A pair of goals by NAHL leading scorer Massimo Gentile and a strong defense were too much for the New Jersey Titans to handle as they lost 5-2 to the Rochester Jr. Americans at the Middletown Sports Complex on Saturday night.
Rochester scored twice in the first period, less than two minutes apart to give the visitors an early 2-0 lead. Their first goal at 5:14 of the period was scored before the Titans had recorded a shot on goal, and Gentile found the back of the net at 7:03 to double the Americans’ lead. He would score again on the power play in the second period, giving him sole possession of the top of the scoring leaderboard in his 10th game of the season and giving Rochester a 3-0 lead.
The would extend the lead to 4-0 on a breakaway goal off a stretch pass 3:40 into the third. New Jersey was finally able to respond, as Brian Robertson wired a puck home on the power play at 14:07, with Logan Renkowski and Ryan Friedman being credited with the assists. However, a comeback was not in the cards, with the Americans scoring at 18:40 on a power play of their own to restore the 4 goal lead. Reece Brednich potted home a rebound in the dying seconds, but it was far too little, too late.
With the loss, the Titans have not been able to win consecutive games since the opening weekend of the 2023-24 season. The loss drops their record to 5-5-0, and they see Rochester and Maine jump over them in the standings. The Titans still have two games remaining on their current homestand, and they will host the defending East Division Champion Maryland Black Bears next weekend on Friday, October 6th at 7:30PM, and Saturday, October 7th, at 7:00PM. Tickets can be purchased in advance by following this link.
The New Jersey Titans, proud members of the North American Hockey League, are entering their ninth season at the Middletown Sports Complex in Middletown, NJ. The 2022 Robertson Cup National Champions, the Titans have made the playoffs in every season since their founding in 2015. Single game tickets are now on sale for the 2023-24 season home opener versus Rochester on September 29th. Season tickets are on sale here, and provide a discounted admission to attend every game at the Middletown Sports Complex. Follow the New Jersey Titans on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok today!