BRANTFORD, ONTARIO – The Brantford Titans returned home for the first time since their home opener on September 13th. It was a rare cross conference matchup for the Titans as they welcomed the Lasalle Vipers to town. Titans were in search of their first win of the season, entering play on Saturday with a record of 0-4-1-0. Brock Schaus returned to the crease on Saturday after leaving the previous home game with a lower body injury.
Lasalle looking to score first, put the pressure on early. They would fire a ton of rubber at Brock Schaus but they could not solve him. Titans would go to the power play first at 3:17 and then would get a shortened 5 on 3 advantage at 5:03. Adam Bartel would stand tall in the Vipers net to keep the Titans at bay. Vipers would strike first at 11:33 mark of the opening period as a point shot hit the post and got in behind Schaus and Connor Chartrand was standing at the side of the net to bang home a rebound and that’s exactly what he did. Towards the end of the first, the Titans would start to make Bartel move a ton in his crease. A fleury of shots were fired at the Vipers net but they either missed the cage or were blocked as the Titans were looking to even the game at 1. They could not and Lasalle would carry the 1-0 lead into the first intermission. Shots after twenty minutes favoured the Vipers 18-13.
It was a quick start to the second period as Connor Chartrand would score his second of the game to make it 2-0, just 20 seconds into the period. This second period was a penalty filled period also as there was a combined 40 penalty minutes handed out as well as a game misconduct that was assessed to Grady Spicer for knocking Gavin Christie into the boards. Vipers would increase their lead later in the 2nd period with three goals in under six and a half minutes. Adriano Tonin, Julian Gignac and Brody Jones all found the back of the net to put Lasalle up 5-0 after 40 minutes. Lasalle led 41-19 in the shot department through two periods.
Lasalle would continue to pour it on in the third as Michael Cunha, Adriano Tonin and Lucas Larson would all beat Brock Schaus to make it 8-0. That would also end Schaus’ afternoon as he would be relieved by James Gall. That move seemed to spark something for the Titans. At 12:40, Kaleb Frank would bang home the puck at the side of the net past Adam Bartel to get the Titans on the board and make it 8-1. Matteo Gauthier and Jackson Cunningham-Louks collected the assists. Just 2:12 after that, Jackson Cunningham-Louks would pinch in and tuck a backhander past Bartel for his first as a Titan to make it 8-2. Tyson Papple and Joseph Pizzoferrato assisted on the goal. And just 1:08 after that, Matteo Gauthier and Quinton Kim-Lemay would streak in together on a 2 on 1. Kim-Lemay would send it over to Gautheir and he made no mistake to make it 8-3. That would be Matteo Gauthier’s first as a Brantford Titan. Kaleb Frank also collected and assist on the goal. Viper however would go on to win the game 8-3. Final shots in the game favoured Lasalle 61-42.
The Titans are back at it on Friday in St. Thomas against the Stars.
