LEWISTON — The Maine Nordiques finally put in a 60-minute effort and it led to a dominating 7-2 win over NAHL East Division-leading New Jersey on Friday at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

“All the credit to the world to the boys, our coaching staff, the guys worked really hard this week,” Nordiques coach Nolan Howe said. “We were a very committed group all week, we were focused, and we said we can have success against any team in the league — (New Jersey) is the number one Tier II team in the country.”

The Titans are now 24-6-1 and are fifth overall in the NAHL overall standings. According to MyHockeyRankings.com, the Titans are the fourth best Tier II junior team, among NAHL and NCDC teams.

Cannon Green scored two goals for the Nordiques (15-21-2), while Isaiah Fox and Noah Kane each added a goal and two assists. Goalie Wesley Mankowski, recently signed from the Minnesota Magicians, made 34 saves for the Nordiques.

Maine opened the scoring when Noah Kane blasted a shot past Titans goalie Patrick Pugliese late in the first period.

The Nordiques then started the second period strong, which led to two goals in a 22-second span.

“Again, leaders on our team, it’s great to see our team rewarded,” Howe said. “We played a great team game, the puck moved quick, our structure was good without the puck. We won the battles all over the ice, and when you play like that, it’s a lot of fun.”

With New Jersey’s Mac Wiseman in the box for holding, Maine scored on the power play right off the offensive zone faceoff. The puck went to Nordiques defenseman Casper Soderling, who fired the puck and Cannon Green deflected it into the net, surprising Pugliese (31 saves) at the 5:23 mark.

The Titans argued Green deflected the puck with a high stick, but the goal stood.

Kevin Pitts scored his first goal in seven games to give the Nordiques a 3-0 lead when Isaiah Fox lifted the puck out of the defensive zone. Pitts retrieved the puck in the neutral zone, created enough space between him and the New Jersey’s defenseman to get a shot past Pugliese at 5:45.

That snapped a five-game goalless streak for Pitts.

“It’s been a couple of games. The past couple of games, I’ve kind of been focusing on playing for the team and waiting for my (shot) to come,” Pitts said. “Tonight, was a good game to do it.”

The Titans called a timeout after the goal.

New Jersey started creating offensive pressure and finally found the back of the net when Mitch Machlitt’s shot squirted past Mankowski.

Kane was called for tripping near the end of the second period. When the teams came out for the third period, it was the short-handed Nordiques who found the back of the net.

Fox created a turnover near the end boards in the Nordiques’ offensive zone. He passed the puck to a streaking Pitts in the slot, but the pass was a tad behind Pitts and he couldn’t get a shot off because his momentum carried him away from the puck. He was, however, able to pass it back to Fox, who had a half-open net to shoot at, and his goal made the lead 4-1.

“My first instinct was definitely to shoot it,” Pitts said. “But after I got tied up with the defenseman, I definitely looked for the pass. He was wide open backdoor, so I had to give it to him.”

Nick DeSantis, a Miami (Ohio) University commit, cut the deficit in half for the Titans just past the five-minute mark.

The Nordiques later scored on a 5-on-3 power play for a second time when Kane fed Cole Ouellette, who fired a point shot for a 5-2 Maine lead.

Green tallied his second goal of the game when he intercepted a pass at the left-circle and quickly shot it past Pugliese a little past the 11-minute mark of the third period.

Maine’s Caden Pattison capped the scoring with 19 seconds left in the game.

The teams meet again Saturday at the Colisee at 7 p.m.

NA3HL

L/A Nordiques 3, Northeast Generals 2

Lewiston native Sam Frechette had two goals to pace the L/A Nordiques to 3-2 victory over the rival Northeast Generals at the Colisee on Friday.

Stephen Gerbis gave the Generals a 1-0 lead midway through the first period.

South Portland native Bradley McMains scored on a penalty shot for L/A with less than six minutes remaining in the opening period to tie the game. Frechette scored his first with about three minutes left in the period.

Frechette scored again 17 seconds to the second.

Kolye Bankauskas netted a goal late in the second period for the Generals.

Brogan McDonald made 47 saves for the Nordiques in the win, while Raphael Gaughan made 26 saves for the Generals.

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