The New Jersey Titans lost the second game of a back-to-back against the Northeast Generals by a score of 4-2 at New England Sports Village on Sunday afternoon.
Alex Cohen, Brady Gaudette and Connor Marshall helped the Generals jump to a 3-0 lead in the first period, a lead that would hold for the remainder of the game. David Fessenden made 33 saves and picked up his third win in a row against the Titans. Eric Manoukian and Kyle Jeffers scored for New Jersey, but for the second game in a row, it was part of a comeback effort that fell just short.
“Playing from behind is always difficult on the road. The other team is able to manage the puck differently and you have to take some chances to get back in the game which could in turn give the other team opportunities to get scoring chances,” said Titans head coach Craig Doremus. “Physically and emotionally it wears on you. We have to be better at the start of games, both nights we allowed the game to be dictated by our opponent.”
Cohen scored the opening goal 56 seconds into the game. A pass was broken up at the top of the crease, and it went right Cohen in the slot as he ripped a shot high-glove side past Perrone. Gaudette doubled the lead on a two-on-one, roofing a backhander at 7:46 and picked up his 10th goal of the season. Marshall made it 3-0 with 19 seconds left in the period. John Jaworski laid out a rink-wide pass along the blue line, where Marshall received it, cut to the goal and slipped a backhander past Perrone for his 10th goal of the season.
The Titans finally broke through with 2:06 left in the second period on a goal by Manoukian. Brody Medeiros took a shot from the point that trickled past David Fessenden, and the New Jersey native tapped in the puck as it sat in the crease, collecting his third goal of the year. Mitch Machlitt picked up the secondary assist, giving him two points in as many games with the Titans. Doremus was pleased with the former Corpus Christi IceRay, and believes his game will continue to improve as the season goes on.
“I think you can see Mitch trying to make the adjustment to a new team, some new concepts and a completely different division. He will come along nicely, it’s just going to take him some time to get acclimated,” Doremus said of Machlitt.
Perrone was pulled for the extra attacker with just under two minutes remaining in the third period. The Titans were able to set up in the offensive zone, and Kyle Jeffers ripped a shot five-hole for his 19th goal of the season while cutting the deficit to one goal. New Jersey caught an unlucky break, however, when the puck hit the linesman and disrupted the team’s zone entry. Former Titan and current General Hunter Alden capitalized by scoring on the empty net, sealing his team’s 4-2 victory.
The Titans have now lost three consecutive games, all against the Generals, and have a record of 18-17-0. They still hold third place in the East Division with a six-point lead over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. The Titans return to Middletown Sports Complex for a back-to-back against the Jamestown Rebels, with the first game scheduled for Friday at 7:30 p.m.
Photo Credit: Pete MacDonald (@PMacDonald51)