Josef Glamos and Mitch Machlitt each scored twice to lead the New Jersey Titans to a 6 – 1 home opener victory over the visiting Maine Nordiques. It was the Titans first ever home opening win in the team’s five-year history.
Kyle Jeffers scored his seventh goal on the season to get the Titans on the board first. Maine’s Casper Söderling was called for tripping at 4:55 into the opening period to give the Titans the man advantage. Shane Haviland would leave a drop pass to Brody Medeiros at the top of the near side blueline who sent a pass back to Jeffers at the top of the high slot. As Jeffers skated to the top of the faceoff circle, he unleashed a wrister that found its way through a screen and beat Nordiques goalie Connor Androlewicz long side to make it 1 – 0.
Assistant captain Danny Dimon was called for hooking with 7:02 left in the first. Forty-eight seconds later, Mitch Machlitt would score his second shorthanded goal on the season. After Titans netminder Patrick Pugliese made a save, the rebound was knocked away by a Titans defender and the puck came out to Matt Cameron along the far side boards. As Cameron brought the puck up the boards and into the offensive zone, he was joined by Machlitt for a 2 on 1. As Cameron went to the net, he made a nice pass to Machlitt on his left and the Maple Grove, MN native redirected the puck past a sprawling Androlewicz to give the Titans the 2 – 0 lead.
The Nordiques would cut their deficit in half with thirty-seven seconds left in the second period. After Pugliese made a save, the rebound was knocked away but wasn’t cleared as it went back to Maine’s Kylar Fenton at the far side blueline. Fenton passed it over to Tyler Harvey on his left who took a long shot from the point where it was redirected by Filip Löfdahl out front and past Pugliese to make it a 2 – 1 game.
With 6:38 into the third, the Titans regained their two-goal lead on Glamos’ second goal on the season. As the Nordiques softly cleared the puck out of their zone, it was picked up by Mac Wiseman just outside the offensive blueline. Wiseman passed it over to assistant captain Chris Garbe on his right. Garbe skated towards the net and took a shot that was saved by Androlewicz but Glamos picked up the rebound and put it into the back of the net to make it 3 – 1 Titans.
After the media time out and the faceoff at center ice, Brad Zona threw the puck up along the far side boards to Cameron. As Cameron went to the net, he went to make a cross-ice pass to Gavin Gulash but it blocked by a Nordiques defender’s stick and the puck went to the near side boards. As the biscuit bounced off the boards, Ole Andersen took a one-timer that beat Androlewicz long side to give the Titans a 4 – 1 lead.
Glamos would score an empty net goal for his second on the night, and then Machlitt scored his second goal of the game with less then two minutes remaining to close out scoring.
Pugliese, who was very sharp – particularly with in the third with the Titans fending off a 5 on 3, turned aside 27 of 28 shots while Androlewicz stopped 22 of 27. Click here for the box score.
The two teams will be back at it tonight for a 7:05 PM start at the Middletown Sports Complex.