Defenseman Tyler Sanborn and forward Michael Young each had a pair of goals to lead the visiting Titans to a 6 – 2 win over the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks in game one of this weekend’s two-game series.
Danbury’s Peter Lajoy was called for hooking just eighteen seconds into the game to give the Titans the man advantage. As time was winding down on the powerplay, Marcus Sang gave the Red Buckets the lead. Dominik Bartecko picked up the loose puck at the top of the far side point and sent a cross-ice pass to Ben Ben Muthersbaugh. Muthersbaugh took a wrist shot just inside the near side faceoff circle that was saved by Tricks goalie Karlis Mezsargs but the rebound came right out to Sang on the doorstep and Sang knocked it onto the back of the net for his eighth goal of the season. Half of Sang’s goals this season have come against Danbury.
Young doubled the Titans midway through the first. Anthony Calafiore brought the puck into the offensive zone and as he reached the top of the near side faceoff circle, he passed it to Sylas Oberting on right. Oberting faked a slapshot and passed it to Young on his right who took a shot that was saved by Mezsargs but the rebound came right back to Young who slammed the biscuit into the back of the net for his eighteenth goal of the season.
Nash Jacobsma cut the Tricks deficit in half with 3:11 remaining in the opening period when he was left all alone in the crease and beat Zak Brice long side to make it a 2 – 1 game.
Sanborn scored his first goal of the game at 8:36 of the middle stanza. After Mezsarges made a nice save, the rebound came out to Sanborn at the near side circle. Sanborn sent a pass to Levente Keresztes behind the Tricks net. Keresztes sent an immediate pass back to Sanborn now in the slot and Sanborn one-timed it passed Mezsarges to make it a 3 – 1 game.
The Titans went up 4 – 1 on Sanborn’s second goal of the game and period with 4:06 remaining in the middle stanza. After Brady Hildreth won the draw deep inside the Tricks zone, the puck went back to Bartecko at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Bartecko turned and sent the biscuit back to Sanborn who took a shot that found its way through a screen and passed Mezsarges for Sanborn’s fifth goal of the season.
Danbury’s Wyatt Stefan scored at 2:02 into the third period to make it a 4 – 2 game but Young scored at 8:16 into the period to make it 5 – 2. Calafiore closed out the scoring when he tallied his sixteenth goal of the season – a powerplay goal – to make it 6 – 2.
Brice stopped 20 of 22 shots in the win while Mezsarges turned aside 36 of 42 in the lose. Click here for the complete box score.
The teams will meet again this afternoon at 3:30PM for the second of this two-game series.