Weekend Preview: 12/13 – 12/14/19: Battle of the East resumes as Tomahawks visit Titans

Dec 12, 2019

The battle of the NAHL’s two top teams in the East Division will resume this weekend as the second place Johnstown Tomahawks visit the Middletown Sports Complex to take on the first place Titans for two games. Friday night’s contest will start at 7:30 PM while Saturday’s game will begin at 7:00 PM.

Titans vs. Tomahawks Overview
After splitting two games in Johnstown last weekend, the home-and-home series resumes this weekend at the MSC, the first time this season that the Titans have hosted the Tomahawks. Despite each team winning two games apiece, the Tomahawks have outscored the Titans by a combined score of 16 – 13.

Christian Gorscak leads the Tomahawks with six points (2 goals and 4 assists) against New Jersey. Gorscak, along with three over players, has scored two goals. Johnstown is 3 for 16 (19%) on the power play. The Tomahawks netminders have a combined .890 save percentage and 2.75 goals against average with not shutouts.

Mitch Machlitt (2 goals and 2 assists) and Kyle Jeffers (1 goal and 3 assists) each have four points against Johnstown. One of Machlitt’s goals and Jeffers lone goal came in overtime to give the Titans victories. The Titans are 4 for 19 (21%) on the power play. Goaltenders Patrick Pugliese and Arseni Sergeev have a combined .867 save percentage and 3.75 goals against average with no shutouts.

Tomahawks Overview
Johnstown currently resides in second place in the East Division with a 17-9-2-2 record for 38 points, five points behind the division leading Titans.  The Tomahawks are 6 – 4 in their last ten games and they are coming off a 4 – 2 overtime home loss against the Titans. The Tomahawks have scored 105 goals (third in the league) while they have allowed 91 (18th most in the league). Johnstown has converted on 29.2% of their chances on the power play (third best in the league) while they have prevented the opposition from scoring 74.8% of the time on the penalty kill (fifth worst in the league).

Gorscak leads the Tomahawks with thirty-one totals points (13 goals and 18 assists). Carson Gallagher has scored the most goals with fourteen. Tristan Poissant and Gorscak each have scored three game winning goals. Brendan Boyle has a team high +9. Spencer DenBeste leads the team with sixty-eight penalty minutes.

Alex Tracy and David Tomeo have a combined 2.53 goals against average and .920 save percentage with one shutout (Tracy).

Titans Overview
The Titans currently lead the East Division with a 21-4-0-1 record for 43 points. New Jersey has won seven of its last ten games, and they are coming off a 3 – 2 road win against the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights.  They have scored 122 goals (most in the league) and have allowed 77 (eleventh in the league). The Titans are second in the league on the power play having converted on 30.9% of their chances while they have prevented the opposition from scoring on the penalty kill 84.1% of the time (eighth best in the league).

Machlitt leads the team in total points with thirty-five (17 goals and 18 assists) and goals (17). Michael Outzen has a team best four game winning goals. Cade Penney has a team’s best and +/- with +20 while Kyler Head has the most penalty minutes on the team with thirty-two.

The goaltending tandem of Pugliese (2.66 GAA and .918 SV%) and Sergeev (3.14 GAA and .903 SV%) have a combined 2.86 goals against average and .912 save percentage with one shutout (Pugliese).

This weekend’s promotions
Friday night is ugly sweater night. Any fan who wears an ugly Christmas sweater can save $3 off an adult ticket and be entered to win a $25 gift certificate to the Titans Café.

Saturday night is the Titans annual Teddy Bear Toss. Fans who bring a teddy will receive $3 off an adult ticket. Proceeds go the Ronald McDonald House of Central and Northern New Jersey.