Brendan Dumas had two goals and an assist to help lead the visiting Titans to a 4 – 1 win over the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks last night to give the reigning Robertson Cup champions their first victory on the season.
With 3:06 remaining in the first period, Reece Brednich was called for boarding to give Danbury the man advantage. Thirty-nine seconds later Dumas capitalized on a Jr. Hat Tricks turn over and scored his first goal of the game, and the season, shorthanded to open the scoring.
With Danbury trying to set up in the offensive zone, Tricks forward Andrew Eberling took a one-time from the top of the near side faceoff circle that went wide of the net and hit off the end wall. As the puck wrapped around the far side rim, Dumas was able to strip the puck off a Danbury defenseman at the point. Dumas skated through center ice and all alone in on Hat Tricks goalie Adam Johnson. As Dumas reached the goalmouth, he cut towards Johnson’s right and backhanded the puck up and over the fallen netminder to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead.
With Brednich still in the box, Danbury was able to tie the game as the man advantage was winding down. The Tricks’ Evan West brought the puck up along the far side boards through center ice and into the offensive zone. As West cut towards the top of the faceoff circle, he passed the biscuit to Nash Jacobsma on his right. Jacobsma took a wrist shot from the point that was saved by Titans goaltender Zak Brice but with a scrum in front of the net, the rebound came out to West on the doorstep and West put the biscuit in the back of the net to tie the game with 1:43 remaining in the first period.
With 9:22 remaining in the middle stanza, Danbury’s Logan Nickerson was called for slashing to give the Titans the man advantage. Fifty-four seconds later Anthony Calafiore gave the Titans the lead for good. After Calafiore brought the puck up through center ice and into the offensive zone, he passed the puck to Dumas on his right as he gained the line. Dumas then passed the biscuit to Eric Charpentier on his left at the top of the point. Charpentier took a low line shot that was deflected by Calafiore on the doorstep and past Johnson to make it a 2 – 1 game.
A minute and fifteen seconds after Calafiore gave the Titans the lead, Dumas scored his second goal of the game. Dumas intercepted an errand Tricks pass just outside his own blueline and turned to head back towards the Danbury zone. Before his gained the line, Dumas passed the puck to Levente Keresztes on his left. As Keresztes entered the offensive zone and went towards the net. As he started to veer towards Johnson’s left, Keresztes made a backdoor pass to Dumas who redirected into the net to make it a 3 – 1 game.
Two minutes later Johnny McMahon scored his second goal of the season to make it a 4 – 1 game and close out the scoring.
Brice stopped 26 of 27 shots in the win while Johnson turned aside 39 of 41. Click here for the complete box score.
The two teams will meet again tonight at 7:00PM for game two of this two game series.