Roland Ponechal had two goals, Teito Ishigaki had three points while Jake Spangler, Isaiah McKinney, and Brian Lupo each had two points to lead the Titans to their second straight 5 – 1 win over the visiting Bay State Bobcats to complete the weekend sweep over the two teams.
Ponechal opened the scoring at 7:48 into the first period. After Ryan Kenna won the draw deep inside the Bobcats zone, the puck when to Ishigaki, who was to the left of Kenna. Ishigaki sent the puck back to the near side point to Saturday’s star of the game Sam Senft. Senft took a shot on net that was saved by Bay State’s Cameron Schnopp but the rebound came right out to Ponechal who one-timed it into the open net for his second goal of the season.
Spangler doubled the Titans lead with his first goal of the season with 9:40 remaining in the opening period. The Union Beach, NJ native brought the puck up along the near side boards and into the offensive zone. As he crossed the blueline, the biscuit was knocked off his stick by a Bobcats defender, but the biscuit went right to Ishigaki. As Ishigaki went towards he made a pass across the slot to Spangler who wristed it past Schnoop to make it a 2 – 0 game.
Twenty-four seconds later Bay State’s Landon Boothe cut his team’s deficit in half. After the ensuing faceoff, the Titans brought the puck into the offensive zone as Ponechal took a shot that was blocked out front. The biscuit immediately bounced to James Greene in the middle of the slot, and Greene head manned the puck to a breaking Boothe down the far side boards. As Boothe gained the line and went to circle towards the net. After beating a Titans defender, he cut towards the net and went from his backhand to his forehand and slid the puck through the five hole of Red Buckets goalie Colin Freitas to make it a 2 – 1 game.
New Jersey regained their two-goal lead with thirty-eight seconds remaining in the first period. After Jesse Dickinson picked up the loose puck at center ice, he passed it over to a breaking Spangler down the nearside boards. As Spangler went towards the net, he took a sharp angle shot that was saved by Schnoop. The rebound came right out to Lupo who took a shot that was saved by Schnoop but the rebound came out to Dickinson who knocked in the loose puck to make it 3 – 1.
Ponechal and McKinney added second period goals to close out the scoring.
Freitas stopped 34 of 35 shots by Schnoop and Ben DiFiore combined to turn aside 44 of 49 shots. Click here for the box score.
The Titans next game is away on Saturday, October 2 against the Long Beach Sharks at 4:00 PM.