Andrew Takacs stopped all 21 shots he faced while Brendan Dumas, David Posma and Chris Carroll scored to give the visiting Titans a 3 – 0 win over the Generals to give the Red Buckets a 2 – 1 lead in the NAHL’s Robertson Cup East Division Semi-Final series.
It was Takacs’ first career playoff shutout, and the fifth playoff shutout in Titans history. The last one came at home during last year’s East Division semi-final series against Maine when Christian Stoever stopped 29 shots in the Titans 3 – 0 victory.
The last Titans playoff shutout on the road was back on April 15, 2017 when Ryan Ferland turned aside 35 shots in New Jersey’s 1 – 0 win over the Johnstown Tomahawks at the 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial. The Red Buckets went onto win that East Division semi-final series in three games.
Dumas scored the eventual game winner just forty-nine seconds into the game off of a Generals’ turnover. With play in the Titans zone and the Generals looking to set up, Northeast’s Bryce Cooper had the puck at the top of the far side point and made a rink wide pass over to Evan Orr at the near side point. As Orr went to send a cross-ice pass down low, it was intercepted by Dumas in his own slot. Dumas was able to outskate the two Generals defensemen, and he walked in all alone on Northeast’s netminder Cullen DeYoung. As Dumas reached the slot, he deked around DeYoung going from his forehand to his backhand, and Dumas lifted the puck into the empty net to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead.
Posma doubled the Titans lead with 9:39 remaining in the second period. With play inside the Titans zone, Billy Feczko picked up the loose puck at his own near side faceoff dot, and he passed it up to Owen Luik at the top of the circle, who immediately sent the biscuit up to Reece Brednich at the center ice wall. As Brednich was about to be checked into the boards, he made a cross-ice pass to Stephen Willey just outside the Generals zone. As Willey gained the line, he found Posma on a breakaway in the slot, and Posma walked in all alone on DeYoung, and the assistant captain took a wrist shot that beat DeYoung high glove side for Posma’s second goal of the playoffs. Posma is tied for the most points in the league during the playoffs with six (2 goals and 4 assists), and he leads all defensemen in the league with total points in the playoffs.
Carroll scored his first goal of the playoffs, an empty netter, with thirty-nine seconds remaining in the game to close out the scoring and make a 3 – 0 game.
Both goaltenders played extremely well in contest. DeYoung turned aside 19 of 21 shots in defeat. Click here for the box score.
Game four is tonight at the New England Sports Village at 7:00PM. Should the Titans win, they will face the winner of the Jamestown/Johnstown series (Johnstown currently is leading 2 games to 1). If not, game 5 will be held tomorrow night at 7:00PM at the Middletown Sports Complex.