The New Jersey Titans came close, but dropped both games against the Northeast Generals by a single goal this weekend at the New England Sports Village in Attleboro, Massachusetts.
Friday night saw the Titans score the first goal of the game courtesy of Zach O’Neil’s 6th of the season, assisted by George Hinds and Payton Fobes. The Generals would tie the game just 10 seconds later, but Hinds answered back for the Titans with his 9th of the year to restore the lead. O’Neil and Fobes picked up the helpers, and the Titans went into the first intermission up 2-1. However, in the second period, three goals by Northeast would give them a 4-2 lead. Still trailing with the goalie pulled in the third period, captain Jacob Grey’s first of the season brought the Titans within one, but they could not complete the comeback, falling by a score of 4-3. Avery Rovira stopped 52 and 56 Northeast shots sent his way in the losing effort.
Saturday night would see newly acquired Aiden Patterson manning the crease for New Jersey, stopped all 11 Generals shots in the first period as the teams remained scoreless. Northeast would find the back of the net in the second period to give them a lead they would not relinquish, doubling their lead 1:14 into the third period. Maxim Mavrin connected on the power play at 5:12 of the third for his 3rd of the year, assisted by Zach Gershner and Patterson. It is the first time in the Titans’ NA3HL history that a goaltender has recorded a point in his team debut. However, the Generals would respond to restore the two goal lead. O’Neil would tally his 7th of the season and second of the weekend to again draw the Titans to within a goal, but again New Jersey could not find the equalizer, falling by a score of 3-2.
Now on a three game slide, the Titans have gone 3-6-1 in the last ten games. They remain in 3rd place in the East Division, but a resurgent New Hampshire squad now trails New Jersey by only 4 points as the Titans have passed the halfway point of their season. New Jersey will skate on home ice one more time in the calendar year, hosting the Danbury Jr Hat Tricks for a matinee on Wednesday, December 13th, with a 1:00pm scheduled faceoff. The Titans will then decamp for Blaine, Minnesota, where they will play three games in three days at the annual NA3HL Showcase.