Brady nets OT winner to give Titans weekend sweep

Dec 12, 2015

MIDDLETOWN, N.J. – It took overtime, but the Titans were able to pull of the weekend sweep of the Kenai River Brown Bears.

The game, already a face paced nail biter became even tenser when Kenai River’s Joey Sardina scored an equalizing goal on the power play. With every shot, the crowd would groan in anticipation of the game winner.  They would have to wait until 3:11 into a 3-on-3 overtime period.

With a shootout looming, Darren Brady took a shot from the right circle that found the net after connecting with Keegan Miller and Anthony Cusanelli as all three of them weaved their way through the Brown Bears’ zone. It was the R.I.T. commit’s sixth goal of the season

After two first period goals within 31 seconds of one another, what looked like would be a one-sided battle, actually turned into a nail biter.  The Brown Bears were able to score two unanswered goals to tie the game.  Charles Spetz (3:02) and Jack Gessert (at 14:43) both scored on the power play in the second period.

Joe Shuler scored a shorthanded goal to open the scoring at 8:24 of the first period while on a rush. Then at 8:55 Bruno Birzitis took a shot that Garrett Hallford got his stick on in midair that changed its direction. It was Hallford’s sixth of the season and Birzitis’ 18th assist.

With time winding down on the second stanza the, it was Cusanelli with his 12th of the season to give the Titans a one-goal lead headed into the second intermission.

Kenai River finished the game 3-for-7 on the power play while the Titans went 0-for-5 with the man advantage.

The point for Kenai River was their first since Sept. 18 at Janesville when they beat the Jets in overtime. They now have three on the season.

It was also the first career NAHL win for Harrison Feeney who made 23 saves on the night, having hampered with the loss in a shootout a week ago.

With the win, the Titans are now riding a three-game winning streak headed into next weekend’s two-game set against the Fairbanks Ice Dogs. The Friday night leg will have a 6 p.m. puck drop while the Saturday night rubber match will start at 7:30 p.m. at Middletown Ice World.