Michael Young, Brendan Dumas, Ryan Coughlin and David Posma scored to give the Titans a 4 – 1 win over the visiting Danbury Jr. Hat Tricks to clinch the franchise’s first ever regular season East Division championship.
The win was the team’s 39th of the season, the most in team history. It also was the Titans eighth straight victory, the longest winning streak of the season.
Young opened the scoring at 9:49 into the first period. After picking up the loose puck along his own far side half wall, Young skated through the slot and made a pass to Coughlin at the near side blueline. Coughlin sent a return pass to a breaking Young through center ice and the Kings Park, NY native walked in all alone on Hat Tricks goalie Marino Ramirez and beat him through the five hole for Young’s 22nd goal of the season.
Dumas doubled the Titans lead with 1:35 remaining in the period. After the Titans won the draw deep inside the Danbury zone, the puck went back to Eric Charpentier at the point. Charpentier took a clapper that was saved by Ramierz and the rebound came out to Dumas who took a shot that was saved by Ramierz. After a succession of saves and scrum out front, the puck came out to Dumas who lifted the puck up and over the fallen Ramierz for Dumas’ twentieth goal of the season.
Posma was called for elbowing at 4:25 into the third period to give Danbury the man advantage. A minute and eleven seconds later, Coughlin scored the Titans ninth shorthanded goal of the season. Looking to set up the play behind his own net, Danbury’s Robert Hyde skated towards his own near side faceoff dot and went to make a cross-ice pass, but it bounced off the boards and it was picked up by Young just outside the Tricks zone. As Young gained the line, he passed it over to Coughlin at the faceoff circle and Coughlin beat two defenders and took a wrist shot that beat Ramierz long side to make it a 3 – 0 game.
Danbury’s Matthew Danziger scored with 9:25 left in the period to make it a 3 – 1 game while Posma scored an empty net goal with two minutes remaining in regulation to close out the scoring and make it a 4 – 1 game.
Titans netminder Andrew Takacs stopped 24 of 25 shots for his league high 28th win of the season while Ramierz turned aside 34 of 37. Click here for the box score.
The Titans have seven games remaining in the regular season, five of them are at the Middletown Sports Complex. They are off this weekend and will resume play the weekend of April 1 when they face the Johnstown Tomahawks.
By clinching the division, the Titans will have home ice advantage throughout the divisional playoffs, which will begin around April 22.