MAROONS HANG ON TO BEAT TITANS 3-2

BRANTFORD, ONTARIO – It was the beginning of a four game home stand on Saturday for the Brantford Titans, who welcomed the defending Sutherland Cup Champion Chatham Maroons to town. The Titans were still in search of their first win of the season while the Maroons were coming off their first loss of the new campaign. James Gall made his second straight start for the Titans while the Maroons countered with Sammy DiBlasi.

Chatham controlled play early in this game, trying to take an early lead but the Titans defence along with the play of James Gall kept the game scoreless. The Maroons however would break through at 7:49. Trevor Zanutto would bury his ninth goal of the season to put his team up 1-0. The Titans would start to push the pace the other way as the first period continued. That offensive zone pressure would result in the games first power play as Kaden Sienko was assessed a four minute double minor for kneeing. Brantford would waste no time capitalizing. Kaleb Frank would bank it off the post and past Sammy Diblasi to get the Titans even with 5:30 left in the first. Chatham would kill off the second part of the double minor and with Sienko stepping out of the box, the puck would find his stick. He streaked in all alone and tucked it past Gall to put Chatham back in front. Maroons would take a 2-1 lead into the intermission.

In the second period, and early, unnecessary penalty taken by Ian Lachance allowed the Titans to tie the game on their second power play goal of the contest. Kaleb Frank moved to the left circle and ripped a shot past DiBlasi on the blocker tied to make it 2-2. Mason Takacs and Matthew Aoun collected the assists on Frank’s fourth of the season. Approaching the midway mark of the frame, the Titans would turn the puck over in their own zone leading to Chatham’s third goal. Gall would make the initial stop by Ian Lachance was right on the doorstep to pot home his third goal of the year to put his team up by one. The Titans would get into some penalty trouble after that goal as they would put the Maroons on a 5 on 3 advantage after minor penalties were taken by Alex Karmanov and Tristan Hill. This is the time in the game where James Gall would shine the most. Chatham has possession of the puck in the Titans zone for 95 percent of the power play but they could not solve the Titans goaltender. The Maroons would hold a 3-2 lead heading into the second intermission.

In the third, the Titans would get a number of power play opportunities to try and retie the game but Sam Diblasi would stand tall in the net for Chatham to keep his team up by one. Brantford would try for a late push but a penalty by Karmanov with 1:50 left in the game would not allow the Titans to pull the goaltender for the extra attacker. Chatham hung on for a 3-2 win.

The Titans are back in action on Thursday at the Wayne Gretzky Sports Centre against the Cambridge Redhawks.