The Maine Nordiques squandered a three-goal lead Friday night in a 5-4 overtime loss to the New Jersey Titans in an NAHL East Division game at Middletown Ice World Arena in Middletown, New Jersey.

The loss snapped the Nordiques’ three-game win streak.

Dominik Bartecko scored with 21 seconds left in the extra session for his sixth goal of the season for the Titans (13-11-0, 26 points). University of Maine commit Anthony Calafiore and Owen Luik provided the assists on the game-winning score.

It was the first game of the season in which the Nordiques (11-8-1, 23 points) went to overtime.

“This is exciting, this is the first time we’ve ever gone beyond 60 minutes, so there are lessons out there to be learned,” Maine Nordiques coach Matt Pinchevsky said. “We haven’t had an opportunity to learn a lesson in overtime. This is another growth moment for us. We just need to make sure it’s a lesson learned and not something we need to learn again.”

Bartecko also notched two assists in the game. Michael Young also recorded a goal and two assists. Calafiore, Brady Hildreth and former Twin City Thunder player Levente Keresztes each tallied a goal and an assist.

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Young tied the game at 4-4 early in the third period for the Titans, beating Nordiques goalie Kael DePape (29 saves).

The Nordiques quickly built a lead to start the game. Kellen Murphy put Maine up 1-0 just before the three-minute mark of the opening period.

On the next shift, Alexey Yarmulnik beat Titans goalie Marino Ramirez for a 2-0 advantage.

It was also Yarmulnik’s first tally of the season. He scored again midway through the first period, stretching the lead to 3-0. Brendan Gibbons notched his second assist of the game after also helping out on Murphy’s goal.

“Strong starts need strong finishes, and we didn’t have that tonight,” Pinchevsky said.

The Titans pulled Ramirez after the goal for Zakari Brice (22 saves).

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The goalie change provided immediate dividends as Keresztes scored shortly after on the power play, cutting the Titans’ deficit to 3-1.

Calafiore scored about three minutes into the middle period and Hildreth scored just before the halfway point of the frame to tie the game at 3-3.

Sanford native Oliver Genest gave the Nordiques a 4-3 lead on the man-advantage midway through the second with his fifth goal of the season. Patrick Schmiedlin provided the assist.

Both teams were 1 for 1 on the power play.

“Two really good teams that notoriously have very good power plays,” Pinchevsky said. “We were 100 percent, they were 100 percent. I guess both teams need to work on their penalty kills against each other.”

The Nordiques will try to earn a weekend split Saturday at 7 p.m.

GIBBONS EARNS FORWARD OF THE WEEK HONORS

Nordiques forward Brendan Gibbons, an Air Force commit, earned NAHL Division Star of the Week honors after recording two goals and three assists in two wins against the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks on Nov. 22-23.


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