and into the net for his tenth goal of the season.
David Posma gave the Titans the lead for good with 9:11 left in the second period. Avezov was bringing the puck out of his own zone and sent a bounce pass off the boards and up to Carroll. As Carroll was about to enter the offensive zone, he was knocked off the puck, but it was picked up by Posma. As Posma gained the line, he took a wrist shot that beat Howe short side for his sixth goal of the year.
Calafiore scored an empty net goal with twelve seconds left in the game to close out the scoring. Takacs turned aside 23 of 25 shots in the win while Howe turned aside 43 of 46. Click here for the box score.
The Titans will travel to Johnstown next weekend for a two-game series against the Tomahawks.