Bannister leads Titans to 5-1 win in Danbury
Tommy Bannister recorded a hat-trick in a 5-1 win on Wednesday.
New Jersey 5 @ Danbury 1 - Tommy Bannister scored three straight goals to lead the visiting Titans to a 5-1 win over the Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks on Wednesday. It was Bannister’s his first hat trick as a Titan.
The Titans started strong scoring four unanswered goals including Bannister’s natural hat trick.
Rocco Testa-Basi got the Titans on the board just 3:35 into the game. After the Titans won the draw deep inside their own zone, the puck came out to Scott Cremen at the far side faceoff circle. Cremen made a cross-ice pass to a breaking Michael Young down the near side boards. As Young gained the line, he took a shot from the faceoff dot that was saved by Danbury’s netminder Josh Seeley, but the rebound came right out to Testa-Basi who tucked the puck into the open net for this second goal of the season.
Bannister then doubled the Titans lead with 7:18 left in the first period. Anthony Calafiore picked up the loose puck just above his own near side faceoff circle and made a cross-ice pass up to Brendan Dumas just outside the Tricks zone. As Dumas gained the line, he was knocked off the puck, but the biscuit went straight to Bannister who was to the right of Dumas. As the Clayton, NY native skated down the far side boards, he cut across the goalmouth and slid the puck through Seeley’s five hole for his first goal of the game.
Bannister made it 3-0 with 3:25 remaining in the opening period. Calafiore brought the puck up the far side boards. As he gained the line, both Danbury defensemen went to know him off the biscuit but Calafiore made a nice pass to a breaking Bannister on his left and Bannister walked in all alone on Seeley and he slid the puck through Seeley’s legs and into the next for his second goal of the game.
Bannister completed his natural hat trick with 3: 37 left in the second period. With the Hat Tricks looking to break out of their own zone, Bannister intercepted a pass at the top of the far side faceoff circle. Bannister went towards the net all alone and made a toe drag move on Seeley and Bannister slid the puck past Seeley’s right leg and into the net to make it a 4 – 0 game.
Danbury’s Gabe Dombrowski scored with two seconds left in the second period to make it a 4 – 1 game but Coleman Nee scored his first goal as Titan just 4:05 into the third period to make it 5 – 1 and close out the scoring.
Ben Charette stopped 27 of 28 shots for the Titans while Seeley turned aside 36 of 41.
