Northeast’s Joseph Mcgraw scored with thirty seconds remaining in the game to give the visiting Generals a 3 – 2 win over the Titans in a fight filled contest to complete the weekend sweep between the teams.
The Red Buckets now have lost three straight games after winning four in a row.
Ben Muthersbaugh opened the scoring with 8:59 into the first period to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead. After Titans netminder Marino Ramirez made a save the puck went to the near side wall where Tyler Sanborn picked it up and sent a bounce pass off the boards to Reece Brednich at center ice. As Brednich gained the line, he passed the biscuit to Muthersbaugh on his left. As Muthersbaugh reached the hash marks, he took a shot that beat Generals goalie Cullen DeYoung low short side to give the Gilford, NH native his seventh goal of the season.
Northeast’s Jake LaRusso tied the game at one with 8:39 remaining in the opening period. As the Titans looked to breakout of their own zone, Anthony Calafiore sent a pass from the far side blueline wall to Ben Yurchuk but the puck went off Yurchuk’s stick and was picked up by the Generals’ Andrew DellaDonna. As DellaDonna gained the line and skated to the top of the near side faceoff dot, he left a drop pass to LaRusso who took a wrist shot that beat Ramirez down low long side for LaRusso’s second goal of the weekend.
Robert Hyde was called for high sticking at 2:41 into the middle stanza to give the Generals the man advantage. Nineteen seconds later Joe Schubert gave Northeast their first lead of the game. The Generals’ Paul Minnehan started the play at the top of the point and sent a pass to David Andreychuk at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Andreychuk skated back to the top of the point and took a wrist shot that was blocked out front but the puck came right out to Schubert who jammed home the rebound past Ramirez for Schubert’s fifth goal of the season.
With 4:37 remaining in the second, DellaDonna was called for slashing to give the Titans the man advantage. With time winding down on the powerplay, Michael Young tied the game at two. After Ramirez made a spectacular spilt save on the Generals’ Tyler Ramm, the loose puck was picked up by Yurchuk who started to set up the play. As Yurchuk reached the neutral zone, he passed the puck up to Michael Young just outside the offensive zone. As Young gained the line, he drop passed the puck to Levente Keresztes who made a cross-ice pass to Brendan Dumas at the top of the far side faceoff circle. As Dumas went towards the net, he made a back door pass to Young, who redirected the biscuit into the empty net for Young’s fifth goal of the season.
After a fight filled third period was winding down to a close, Mcgraw’s third goal of the season won it for the Generals. Schubert started the play along the near side boards and attempted to make a cross-ice pass, but the puck went off Young’s stick and bounced off the far side boards and into the Titans zone where it was picked up by DellaDonna. As DellaDonna started to skate up the wall, he passed it up to Mcgraw who took a wrist shot from the faceoff dot that beat Ramirez long side to close out the scoring and make it a 3 – 2 game.
Ramirez, who played extremely well again and had to make several grade A saves throughout the game, stopped 31 of 34 shots while DeYoung turned aside 29 of 31 for the win. Click here for the complete box score.
The Titans look to rebound next weekend when the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks visit the Middletown Sports Complex for a two-game series.