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.