Maine’s goaltender Gus Holt stopped all 40 shots he faced to lead the Nordiques to a 2 – 0 win over the visiting Titans and split the weekend series between the teams. The defeat also was the Nordiques first win against the Titans this season in ten games. The loss snapped the Red Buckets six game winning streak.
Despite the loss, the Titans remain in sole possession of first place in the NAHL’s East Division’s standings with a five-point lead over the second place Johnstown Tomahawks.
Both Holt and Titans goaltender Ben Charette played extremely well throughout the game having to make several key saves to keep their respective team in the contest.
Entering the third period tied at zero, the play was elevated with the Nordiques looking to break a nine-game losing streak. At 8:44 of the third, Brendan Dumas was called for high sticking to give Maine the man advantage. As the powerplay was winding down, the Nordiques’ Nicholas Bernardo scored the game winner midway through the third.
With play behind the Titans net, Maine’s Tyler Gaulin picked up the loose puck off the end wall and wrapped it up around the near side boards to Ignat Belov. Belov passed the biscuit back to Bernardo at the point. As Bernardo walked the line, he took a wrist shot that found its way through a maze out front and past Charette to make it a 1 – 0 game.
The Nordiques’ Matthew Connor scored an empty net goal with fifteen seconds left in the game to close out the scoring and make it 2 – 0.
Charette turned aside 27 of 28 shots in the loss. It was Holt’s second shutout of the season. Click here for the box score.
The Titans will return to Maine in two weeks for their final series against the Nordiques this season.
The Red Buckets will host the Jamestown Rebels next weekend. The Rebels will enter the series in fourth place in the division having won two-in-a-row and six of their last ten game.