Tag Archives: Mitch Machlitt

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Head and Machlitt named honorable mention for NAHL’s East Division’s Star of the Week for week ending February 16.

The North American Hockey League announced its Bauer Hockey Divisional Stars of the Week for week ending February 16 and Titans forwards Kyler Head and Mitch Machlitt were named honorable mention for the East Division.

Head had four points (2 goals and 2 assists) in three games this past week. He had a goal and an assist in last Wednesday’s 5 – 3 win over the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights as well as a goal and an assist in Friday’s 6 – 2 win over the Northeast Generals.

Head has 38 points (16 goals and 22 assists) in forty games this season. This is the second time this season that Head received league recognition. He was honorable mention for week ending September 22.

Machlitt had six points (1 goal and 5 assists) in the Titans three games. He had three assists in last Wednesday’s win, an assist in Friday’s victory and he had a goal and an assist in Saturday’s game against the Generals.

Machlitt leads the team with fifty-eight total points (22 goals and 36 assists in forty-four games. This is the eighth time this season that Machlitt has receive recognition from the league: honorable mention for weeks ending September 30, November 24, January 12 and January 19; Star of the Week for week ending September 15, runner up for forward of the month for September and honorable mention for November.

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Second period dooms Titans in 7 – 3 loss to Generals

The visiting Northeast Generals scored five second period goals en route to a 7 – 3 win over the New Jersey Titans. It was the first time in six games this season that the Generals had defeated the Titans. The loss also spoiled the debut of new Titans goaltender Ryan McInchak.

The Titans took a quick lead just forty-five seconds into the game. After Michael Outzen won the draw deep inside the Generals zone, the puck went back to Mitch Machlitt directly behind Outzen and Machlitt sent it back to the near side point to Danny Dimon. Dimon sent it over to  Brad Zona who took a snapshot from the top of the faceoff circle that was saved by Northeast goalie Joey Stanizzi but the rebound came right out to Machlitt who tucked it in past Stanizzi to make it 1 – 0 Titans.

It was Machlitt’s first goal in ten games.

New Jersey doubled its lead at 9:19 of the opening period. After McInchak went behind his own net to set up the puck, he passed it up along the near side boards where it was picked up by Machlitt at the half wall. Machlitt passed it up to Matthew Iasenza at the point who sent a cross-ice pass to Outzen. As Outzen gained the offensive zone line, he went to net and passed it over to Iasenza on his left and Iasenza redirected the puck passed Stanizzi for his eleventh goal of the season.

The Generals then cut their deficit in half with 3:23 remaining in the first period. After Charlie Reid won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, the puck went back to Michael Heneghan at the point who dumped into the far side corner where it was picked up by Reid. Reid passed the puck out to Ryan Kuzmich at the faceoff dot and Kuzmich passed it down low to Alexander Tertyshny who was to the right of McInchak. Tertyshny centered the biscuit out front to Reid and he backhanded it past McInchak and into the open net for his fourth goal of the season.

Trailing 2 – 1 going into the second period, the Generals would score five of their next six goals in the middle stanza to pull away from the Titans.

Tertyshny tied at the game at the 4:24 mark. The son of former Philadelphia Flyer Dmitri Tertyshny picked up the loose puck in his own high slot and passed it up to Kyle Schroeder on his left. Schroeder passed the puck over to Clark Kerner who entered the offensive zone. As Kerner reached the bottom of the near side faceoff dot, he made a centering pass out front that was redirected by Tertyshny past McInchak for his first goal as a Northeast General.

Northeast would take the lead with 9:23 into in the second on Cam Gaudette’s seventh goal of the season. Former General Joe Nagle dumped the puck into the Northeast zone where it was picked up by Stanizzi to the left of his own net. Stanizzi made a long outlet pass to Gaudette at the Titans far side blueline. As Gaudette gained the line, he moved towards the top of the slot and took a wrister that beat McInchak blocker side to make it 3 – 2 Generals.

Fourteen seconds later the Generals doubled their lead. After the ensuing faceoff, Kuzmich picked up the loose puck at center ice and dumped it into the Titans zone where McInchak stopped it behind his own net to set up the play. Hurried, McInchak sent the puck behind his own and into his near side corner where it was picked up by a hustling Kuzmich. Kuzmich sent it back Brady Hunter at the point. Hunter took a shot that went wide and hit the end boards, but the puck took a crazy bounce and came right out to the slot and Kuzmich wristed the biscuit through McInchak’s five hole for his second goal of the season.

Gavin Gulash made it a 4 – 3 game with 8:25 left in the second period. Matt Cameron intercepted a Generals pass just along the far side blue line and he sent a bounce pass off the boards where it was picked up by Gulash at the half wall. Gulash went to the net, cut across the goalmouth and backhanded the puck up high and past Stanizzi for his eleventh goal of the season.

Less than a minute later the Generals regained their two-goal lead on Reid’s second goal of the game and fifth of the season.

Dylan Schuett scored with forty-seven seconds left in the period to make it a 6 – 3 game. Kerner closed out the scoring with 2:17 left in the game to make it 7 – 3.

The loss ended the Titans five game win streak.

McInchak stopped 26 of 33 shots while Stanizzi turned aside 26 of 29. Click here for the box score.

The Titans now will go on a seven-game road swing with four of the games against the Jamestown Rebels beginning next weekend.

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Four, second period goals propel Titans to 6 – 2 victory over Generals

The New Jersey Titans scored four, second period goals in 5:13 minutes en route to a 6 – 2 win over the visiting Northeast Generals for the team’s fifth consecutive win.

Defenseman Ole Andersen and forward Shane Haviland each had a goal and an assist.

After a scoreless opening period, Northeast got on the scoreboard first just 1:23 into the middle stanza. The Generals’ Gerard Marretta picked up the loose puck in his own zone along the near side boards and sent a long stretch pass across to a breaking Ryan Kuzmich. After gaining the line, Kuzmich took a shot from the faceoff dot that was saved by Titans goalie Patrick Pugliese but the deep rebound came right out to Charlie Ried in the slot and Ried one-timed it past the fallen Pugliese to give Northeast a 1 – 0 lead.

The Titans then countered by scoring four, unanswered goals in 5:13 minutes.

At 6:58 of the second Tyler Nasca tied the game at one. Haviland picked up the loose puck in his own zone at the high slot and passed it to Nasca on his right. As Nasca reached center ice, he passed the puck to Nick DeSantis on his right. After entering the offensive zone along the near side boards, DeSantis circled around his defender and centered the puck out front to Nasca in the slot and the Wheatfield, NY native one-timed it past Northeast’s goalie Connor Bradford for his eighth goal of the season.

Thirty-four seconds later the Titans doubled their lead on Kyle Jeffers twenty-first goal of the season. Kyler Head intercepted a Generals pass at the top of the slot in his own zone and he skated to the near side boards and entered the offensive zone on a 2 on 2 rush with Cam Gendron. As Head gained the line, he drop pass the puck to Jeffers.  As the American International College commit reached the faceoff dot, he took a shot that beat Bradford short side to make it 2 – 1 Titans.

Andersen gave the Titans a 3 – 1 lead at 8:51 of the second. After Pugliese made a save on Northeast’s Clark Kerner, the rebound came out to Cade Penney at the near side faceoff dot and he passed the puck up and over to Michael Outzen at the top of his own zone. As Outzen entered the Generals’ zone on a 3 – 2 rush, he stopped and reversed at the top of the far side faceoff circle and he sent a long, cross-ice pass to Andersen who took a snapshot that beat Bradford long side for his sixth goal of the season.

The Titans scored their fourth straight goal with 7:51 remaining in the period. Penney picked up the rebound at his own goal line to the left of Pugliese and he passed it up to Jeffers at the bottom of the far side faceoff circle. Jeffers made a long stretch pass up to Mitch Machlitt at the top of the Generals blueline. After gaining the line, Machlitt reversed at the top of the far side faceoff circle and made a backhand pass to Andersen in the slot. Andersen immediately passed it back to Gavin Gulash who went from his forehand to his backhand and he lifted the puck up high and past Bradford for his tenth goal of the season.

Bradford was replaced by Joey Stanizzi.

Kuzmich cut the Generals deficit in half with 5:03 left in the second. With a delayed penalty being called on the Titans, Northeast’s Cam Gaudette made a long stretch pass from the top of his own far side faceoff circle to Jonathan Young at the Titans blueline. As Young reached the faceoff dot, he reversed and made a centering pass to Kuzmich in the slot and Kuzmich one-timed it past Pugliese for his first goal of the season.

Haviland made it 5 – 2 just 1:08 into the third period. DeSantis picked up the loose puck at the top of his own near side faceoff circle and passed it over to Penney on his right. Penney found a breaking Haviland at center ice. As Haviland gained the line, he cut towards the near side boards and went around his defender towards the end boards. Haviland circled around the Generals net and wrapped the puck around and into the net past Stanizzi for his sixth goal of the season.

Head lit the lamp for his sixteenth goal of the season with 2:14 left in the game to close out the scoring.

Pugliese stopped 32 of 34 shots while Bradford and Stanizzi combined to stop 25 of 31. Click here for the box score.

The two teams will meet again tonight at 7:00pm at the Middletown Sports Complex. It’s Bogo and Skate night. First, anyone who brings their significant other can get one ticket for free if they purchase an adult ticket. Then it’s Skate Night with the Titans immediately following the game for all fans.

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Head and Machlitt propel Titans to 5 – 3 win over Knights

Kyler Head had a goal and an assist while Mitch Machlitt had three primary assists to help lead the New Jersey Titans to a 5 – 3 win over the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights last night at the Middletown Sports Complex.

It was the Titans fourth straight victory and the win gave them a seven-point lead over the second place Johnstown Tomahawks in the East Division’s standings.

Cam Gendron started the scoring just 1:58 into the second period to give the Titans an early 1 – 0 lead. Cade Penney picked up the loose puck behind his own goal line and passed it up to Ole Andersen who moved it onto Kyle Jeffers at the top of his blue line. As Jeffers entered the neutral zone, he passed it over to Head on his left. Head gained a burst of speed and went around his defender and into the neutral zone. As Head reach the near side faceoff dot, he made a nice cross-ice pass to Gendron who redirected the back-door pass behind Knights netminder Alex Contey for his fifteenth goal of the year.

Thirty-four seconds later the Knights’ Anthony Mastromonica tied the game. WBS’ Christopher Rubenach kept the puck in Titans zone at the top of the near side point and passed it up to Sutton McDonald along the boards. As McDonald skated to the bottom of the faceoff circle, he made a centering pass out front that Mastromonica redirected past Titans goaltender Patrick Pugliese for his tenth goal of the season.

With 9:03 left in the opening period, the Knights’ Jordan Strand was called for holding to give New Jersey the man advantage. Twenty-four seconds later Head gave the Titans a 2 – 1 lead. As the Knights tried to clear the zone, the puck was kept in by Andersen at the top of the point. Andersen passed it down low to Machlitt who was to the left of Contey at the goal line. Machlitt made a behind the back pass out front to Head who wristed the puck past Contey for his fifteenth goal of the season.

Knights veteran Tyrone Bronte tied the game at two with 2:25 left in the second period. After Artur Turansky won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, the puck went back to the Strand at the near side point. Strand took a long wrist shot that was redirected out front and past Pugliese for his eight goal of the season.

Exactly a minute later the Titians regained the lead for good. Brad Zona picked up the loose puck at the top of the far side faceoff circle and pass it up to Machlitt at center ice and he immediately passed it over to Matthew Iasenza on his right. Iasenza returned the biscuit to Machlitt who entered the offensive zone. As Machlitt reached the top of the faceoff circle he passed it over to Iasenza on his right and the speedy forward beat Contey short side to make it 3 – 2.

At 2:13 into the third, captain Brody Medeiros would double the Titans lead. Medeiros picked up the loose puck at the top of his own slot and he passed it up to Iasenza at center ice. Iasenza chipped the puck into the offensive zone where it was picked up by Michael Outzen. The Highlands Ranch, CO native passed it over to a breaking Machlitt on his left. Machlitt fed the puck through the goal mouth and Medeiros redirected the backdoor pass behind Conety for his fifth goal of the season.

After Danny Dimon took a shot on goal that was blocked out front, he picked up his own rebound at the near side half wall. Dimon passed it Gavin Gulash in the slot. Gulash moved from his backhand to his forehand and beat Conety high glove side for his ninth goal of the season to give the Titans a 5 – 2 lead.

The Knights’ Lincoln Hatten scored with 1:16 remaining in the game to close out the score. Pugliese turned aside 27 of 30 shots while Conety stopped 21 of 26. Click here for the box score.

“Overall I thought we play pretty well” stated Titans head coach Craig Doremus. “Not our cleanest game but we found a way to get ot the net and create some offense. Out PK (penalty kill) stepped up big tonight and gave us a chance. We need to continue to improve as we prepare for a big weekend with the Generals coming to Middletown this weekend concluded Doremus.

The Titans will have a lite practice today and begin preparing for this weekend’s series against the visiting Northeast Generals.

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Game Day Preview: Knights visit Titans for midweek contest

The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights travel to the Middletown Sports Complex to tackle the New Jersey Titans tonight at 7:30pm on Half Price Hump Day.

Titans vs. Knights Overview
Tonight will be the sixth meeting between the teams and the third game on home ice. The Titans have won all five games by a combined score of 24 – 14. The last time they met was almost a month ago on January 15 when the Titans won 5 – 4 which included a Mitch Machlitt penalty shot goal on his twenty-first birthday.

Veteran Tyrone Bronte leads all Knights scorers with six total points (2 goals and 4 assists) against New Jersey. In addition to Bronte, three other Knights have scored two goals against the Titans: Nikita Asylaev, Johnny Kaljian and Jordan Strand. WBS is 3 for 6 (50%) on the power play. The Knights goaltenders have a combined 4.80 goals against average and .879 save percentage against the Titans.

Matt Cameron (4 goals and 1 assist) and Kyle Jeffers (2 goals and 3 assists) each have five points against the Knights while Cameron leads the team in goals scored with four. The Titans have gone 3 for 10 (30%) on the power play. New Jersey’s goaltenders have a combined 2.80 goals against average and .920 save percentage.

Knights Overview
The Knights are currently in third place in the East Division with a 20-20-4-1 record for 45 points (20 points behind the division leading Titans). WBS has won two of their ten games, and they are coming off a 6 – 1 road loss against the Jamestown Rebels (Jamestown swept the Knights this past weekend). The Knights have scored 129 goals (seventeenth in the league) while they have allowed 152 (nineteenth in the league). WBS is second in the league on the power play having converted on 27.3% of their chances with the man advantage while they are last in the league on the penalty kill by preventing the opposition from converting on 62.9% on their chances.

WBS is led by Lincoln Hatten in almost every category: points (46: 21 goals and 25 assists); goals (21); game winning goals (six) and penalty minutes (108). Bronte has a team best +16.

The Knights goaltenders have a combine 3.24 goals against average and .902 save percentage with one shutout (Zach Stejskal).

Titans Overview
The Titans are in the first place in the East Division with a 32 – 8 – 0 – 1 record for 65 points. They have won eight of their last ten games, and they are coming off a 7 – 2 home win against the Maryland Black Bears (the Titans swept Maryland this past weekend). They have scored 197 goals (most in the league) and have allowed 131 (tenth in the league). The Titans are first in the league on the power play having converted on 29.5% of their chances while they have prevented the opposition from scoring on the penalty kill 82.9% of the time (tenth best in the league).

Machlitt leads the team in total points with fifty-two (21 goals and 31 assists) and goals (21). Michael Outzen has a team best five game winning goals. Cade Penney has a team high +/- with +30 while Brody Medeiros has the most penalty minutes on the team with sixty-four.

The Titans goaltenders have a combined 3.13 goals against average and .906 save percentage. Patrick Pugliese has 2.90 GAA and .913 SV% with one shutout.

Half Price Hump Day Promotion
All tickets for tonight’s game are half price. Adult tickets will be $4 (regularly $8) and children 12 – 2 will be $2.50 (regularly $5).

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Gendron and Pugliese help lead Titans to 6 – 4 win over Black Bears

Forward Cam Gendron scored three goals while goaltender Patrick Pugliese made several Grade A saves to help lead the Titans to a 6 – 4 win over the visiting Maryland Black Bears in a seesaw game. It was Gendron’s second hat trick of the season, and three of the Titans goals were shorthanded

“It wasn’t the prettiest of efforts but nevertheless I was happy that our group was able to find a way to win” stated head coach Craig Doremus.

Gendron got the Titans on the board just eighteen seconds into the game. After the Black Bears Hunter Brackett brough the puck out of his own zone, he tried to make a cross-ice pass, but it deflected and went to Danny Dimon at his own near side blue line and the assistant captain made a bounce pass off the boards up to Matthew Iasenza. As Iasenza gained the line, he made a behind the back pass to Gendron who skated in all alone on Maryland’s goalie Aaron Randazzo and beat him through the five hole to give the Titans an early 1 – 0 lead.

At 2:15 of the opening period, Josef Glamos was called for slashing to give the Black Bears the man advantage. With time winding down on the power play, Gavin Gulash scored the Titans first shorthanded goal of the game. After the Titans dumped the biscuit deep inside the Black Bears zone, Randazzo picked up the loose puck near his net and passed up into the neutral zone where it was intercepted by the newest Titan Joe Nagle. As Nagle skated to the far side half wall, he was hit from behind but was able to send the puck to the end boards where it was picked up by Gulash. The Red Bank, NJ native avoided a check and skated towards the net to the left of Randazzo. As Gulash reached the goal line, he took a sharp angle shot that beat Randazzo high, short side for his eighth goal of the season.

The Titans took a commanding three goal lead just forty-eight seconds into the middle stanza on Tyler Nasca’s sixth goal of the season. Gendron picked up the loose puck at the top of the slot and took a shot that was saved by Randazzo, but the rebound came out to Gendron but between his skates. Gendron circled to the near side half wall and passed the biscuit back to Brad Zona at the top of the circle. Zona passed it down low to Kyler Head who was behind the Black Bears net. Head skated up along boards and as he reached the blueline, he passed it over to Nasca at the top of the far side circle and Nasca one-timed it past Randazzo far side to make it a 3 – 0 game.

The Black Bears then scored their first of three straight goals to tie the game starting at 3:20 in the second period.

Dimon knocked down a pass at the top of his own zone and cleared it to the near side half wall towards Michael Outzen. Maryland’s Garrett Szydlowski knocked Outzen off the puck, and he passed it down low to Jackson Sterrett. As Sterrett reached the end boards he passed it out front to Aaron Swanson who took a wrister that beat Pugliese through the five hole to make it a 3 – 1 game.

Luke Mountain cut the Black Bears deficit in half at 7:55 of the second. Hampus Rydqvist picked up the loose puck at the top of the slot in his own end and he head manned it up to Reid Leibold who chipped it into the Titans zone. As the puck reached the bottom of the far side faceoff circle, it was picked up by Leibold who took a backhand shot towards the net that was blocked out front, but the rebound came back to Leibold who centered it out front and Mountain redirected it past Pugliese to make it a 3 – 2 game.

With 5:30 left in the second, Szydlowski tied the game at three. As Ole Andersen picked up the loose puck behind his own net, he came out and cut through the goalmouth, but Logan Kittleson stripped him of the puck and it redirected into the far side corner where it was picked up by Aaron Swanson. Swanson came up along the boards and made a pass back to the point to Mikhael Gonchar who took a shot that was deflected out front by Szydlowski past Pugliese for his eighth goal of the season.

Less than a minute later, the Titans regained the lead on Gendron’s second goal of the game. As the Black Bears looked for a line change, Shane Haviland picked up the loose puck at his own blueline and sent it back to Zona. Zona looked to set up and skated behind his own net and sent a bounce pass off the far side boards to Haviland at center ice. Haviland passed the puck up to Gendron. As Gendron gained the line, he cut towards the center of the slot and took and shot that beat Randazzo long side to make it 4 – 3 Titans.

The Black Bears tied it at 4:40 into the third on Jack Smiley’s seventh goal of the year. After Maryland won the draw just outside the Titans blueline, the puck would go into their zone where it was picked up by Smiley who took a shot that went high and wide of the net. Maryland’s Hunter Brackett picked up loose puck and centered it out front to Smiley who lifted it past a fallen Pugliese to make it a 4 – 4 game.

Mitch Machlitt was called for tripping with nine minutes remaining to give the Black Bears the man advantage. Eight seconds later Gendron completed his hat trick. After Maryland called a time out, Gendron won the ensuing faceoff deep inside his own zone and the puck would go to Andersen who was to the right of Gendron. Andersen came up along the far side boards and cut across the middle. As Andersen gained the line, he passed it over to Gendron on his right. Gendron skated to the slot went from his forehand to his backhand and lifted the puck past a sprawled out Randazzo to give the Titans a 5 – 4 lead.

Nick DeSantis was called for cross-checking 2:51 left in the game to put Maryland back on the power play. The Black Bears pulled Randazzo for the additional attacker but Chris Garbe short an empty net goal from center ice with 1:26 remaining in the game to close out the scoring.

“I thought our start was excellent but then we took our foot off the gas and Maryland really played well” stated Doremus. “We got some timely goaltending and Cam Gendron had a special effort to help carry us. We need to tighten up our structure and execution as we prepare for another game” concluded Doremus.

Pugliese stopped 36 of 40 shots while Randazzo turned aside 17 of 23. Click here for the box score.

The Titans go for the weekend sweep as the two teams meet again at 7:00pm at the Middletown Sports Complex.

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Weekend Preview: 2/7 – 2/8/20; Black Bears visit for weekend series against Titans

The Maryland Black Bears visit the Middletown Sports Complex this weekend to play two games against the East Division leading Titans. The puck drop for Friday’s game is scheduled for 7:30pm and 7:00pm for Saturday’s game.

Titans and Black Bears Overview
This will be the fourth series between the teams with the Titans winning four of the six previous games by a combined score of 35 – 28. The last time they met was at Piney Orchard Ice Arena the weekend of November 29 and 30 when the team’s split the series. The Titans won the last game played by a score of 7 – 4.

Wilmer Skoog leads the Black Bears with nine total points (5 goals and 4 assists) and goals (5) against the Titans. They are 2 for 10 (20%) on the power play. Maryland’s goaltenders have a combined 5.60 goals against average and .834 save percentage.

Mitch Machlitt leads the Titans with twelve total points (2 goals and 10 assists) while Kyle Jeffers has scored the most goals (seven) against the Black Bears. The Titans are 6 for 16 (38%) on the power player. Goaltenders Patrick Pugliese and Arseni Seergev have a combined .878 save percentage and 4.44 goals against average.

Black Bears Overview
Maryland is currently in fourth place in the East Division with a 17-18-7-0 record for 41 points, twenty behind division leading New Jersey. They have scored 136 goals (eleventh in the league) while they have allowed 132 (thirteenth in the league).  They are 2 and 8 for their last ten games and they are coming off of a 3- 2 home loss to the Jamestown Rebels (last weekend the Black Bears split with the Rebels). The Black Bears have converted on 20.1% of their chances on the power play (thirteenth in the league) while they have prevented the opposition from scoring 80.3% (fourteenth in the league) on the penalty kill.

Hampus Rydqvist leads the team in points with 38 (10 goals and 28 assists) while Jackson Sterrett leads the team with sixteen goals. Three players (Aden Bruich, Logan Kons and Brayden Stannard) have three game winning goals. Rydqvist has a team best +6. Jack Smiley leads the team with ninety-six penalty minutes.

Maryland’s goaltenders have a combined 2.96 goals against average and .906 save percentage with one shutout.

Titans Overview
The Titans are in the first place in the East Division with a 30 – 8 – 0 – 1 record for 61 points. They have won seven of their last ten games, and they are coming off a 9 – 2 road win against the Maine Nordiques (the Titans split with the Nordiques last weekend). They have scored 184 goals (most in the league) and have allowed 125 (ninth in the league). The Titans are first in the league on the power play having converted on 30.7% of their chances while they have prevented the opposition from scoring on the penalty kill 82% of the time (eleventh best in the league).

Machlitt leads the team in total points with fifty-two (21 goals and 31 assists) and goals (21). Michael Outzen has a team best five game winning goals. Cade Penney has a team high +/- with +30 while Brody Medeiros has the most penalty minutes on the team with sixty-four.

The goaltending tandem of Pugliese (2.90 GAA and .912 SV%) and Sergeev (3.56 GAA and .892 SV%) have a combined 3.13 goals against average and .905 save percentage with one shutout (Pugliese).

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Grimshaw and Kane are able in Nordiques 7 – 3 win over Titans

Maine’s Trent Grimshaw had two goals and an assist while Noah Kane scored to two goals to lead the Nordiques to a 7 – 3 win over the visiting New Jersey Titans last night. It was the first time this season that the Titans had lost consecutive games.

Grimshaw got the Nordiques on the board just 2:38 into the game to start the scoring. Maine’s Stefan Owens picked up the loose puck along the far side half wall and passed it back to Kylar Fenton who passed it up to Cole Ouellette. Ouellette would send a bounce pass off the boards to Grimshaw who entered the offensive zone. As Grimshaw headed towards the Titans net, the puck was poked off his stick by Mitch Machlitt but Grimshaw picked up the loose puck and skated along for boards and back to the far side point. Grimshaw circled and took a shot that found its way through a maze and past Titans goalie Arseni Sergeev to make it 1 – 0 Nordiques.

Danny Dimon was called for hooking at 5:04 of the period to give the Nordiques the man advantage. As the power play was winding down, Michael Outzen tied the game at one. Brad Zona picked up the rolling puck in his own near side corner and sent a bounce pass off the boards to Cam Gendron. The recently named Top Prospects Tournament participant skated down the ice and into the offensive zone on an odd man rush with Outzen.  As Gendron reached the top of the faceoff circle, he passed the puck to Outzen on his left and Outzen one-timed it past Maine’s Wesley Mankowski for his fourteenth goal of the season.

It was the Titans’ league leading thirteenth shorthanded goal of the season and Outzen’s fifth shorthanded point this year which makes him tied for most shorthanded points in the league.

With 4:28 remaining in the opening period, Maine regained the lead on Filip Löfdahl’s third goal of the season. Grimshaw blocked a shot at the near side half wall and passed the puck over to Fenton who immediately passed it up to Owens. As Owens skated towards the Titans goal line, he reversed and sent a bounce pass off the far side boards to Löfdahl and the Stockholm, SWE native took a shot from the point that beat Sergeev to give the Nordiques a 2 – 1 lead.

Kane doubled the Nordiques lead just 3:38 into the second period. Cannon Green picked up the loose puck along the boards and sent it back to Jacob Crespo at the point. The Mt. Holly, NJ native passed it down low to Timmy Kent who was to the left of Sergeev. Kent skated behind the Titans net to the corner, reversed and passed it back to Kane. As Kane circled around the net, he took a low wrist shot that went through Sergeev’s five hole for his sixteenth goal of the season.
Grimshaw scored his second goal of the night with 7:19 left in the middle stanza. Kent picked up the bouncing puck just outside the Titans zone and circled towards the near side boards. Kent passed it over to Grimshaw who skated along the near side boards and into the offensive zone. As Grimshaw reached the faceoff dot, he took a wrist shot that went through Sergeev’s five hole to make it a 4 – 1 game.

Maine made it 5 – 1 with 6:03 left in the second. Crespo picked up the loose puck behind his own net and passed it up along the far side boards to Green who looked to his right and passed it over to Isaiah Fox. As Fox entered the offensive zone, he was knocked off the puck by Tyler Nasca but it was picked up by Kevin Pitts who took a long shot that beat Sergeev for his twelfth goal of the season.

Sergeev was replaced by Patrick Pugliese.

With 2:29 left in the second, Crespo was called for a high-sticking double minor to give the Titans the man advantage. With seventeen second remaining in the period, Ole Andersen made it a 5 – 2 game.  Matt Cameron looked to set up the play at the top of the near side faceoff circle and passed it back to Andersen at the point. Andersen passed it to down Outzen at the half wall. Outzen sent a return pass to Andersen and the Hamar, NO native took a bomb that found its way into the back of the net for his fifth goal of the season.

The Nordiques would score two goals in the third, including a penalty shot, while Josef Glamos hit the back of the net to close out the scoring to give Maine the 7 – 3 victory.

Sergeev and Pugliese combined to stop 32 of 37 shots while Mankowski turned aside 30 of 33. Click here for the box score.

“Just overall we didn’t execute nearly enough to win the hockey game” stated Titans head coach Craig Doremus. “I thought Maine competed well and played fast. We struggled with our puck movement and decision making. We need to make some corrections as we prepare for a big game Saturday night” concluded Doremus.

The two teams will meet again tonight with the puck drop scheduled for 7:00PM at the Androscoggin Bank Colisee.

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Balanced attack leads Titans to 5 – 3 win over Tomahawks in playoff type atmosphere

Five different players scored to propel the New Jersey Titans to a 5 – 3 win over the visiting Johnstown Tomahawks. The victory enabled the Titans to extend their lead in the East Division by seven points over the second place Tomahawks.

It was only fitting that the Titans were wearing special uniforms to honor the brave men and women who serve this country. Because this game was a battle. Despite the calendar stating it was January 24 it felt like mid-April with two very good teams playing tough hockey and both with multiple scoring opportunities. It felt like playoff hockey between the East’s two top teams.

Shane Haviland got the Titans on the board with 6:58 remaining in the first period. After the Tomahawks dumped the puck into the Titans zone, goaltender Patrick Pugliese stopped it behind his own goal line to set up the play. He passed the biscuit it up to Danny Dimon on the near side boards who immediately sent it up to Haviland in the neutral zone and Haviland made a cross-ice pass to a breaking Matt Cameron. As Cameron started to cut towards the net, he was checked by Johnstown’s Ethan Webb. As the two went towards the back of the Tomahawks net, Cameron made a beautiful behind the back pass to Haviland and the Sea Grit, NJ native redirected it past Johnstown’s netminder David Tomeo to make it a 1 – 0 game.

Playing four-on-four hockey, the Titans doubled their lead at 4:59 into the second period with a well-executed give-and-goal play. After receiving a pass from Kyler Head, Cade Penney brought the puck up along the far side boards. As he gained the line, he dropped passed the puck to Mitch Machlitt who made a cross-ice saucer pass to Head. As Head reached the faceoff dot, he passed it back over to Penney who tapped the puck in past a sprawled out Tomeo to make it 2 – 0.

With 2:37 remaining in the middle stanza, Johnstown’s top goal scorer Christian Gorscak made it a 2 – 1 game. Matthew Doyle started the play to the left of Tomeo by sending a long outlet pass to Reed Stark along the far side boards. Stark made a cross-ice pass to Voorhees, NJ native Max Kouznetsov who broke towards the net. As Kouznetsov cut across the goal mouth, he took a backhander that was saved by Pugliese but Gorscak punched it rebound past the fallen Titans netminder for his eighteenth goal of the season.

Less then a minute later, the Titans regained their two-goal lead on Nick DeSantis’ fifth goal of the season. From center ice, Penney dumped the puck into the Tomahawks zone where it was picked up by Webb. As Webb tried to turn to his right, Cameron knocked the puck off his stick and DeSantis lifted Webb’s stick and picked up the loose biscuit. DeSantis went to the net and took a quick wrist shot that went through Tomeo’s five hole to give the Titans a 3 – 1 lead.

At 2:59 into the third period, Kouznetsov cut the Tomahawks deficit in half. After Johnstown dumped the puck into the Titans zone, Pugliese set it up for Ole Andersen behind his own net. As Andersen look to set up, he cut towards the far side boards, but was stripped of the puck by Gorscak. Gorscak passed it to Kouznetsov in the faceoff circle and Kouznetsov turned from his forehand to his backhand and shot the puck through Pugliese’s five hole to make it a 3 – 2 game.

Twenty-eight seconds later, Johnstown’s Brendan Blair was called for holding to give the Titans the man advantage. A half minute later Gavin Gulash made it a 4 – 2 game. Captain Brody Medeiros started the play behind his own goal and skated through center ice and into the Johnstown zone. As Medeiros started to go into the near side corner, he passed the puck to Chris Garbe at the top of the faceoff circle and the assistant captain passed it to Gulash on his right. Gulash one-timed it past Tomeo for his seventh goal of the season.

Almost at mid-way point of the third period, Tyler Nasca made it a 5 – 2 game. Cameron picked up the loose puck at the far side half wall and passed it over to Mitch Machlitt who brought the puck into the offensive zone on a two-on-one with Nasca. As Machlitt reached the top of the faceoff circle, he passed it over to Nasca on his right and the Wheatfield, NY buried it past a fallen Tomeo for his fourth goal of the season.

Johnstown’s Andrew Murphy closed out the scoring with 4:56 left in the game to make it 5 – 3.

Pugliese stopped 42 of 45 shots while Tomeo turned aside 26 of 31. Click here for the box score.

The two teams will finish their series tonight at the Middletown Sports Complex at 7:00 PM. Fans still have time to bid on their favorite Titans’ military jersey with proceeds going to American Legion Post 338 of Leonardo, NJ. Bids can be placed here.

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Weekend Preview: 1/24 – 1/25/20; Tomahawks visit Titans for big series at MSC

The East Division two top teams will square off this weekend at the Middletown Sports Complex when the visiting Johnstown Tomahawks and Titians play Friday, January 24 at 7:35PM and Saturday, January 25 at 7:00PM on military appreciation weekend.

Titans and Tomahawks Overview
This will be the fourth time these two teams will meet with each previous series being split. The Tomahawks have outscored the Titans by a combined score of 22 – 20 in six games. The last time these teams met was back on December 14 when Johnstown won 4 – 1.

Christian Gorscak has the most points against the Titans with nine (2 goals and 7 assists) while Spencer DenBeste has scored the most goals (four). The Tomahawks are 4 for 23 (17%) on the power play. Johnstown’s netminders have a combined .891 save percentage and 3.30 goals against average.

Mitch Machlitt leads the Titans in total points with seven (3 goals and 4 assists) against the Tomahawks and goals (3). The Titans are 8 for 29 (28%) on the power play. Goaltenders Arseni Sergeev and Patrick Pugliese have a combined .878 save percentage and 3.45 goals against average.

Tomahawks Overview
Johnstown currently resides in second place in the East Division with a 24-11-2-2 record for 52 points, five points behind the division leading Titans, although the Titans have four games in hand.  The Tomahawks are 7 – 3 in their last ten games and they are coming off a 4 – 3 overtime home win against the Maryland Black Bears (they swept Maryland last weekend). The Tomahawks have scored 139 goals (eighth in the league) while they have allowed 113 (eleventh in the league). Johnstown has converted on 25.3% of their chances on the power play (fifth best in the league) while they have prevented the opposition from scoring 75.4% of the time on the penalty kill (seventh worst in the league).

Gorscak leads the Tomahawks with forty-seven totals points (17 goals and 30 assists), goals (17) and game winning goals (4). Brendan Blair has a team high +21. Spencer DenBeste leads the team with ninety-seven penalty minutes.

Alex Tracy and David Tomeo have a combined 2.50 goals against average and .919 save percentage with two shutouts.

Titans Overview
The Titans are in the first place in the East Division with a 28 – 6 – 0 – 1 record for 57points. They have won eight of its last ten games, and they are coming off a 6 – 4 home win against the Northeast Generals (last weekend the Titans swept the Generals and have won four in a row). They have scored 164 goals (most in the league) and have allowed 108 (tenth in the league). The Titans are second in the league on the power play having converted on 29.2% of their chances while they have prevented the opposition from scoring on the penalty kill 82.8% of the time (tenth best in the league).

Machlitt leads the team in total points with forty-eight (21 goals and 27 assists) and goals (21). Michael Outzen has a team best five game winning goals. Cade Penney has a team high +/- with +27 while Brody Medeiros has the most penalty minutes on the team with sixty.

The goaltending tandem of Pugliese (2.80 GAA and .913 SV%) and Sergeev (3.33 GAA and .898 SV%) have a combined 3.01 goals against average and .907 save percentage with one shutout (Pugliese).

Military Appreciation Weekend
It will be military appreciation weekend with the Titans wearing special uniforms that will be auctioned off via online. The raffle will take place on Sunday at 5:00PM. The proceeds will be donated to the American Legion Post 338 of Leonardo, NJ.