New Jersey survives in OT to force deciding game in Robertson Cup series with New Mexico

BLAINE, Minn. — Hungary shouldn’t be generally known as a hockey energy on the worldwide stage, however a pair of Hungarians placed on a present in Saturday night time’s Robertson Cup semifinal recreation.

The New Jersey Titans staved off elimination and compelled a decisive recreation three when Levente Keresztes, from Budapest, banked a puck off the pad of New Mexico Ice Wolves goalie Beni Halasz, who can also be from Budapest, in additional time.

The Titans’ 3-2 victory implies that Sunday’s winner will advance to face the Anchorage Wolverines for the NAHL title.

Twice the Titans took the lead on targets by Tommy Bannister, and twice the Ice Wolves rallied, placing on wave after wave of stress and repeatedly testing Titans goalie Andrew Takacs within the third interval and additional time. However the Colgate-bound Titans puck-stopper held robust, ending with 36 saves within the win.

“That’s as unbelievable a recreation as I’ve seen in my six years right here,” mentioned Titans coach Craig Doremus. “Credit score to each golf equipment. Up and down, scoring possibilities, nice saves, aggressive exhausting play on either side of it. Two actually good groups battling for each inch of ice.”

Doremus famous that all through the Titans’ playoff run, they’ve misplaced the opener in each collection, so that is following the script. The Ice Wolves, who had myriad possibilities to finish the sport early in additional time, obtained an influence play aim and 36 saves from Halasz, however had been pissed off by an absence of scoring on three extra man-advantage possibilities.

“We’ve obtained to be extra assertive,” New Mexico coach Phil Fox mentioned. “We’re not successful races if we now have to dump and chase or something like that. If we’re going to play that fashion we now have to out-number them, get possession. Our high unit was a bit of damaged and it was exhausting for them to get that chemistry.”

For the second straight night time it was a de facto dwelling recreation for the Ice Wolves, with a Minnesotan-laden roster and so they fed off the gang’s power to rally, twice, after New Jersey took 1-0 and 2-1 leads. Bannister scored with the Titans on the ability play within the second interval to provide New Jersey its first lead of the weekend. Within the third he picked up a unfastened puck within the impartial zone and beat Halasz with a excessive shot for his second of the sport.

Each groups appeared to learn from the break between the third interval and additional time, and the recent sheet of ice that allowed them to mix for twenty-four pictures in 16 minutes of the additional session.

“Perhaps some clear ice and in addition a deep breath,” Doremus mentioned. “They had been pushing actually exhausting within the third interval to place us away and I assumed we did an excellent job. It goes backwards and forwards each methods however every staff had loads of leap within the additional time which is a credit score to each groups and the way deep they’re.”

Recreation 3 of the New Jersey-New Mexico collection is at 6 p.m. CT on the Ice Home in Blaine on Sunday night.

New Jersey 3, New Mexico 2, OT

New Mexico 0-1-1-0—2

New Jersey 0-1-1-1—3

First interval — No scoring. Penalties — Reece Brednich, NJ (excessive sticking), 9:43.

Second interval — 1. NJ, Tommy Bannister 2 (Anthony Calafiore, Chris Carroll), 4:22, (pp). 2. NM, Sully Scholle 7 (Evan Carroll, Gustav Blom), 13:44, (pp). Penalties — Blayde Pogreba, NM (slashing), 2:18; Jeff Hutchinson, NM (tripping), 2:59; Owen Luik, NJ (interference), 4:44; Blake Farrell, NJ (hooking), 11:52; David Posma, NJ (checking from behind), 14:45.

Third interval — 3. NJ, Bannister 3 (unassisted), 2:28. 4. NM, Grant Ellings 1 (Brandon Holt), 10:35. Penalties — None.

Time beyond regulation — 5. NJ, Levente Keresztes 3 (Jack Karlsson), 16:10. Penalties — None.

Photographs on aim — NM 10-8-9/11—38; NJ 10-9-7-13—39. Goalies — Beni Halasz, NM (39 shots-36 saves); Andrew Takacs, NJ (38-36). Energy performs — NM 1-of-4, NJ 1-of-2. Referees — Ryan Siegel, Chazz Knoche. Linesmen — Tyler Willie, Reilly Hickey. Att. — 1,233.