The visiting Philadelphia Rebels defeated the Titans 3 – 2 last night at the Middletown Sports Complex in game one of this weekend’s home and home series. The defeat snapped the Titans five game winning streak.
The Rebels took an early lead just 2:02 into the game on Klaus Jogi’s eighth goal of the season. Playing on a delayed powerplay inside the Titans zone, Philadelphia’s Santino DiNubile had the puck at the top of the far side point, and he passed it to Jared Kaplowitz on his left. As Kaplowitz skated towards the top of the near side faceoff circle, he passed the biscuit through the slot to Jogi, who was to the left of the Titans net, and the Tallinn, Estonia native took a one-timer that beat Titans goalie Marino Ramírez short side to make it a 1 – 0 game.
Brian Robertson tied the game at one just 1:45 into the second period. After receiving an outlet pass from Robertson in his own zone, Michael Young brought the puck up through center ice and sent it up to Ben Yurchuk just outside the Rebels zone. As Yurchuck gained the line, he sent a return pass to a breaking Young on his right. As Young reached the slot, he started to fall but had the wherewithal to make a shuttle pass to Robertson on his right, and Robertson took a wrist shot that beat Rebels goalie Jakub Krbecek high glove side for Robertson’s first goal of the season.
Philadelphia took it’s second lead of the night with thirty-three seconds remaining in the middle stanza. Jogi picked up the loose puck at the top of his own zone, turned and started to skate into the neutral zone. As Jogi reached the red line, he passed the biscuit to Connor Sedlak on his right. As Sedlak gained the line along the near side boards, he took a wrist shot from the faceoff circle that beat Ramirez through the five hole for Sedlak’s twelfth goal of the season.
The Rebels doubled their lead at 7:37 into the third period. Philadelphia’s Maxwell Marquette had the puck at the Titans near side corner, and sent it back to Tinton Falls, NJ native Dominic Foglia at the top of the faceoff circle. Foglia took a wrist shot that was saved by Ramirez, but the deep rebound came out to Greg Spitznagel who lifted the puck up and over the fallen Titans netminder and into the back of the net to make it a 3 – 1 game.
Dominik Bartecko brought the Titans within one with 5:54 remaining in the final period. After receiving an outlet pass from Tyler Sanborn from his own near side corner, Robert Hyde skated through center ice and into the offensive zone along the boards. As Hyde gained the line, he went towards the net. As Hyde cut towards the cage, he attempted a stuffer that was saved by Krbecek but the rebound came right out to Bartecko who slid the puck underneath Krbecek and into the back of the net to make it a 3 – 2 game and close out the scoring.
Ramirez stopped 27 of 30 shots in while Krbecek turned aside 45 of 47. Click here for the complete box score.
The home-and-home series will now move to the Hollydell Ice Arena where tonight’s puck drop is slated for 7:30PM.