Newcomers Schwartz and Hyde help Titans defeat Generals 4 – 2

Oct 15, 2022

Newcomers Leo Schwartz and Robert Hyde each had a goal an assist to help lead the visiting Titans to a 4 – 2 victory over the Northeast Generals last night at the New England Sports Village.

It was the second straight game that the Red Buckets scored three goals in the first period to use as a fulcrum and catapult them to a win.

Defenseman Schwartz, who was acquired in a trade with Maryland last week, scored his first goal as a Titan to open the scoring with 8:57 remaining in the first period. Playing four on four hockey, Brendan Dumas won the draw deep inside the Generals zone and the puck went back to Owen Luik at the far side point and Luik passed the puck up to Dumas at the half wall. As a Northeast defender went to check Dumas off the biscuit, Dumas made a spin move and went towards the net. As Dumas reached the goal line, he made a backhanded pass through the goalmouth and Schwartz easily redirected the backdoor pass into the open net to make it a 1 – 0 game.

With 8:09 left in the first, former longtime Titan Jake LaRusso was called for slashing to put the Red Buckets on the powerplay. Playing four on three hockey, Ben Yurchuk started the play at the far side faceoff dot and passed it back to Schwartz at the top of the point. As Schwartz skated down low to the faceoff dot, he made a pass out front that was deflected by Hyde past Generals goaltender Cullen DeYoung to make it a 2 – 0 game. Hyde was acquired this week via a trade with Danbury.

Northeast’s Ryan Schelling scored with 6:38 left in the opening period to cut the General’s deficit in half. Schelling picked up the loose puck just outside the offensive zone and dumped the puck behind the Titans cage where it was retrieved by goalie Jacob Torgner. Torgner rimmed the puck around the far side wall where it was intercepted by Schelling at the top of the faceoff circle and the Generals defenseman took a clapper that beat Torgner long side to make it a 2 – 1 game.

Just twenty-three seconds later the Titans regained their two-goal lead. As the Generals tried to breakout of their own zone, Hyde pick up loose puck just inside the blueline and went to make a bounce pass off the far side wall, but it was intercepted by Northeast’s Jackson McCarthy. As McCarthy went to cut back towards his right, he made an errand backhanded pass through the slot that was intercepted by Anthony Calafiore out front, and the team captain deked around DeYoung and deposited the biscuit into the back of the net for Calafiore’s fifth goal of the season.

After a scoreless second period, defenseman Owen Wilson scored his first goal of the season with 6:20 remaining in the game to give the Titans a 4 – 1 lead. Then Northeast’s Andrew DellaDonna beat Torgner with 1:54 left in the contest to make a it 4 – 2 game and close out the scoring.

Torgner stopped 39 of 41 shots in the victory while DeYoung turned aside 19 of 23 in defeat. Click here for the complete box score.

It was the first consecutive win of the season for the Titans improving their record to 5 – 8. They also have significantly brought down their goal differential to a minus 6.

The teams will faceoff for game two of this two-game series tonight at 7:00PM.