The New Jersey Titans will host the New Hampshire Mountain Kings for the first time in franchise history this weekend at the Middletown Sports Complex. It will be a special weekend, as Friday night will have the Titans’ annual Teddy Bear Toss, with donations benefitting Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital. Fans who arrive with a teddy bear or other stuffed animals to donate will receive free admission, and additional teddy bears will be available to purchase in the lobby. There’s no limit on how many stuffed animals fans can bring into the arena, and when the Titans score their first goal of the game, fans will throw these stuffed animals on the ice in one of the more touching moments of the holiday and hockey season. The Titans hope to eclipse the previous franchise record of 313 stuffed animals set last year.
Turning towards the games themselves, the Titans are 6-3-1 in their last ten games, including a 6-1 victory over the Philadelphia Rebels on Tuesday night. Highlighted by Kai Elkie’s 2 goals and Matej Teply’s 4 assists, Arhip Sidarovich, Ethan Wongus, Kyle Kim, Nikita Meshcheryakov also recorded multiple points. Currently tied for 5th place in the East Divsion with Rochester, the Titans have now scored the second most goals within the division with 102.
New Hampshire does not trail in the standings by much. With a record of 13-15-3, the Mountain Kings are on the cusp on a playoff spot in their first season of existence. They will be searching for their first victory since December 1st, dropping their last four games, including a 5-1 defeat at the hands of first place Maine on Wednesday. They are led up front by Nick Reif and Hunter Fetterolf. Reif, a New York native, has recorded 9 goals and 11 assists this season to lead the team, while Fetterolf, the former Maine Nordique, has recorded 19. Tommy McDonough is third on the team in points, leading New Hampshire’s defense with 18 points. In goal, the Mountain Kings rely on Aiden Wright, with a personal record of 10-6-1, a goals against average of 2.94, and a save percentage of .921. In his first season in the NAHL, Wright was teammates last season with Titans rookie Ryan Friedman on the Long Island Gulls 18U squad.
Games are scheduled for 7:30pm on Friday, December 15th, and 7:00pm on Saturday, December 16th. Tickets can be purchased at njtitansnahl.com, and the games will be streamed on NAHLtv. Remember to bring your teddy bears and other stuffed animals for free admission on Friday night!