Tag Archives: Nick DeSantis

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Haviland scores two goals as Titans defeat Knights 5 – 2

Shane Haviland scored two goals, Mitch Machlitt had a goal and an assist while Gavin Gulash and Jake LaRusso each had two assists to help lead the New Jersey Titans to a 5 – 2 win over the visiting Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights. It was the last regular season meeting between the teams. With the win, New Jersey defeated WBS seven out of eight times this year.

The win also increased the Titans lead in the East Division to five points.

Cam Gendron got the Titans on the board just fifty-eight seconds into the game. Gendron picked up the loose puck behind his own net and sent a pass up to Machlitt at center ice but the biscuit went by Machlitt and into the offensive zone where it was retrieved by Kyler Head. As Head reached the far side half wall, he sent a backhanded pass out front to Gendron who redirected the puck past Knights goalie Zach Stejskal to give the Titans an early 1 – 0 lead.

A minute and sixteen seconds later Haviland would score his first goal of the evening. As Jake LaRusso gained the line along the near side boards, he passed the puck to Gavin Gulash in front of him. Gulash immediately sent a cross-ice pass to Brad Zona who took a shot that went wide of the net but the puck bounced off the end boards and came right out to Haviland in the slot and Haviland buried it past Stejskal to give the Titans a 2 – 0 lead.

Haviland made it 3 – 0 at 6:46 into the second period. After the Knights dumped the puck into the Titans zone for a line change, the puck was picked up by Zona who passed it to Machlitt at center ice. Machlitt made a bounce pass off the far side boards to LaRusso. As LaRusso skated to the top of the faceoff circle, he made a centering pass out front to Haviland who one-timed it past Stejskal for eighth goal of the season.

Michael Outzen’s goal with 9:04 left in the second period gave the Titans a 4 – 0 lead. After Ole Andersen won a scrum in his own far side corner, he brought the puck up along the boards and made a cross-ice pass to Chris Garbe. As Garbe entered the Knights zone, he stopped, reversed and sent a puck in on net that was blocked out front. Nick DeSantis picked up the loose puck and took a shot from his knees that was saved by Stejskal, but the rebound came right to Outzen who buried the puck into the open net for his nineteenth goal of the season.

The Knights tried a comeback by scoring two unanswered goals early in the third period.

Just thirteen seconds into the final period, Lincoln Hatten scored his team high twenty-seventh goal of the season. After Tyrone Bronte won the draw deep inside the Titans zone, he passed the puck to Hatten to his left. Hatten took a slap shot that went off Titans goalie Ryan McInchak’s pad and into the net to make it a 4 – 1 game.

Playing four-on-four hockey, the Knights’ Anthony Mastromonica’s unassisted goal at 7:36 into the third period cut the Titans lead in half but it wasn’t enough as Machlitt added an empty net goal with 1:44 left in the game to close out the scoring.

McInchak, who won his fourth consecutive game, stopped 32 of 34 shots while Stejskal turned aside 43 of 47. Click here for the box score.

The Titans now will play the Maine Nordiques for a two-game series beginning tomorrow night at the Middletown Sports Complex.

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Titans down Generals 7 – 5 in slugfest

Kyle Jeffers had two goals and three assists and Michael Outzen had three assists to help the visiting New Jersey Titans defeat the Northeast Generals 7 – 5 last night at the New England Sports Village in a good old fashion slugfest which featured five lead changes. The victory also ended the Titans four game losing skid.

The Generals opened the scoring just 1:45 into the first period. After former General Joe Nagle dumped the puck into the offensive zone, Northeast’s goalie Joey Stanizzi stopped the puck behind his own goal to set up the play. He backhanded the puck around the end boards where is was picked up by Ricky Boysen at the near side half wall. Boysen sent a long cross-ice pass to Kyle Schroeder who entered the New Jersey zone along the far side boards. As Schroeder cut across the goal mouth, he went from his forehand to his backhand and lifted the puck up high and past Titans goaltender Ryan McInchak to give Northeast an early 1 – 0 lead.

Jack LaRusso tied the game at 8:21 of the first. Outzen won a scrum behind his own net and to the right of McInchak. The Highlands Ranch, CO native passed the puck out front to Brody Medeiros who skated up to the blue line and sent a long bounce pass off the near side boards and into the Northeast zone where it was picked up by LaRusso at the faceoff dot. LaRusso cut across the goal mouth and slid the puck past Stanizzi’s left pad for his sixth goal of the season.

Three minutes later Nick DeSantis gave the Titans a 2 – 1 lead. Jeffers picked up the loose puck at center ice and brought it into the offensive zone along the far side boards. As Jeffers reached the faceoff dot, he sent a cross-ice pass to DeSantis in the slot and the Collegeville, PA native took a shot that beat Stanizzi through his five hole for his sixth goal of the year.

With a minute and half remaining in the first, Nagle was called for high sticking to give his former teammates the man advantage. Forty-five seconds later Tyler Cooper tied the game at two. Cooper took a shot from the top of the far side faceoff circle that was saved by McInchak but the deep rebound came out to Michael Heneghan at the top of the high slot. Heneghan passed it back over to Cooper on his left. Cooper took a one-timer from the faceoff dot that beat McInchak high glove side.

Medeiros gave the Titans a 3 – 2 lead just fifty-three seconds into the middle stanza. After receiving a pass from Outzen, Gavin Gulash took a wrist shot from the bottom of the far side faceoff circle that was saved by Stanizzi but the deep rebound came off the near side boards to Medeiros at the top of the faceoff circle. Medeiros took a clapper that found its way through a screen and past Stanizzi fo his sixth goal of the year.

Northeast’s Gerard Marretta tied the game at 3:03 of the second. Marretta skated to the slot after he picked up the loose puck along the far side boards and sent it back to the point to Dylan Schuett. Schuett took a shot that was deflected by Marretta in front that trickled past McInchak and rolled into the net.

The Generals went up 4 – 3 at 7:03 of the middle period. Alexander Tertyshny picked up the loose puck in the neutral zone along the far side boards and dumped it back into the Titans zone where it was picked up by Boysen. As Boysen reached the top of the faceoff circle he drop passed the puck to Clark Kerner and Kerner took a snapshot that beat McInchak high blocker side.

Jeffers tied the game at four with 2:25 remaining in the period. With Josef Glamos and Shane Haviland part of a scrum behind the Generals net, Haviland picked up the loose puck and made a nice backhand pass out front to Jeffers who spinned around and took a shot that beat Stanizzi blocker side for his first goal of the contest.

With 1:35 left in the period, Notheast’s Ryan Kuzmich was called for roughing to give the Titans the man advantage. Jeffers dump and chased the puck into the Generals zone and sent the biscuit behind the end boards where it was intercepted by Boysen at the far side half wall. Boysen sent a bounce pass of the boards to himself and he brought the puck up along the boards. As Boysen reached the slot he made a small stutter move and lifted the puck up high and past McInchak to give the Generals a 5 – 4 lead with a minute remaining in the second period.

The Titans then took control of the game by scoring three goals in the final period.

With 7:54 remaining in the third, Matt Cameron tied the game at five. Jeffers intercepted a Generals clearing pass off the boards at the far side blue line and took a shot down low that was purposely stopped by Cameron out in front of Stanizzi. Cameron made a quick move to his left then brought the puck back and lifted it past Stanizzi for his eighteenth goal of the season.

Tertyshny was called for tripping with 4:05 left in the game to give the Titans the man advantage. As time was running out on the power play, Jeffers set up the play at the top of the near side faceoff circle and send a cross-ice pass over to Outzen. Outzen sent it back to Cade Penney at the top of the slot and Penney took a wrister that beat Stanizzi high blocker side to give the Titans a 6 – 5 lead.

With time winding down in the game, Northeast pulled Stanizzi for the extra attacker, but Jeffers scored his second goal of the game, an empty netter, to close out the scoring. It was Jeffers twenty-third goal of the year which ties him with Mitch Machlitt for most goals on the team.

McInchak stopped 34 of 39 shots while Stanizzi turned aside 30 of 36. Click here for the box score.

The two teams will close out the weekend and regular season series between themselves tonight at 7:00 PM.

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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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Garbe’s hat trick helps leads Titans to weekend sweep over Black Bears

Chris Garbe scored three goals, including two in the first period, to help lead the New Jersey Titans to a 7 – 2 victory over the visiting Maryland Black Bears to complete a weekend sweep between the teams.

It was Garbe’s first hat trick of the season and the Titans second one in two games.

The Titans scored early and often in the first period and it all started at 1: 39 into the opening period on Tyler Nasca’s seventh goal of the season. After a shot was blocked out in-front of the Titans net, captain Brody Medeiros picked up the loose puck along the far side half wall and he passed it up to Nick DeSantis who sent a backhand pass to Josef Glamos. As Glamos enter the neutral zone he passed it up and over to a breaking Shane Haviland along the far side boards. As Haviland gained the line, he made a cross-ice pass over to Nasca and the defenseman took a wrist shot from the top of the circle that beat Black Bears goalie Cooper Black to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead.

Less than a minute and a half later, the Titans doubled their lead on Garbe’s first goal of the game. After Garbe won the draw deep inside the Black Bears zone, the puck went to Matt Cameron who was to the left of Garbe. As Cameron circled to the top of the near side faceoff circle, he went to pass the puck over to Brad Zona but it was deflected and bounced off the far side boards where Zona ultimately picked it up at the bottom of the faceoff circle. Zona threw a pass on net that was saved by Black but Garbe tucked in the rebound past the goalie to make it 2 – 0.

Matthew Iasenza made it 3 – 0 with 7:05 remaining in the first period. After Iasenza won the draw deep inside his own zone, the puck went back to Zona who wrapped it around the end boards and up to the far side half wall to Friday night’s star of the game Cam Gendron. Gendron sent a bounce pass off the boards to Iasenza who skated through center ice and into the Black Bears zone. As Iasenza was driving towards the net, he passed it off to Kyler Head on his right who immediately sent it back to Zona at the point. Zona took a wrist shot that was saved by Black but Gendron, who was to the left of Black, circled around the net and passed it out front to Iasenza  and he buried it into the open net for his ninth goal of the season.

Garbe scored his second goal with 2:21 left in the first. With the puck inside the Titans zone, Maryland’s Aiden McDowell took a shot from the top of near side point that was blocked out in front and picked up by Gavin Gulash. As Gulash reached his own blue line, he head manned the puck to Garbe who skated in all alone on Black and Garbe beat him far side to give the Titans a 4 – 0 lead.

Maryland got on the board at 4:05 in the second period on Jackson Sterrett’s seventeenth goal of the season. The Black Bears entered the offensive zone on a three-on-two rush. As Aaron Swanson gained the line, he passed the puck over to Sterrett on his right. Sterrett took a shot that was saved by Titans goaltender Patrick Pugliese but Sterrett picked up the rebound and sent it around the end boards and up along the near side half wall to Jack Hillman. Hillman took a shot that went wide but the puck took a strange bounce off the end boards and right to Sterrett who buried it past Pugliese to make it 4 – 1.

Three and a half minutes later, Swanson cut the Black Bears deficit in half. With the puck in the Titans zone along the far side boards, Medeiros sent a high clearing pass off the glass, but it was kept in the zone at the point by Garrett Szydlowski who passed it up to Swanson. At the top of the faceoff circle, Swanson circled and passed it back to Szydlowski on his right. Szydlowski made a cross-ice pass but it bounced off the near side boards where it picked up by Tim Organ. Organ lobbed a shot on net that was redirected out front by Swanson and past Pugliese for his thirteenth goal of the season.

Michael Outzen scored with 2:23 left in the middle stanza to make it 5 – 2. DeSantis picked up the loose puck at the top of his own slot and passed it over to Outzen. The Highlands Ranch, CO native skated through center ice and into the offensive zone. As Outzen reached the top of the far side faceoff circle, he curled and took a long wrist shot that found its way through a screen and past Aaron Randazzo, who replaced Black between the pipes, for his sixteenth goal of the season.

Head scored a power play goal with six seconds remaining in the middle stanza and Garbe finished his hat trick with thirty-eight seconds remaining in the game to close out the scoring.

Pugliese stopped 29 of 31 shots while Maryland’s goaltender combined to stop 22 of 29. Click here for the box score.

The Titans next game will be on Wednesday, February 12 against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights at the Middletown Sports Complex. Puck drop is 7:35pm.

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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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Titans rout Nordiques 9 – 2 to split weekend series

Matt Cameron and Kyle Jeffers each scored two goals and had an assist while Chris Garbe and Michael Outzen had a goal and an assist respectively to help lead the visiting New Jersey Titans to a 9 – 2 win over the Maine Nordiques. The victory enabled the Titans to split the weekend series between the teams.

The nine goals were the most the Titans scored in a game this season and it was the second time this year that they had won by seven goals (7 – 0 on October 25 against Jamestown).

The Titans scored early and often in the first period having scored four goals with the first one coming at 3:59 off the stick of Cameron. Ole Andersen picked up the loose puck at center ice and passed it up to Gavin Gulash. As Gulash gained the line, he passed it over to Garbe on his right. Garbe took a shot from the top of the near side faceoff circle that was initially stopped by Maine’s netminder Wesley Mankowski but the puck trickled through his pads and Cameron tapped it into the open net.

At 8:29 of the opening period, the Nordiques’ Tristan Thibeault was called for holding to give the Titans the man advantage. Forty-four seconds later Outzen scored his fifteenth goal of the season. After Mankowski made a save, the rebound went behind his net where it was picked up by his defenseman Jacob Crespo. Crespo tried to clear the puck along the near side boards, but it was intercepted by Kyler Head at the point. Head passed it down low to Mitch Machlitt who was to the left of Mankowski. Machlitt passed it out front to Outzen who one-timed it passed Mankowski to give the Titans a 2 – 0 lead.

A little over two minutes later Shane Haviland made it 3 – 0. Josef Glamos took a sharp angle shot that was saved by Mankowski but the rebound was picked up by Nick DeSantis who skated behind the Nordiques net. As he went to the far side corner, he drop passed the puck to Cade Penney who passed it up to Haviland at the bottom of the faceoff dot. Haviland took a one-timer that beat Mankowski short side for his fifth goal of the season.

Avery Sturtz replaced Mankowski between the pipes.

With eighteen seconds remaining in the period, Tyler Nasca gave the Titans a 4 – 0 lead. Machlitt picked up the loose puck at the side of the Nordiques net and tried to center it out front but it hit a Nordiques defender and the puck bounced to the far side half wall where it was picked up by Jeffers. Jeffers sent it back to Penney at the point who immediately sent a return pass to Jeffers. Jeffers made a cross-ice pass to Nasca who one-timed it passed Sturtz for his fifth goal of the season.

Maine got on the board just 1:40 into the middle stanza on Luke Antonacci’s first goal of the season. Antonacci took a shot from the far side point that was blocked out front by Garbe. As the puck slid towards the point, Antonacci picked it up and passed to Cannon Green at the half wall. Green passed it over to Antonacci on his right and the defenseman beat Titans netminder Patrick Pugliese short side to make a 4 – 1 game.

Jeffers scored his first goal of the night at 7:42 of the second. Head picked up the loose puck just outside the Nordiques zone and passed it back to Brody Medeiros near the far side boards who looked to reset the play. Medeiros made a cross-ice pass up to Jeffers at the Nordiques line. As Jeffers entered the zone, he skated to the hash mark and took a shot that beat Sturtz short side to make it a 5 – 1 game.

After multiple penalties were called with 2:40 remaining in the second, the Titans went on the power play. With time winding down on the man advantage, Outzen had the puck at the near side half wall and went to throw it on net, but it was knocked away and picked up by Machlitt at the far side boards. Machlitt passed it down low to Cameron who was to the left of Sturtz. As Cameron skated towards the slot, he backhanded a shot that beat Sturtz high, long side to make it a 6 – 1 game with forty-nine seconds remaining in the period.

The Nordiques added a goal from Kevin Pitts in the third while Jeffers, Glamos and Garbe finished out the scoring for the Titans. Glamos’ goal was the Titans third power play goal of the evening.

Pugliese, who had to make several key saves, stopped 28 of 30 shots while Mankowski and Sturtz combined to turn aside 28 of 37. Click here for the box score.

“I was really please with our response tonight” stated Titans head coach Craig Doremus. “It was a complete effort from our goaltender out. We have a lot of pride in our dressing room and the guys have high standards for our culture. Losing is not acceptable with this team and I am proud of the group. Onto Maryland” concluded Doremus.

The Titans will be back home next weekend for a two-game series against the Maryland Black Bears. It will be part of a five-game home stand.

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Titans fall to Tomahawks 5 – 3 to split weekend series

The visiting Johnstown Tomahawks scored three unanswered third period goals en route to a 5 – 3 win over the New Jersey Titans to split the weekend series between the East Division’s top two teams. Despite the loss, the Titans remain five points ahead of the Tomahawks in the standings with four games in hand.

In another playoff type atmosphere, it was a back-and-forth game with the Tomahawks taking an initial two goal lead.

Pavel Kharin scored at 2:54 into the opening period to give the Tomahawks and early 1 – 0 lead. After Johnstown’s goaltender Alex Tracy made a save, the rebound went out to the near side half wall where it was picked up by Andrew Murphy who skated up along the boards and into the offensive zone with Kharin. As Murphy reached the top of the faceoff circle, he sent a cross-ice pass to Kharin who redirected the puck past Titans netminder Patrick Pugliese for his sixth goal of the season.

With 2:35 into the middle stanza, Nick DeSantis was called for tripping to give the visitors the man advantage. As time was winding down on the power play, Ryan Poorman set up the play at the top of the point. He passed the puck down to Bennett Stockdale at the top of the circle. Stockdale circled back towards the top of the slot and took a long wrist shot that was deflected by Murphy past Pugliese to make it a 2 – 0 game.

It was then the Titans turn to score three unanswered goals in the second period.

At 7:28 of the period, Michael Outzen put the Titans on the scoreboard. After a faceoff deep inside the Tomahawks zone, the puck went back to Johnstown’s Brendan Blair who sent a high clearing pass off the glass, but it was gloved down by Danny Dimon at the far side point. Outzen picked up the loose puck and went to make a centering pass, but it hit Johnstown’s Tristan Poissant in the leg. As the puck fell, DeSantis picked it up and passed it to Dimon breaking along the boards. As Dimon reached the goal line, he made a centering pass out front that Outzen redirected past Tracy for his thirteenth goal of the season.

Johnstown’s Ethan Webb was called for interference at 8:16 of the period to put the Titans on the power play. Nineteen seconds later Kyler Head tied the game. Ole Andersen picked up the loose puck at the top of the near side faceoff circle and made a backhand pass towards the net that hit a Tomahawks’ defender. Matt Cameron picked up the puck and skated towards the goal line. As Cameron took a shot, it was blocked out front and picked up by Dimon. The assistant captain took a turnaround shot that was blocked but Head slapped it in past Tracy to make it 2 – 2.

With 3:12 left in the period, Brad Zona was called for interference to give the Tomahawks the man advantage.  Halfway through the power play Poissant took a quick shot from the top of the near side faceoff circle that went wide of Pugliese and rolled up along the boards. As Johnstown’s Max Kouznetsov tried to keep the puck in the zone, he lost control of it and Cade Penney picked it up and entered the offensive zone on a two-on-one with Cam Gendron. As Penney reached the faceoff dot, he sent a cross-ice pass to Gendron who redirected the puck past Tracy to give the Titans their first lead of the game with 2:21 remaining in the second.

Johnstown’s Matthew Doyle would knot the score at three just 1:53 into the third period. Webb picked up the loose puck at the top of his own faceoff circle and passed up to Kouznetsov who entered the offensive zone along the near side boards. As Kouznetsov skated across the goal mouth, Pugliese made the save but Doyle jammed in the rebound for his second goal of the year.

Gendron was called for high sticking at 6:09 of the third to give the Tomahawks the man advantage. Less than a minute later the Tomahawks regained the lead on Carson Gallagher’s seventeenth goal of the season. After Gallagher took a shot that was blocked out front, the puck went to the far side half wall where it was picked up by Stockdale. Stockdale passed it over to Gallagher at the top of the slot and he took a shot that found its way through a maze and past Pugliese to give the Tomahawks the 4 – 3 lead.

Johnstown’s Poorman scored a power play goal with 7:14 left in the game to close out the scoring.

Pugliese stopped 32 of 37 shots while Tracy turned aside 35 of 38. Click here for the box score.

The loss ended a Titans five game win streak also concluded a five game homestand in which they went 4 – 1. They now will travel to Maine for the second time three weeks to play the Nordiques next weekend.

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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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Titans win 6 – 4 in seesaw battle with Generals to sweep weekend series

Matt Cameron scored two goals, Ole Andersen had a goal and two assists and Michael Outzen had three points to help lead the Titans to a 6 – 4 win in a seesaw battle over the visiting Northeast Generals to sweep the weekend series.

It was the Titans fourth straight victory and sixth out of their last seven games.

Like Friday night’s game, Josef Glamos opened the scoring for the Titans with 9:44 into the first period for his eleventh goal of the season. Shane Haviland picked up the loose puck in his own corner and brought it up along the far side boards and made a bounce pass to Gavin Gulash who entered the offensive zone. As Gulash reached the faceoff dot, the took a wrist shot that was saved by Northeast’s goalie Joey Stanizzi but the rebound came right out to Glamos who buried it into the open net to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead.

Less then a minute later, Tyler Cooper knotted the game at one. With a scrum at the half wall, the Generals’ Max Borst picked up the loose puck and made a cross-ice pass out to Cooper. As Cooper entered the Titans zone, he fell but got up and took a wrist shot from the top of the circle that beat goaltender Arseni Sergeev long side for his tenth goal of the season.

The Titans would regain the lead with 6:09 remaining in the first. Northeast’s Gerard Marretta was called for a five-minute boarding major to give New Jersey the man advantage. Kyler Head picked up the loose puck behind the Generals zone and passed it to Mitch Machlitt in the corner. Machlitt passed it back to Andersen at the point as he started to walk the line and Andersen passed the puck to Outzen at the near side boards. Outzen made a return pass to Andersen and the Hamar, NO took a one-timer that found its way through a screen and past Stanizzi for his fourth goal of the season.

With the Titans on the power play, Cameron picked up the loose in the Generals zone and passed it back to Machlitt at the near side point. Machlitt sent the biscuit down low to Outzen who made a nice backdoor pass to Cameron in the slot and Cameron one-timed it past Stanizzi to give the Titans a 3 – 1 lead at 3:01 into the second period.

The Generals then scored three unanswered goals.

At 7:10 into the middle stanza Northeast’s Jonathan Young cut the Generals deficit in half. Marretta entered the Titans zone on a three-on-two with Young and Ethan Destefani. As Marretta gained the line, he passed the puck to Young on his left. Young passed it back to Destafani at the top of the slot and Destafani took a shot that was saved by Sergeev but Young tucked in the rebound to make it a 3 – 2 game.

Destefani tied the game with 7:35 remaining in the second. The Generals Charlie Reed entered the Titans zone on an odd man rush. As Reed skated to the top of the slot, he passed to Dylan Schuett on his left. Schuett cut across the goalmouth and took a shot that was saved by Sergeev but the puck bounced off his glove and Destefani tucked in the rebound to make it a 3 – 3 game.

The Generals took the lead with 1:58 left in the second. Northeast’s Michael Heneghan brought the puck out of his own zone and passed it over to Ricky Boysen on his right. As Boysen entered the Titans zone along the far side boards, he took a shot at the top of the faceoff circle that beat Sergeev long side for sixth goal of the season.

Then it was the Titans turn to score three unanswered goals.

At 5:47 into the third period Nick DeSantis tied the game. After Sergeev made a right pad save, the rebound came out to Andersen who sent the puck high off the glass and it bounced deep inside the Northeast zone. DeSantis picked up the loose puck and took a quick wrist shot that went through Stanizzi’s five hole for his fourth goal of the season.

Less than a minute later the Titans regained the lead on Gulash’s sixth goal of the season. After Outzen won the draw deep inside his own zone, the Highlands Ranch, CO native quickly send a bounce pass off the near side boards to himself and he went behind his own net. As Outzen circled around Sergeev, he passed it Andersen who made a long and high outlet pass to Gulash who picked up the puck at the top of the Northeast blueline. As Gulash gained the line he took a wrist shot that beat Stanizzi long side to make it a 5 – 4 game.

Cameron closed out the scoring with a shorthand goal with 2:03 left in the game to make it 6 – 4 Titans.

Sergeev stopped 34 of 38 shots while Stanizzi turned aside 29 of 35. Click here for the box score.

The Titans close out their five game homestand next weekend when the Johnstown Tomahawks visit the Middletown Sports Complex for two important games between the East Division’s first and second place teams.

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Jeffers and Gulash help lead Titans to 4 – 1 win over Generals

Kyle Jeffers and Gavin Gulash each had a goal and an assist to help lead the Titans to a 4 – 1 win over the visiting Northeast Generals. It was the Titans twenty-seventh win of the season.

Josef Glamos started the scoring for the Titans just 2:43 into the opening period. Danny Dimon took a shot from the top of the near side point, but it was redirected out front and into the far side corner where it picked up by Gulash. The Robert Morris commit went to send the puck towards the net, but Northeast’s Dylan Schuett intercepted it. As Schuett tried to breakout of his own zone, Gulash stripped him of the puck and passed it to Jeffers on his right. As Jeffers went to the net, he passed it over to Glamos who buried the puck into the net and past Generals goalie Joey Stanizzi to give the Titans a 1 – 0 lead.

The Titans double their lead at 6:47 of the first period on Gulash’s fifth goal of the season. As the Generals tried to clear the puck in their own far side corner, it was intercepted by Matthew Iasenza at the half wall. Iasenza took a shot that went wide, and the puck went off the end boards and rolled up to the near side half wall where it picked up by Dimon. The assistant captain took a shot on net that was redirected out front by Gulash and through Stanizzi’s five hole to give the Titans a 2 – 0 lead.

Nick DeSantis was called for slashing at 6:08 into the second period to give the Generals the man advantage. Eight seconds later Tyler Cooper cut Northeast’s deficit in half. After Cooper won the ensuing draw deep inside the Titans zone, the puck to Gerard Marretta who was to the left of Cooper. Marretta sent the puck back to Joe Nagel at the point. Nagel passed it to Cooper at the top of the circle and Cooper took a shot that founds its way through a maze and past Titans goalie Patrick Pugliese for his ninth goal of the season.

The Titans would regain their two-goal lead with 9:47 left in the second. Titans defender David Parker intercepted the puck in his own zone at the half wall and he floated the biscuit up to Mitch Machlitt at center ice. Machlitt skated along the near side boards and entered the offensive zone on a two-on-one with Jeffers. As Machlitt reached the faceoff dot, he made a cross-ice pass to Jeffers who one-timed it past Stanizzi for his eighteenth goal of the season.

Cade Penney closed out the Titans scoring with 9:04 in the third period. As the two teams battled along end boards in the Titans zone, the puck came out to Matt Cameron at the top of the near side faceoff circle. Cameron immediately passed it over to DeSantis who skated through center ice and entered the offensive zone on an odd man rush with Penney. As DeSantis reached the slot, he passed it over to Penney on his left and the rookie defenseman lifted the puck up high and into the net past Stanizzi to make it a 4 – 1 game.

Pugliese stopped 29 of 30 shots while Stanizzi turned aside 26 of 30. Click here for the box score.

The two teams will close out their weekend series tonight at 7:00 PM on Star Wars Night. All fans who wear a Star Wars costume will receive $3 off a ticket and be eligible to win a $25 gift certificate to the Titans Café located inside the Middletown Sports Complex.