A balanced attached lead the Titans to a 5 – 4 win over the visiting Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks to complete the Red Buckets weekend sweep of the two teams. It also was their seventh straight victory – the Titans longest winning streak since the 2019-20 season (12 consecutive games).
Lucas Di Chiarra opened the scoring for the Hat Tricks just 1:41 into the first period. After Titans netminder Andrew Takacs made a save the rebound came right out to Levente Keresztes who went to clear the puck up along the far side boards, but it was intercepted by Di Chiarra at the point. Di Chiarra took a lazy shot on net that found its way through a screen and past Takacs for his first goal of the season.
The Titans tied the game at one at 6:25 of the first period. With the puck inside the Tricks zone, Danbury’s Jackson Hughes blocked a shot out front, turned and went to send an outlet pass along the far side boards but it was intercepted by Owen Luik at the point. Luik took a shot the was saved by Hat Tricks goalie Josh Seeley, but the rebound came right out to Stephen Willey on the doorstep and the Titans captain tapped the puck in short side past Seeley for his fourth goal of the season.
The Hat Tricks regained the lead with 4:38 left in the opening period. Danbury’s Luka Sukovic picked the loose puck up out of a scrum in the Titans nearside corner. As Sukovic skated towards Takacs, he made a cross-ice pass to Robert Hyde who was left alone in the slot and Hyde redirected the puck past Takacs and into the open net to make it a 2 – 1 game.
At the conclusion of the opening period, Danbury’s Hunter Mccurdy was called for interference. After the first period intermission ended and the middle stanza started, the Titans tied the game just thirty-one seconds into the second period.
Rocco Testa-Basi set up the play downlow at the Tricks far side corner. Testa-Basi sent the puck back to Jack Karlsson at the point, and he immediately passed the biscuit to Dumas at the half wall. Dumas looked and found Calafiore in the high slot. The Staten Island, NY native turned and took a wrist shot that beat Seeley short side for his sixth goal of the season.
The Titans took their first lead of the evening forty-five seconds later. After Seeley made a save, he tried to clear the puck up along the near side boards, but it was stopped by Eric Charpentier at the point. Charpentier made a cross-ice pass to Anthony Mollica at the far side post. Mollica took a shot that was saved by Seeley, but Jake LaRusso picked up the rebound and slammed the puck into the net for his fourth goal of the season.
At 9:13 of the second Keresztes was called for cross-checking to give the Tricks the man advantage. Five seconds later the game was tied again. After Danbury’s Gabe Dombrowski won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, the puck when back to Joshua Burke at the point. Burke stepped up and took a wrist shot the beat Takacs short side to tie the game at three. It was the Hat Tricks’ first powerplay goal of the season.
A minute later the Tricks took a 4 – 3 lead. With play behind the Titans net, Testa-Basi picked up the loose puck out of a scrum and brought it up through his own goalmouth where he was stripped of the puck by Dombrowki. Dombrowski deked Takacs and went to his right and deposited the puck into the open net for his eighth goal of the season.
With two minutes remaining in the second, Keresztes tied the game at four. Nick Ring brought the puck into the offensive zone where he was met by two Hat Tricks at the far side half wall. Ring passed it down low to Keresztes who sent the puck back to Calafiore at the top of the faceoff dot. Calafiore made a backhanded pass to Keresztes in the slot and the Budapest, HUN native spined and backhanded the puck past Seeley for his fourth goal of the year.
Ring scored the game winner with 4:07 left in regulation. Keresztes intercepted a Danbury clearing pass at the top of the near side point inside the Tricks zone and he immediately passed the puck to Colemen Nee at the faceoff dot. Nee took as shot that was saved by Seeley but the rebound came right out to Ring who was to the left of Seeley and Ring stuffed it in short side to close out the scoring.
Takacs stopped 32 of 36 shots in the win while Seeley, who made several highlight reel saves, turned aside 44 of 49. Click here for the box score.
Next weekend the Titans travel to Jamestown to play the Rebels for a two-game series at the Northwest Arena.