Captain Dominick Rivelli scored a hat trick and Kyle Kim potted his first goal in the NAHL as the New Jersey Titans defeated the Northeast Generals by a score of 5-2 on Friday night at the Middletown Sports Complex.
Rivelli got the scoring started 4:55 into the game, when he redirected a Matej Teply shot from the point for his 23rd of the season. Kyle Kim picked up the other helper, though his day would not be through. Ethan Wongus then doubled the lead to 2-0 less than two minutes later on another deflection, this time off a Matt Henry shot, with Ryan Friedman getting the other assist. The Generals would pull within one with a power play goal past the halfway point of the period, but Rivelli potted his second of the game and 24th of the season with 1:09 to go when he picked up a loose puck behind the Northeast defense and slid the puck home to send New Jersey into the first intermission up 3-1.
The second period would feature plenty of offensive chances for both teams, but it was the Generals who finally found the back of the net with under 5 minutes to play to once more pull within a goal. However, 34 seconds later, Kyle Kim’s shot from the blueline found its way into the back of the cage for his first in the NAHL on the same day that the Michigander finalized his commitment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. The shots on goal were even at 14 apiece for both teams, but it was New Jersey who went into the locker room up 4-2.
After killing a Northeast power play to begin the third period, the Titans went on three straight man advantages as the clock clicked down to zeroes. On the third power play, Rivelli completed his hat trick when he wired a shot high to the short side for his team leading 25th goal of the season. Jack Hillier and Friedman got the assists, making it a two point night for Friedman. Despite pulling the goaltender for a 6-on-4 man advantage with 4:43 remaining, the Titans killed the penalty and did not allow the Generals the hope of a comeback.
With the victory, coupled with a Philadelphia loss, the Titans are now 6 points away from clinching a playoff berth, a feat they have accomplished in every season since beginning in Middletown in 2015. The two points prove important as well to keep pace with Johnstown, who remains 4 points ahead for home ice advantage in the first round of the playoffs with a shootout victory over Rochester. New Jersey and Northeast will wrap up their regular season series tomorrow at 7:00pm. Tickets are available for purchase by following this link.