Anthony Mollica and Michael Young each had a pair of goals to help lead the Titans to a 6 – 3 victory over the visiting Northeast Generals last night in a hard-fought game. Young and Ryan Coughlin each had three points on the evening.
The win enabled the Titans to complete a weekend sweep over the same team that swept them two weeks earlier.
Mollica opened the scoring just 1:13 into the game. After Anthony Calafiore took a shot that was saved by Northeast goalie Cullen DeYoung, the puck went high into the air where it was batted down by Coughlin and rolled to the near side half wall. Coughlin sent it back to Mollica at the point and the defenseman took a clapper that found its way through a maze and past DeYoung to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Levente Keresztes was called for slashing at 4:58 of the first period to give the Generals the man advantage. Less then a minute later, Northeast’s Paul Minnehan would score his first of two goals on the night. After a scrum at the Titans near side half wall, the puck was sent back to Northeast’s Evan Orr at the top of the point. Orr passed it over to Minnehan at the point who took a wrist shot that weaved its way through traffic to and beat Titans netminder Andrew Takacs to tie the game.
Minnehan put the Generals up 2 – 1 with 4:02 left in the opening period. It was Orr again who started the play but this time by intercepting at Titans pass at the top of his own slot. Orr lobbed the puck up high and into the offensive zone. Minnehan was able to beat a Titans defender to pick up the biscuit and he walked in all alone on Takacs. As Minnehan started to head towards the net, he went to his backhand and slid the puck through Takacs’ five hole for his fifteenth goal of the season.
Young would tie the game with 2:21 remaining in the first. After Coughlin’s shot was saved by DeYoung, the puck went into the near side corner where it was picked up by Coughlin who made a centering pass out front to Young who redirected the biscuit past the Generals netminder.
Mollica would give the Titans the lead for good just 2:46 into the second period. Rocco Testa-Basi brought the puck up from his own slot through center ice and into the offensive zone. As he gained the line, he passed it to Young on his left. Young looked and then passed the puck over to Mollica on his Right. Mollica stepped up at the top of the slot and took a wrist shot that beat DeYoung for his seventh goal of the season.
Newcomer Billy Feczko would score his second goal in as many nights to double the Titans lead at 4:45 into the third period. After Nick Ring won the draw at the Generals near side faceoff circle, he was able to get around a Northeast defender. As Ring went towards the net, he made a pass through the goalmouth to Feczko who redirected the puck past DeYoung for Feczko’s sixth goal of the season.
Testa-Basi extended the Titans lead by three with 8:22 remaining in the third. Coughlin had the puck at the bottom of the Generals far side faceoff circle, and he sent it back to David Posma at the top of the slot. The defenseman stepped up and took a clapper that was saved by DeYoung but the puck bounced out of his glove and right to Testa-Basi who tapped in the rebound for his tenth goal of the season.
Northeast’s Asher Wites scored with 3:08 remaining to make it a 5 – 3 game, and Young scored on a breakaway goal with 2:32 left in the contest to make it 6 – 3 and close out the scoring.
Takacs stopped 25 of 28 shots in the victory while DeYoung turned aside 29 of 35. Click here for the box score.
With the win and the Maryland Black Bears 4 – 3 overtime loss to the Jamestown Rebels last night, the Titans lead in the East Division is now four points over Maryland.
The Titans don’t play again until February 18 when they travel to Maryland for a two-game series against the Black Bears.