Titan end first half with shootout win over Wildcats
MONCTON, NB – The Acadie-Bathurst Titan visited the hub city to take on the Moncton Wildcats in their final game of the first half Saturday afternoon. In a game that was nationally televised on Sportsnet, the Titan scored first and last, allowing two goals in between before going three-for-three in the shootout to top the Wildcats 3-2.
Jordan Maher scored very early in the game making it 1-0 in favour of the visitors 1:03 into play cashing in on a two-on-one rush with Jeffrey Viel. Antoine Morand also picked up an assist on the goal. Eight minutes later Anderson MacDonald tapped in a rebound on a man advantage to even the game at one goal apiece. Late in the opening frame former Titan player Daniil Miromanov put the Wildcats up 2-1 at 18:15 with his first goal of the season.
It wasn’t until the last five minutes of the middle period when Dawson Theede poked the puck past Mark Grametbauer bringing the game back to even, 2-2. Justin Ducharme and Noah Dobson notched the helpers on the equalizer.
After a scoreless third period and no goals in the overtime period, the Titan scored three times in the shootout to cap off the victory. German Rubtsov was the first shooter and he beat Grametbauer five-hole. Joseph Murdaca stopped the first Wildcats shooter Jeremy McKenna and then Jordan Maher roofed one on Grametbauer. After Miromanov was able to beat Murdaca to keep the Wildcats alive, Antoine Morand beat the Wildcats netminder low blocker side to lift the Titan to victory.
Murdaca made 19 saves to get the win while Grametbauer turned aside 31 shots for the home side.
