LEWISTON — Anthony Calafiore made an early an impact in the Pine Tree State on Friday night.

The future University of Maine player scored twice in the third period as the New Jersey Titans rallied to defeat the Maine Nordiques 4-3 in overtime in an NAHL East Division game at The Colisee.

The Titans (34-12-2, 70 points) trailed 3-1 in the third period until two quick goals by Calafiore, his 20th and 21st of the season, tied the score and forced overtime.

“(We didn’t) want to quit, we wanted to keep playing our game and (the goals) will come,” Calafiore said. “We were down 2-1 and 3-1, we just needed to keep pushing and they’d come.”

Off of the first offensive zone faceoff to begin a New Jersey power play, Calafiore ripped a shot past Maine goalie Avery Sturtz to cut the deficit to 3-2 at the 14:52 mark of the third period.

Titans called a timeout prior to the start of the power play in order to get the correct personnel on the ice for the man advantage.

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“We were getting some good offensive possession and (assistant coach) Bobby (DiRico) wanted to get a specific unit on the ice, and Bobby is in charge of our power play, so if he wants it, he gets it,” Titans coach Craig Doremus said. “We needed the timeout to regroup; we felt it was a pivotal part of the game and we needed to respond there. Hindsight is 20/20, but it worked out great.”

Calafiore followed the goal with his second of the game less than a minute later to tie the game at 3-3.

“It definitely feels good to be counted on, and to get another one there was really special,” Calafiore said.

Then, in overtime, Brendan Dumas scored from the slot to give the Titans a 4-3 win.

“We were on the hunt for two points, and we didn’t earn that,” Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said. “… We are trending upward, we have earned three points in the last three games against them. I like the direction that’s going. We would like it to be six (points), but we are looking for two points tomorrow.”

The Titans and Nordiques meet again Saturday at The Colisee at 7 p.m.

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New Jersey opened Friday’s scoring with a goal 11:50 into the first period. Michael Young, who had a four-goal game in a 7-2 win over the Nordiques on Feb. 25, tapped home a David Posma slap pass from the left circle to make it 1-0.

The Nordiques (15-23-7, 37 points) grabbed control of the game in the second period.

While the teams were playing 4-on-4 hockey, following separate minor penalties by Posma and Maine’s Brendan Kimball, Zion Green scored his 11th goal of the season, off an assist from defenseman Matt Connor, to tie the game at 1-1. Green beat Titans goalie Ben Charette (32 saves) with a back-hander through the five-hole 3:30 into the second.

Aidan Connolly scored in the middle of the second period, quickly firing the puck into the net after Charette kicked a rebound into the slot, putting the Nordiques up 2-1.

“Zion Green is a very productive player, and, honestly, him taking the body on the forecheck led to (Aidan Connolly’s) goal,” Pinchevsky said. “Those guys are good for one a game, and tonight (both got a goal), but we need to make sure we keep it out of the net.”

Sturtz (37 saves) did his part to help the Nordiques maintain the lead, making three saves in a row late in the second.

New Jersey almost tied the game five minutes into the third period with a wrap-around shot, but Sturtz and the Nordiques’ defenders made sure the puck didn’t cross the goal line.

Maine extended its lead to 3-1 when Tyler Gaulin flipped the puck in the air from the neutral zone and forward Ignat Belov chased it down in the Nordiques’ offensive zone and then beat Charette with a back-hander that went top shelf 13:52 into the third period.

“Tyler Gaulin can do a lot of amazing things with the puck, and a very good read by (Belov) to make sure he tracked it on the aerial and come in onsides,” Pinchevsky said. “(Belov) used his range and reach to beat (Charette) clean.”


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