Backed by two goals each from Liam Hansson and Noah Finstrom, the Jamestown Rebels defeated the visiting New Jersey Titans 5 – 2 last night at the Northwest Arena. It was the first time in five games this season that the Titans were defeated by Jamestown. It also was the Titians second straight loss.
With 8:09 left in the opening period, Titans defenseman Joe Nagle was called for slashing to give Jamestown the man advantage. Seventeen seconds later Hansson opened the scoring for the Rebels. After the Rebels won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, Hansson looked to set up the play at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Hansson sent a cross-ice pass over to Ben Kuzma who took a shot on net that went wide, and the loose puck was picked up by Eric Olson who was to the left to Titans netminder Ryan McInchak. Olson sent the puck behind the Titans net to Finstrom. Finstrom passed it to Hansson at the near side faceoff dot and Hansson took a wrist shot the beat McInchak high glove side to give the Rebels a 1 – 0 lead.
A little over two minutes later Hansson scored his second goal of the game to double the Rebels lead. After Josef Glamos brought the puck into the offensive zone along the far side boards, he went to make a drop pass but it was intercepted by Hansson who circled and brought the puck out of his own zone and passed it up to Carter Korpi. Korpi entered the offensive zone on a three-on-two rush. As Korpi gained the line, he immediately passed the puck over to Joe Teasdale on his left. As Teasdale reached the top of the faceoff circle, he passed it over to Hansson in the high slot and Hansson took a shot that beat McInchak long side to give the Rebels a 2 – 0 lead.
At 3:53 of the second period Glamos cut the Titans deficit in half. After McInchak made a save, the rebound was picked up by Jake LaRusso at the far side faceoff dot and he passed it over to David Parker on his left. Parker brought the puck up through the neutral zone. Before Parker entered the Rebels zone, he passed it over to Glamos at the top of the point. As Glamos gained the line, he took a wrist shot that beat Rebels goaltender Noah West short side for his fourteenth goal of the season.
Kyle Jeffers was called for hooking at 6:33 of the second to negate a Titans power play. After Teasdale’s penalty expired, the Rebels went on the man advantage. With time winding down on the power play, Olson brought the puck into the offensive zone and took a shot that went wide of the net that was picked up by Hansson along the far side half wall. Hansson passed it back to the point to Finstrom. As Finstrom reached the faceoff dot, he passed it down low to Hansson who was to the right of McInchak at the goal line. Hansson made a centering pass out front to Finstrom and he took a wrister that beat McInchak to give the Rebels a 3 – 1 lead.
The Rebels took a 4 – 1 lead just 1:20 into the third period. After the Rebels won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, the puck went back to Seth Bergeron at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Bergeron took a shot that was deflected out front and picked up by Korpi at the far side corner. Korpi passed it over to Finstrom who was slightly behind the goal line and to the left of McInchak. Finstrom centered the puck out front and Korpi backhanded the puck up high and into the net past McInchak for his first goal of the game.
Michael Outzen cut the Titans deficit in half with 4:47 remaining in the third. After Outzen won the draw inside the Rebels zone, he passed the puck into the far side corner as he was falling where it was picked up by Mitch Machlitt. As Machlitt went to the end boards, he immediately sent a behind the back pass to Ole Andersen who skated behind the Rebels net. As Andersen wrapped around the net, he centered the puck out front to Outzen who one-timed it past West for his seventeenth goal of the season.
Finstrom closed out the scoring with an empty netter with three seconds remaining in the game.
McInchak stopped 26 of 30 shots while West turned aside 47 of 49. Click here for the box score.
The two teams will close out their series tonight at 7:05pm.