The New Jersey Titans outshot the Philadelphia Rebels 51-20, powering the team to a 6-1 victory on Tuesday night at the Middletown Sports Complex in Middletown, New Jersey. Dylan Krick stopped 19 of 20 shots for his 7th win of the season.
An even first period saw opportunities for both teams, but it was Kai Elkie who found the back of the net for the Titans at the 9:21 mark of the first period to give the New Jersey a 1-0 lead. Ethan Wongus and Matej Teply picked up the helpers. The Titans would take that lead into the first intermission, outshooing the Rebels 9-8 in the first 20 minutes.
Nikita Meshcheryakov would double New Jersey’s lead 1:42 into the second period, rifling a wrist shot to the glove side. Teply and Kyle Kim got the assists on Meshcheryakov’s 10th of the season. Additionally, for Kim, it was his first point in the NAHL. The Titans would continue to pour shots on goal, and scored twice in a span of 22 second in the final two minutes to ultimately put the game out of reach. First, Ryan Friedman’s 6th of the year, assisted by Teply and Kim, made it 3-0. Then, off the ensuing faceoff Dominick Rivelli, Arhip Sidarovich, and Meshcheryakov combined for Rivelli’s 10th of the year, and 25th total in the league. The Titans outshot the Rebels 25 to 4 in the frame, and took the 4-0 lead into the second break.
Philadelphia would score under a minute into the third to break the shutout bid for New Jersey goaltender Dylan Krick, but Elkie added his second of the game 15 seconds later to quash any attempt at a comeback. Wongus and Teply again combined for the assists on Elkie’s 3rd of the year. Matt Henry added his 2nd of the season halfway through the period to add the exclamation mark, assisted by Meshcheryakov and Sidarovich, giving the Titans their third win of the season where they score 6 or more goals. Teply, Kim, Meshcheryakov, Wongus, and Elkie all recorded multiple points.
With the win, the Titans move up to 5th place of the crowded East Division with a 15-13-1 record. Next, they face the New Hampshire Mountain Kings for the first time in franchise history on Friday, December 15th and Saturday, December 16th. It will be a special night at the Middletown Sports Complex on Friday, as the Titans host their annual Teddy Bear Toss. All fans who come with teddy bears or other stuffed animals will receive free admission, and the stuffed animals will be donated to Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital.