Aviators handle Titans; win third straight
The Elmira Aviators (11-12-3-1) outlasted the New Jersey Titans (14-12-2-1) for a 4-1 victory at the Middletown Sports Complex Friday night.
It’s the Aviators’ third win in a row and first series sweep since Sept. 21/22 at the North East Generals. Elmira has caught fire after its wild 3-goal comeback against Rochester on Nov. 30.
Friday night the Aviators survived and advanced in a scrappy affair.
The first period was smooth sailing. Elmira dominated the shots to the tone of a 17-3 advantage over New Jersey in the opening frame. However, the Aviators could not find the opening goal and went into the first intermission scoreless.
The middle period was the wild west with three fights and three goals between the two sides.
Jack Kohlmann dropped the mitts with Titans’ captain Ryan Novo, Andrew Piccirillo squared off with Owen Leahy and Jude Hunt took on JP Saddy.
With sky-high tensions, it was up to the Aviators to grab and keep the lead.
Clarence Beltz got the party started taking the puck off the wall jamming it in for a 1-0 Aviators lead.
Then, New Jersey answered on the power play with Logan Renkowski letting it fly.
The Aviators would answer just over a minute later with Jett Otwell swooping in on a breakaway and scoring a goal for the third consecutive game. It’s his second straight contest with the game-winning goal.
The third period, while lacking the fisticuffs, kept the pressure up. The Aviators continued to hold onto their slim lead with good goaltending from Carson Barnes and excellent work in the faceoff dot.
With 3:07 to go in the final period, Sean Williams dangled into the attacking zone and was tripped resulting in an Elmira power play.
When the Aviators played the Titans in Elmira on Oct. 19, they held a one-goal lead for most of the third period. Elmira had six power play opportunities that night but could not score on any of them.
Eventually, the Titans would tie it in that game and win it in overtime.
This time around, the Aviators didn’t let the chance pass them by. Mario Scalise fired a shot through traffic that Curtiss Sturgeon deflected in to give the Aviators their two-goal lead.
To put the cherry on top, Aviators’ defenseman Anthony White, in his second game in purple, fired the frozen biscuit the length of the ice with the net empty to give the Aviators their fourth and his first of the season.
Next weekend Elmira will return home to the LECOM Event Center to do battle with the Maine Nordiques. Game 1 of the series is Friday, Dec. 13 at 7 p.m. and Game 2 is Saturday, Dec 14 also at 7 p.m.
Both games are available to stream on NATV and can be listened to on Big Foot Country Legends.
Mac Young is the play-by-play voice of the Elmira Aviators. To contact him email [email protected].