Trenton Titans News
DECEMBER 4, 2005
Mathieu Brunelle notched the game-winner 1:24 into overtime for a 4-3 Titans win over the visiting Bombers. Dayton grabbed a 2-0 lead in the 1st period before Chris Pittman's goal with 42 seconds left in the frame put Trenton into the game. The Titans tied the contest 3:54 into the 2nd period with Scott Bertoli's 3rd
goal in as many games, then opened up a 3-2 lead early in the 3rd on a Aaron Gill power play tally. Dayton responded midway through the period to set the stage for overtime. Dustin Traylen improved to 3-0-0 as a starting goaltender, stopping 29 of 32 shots for Trenton.
NOVEMBER 27, 2005
The Trenton Titans ended a 4-game road skid with a 3-2 victory over the Wheeling Nailers. The Trenton offense 'exploded' for 3 goals in the game (last accomplished 6 games ago) which proved to be just enough to skate home with a win and close out November with a mediocre 6-6-1 record for the month. Ned Havern notched his 5th goal of the season 8:12 into the 1st period and
Mathieu Brunelle converted on a power play 7:34 into the 2nd period for his 5th and a 2-0 Titans lead. Wheeling sliced that lead in half late in the middle frame, but Vince Williams bagged his first goal of the season a couple of minutes later for insurance. That goal stood as the game-winner after the Nailers scored on a power play 5:16 into the
3rd period for a 3-2 tally. Dustin Traylen preserved the win for the Titans, finishing his 1st professional start with 31 saves on 33 shots. Hopefully, the win will give the Titans a slight bit of momentum as they start off December with a 4-game homestand starting on Friday.
NOVEMBER 16, 2005
It wasn't spectacular, but it was enough to snap a fledgling losing streak. Rosario Ruggeri's power play goal 15:47 through the 3rd period proved to be the difference as Trenton skated to a 3-2 home win over the Stingrays. South Carolina broke a scoreless tie midway through the 2nd period with a power play tally but Scott Bertoli's 1st goal of the season knotted the game at 1-1 a few
minutes later. Trenton took a 2-1 lead 9:07 into the 3rd period with a Ned Havern power play tally, but the visitors notched another one of their own 2 minutes later for a 2-2 tie setting the stage for Ruggeri's game-winner. Martin Houle nabbed 29 of 31 shots on goal for the Titans as they improve to 6-3-1 on the season.
NOVEMBER 13, 2005
Another rough night in Ohio for the road weary Titans as they fall 3-1 to the Dayton Bombers, who skated to victory with an emergency backup goalie with no professional experience manning the net. Ned Havern started the game right for Trenton, scoring 19 seconds into the opening act. For the 2nd straight night, the Titans saw some fisticuffs and saw the game slip away. The Bombers turned the tables on the Titans
deep in the 2nd period when a 1-0 lead was converted to a 2-1 deficit in a span of just over 2 minutes. Dayton capped off the scoring late in the 3rd period to send Trenton home with a 2nd consecutive road loss. The now human Martin Houle slipped to 3-3-0 on the season with 25 saves on 28 shots during the loss.
NOVEMBER 12, 2005
Saturday night's alright for fighting, but it didn't suit the Titans very well. Trenton skated away from Toledo bruised and battered with a 4-1 road loss. The Storm snatched a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 3 minutes into the game, but Scott May notched a shorthanded goal 6:01 into a very physical 2nd period to tie the game. But Toledo stormed back with 2 more power play goals for a 3-1 lead heading into the final
period, where they added an even-strength goal to cap the victory over the visiting Titans. Martin Houle stopped 34 of 38 shots for Trenton in the loss. Among the fights in the game: 2 between Titans defenseman Cole Byers and former Trenton training camp attendee Robert Snowball (yes, not one but two snowball fights and winter is over a month away).
NOVEMBER 11, 2005
Right about now, the Johnstown Chiefs have to be feeling like Bill Murray in the movie [i]Groundhog Day[/i]. Three times they have faced the Titans in the opening weeks of the young season, and three times they fell in defeat 3-2 in a shootout. The home team notched a pair of rare goals off of Martin Houle late in the opening period for a 2-0 advantage over Trenton, but the Titans sliced the margin in half with a
Chris Pittman goal with 36 seconds left in the frame. At the 5:58 mark of the 2nd period, Mathieu Brunelle notched his 4th goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2. The standstill remained until the shootout, where Houle helped Trenton to a 3-2 shootout for a game final by the same score. Houle more than compensated for the goals he allowed in the opening act, collecting 35 saves on
37 shots while improving to 3-1-0. The 5-1-1 Trenton Titans have been holding their opponents to under 2 goals per game, allowing 3 on opening night and 2 every game since except for Houle's shutout on Wednesday.
NOVEMBER 9, 2005
Trenton has a major goalie problem! If Martin Houle continues to play like he has so far, his stay in Trenton will be very short. Already drawing good reviews from his first 2 starts with the Titans, Houle slapped a 45-save shutout on the table just to convince those who may have been unsure of his talent. The Reading Royals outshot Trenton 45-29 in the contest, but it matter not as Houle stonewalled them. The Titans
broke a scoreless struggle 4:36 into the 2nd period with Chris Thompson's 4th goal of the season, then padded the lead late in the period with a Mathieu Brunelle tally. With 4 seconds remaining in regulation, Thompson deposited the empty-netter for a solid 3-0 Titans home victory. The win boosts Trenton's season record to 4-1-1, but they will need to dial 9-1-1 as the Flyers organization is
bound to notice Houle's impressive professional start. Don't be surprised if the Titans and Phantoms swap goalies before long. Making his Trenton debut in the game: defenseman Mike Jarmuth, on assignment from the AHL's Bridgeport Sound Tigers. Hopefully, the momentum from the past 2 wins will find its way into the Titans' equipment bags as they hit the road for a 3-game weekend swing through Johnstown, Toledo, and
Dayton.
NOVEMBER 7, 2005
The Titans have signed Clarkson University alum Dustin Traylen as their secondary netminder. He made his professional debut earlier this season in a brief relief appearance for the UHL's Danbury Thrashers and recently served as an emergency backup for the AHL's Providence Bruins. Meanwhile, Trenton activated and waived left wing Russell Spence, who was a scratch for the season opener before
being placed on the injured reserve.
NOVEMBER 5, 2005
Another former Titan has broken into the show! Defenseman Jay Leach made his NHL debut tonight for the Boston Bruins in their 6-3 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins! Leach played for the Titans during the 2003/2004 and 2004/2005 seasons, enjoying frequent callups to the AHL during that span. He is the 10th former Titan to play in the NHL, the second consecutive one to make his debut with the Boston Bruins, following
Pat Leahy's lead. Leach is also the first Trenton blueliner to play in the NHL. In addition to Leahy and Leach, 4 other former Titans have appeared in NHL action this season: Ruslan Fedotenko with the Tampa Bay Lighting, Todd Fedoruk with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim, Jesse Boulerice with the Carolina Hurricanes, and
Jerred Smithson with the Nashville Predators. Titans in the NHL.
NOVEMBER 4, 2005
Different city, same outcome: for the second time this season, the Titans posted a 3-2 shootout victory over the Chiefs. Boston College grad Ned Havern provided all of the offense Trenton would need in regulation, scoring 16:21 into the opening act for a 1-0 lead, then notching a power play goal 5:08 into the 2nd frame to reclaim the lead 2 minutes after a Johnstown goal. The visiting Chiefs bagged a power play goal
midway through the 3rd period to set the stage for overtime. After a scoreless 5-minute bonus period, the Titans skated away from the shootout as victors with Scott May netting the lone goal. Martin Houle was strong in goal once again, turning aside 24 of 26 shots for his 1st professional victory between the pipes. The win puts the Titans back in the thick of their division race, tied with
the Reading Royals and Toledo Storm a point behind the division-leading Wheeling Nailers.
NOVEMBER 3, 2005
The Titans did some minor roster tweaking, cutting short defenseman Likit Andersson's Trenton reunion by waiving him after 4 games, and signing center Peter Trovato. Meanwhile, the search for a goalie continues...
NOVEMBER 2, 2005
Less than 2 weeks into the season, a dark cloud is threatening to rain on the Trenton Titans' parade. Like a lethal wrist shot, Trenton's goaltending security blanket was ripped away from them: Scott Stirling was recalled by the AHL's Rochester Americans who traded him to the San Antonio Rampage for future considerations. Untested rookie Martin Houle, due for a start
anyhow, had little time to ponder his new role as primary netminder before manning the net. Unfortunately, the Titans' offense did not reward his respectable debut adequately, resulting in a 2-1 regulation loss. Houle withstood a 15-shot first period from the visiting Salmon Kings, who finally slipped one past him 4:24 into the middle frame (a goal by former Titan Mike Henderson). Victoria
doubled their lead with a power play tally at 12:47 before the Titans defense finally shut them down for the remainder of the night (allowing just one shot in the 3rd period). Salmon King goalie Robert Muntain wasn't overly eager to allow the home team to crawl out of its hole though, stopping them halfway with an Aaron Gill goal 12:56 through the 3rd period as the lone infraction on his record for
the game. He stopped 28 of 29 Trenton shots while Houle took the loss with 23 saves on 25 shots. Several questions are in queue for the 2-1-1 Titans' young season already: 1) How will Houle pan out, and who will share the net? Always a roll of the dice when it comes to new goalies. 2) Where's the Titans offense? Five goals on opening night was great, but 5 in 3 games since then may be a cause for concern. 3) Are the Titans tough
enough? Having Scott Bertoli as your team PIM leader is not a good omen. And last but not least, 4) Is Doug McKay a worthy successor for Havi, or is he Armstrong Part Deux? Only time will tell. But don't panic, we're only 4 games into the season. A good thorough whipping of the Johnstown Chiefs on Friday would be a great morale boost.
OCTOBER 29, 2005
The Reading Royals handed the defending Kelly Cup Champions their first loss of the season, dismissing the Titans 2:27 into overtime for a 2-1 win. After a scoreless first half of the game, Reading grabbed a 1-0 lead at the 11:52 mark of the 2nd period. Trenton tied the game 4:47 into the 3rd period on Mathieu Brunelle's 2nd goal in as many nights. Despite being outshot 35-20 in regulation by
the home team, the Titans staved off defeat until the bonus round to skate away with a point in the standings. Scott Stirling was tagged with the overtime loss after stopping 35 of 37 Reading shots on the evening. Former Trenton netminder Cody Rudkowsky was the victor between the pipes, avenging his preseason loss to Stirling on October 17th. After a 2-1-0 October performance,
the Titans return home for a 3-game homestand to start November: hosting the Victoria Salmon Kings on Wednesday, the Johnstown Chiefs on Friday, and the Royals on the following Wednesday.
OCTOBER 28, 2005
After a shaky start that saw the Johnstown Chiefs carve out a 2-0 lead less than 6 minutes into the game on home ice, Scott Stirling closed the net for the evening, allowing the Titans to skate back for a 3-2 shootout victory! Scott May's power play goal 15:14 into the 1st period was the first ray of hope for Trenton, then Mathieu Brunelle
knotted the game at 2-2 with his 1st goal of the season 12:25 into the 2nd period. The Chiefs and Titans battled through a scoreless 3rd period and 5-minute overtime before Trenton took charge in the shootout. While Stirling kept the net secure at his end of the ice, Brunelle and Chris Thompson hit their mark for the victory and a 2-0 Titans season start. Stirling improved to 2-0-0 with 32 saves
on 34 shots.
OCTOBER 22, 2005
The Trenton Titans began their defense of the Kelly Cup with a 5-3 home win over the Wheeling Nailers! Newly crowned Captain Chris Thompson took his leadership role seriously, marking his Titans debut with a hat trick to lead the offense. The visiting Nailers striked first with a goal 3:24 into the 1st period, but Thompson notched the equalizer on a power play midway through the
stanza. Wheeling rolled back with a tally 5:47 into the 2nd period, but returning Titan Chris Pittman cashed in a power play goal 3 minutes later for a 2-2 tie. The Nailers claimed their final lead of the night at the 11:55 mark of the middle period and held the advantage until Thompson bagged his 2nd goal of the game 3:14 into the 3rd act. Newcomer Scott May
scored the game-winner with 1:20 remaining in regulation and Thompson deposited an empty-netter with 21 seconds left to complete his hat trick. Scott Stirling stopped 19 of 22 shots on goal for the win, making his first non-exhibition appearance in the net for the Titans since they were eliminated from the Kelly Cup Finals on 5/27/01. The victory helped make for a fine debut for
Head Coach Doug McKay and a happy homecoming for defenseman / original Titan Likit Andersson who was traded away from the inaugural Trenton squad back on 2/28/00.
COMING SOON
The resurrection of this web site is a work in progress. Significant news blurbs from June 1st through October 21st will be filled in as time permits.
AUGUST 11, 2005
The Three Amigos! Forwards Scott Bertoli and Chris Pittman have joined Vince Williams in re-signing with the Trenton Titans for the 2005/2006 season. Bertoli has been a Titan since the franchise's debut and will lace up the skates for a 7th season while Pittman begins his 3rd season in Trenton (although an injury on opening
night last year sidelined him for the entire balance of the regular season).
AUGUST 11, 2005
The Trenton Titans have signed a 2-year extension of their affiliation agreement with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers and AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms.
JULY 25, 2005
Mike Haviland is cashing in on his success as an ECHL Head Coach. After four excellent seasons as an ECHL bench boss where he guided both the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies and Trenton Titans to Kelly Cup Championships, Haviland has been hired as the Head Coach of the AHL's Norfolk Admirals. It's a very well-deserved promotion for the man who brought the Kelly Cup home to
Trenton. CONGRATS HAVI!
JULY 7, 2005
Defenseman Vince Williams became the first player to re-sign with the Trenton Titans for the 2005/2006 season. Williams has appeared in all but one of the franchise's seasons, joining the team days after their debut in 1999. He was traded prior to the start of the 2001/2002 season, but was reacquired late the following season remaining in Trenton ever since.
JUNE 29, 2005
The Trenton Titans have hired Jim Leahy as the team's new General Manager and Director of Hockey Operations.
JUNE 1, 2005
The Trenton Titans have won the Kelly Cup! When Mike Haviland returned to Trenton as their new Head Coach last summer, nothing short of excellence was expected. He helped the Titans to great success in his 2 seasons as their Assistant Coach (their first 2 as a franchise), then as Head Coach of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies he captured the Kelly Cup Championship amidst
3 solid seasons at their helm. After missing the playoffs altogether last year, and being swept out of the playoffs by Havi's Bullies the previous 2 seasons, Titans fans expected and deserved excellence this year. When the Titans roster for the 2004/2005 season was assembled, it had excellence written all over it. That's why this web site ran the mantra "Excellence Expected" all season on its homepage. And
of course, with Haviland behind the top rate bench nothing short of the Kelly Cup could fulfill that goal. Well, Excellence Expected, Excellence Delivered! Congratulations to the 2004/2005 Kelly Cup Champion Trenton Titans! And THANK YOU!
JUNE 1, 2005
The Trenton Titans have won the Kelly Cup! Not about to be pushed to the brink elimination again, the Trenton Titans delivered a solid 4-1 knockout punch of the Florida Everblades in Game 6 to become the 2004/2005 ECHL Kelly Cup Champions! For the second game in a row, Leon Hayward broke the ice with the Titans 1st goal of the game, this time a power play
tally 13:09 into the opening act for a 1-0 advantage. With 9 seconds remaining in the 1st period, Rick "Killer" Kowalsky scored his 10th goal of the postseason, the one that would ultimately prove to be the "killer" for the Florida Everblades. Florida's lone glimmer of hope in Game 6 came just 2:07 into the 2nd period when they scored to slice the visitors'
lead in half. However, that would be the only shot the Everblades could sneak past Andrew Allen as he went on to make 21 saves on 22 shots to cap off his stellar Kelly Cup earning 14-3-3 playoff performance! After allowing Florida the room for optimism in the middle frame, the Titans took care of business in the 3rd period. Michael Schutte
scored 2:51 into the frame for insurance, then Nick Deschenes provided the icing on the cake midway through the period with his 9th goal of the postseason. There would be no last minute rally for the Everblades... Just a KELLY CUP CHAMPIONSHIP FOR THE TRENTON TITANS!
MAY 30, 2005
Do you think the Florida Everblades knew what hit them? Less than 20 minutes away from returning home with a 3-2 Kelly Cup Finals advantage, the Everblades saw their momentum slam headlong into a steel wall. After allowing Florida to post goals in each of the first two periods for a 2-0 lead in the pivotal Game 5 of the tied series, after being outshot 27-15 on home ice, the Titans
rose from the ashes to deliver a crippling 5-goal 3rd period to let the Everblades know that the Cup is not theirs for the taking. Leon Hayward spoiled Florida goalie Tyler MacKay's shutout bid 2:53 into the 3rd period, yet the Everblades still remained in control of the series until Stephen Wood's game-tying goal at the 8:36
mark. B.J. Abel notched the go-ahead goal midway through the period, but surely everyone expected Florida to fight back. Hayward lit the lantern again 2 minutes later for a 4-2 Trenton lead which everyone knew could vanish in a heartbeat --- but this time it didn't. The momentum stealing 5-goal outburst was capped off with a Les Haggett
tally with 2:15 remaining in regulation as the Titans cruised to a 5-2 win in their biggest game in franchise history. Andrew Allen shook off the losses from the past 2 games with 34 saves on 36 shots to improve to 13-3-3 on the postseason. Now, only 1 win stands between the Trenton Titans and their first Kelly Cup Championship! They return to Florida where they
posted an astounding 7-0 Game 1 victory and a 2-1 Game 2 win before hitting rough waters back in Trenton. Wednesday night will be their first (and hopefully only necessary) chance to put this series to rest and bring home the Kelly Cup! WE BELIEVE IN TITANS!
MAY 30, 2005
The Trenton Titans are being quite selfish in denying the home fans the ability to watch them capture Kelly Cup at Sovereign Bank Arena. Yet, their underlying motive is quite clear and certainly understandable. After a pair of trips to the Arctic fringes to play the Alaska Aces in the National Conference Finals, it's only fair that the Titans get rewarded with a second visit to
toasty Florida in the Kelly Cup Finals. Surely that's the method to the madness behind the Games 3 and 4 meltdown. Now, with the return tickets in hand, the Titans can get on with delivering a decisive victory in Game 5 and can close out the series in Game 6 on Wednesday night in Florida. But before heading to the beach with the Cup, remember the words that have graced the UWSTT's
home page since the start of the season: EXCELLENCE EXPECTED!
MAY 28, 2005
Just like the IceGators of 1999/2000, the Trenton Titans have allowed their opponent to waltz into their barn and wipe out their sizeable playoff advantage. Just like their 2-0 series lead sublimated like dry ice, so did Trenton's 3-1 lead in Game 4 of the Kelly Cup Finals. Michael Schutte scored a power play goal just 75 seconds into the contest, then
Nick Deschenes lit the lantern at the 15:43 mark of the opening act for a 2-0 lead that provided the facade that the Titans were shaking off their Game 3 loss and returning to the reins. Florida found the scoreboard 2:26 into the 2nd period, but Scott Bertoli replied 85 seconds later for a 3-1 Trenton edge. It's was the
Everblades' game from that point on: they pounded Titans goalie Andrew Allen unmercifully as tempers flared on the ice. Florida scored twice later in the middle frame to knot the game at 3-3, then absolutely dominated a penalty-filled 3rd period with a 15-4 shot advantage that yielded a trio of unanswered goals for a stunning 6-3 victory. Allen was relieved
of goaltending duties after allowing the 6 goals on 37 shots. Chris Houle stopped the bleeding in relief with 6 saves on 6 shots, but it was way too little too late for a Trenton rally. Florida effectively skated into Trenton and stole home ice advantage back from the Titans, needing only to win home games to capture the Cup. The best-of-7 series has
been reduced down to a 3-game grudge match with Game 1 in Trenton on Monday, followed by one or two games in Florida to determine the 2004/2005 Kelly Cup Champions. Shake it off Titans - WE BELIEVE!
MAY 27, 2005
The Florida Everblades ripped the brooms right out of the Titans' hands with a 5-4 overtime victory at Sovereign Bank Arena. Florida grabbed a 1-0 advantage just 2:33 into the opening period, but Brent Robinson evened the score 85 seconds later and Stephen Wood's power play goal at 14:09 gave the Titans a 2-1 lead. Trenton
extended their lead at 14:39 of the 2nd period with a Michael Schutte tally, but the Everblades responded a few minutes later to trim the margin to a goal. Jerramie Domish gave the Titans a 4-2 lead midway through the 3rd period, but Trenton became unglued late in the period surrendering a pair of goals in a 51-second
span to invite the Everblades back into the game with a 4-4 tie with 4:14 remaining in regulation. Florida completed its desperate rally 1:20 into overtime for a 5-4 victory and a 2-1 Kelly Cup Finals series deficit. Andrew Allen was tagged with the overtime loss, allowing 5 goals on 31 shots in the contest.
MAY 22, 2005
Paul Brown and Scott Bertoli notched 3rd period goals as the Titans rallied from a 1-0 deficit to steal Game 2 of the Kelly Cup Finals from the Florida Everblades! Andrew Allen continued to shine in goal for Trenton, extending his shutout streak to 150 minutes and 58 seconds before the Everblades
lit the lantern for a 1-0 lead midway through the 2nd period. Unlike last night, Florida's Tyler MacKay held the visiting Titans at bay, at least until 1:49 of the 3rd period when Brown slipped on past him to knot the game at a goal apiece. At the 8:09 mark, original Titan Bertoli delivered the game-winner to hand Trenton an enormous 2-0 advantage with the series heading
back home to Sovereign Bank Arena for the next 2 or 3 games! Allen finished the day with 39 saves on 40 shots (77 of 78 for the Kelly Cup Finals)! But let the 1999/2000 Louisiana IceGators be a lesson against becoming too cocky: they won games 1 and 2 in Peoria only to drop the next 4 to the Rivermen (the first 3 of which were played in Louisiana) to be denied the Kelly
Cup Championship. Maintain the Excellence Titans!
MAY 21, 2005
SHOCK AND AWE! The Trenton Titans hit Florida's west coast like a Category 5 hurricane, embarrassing the Everblades with a devastating 7-0 blowout in Game 1 of the Kelly Cup Finals! Bryce Cockburn scored the game-winner just 2:13 into the contest as Trenton began to systematically dismantle Florida. Rick Kowalsky
notched a power play goal at the 6-minute mark, then Paul Brown scored 12:14 into the frame for a 3-0 advantage to chase starting goalie Tyler MacKay. With 40 seconds remaining in the opening act, Cockburn decided to greet relief netminder Craig Kowalski in the same manner for his 2nd goal of the night, then Scott Bertoli
tagged Kowalski just 14 seconds later for a stunning 5-0 Trenton lead! While a Brent Robinson in each of the game's remaining periods was the only other display of the Titans' firepower, Andrew Allen continued the shock and awe campaign between the pipes. Building on a 60-minute shutout streak from Game 7 of the
National Conference Finals, Allen completely stonewalled the Florida Everblades even during their desperate 17-shot attempt to save some face in the 3rd period. In the end, Allen tallied 38 saves for his 3rd shutout in his last 4 playoff starts! An absolutely excellent start to the Kelly Cup Finals for the Titans! But they can't take anything for granted and must
enter Game 2 tomorrow evening like they are down 3-0 in the series: fight for every last faceoff, finish off every last check, and bury every last rebound like the entire season depends on it! WE BELIEVE IN TITANS!
MAY 16, 2005
EXCELLENCE DELIVERED! The Trenton Titans are in the Kelly Cup Finals! Andrew Allen stopped 28 shots for his 2nd shutout of the National Conference Finals to lead the Titans to a 2-0 Game 7 knockout punch of the Alaska Aces! Rick Kowalsky's 8th goal of the postseason just 2:54 into the opening
period proved to be the game-winner as Allen and the Titans absolutely froze out the Alaska Aces on their home ice to advance to the league championship series against the Florida Everblades. B.J. Abel knocked in a shorthanded goal midway through the 1st period for a 2-0 cushion, then Trenton held tight despite
being outgunned by Alaska in every period. Allen stood on his head as time quickly became the enemy of the Aces until the final horn delivered a bitter end to their otherwise excellent season. Trenton now trades in their parkas for Bermuda shorts as they head south to begin the final leg of their Quest for the Cup with Game 1 of the Kelly
Cup Finals in Florida on Saturday. EXCELLENT JOB HAVI AND THE TITANS !!!
MAY 13, 2005
The Titans will have to do it the hard way! The Alaska Aces scored 9:54 into overtime to force a Game 7 to determine the National Conference Champions. The Aces broke a scoreless tie with a power play goal 9:12 through the 2nd period, but the Titans rebounded 3:44 into the 3rd frame with a Les Haggett goal to knot the
game at 1-1. Andrew Allen stopped 30 of 31 shots in regulation and overtime before shot number 32 denied Trenton's visa for a trip home. The Titans will need to face another soldout Alaska crowd on Monday night to earn their invite to the Kelly Cup Finals. Historically, the Titans are 4-4 when facing elimination in the
playoffs. WE BELIEVE IN TITANS!
MAY 10, 2005
The Trenton Titans are 1 win away from a return to the Kelly Cup Finals! The Titans held the visiting Alaska Aces to just 21 shots in the pivotal Game 5 of the National Conference Finals and Andrew Allen stopped them all! The 3-0 shutout sends the series back to Alaska where the Titans will have two chances (should
they even need the second one) to buy their ticket to the ECHL's final round. Michael Schutte's power play goal with 1:19 remaining in the opening period tilted a balanced showdown in Trenton's favor and the Titans never looked back. Their defense tightened the noose on the Aces in the 2nd period as
Nick Deschenes collected his 7th goal of the postseason for a 2-0 lead. Trenton held Alaska to an unfathomable 4 shots in the 3rd period then added a Jerramie Domish empty-netter with 7 seconds left on the clock to cap off the dominant performance. The Alaska Aces are now on the brink of
elimination, returning to a home ice where the Titans have already proven that they are quite capable of stealing the show. Opportunity will be knocking Friday night with the first chance for Trenton to call Alaska's bluff and move on to the Kelly Cup Finals. Meanwhile, the Florida Everblades have taken a 3-2 lead in their American Conference
series against the Charlotte Checkers. GO TITANS!
MAY 8, 2005
Game 1 was an Alaska Aces blowout; the Titans returned the favor in Game 2. Game 3 was a 4-3 overtime win by the Titans; the Aces responded in kind in Game 4. The National Conference Finals now essentially boils down to a best-of-three series after Alaska knotted things up at 2 games apiece 6:14 into overtime. The Aces seized a 1-0 lead
8:33 into the 1st period, but Bryce Cockburn lit the lantern at the 17:29 mark to tie the game. Forty-eight seconds later, Rick Kowalsky registered his 7th goal of the postseason for a 2-1 Trenton advantage. However, the Aces turned the table on the Titans in the 2nd period, scoring
twice in a 31-second span early in the frame for a 3-2 lead that would last until halfway through the 3rd act. That's when Stephen Wood notched a power play goal to set the stage for the 2nd consecutive overtime showdown between Trenton and Alaska. Unfortunately, the Aces prevailed this time to deny the Titans the
opportunity to win the series on home ice. Game 5 on Tuesday night will be critical: either the Titans must win then travel to Alaska where they'll need to win one of two, or if they falter, they will need to win both games in the arctic for a bid in the Kelly Cup Finals. WE BELIEVE IN TITANS!
MAY 7, 2005
Rick Kowalsky capitalized on a last-minute penalty and an extra-attacker from a pulled goalie to notch a dramatic game-tying goal with 36 seconds remaining in regulation, then Paul Brown knocked in his 2nd goal of the night 6:29 into overtime for a 4-3 Titans victory and a 2-1 series
lead! Alaska established a 1-0 lead 12:04 into the opening period, then Leon Hayward neutralized their lead with a shorthanded goal at 17:01. The Aces recaptured the lead with a goal early in the 2nd period and tried to steal the game's momentum with a power play tally at the 17:59 mark, but Brown notched a
power play goal with 1 second on the clock to end the middle frame on a high note for Trenton. The Titans controlled the 3rd period but were denied their comeback until Kowalsky's 11th hour call from the Governor. That set the stage for Brown's game-winner in the bonus round! Andrew Allen got the job done
between the pipes once again, making 26 saves on 29 shots for the victory! He and the Titans improve to 8-2-0 as they inch another win closer to the Kelly Cup! WAY TO GO TITANS!
MAY 4, 2005
That wasn't the Northern Lights you saw, that was the Trenton Titans lighting up Alaska like the 4th of July! Nick Deschenes ignited the Trenton offense that was missing in action in Game 1, notching a hat trick in Game 2 to lead the Titans to a 7-1 romp in front of a stunned Alaska crowd. Deschenes drew
first blood 7:09 into the opening act, but the Aces answered with a goal late in the period to give the illusion of a close game. That mirage faded quickly in the 2nd period when the Titans rallied for 3 goals late in the frame after Brent Robinson had established a 2-1 lead with a power play tally 54
seconds in. Rick Kowalsky's 5th goal of the postseason at 14:19 of the period was followed a few minutes later by a Deschenes power play goal for a 4-1 advantage. With 30 seconds remaining in the second act, Deschenes found the net again to become the first player in Titans franchise history to notch a hat trick
in the postseason! But the 5-1 lead was quite enough for the team that had been hog-tied the night before: despite being outshot 12-4 in the 3rd period, Trenton managed to register 2 more goals to cap off the magnificent spring thaw! Robinson bagged his 2nd goal of the game midway through the period, then Paul Brown
scored his 1st goal of the playoffs for the Titans 5 minutes later for the 7-1 finale. Andrew Allen found redemption for his rocky Game 1 performance, gloving 22 of 23 shots for the victory! The Titans have now chipped the series down to a best-of-five series with the next three games in the friendly, warmer confines
of Sovereign Bank Arena. They have the ability to win the series in Trenton, avoiding another trip to the frozen tundra. Excellence Expected, Excellence Delivered Once Again! GREAT JOB TITANS!
MAY 3, 2005
It's the ECHL's version of the Frozen Four, and the Trenton Titans are frozen. Game 1 of the National Conference Finals was humiliating for the Titans as they went into a deep freeze in front of a sold out Alaska crowd, falling 6-0 to the Aces in the series opener. Alaska wasted little time establishing their dominance, scoring a trio
of goals on their first 5 shots in the opening 6:44 to chase starting goalie Andrew Allen from the net and leave the Titans in a deep ice hole. Netminder Chris Houle stopped the bleeding in relief, providing over 20 minutes of shutout hockey before the Aces lit the lantern again for a 4-0
lead. Meanwhile, Alaska goaltender Peter Aubry stood on his head to keep the visitors out of the Aces' net. Houle was tagged for a pair of goals early in the 3rd period as the Western Division victors cruised to a 6-0 shutout win over the Northern Division champs. Houle ended the night with 27 saves on 30 shots.
APRIL 29, 2005
Scott Bertoli's 2nd power play goal of the night capped off a 3-goal come-from-behind 3rd period rally to lift the Trenton Titans to a series-clinching 4-3 win over the visiting Reading Royals! Bertoli's 1st power play goal of the evening evened the score 6:25 into the opening period, 3 minutes after the
Royals grabbed a 1-0 lead. Reading rebounded with another goal late in the 1st period, then added a power play goal in the opening minutes of the 2nd frame for a 3-1 advantage. They clung to their lead until the Titans staged a rally in the 3rd period, starting with Leon Hayward's goal 90 seconds into the
period. Stephen Wood tied the game at the 7:15 mark, setting the stage for Bertoli's game-winner. Andrew Allen stopped 18 of 21 shots for the victory as Trenton advances to face the Alaska Aces in the Northern Conference Finals.
APRIL 27, 2005
In one second, the Northern Division Finals went from being an even series, to a strong Trenton Titans advantage. That one second came 5:53 into overtime when Matt Zultek found the net for a 3-2 Titans victory and a 2-1 series lead with the chance to finish off the Reading Royals on Friday night at Sovereign
Bank Arena. That opportunity would not have come knocking if it wasn't for the solid goaltending effort from Andrew Allen, who made 37 saves on 39 shots giving Trenton the chance to recover from a sluggish opening period. In that opening frame, the Titans were outshot 13-4 and the Royals seized a 1-0 lead with
a power play goal at the 16:12 mark. Reading's edge was erased 7:13 into the 2nd period with a Michael Schutte power play goal, then Rick Kowalsky notched the go-ahead goal midway through the 3rd period. The Royals rebounded to tie the game with 3:39 remaining in regulation and
had the Titans outshot 5-1 before Zultek's knockout blow. WAY TO GO TITANS!
APRIL 27, 2005
As the Trenton Titans and Reading Royals prepare to drop the puck for a pivotal Game 3 of their Northern Division Finals, the next opponent for this series' victor is already eagerly awaiting the outcome. The Alaska Aces swept the Long Beach Ice Dogs in the Western Division Finals and will have home ice advantage in the National
Conference Finals against either Trenton or Reading. While a comeback from a 2-1 series deficit is not too intimidating of a prospect, it's probably safe to assume that both the Titans and Royals would prefer to win tonight's game earning a chance to finish off the series on Friday night. Meanwhile, the Florida Everblades swept the
Greenville Grrrowl to earn pole position in the American Conference Finals against the winner of the Charlotte Checkers versus Gwinnett Gladiators Semi-Finals series (tied at one game apiece heading into tonight's Game 3).
APRIL 23, 2005
Many people feel it was the lack of that "killer" instinct when Rick Kowalsky was injured just before the start of the Trenton Titans' 2000/2001 Kelly Cup Finals appearance that led to the South Carolina Stingrays skating away with the ECHL title. Well, that killer instinct is alive and well for this
playoff run! Kowalsky's power play goal late in the 2nd period proved to be the game-winner as the Titans dismissed the Reading Royals 2-1 to even their Northern Division Finals series at one game apiece. It was his 3rd tally (5th point) in 5 postseason games after finishing the regular season with 7 goals and 8 assists in 9 games
coming off of the injured reserve. The Titans took a 1-0 lead just 91 seconds into the contest with a B.J. Abel goal, but Reading tied the game 13:44 into the 2nd period with a power play goal. After Kowalsky's go-ahead goal with 68 seconds remaining in the middle frame, Andrew Allen
preserved the victory, finishing the night with 30 saves on 31 shots. The Titans will have the opportunity to close out the series with Games 3 and 4 at home on Wednesday and Friday for the right to advance to the National Conference Finals, but they should expect a heckuva fight from Reading. GO TITANS!
APRIL 22, 2005
The Reading Royals claimed the driver's seat with a 4-2 series opening win over the Trenton Titans. Preston Mizzi's shorthanded goal put the Royals on the scoreboard midway through the 1st period and Beau Geisler scored 3 minutes later for a 2-0 home team advantage. Titan Captain Rick Kowalsky tried to
spark a rally 36 seconds into the 2nd period by cutting the Reading lead in half, but the Royals rebounded a few minutes later with a Rob Hisey goal for a 3-1 lead. Mizzi lit the lantern again at the 8:14 mark of the middle frame for insurance. Michael Schutte's power play goal at 16:39 gave the Titans renewed
hope as the game headed for the 3rd period, but Royal goalie Barry Brust sealed up the net to secure the Game 1 victory for Reading. Andrew Allen was tagged with his first loss of the playoffs after allowing 4 goals on 33 shots during the 4-2 loss. The Titans will try to steal Game 2 tomorrow night to gain
de facto home ice advantage with Games 3 and 4 in Trenton. WE BELIEVE IN TITANS!
APRIL 21, 2005
The "Battle of the Delaware" (for lack of a better name) starts tomorrow night when Cail MacLean and the Reading Royals host the Trenton Titans in Game 1 of the Northern Division Finals! Game 2 will be Saturday night at Reading's Sovereign Center, then Game 3 will be back at Trenton's Sovereign Bank Arena
on Wednesday. If necessary, the Titans will host Game 4 next Friday and the Royals will host Game 5 next Saturday.
APRIL 19, 2005
The 2nd seed Trenton Titans will face the top-seeded Reading Royals in the Northern Division finals, the first meeting of these two teams in the postseason. Trenton was 7-3 against Reading in the regular season. The top two seeds in the National Conference's Western Division also advance to face each other in their division finals:
the top-seed Alaska Aces and the 2nd seed Long Beach Ice Dogs. However, in the American Conference, the team with the worst win percentage entering the playoffs has knocked off the ECHL's best team with a stunning 3-1 upset. The 8th seed Greenville Grrrowl trashed the 1st seed Pensacola Ice Pilots in the quarterfinals to advance to
the conference semi-finals, along with the number 3 (Florida Everblades) and number 4 (Gwinnett Gladiators) seeds. The only remaining first round series yet to declare a winner: 2nd seeded Columbia Inferno versus 7th seeded Charlotte Checkers. They'll settle matters in Game 5 tomorrow night.
APRIL 17, 2005
Nick Deschenes scored 11:59 into overtime to complete the Trenton Titans' sweep of the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the Northern Division semi-finals! After two consecutive seasons of being swept out of the postseason by Mike Haviland's Bullies
followed by last year's failure to make the playoffs altogether, the Titans have exorcised their demons! It's hard not to give a heaping share of the credit to Haviland, who evidently brought the broom with him from Atlantic City and returned the Titans to Kelly Cup contender form! Rick Kowalsky
bagged a power play goal 61 seconds into the game with Scott Bertoli repeating the feat at the 13:12 mark for a 2-0 Trenton lead. Atlantic City's Jason Notermann scored 16:20 into the opening period to split the difference, then notched a power play
goal midway through the 2nd period for a tie game. The game remained knot at 2-2 until Michael Schutte tallied another Titans power play goal for a 3-2 advantage. However, Shawn Mather collected a power play goal for the Bullies to force a bonus round. Deschene's game-winner
was his 3rd goal in as many playoff games for the Titans. As with the first 2 games of the series, Andrew Allen skated away with the victory (36 saves on 39 shots) while Trevor Koenig was saddled with the loss (32 saves on 36 shots). Trenton will now wait for a winner to be determined between the
Reading Royals and Toledo Storm. While it's a great day for Titans hockey, it's a sad day for New Jersey hockey fans as the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies hang up their skates after an impressive 4-year run in the ECHL including the 2002/2003 Kelly Cup Championship. Farewell worthy adversaries!
APRIL 15, 2005
Brent Robinson put the biscuit in the basket 20 seconds into overtime to give the Trenton Titans a 2-1 victory and a 2-0 series lead over the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the Northern Division semi-finals! Atlantic City outshot Trenton 15-8 in
the opening period, then drew first blood with a Jason Notermann shorthanded goal 7:19 into the 2nd period. Nick Deschenes notched his 2nd goal of the postseason at the 16:05 mark to knot the game at 1-all and momentum
shifted to the Titans. Trenton was unable to capitalize on a 12-6 shot advantage in the 3rd period, but hit the jackpot on the 2nd shot of overtime with Robinson's 2nd tally of the playoffs. Andrew Allen carved out another win in goal with 27 saves on 28
shots while Trevor Koenig was tagged with the overtime loss with 29 saves on 31 shots. Head Coach Mike Haviland remains the King of New Jersey and looks to close out the final intrastate ECHL playoff series with a perfect 9-0 record when the Bullies host
the Titans for Game 3 on Sunday. Atlantic City will be looking to avoid being swept out of existence as an ECHL franchise.
APRIL 13, 2005
The Trenton Titans have turned over a new leaf, winning their first playoff game ever against the cross-state rival Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies! Titans Head Coach Mike Haviland improved to 7-0 in all-Jersey ECHL postseason matches after sweeping
Trenton in 3 games apiece while at the helm of the Boardwalk Bullies in 2001/2002 and 2002/2003. The Titans seized control of the game in the opening period, outshooting Atlantic City 16-7 in the frame while taking a 1-0 lead on a Leon Hayward goal
at the 16:14 mark. Brent Robinson's power play goal 3:57 into the 2nd period extended the lead, then Jerramie Domish potted one midway through the 2nd stanza for a 3-0 advantage. The Bullies batlled back with a vengence in the
3rd period with a power play goal from Peter Bournazakis at 6:25 followed by a Fraser Clair tally 51 seconds later, but Nick Deschenes responded with a goal at the 11:25 mark then Andrew Allen and the Trenton defense held tight for the 4-2 series
opening victory! Allen finished the night with 34 saves on 36 shots while AC's Trevor Koening gloved 32 of 36 Trenton shots. Game 2 is Friday night at Sovereign Bank Arena.
APRIL 10, 2005
The schedule is set for the final showdown between the Trenton Titans and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies! Game 1 is Wednesday night at Sovereign Bank Arena! Follow the action in Civil War 3: The Final Battle for New Jersey. Follow the rest of the Kelly Cup playoff results here: 2004/2005 KELLY CUP PLAYOFFS.
APRIL 9, 2005
The Trenton Titans closed out their regular season in style: a 3-0 road shut out of the Toledo Storm for a 42-21-9 (.646) season record! They enter the playoffs with a mountain of momentum riding a 4-game win streak, having won 10 of their last 11, 13 of their last 15 games! They finish in a points-tie for 1st place with the Reading Royals (43-22-7) who capture the Northern division crown by the narrowest of margins (one win). Andrew Allen finished strong, posting 28 saves for his 3rd shutout of the season and an impressive 30-11-3 record. Rick Kowalsky provided all of the offensive support Allen needed 13:33 through the 1st period when he collected his 22nd goal of the season. Brent Robinson added an insurance goal 2:40 into the 2nd period, then Kowalsky found the net once again 3 minutes later for a 3-0 advantage. Allen and the Titans' defense did the rest, keeping the home team off of the scoreboard. The Storm
will be at the mercy of the Royals in the Northern Division semi-finals while the Titans host the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies. GREAT SEASON TITANS, NOW LET'S GO WIN A CUP!
APRIL 8, 2005
For the third time in 4 seasons, and for the final time ever, the Trenton Titans will face their Garden State rival Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the Kelly Cup playoffs! In their inaugural season (2001/2002), the underdog Bullies stunned the division-winning Titans with a 3-game sweep in the Northeast Division finals. The following season, Atlantic City was the division champs and dealt Trenton a 3-game sweep in the opening round of the playoffs en route to their Kelly Cup Championship. Of course, Mike Haviland's Boardwalk Bullies missed the opportunity for Round 3 last season when the Titans choked and missed the playoffs altogether. Now, the Titans are back and Mike Haviland is behind their bench as they head into battle against the soon-to-relocate Bullies for the final time. Atlantic City will be looking to go out in a blaze of glory eager to see Trenton's Kelly Cup quest go up in flames; Haviland will be looking to maintain his
Garden State dominance by leading the Titans to quash his former team for a run at his 2nd Kelly Cup Championship. All that remains to be determined is who will have home ice advantage: Trenton has a 1-point advantage in the standings heading into tomorrow's final game of the regular season. If the Titans retain the upperhand, they will host the Boardwalk Bullies in Game 1 of the Northern Division semifinals next Wednesday (April 13th).
APRIL 8, 2005
The red-hot Trenton Titans dismissed the Johnstown Chiefs 5-2 to remain in 2nd place in the Northern Division. The Chiefs opened up the scoring 3:32 into the 1st period, but Les Haggett lit the lantern at 8:15 to knot the game and Bryce Cockburn followed with 20 seconds remaining in the period for a 2-1 Trenton advantage. Playoff-ready Rick Kowalsky bagged his 21st goal of the season 4:24 into the second act to increase the edge, but the home team snapped back 10 minutes later to trim the delta to one. The Titans cranked up the heat in the final minutes of the period, adding a power play tally from Leon Hayward and goal number 27 from Scott Bertoli for a commanding 5-2 lead. The Trenton offense coasted through the 3rd period, allowing goalie Andrew Allen to preserve the 5-2 road win with 28 saves on the night to improve to 29-11-3. With
the Royals losing to the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, Trenton moves to within 2 points of the division lead but loses the tie-breaker should they close out the season tomorrow with the same point tally as Reading. Meanwhile, the Toledo Storm clinched the division's 4th and final playoff spot by defeating and eliminating the Peoria Rivermen. The Northern Division playoff matchups are now set since the Royals and Storm have locks on their respective positions. Which can mean only one thing.... (see above)
APRIL 7, 2005
While the division race may be over (Reading Royals clinched tonight), the Titans continued their rise through the ranks with a 2-1 victory over the Wheeling Nailers to swipe 2nd place from the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies! B.J. Abel ended over 33 minutes of scoreless action for a 1-0 Titans lead which Brent Robinson doubled 7:17 into the 3rd period. The visiting Nailers cracked the scoreboard 5 minutes later, but the Titans shut down the rally before it found legs. Andrew Allen slipped another win into his equipment bag with 32 saves on 33 shots as Trenton improved to 40-21-9.
APRIL 5, 2005
With 3 regular season games to spare, the Trenton Titans have secured a bid to the 2004/2005 Kelly Cup Playoffs! A smooth 2-1 road win over the Dayton Bombers coupled with the Peoria Rivermen's 2-0 loss at Reading clinched the return trip to the postseason after Trenton was left out in the cold last season. Rick Kowalsky continued his preparation for the second season with his 20th goal of the year to break a scoreless tie 2:48 into the 2nd period, but the Bombers bounced back 5 minutes later to tie the game. The standoff continued until midway through the 3rd period when defenseman Tim Judy notched the power play game-winner for Trenton! Andrew Allen racked up his 27th win of the season with 23 saves on the evening, while the Titans rose to 39-21-9. Trenton trails the 2nd place Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies by a lone point in the standings with a game in hand, but remains 4 points behind the division leading Reading
Royals. A division crown is still a possibility for Trenton if they can carve out at least 5 of 6 points in their remaining games while the Royals choke in their 3 remaining games. Both teams are in action Thursday night.
APRIL 3, 2005
Despite their loss last night and day off today, the Trenton Titans can clinch a playoff berth as early as Tuesday night. The winning combination: a Titans victory over the Dayton Bombers (sure to attempt playing the role of spoilers) coupled with a Peoria Rivermen regulation loss at Reading. The Royals (41-20-7, 89 pts) captured the division lead and clinched a playoff spot with their win over the Rivermen (37-24-8, 82 pts) tonight. The idle Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (40-22-8, 88 pts) dropped to 2nd place, while the Toledo Storm (40-24-5, 85 pts) toppled the Dayton Bombers to join the Titans (38-21-9, 85 pts) in a points-tie for 3rd place. All 4 teams are capable of winning the division still, but the Royals control their own destiny with games in hand over everyone except Trenton.
APRIL 2, 2005
While the Wheeling Nailers continue to self-destruct and are on the brink of elimination 2 months after leading the division, the Peoria Rivermen are not about to throw in the towel just yet. Behind goalie Alfie Michaud, they handed the Titans a 3-1 streak-busting loss. The visitors posted a power play goal 15:25 into the contest for a 1-0 edge. The Rivermen kept the Titans shackled until the latter half of the 3rd period when Brent Robinson lit the lantern to tie the game with 6:26 remaining. However, Peoria wasted little time regaining the lead, scoring 95 seconds later for a 2-1 advantage then adding empty-netter in the final minute to put Trenton's win streak on ice. Andrew Allen shouldered the loss in goal with 27 saves on 29 shots. Meanwhile, the Reading Royals dumped the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies 5-1 to pull within a point of the division lead and 2 points ahead of 3rd place Trenton.
APRIL 1, 2005
It's a sprint to the finish in the ECHL's Northern Division and the Trenton Titans are right in the thick of the action with a 3-2 road win over the Nailers! Wheeling scored early in the first frame for a 1-0 lead that held until Leon Hayward's neutralizer 14:31 into the 2nd period. Trenton captured the lead at the 3:39 mark of the 3rd period when Captain Rick "Killer" Kowalsky cashed in on his 3rd power play goal in as many games, then Brent Robinson purchased the insurance 90 seconds later for a 3-1 advantage. That policy proved critical 77 seconds later when Wheeling converted instantly on a Trenton penalty to trim the margin to one again. However, Andrew Allen got the job done once again, posting 25 saves to preserve the victory for the Titans! The win was number 6 in a row for Trenton (38-20-9, 85 pts) and enabled them to keep step with the division-leading Bullies (40-21-8, 88 pts) and
2nd place Royals (39-20-7, 85 pts), both of whom also posted W's tonight. Statistically speaking, Reading has the advantage with a game-in-hand over Trenton and 3 against Atlantic City; they control whether they skate away with the division (win their remaining games and its theirs). The Titans need cooperation to overtake the Royals, but control their own destiny against the Bullies. Ironically, Trenton fans should be cheering for a Bullies win tomorrow when they visit Reading. A lot can happen in the remaining week and a half of the regular season. While the Toledo Storm (38-24-5) are a few steps back in 4th place with 81 points, even the 5th place Peoria Rivermen (36-23-8, 90 pts) can still pull off the steal of the century and win the division. The 6th place Nailers (36-26-5, 77 pts) are certainly down, but definitely not out. They can easily snatch a playoff berth if any team besides Atlantic City stumbles.
MARCH 30, 2005
Another big win for the Trenton Titans! After letting a 3-1 lead slip away late in the 3rd period, the Titans held on to carve out a 4-3 shootout victory! March is historically a great month for the Titans with last year's respectable 8-5-1 (.607) record on the books as their worst performance. Trenton closed out this March on a 5-game win streak for a 8-3-2 (.692) showing! The win streak is Trenton's longest since they opened the season 6-0-0. After the Titans lost 2-1 in a shootout the last time they hosted Peoria, Len Bardsley of The Times opened his game article with "These days the Titans are more likely to show up on a milk carton than at Sovereign Bank Arena." That was then, this is now: Trenton is 9-0-1 in their last 10 games at SBA with a 5-game home win streak! The victory was the first in 6 attempts against the pesky Rivermen, but it didn't come easy. The visitors scored 4:34 into the game to start the battle, but defenseman Steve Munn lit the lantern
less than 2 minutes later to tie the game. The Titans took charge in the 2nd period with a power play tally from Rick Kowalsky at 8:05, followed by Les Haggett's 2nd professional goal 14:16 into the frame. The flow favored the Rivermen in the 3rd period as they notched goals at 12:22 and 18:43 with a 16-4 shot advantage to knot the game at 3-3. They outshot their hosts 4-0 in the 5-minute overtime, but Trenton was able to best them in the shootout 3-1 to salvage the win! Andrew Allen collected his 25th victory of the 2004/2005 campaign with 33 saves on 36 shots as the Titans improved to 37-20-9 (.629)! Trenton moves into a points-tie for 2nd place with the Reading Royals (38-20-7, 83 pts), 3 points behind the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies who were also victors tonight. The Rivermen (36-22-8, 80 pts) use their shootout loss point to snatch 4th place from the Toledo Storm (37-24-5, 79 pts) while the Wheeling
Nailers (36-25-5, 77 pts) remain the low men on the contender totem pole in 6th place. In their 6-game April sprint to close out the season, the Titans don't face the Bullies or the Royals (who face each other twice, which could work to Trenton's advantage). Remaining games: the Titans visit Wheeling on Friday, host Peoria again on Saturday, visit Dayton on Tuesday, host Wheeling next Thursday, then finish on the road at Johnstown (next Friday) and Toledo (next Saturday). We believe in Titans!
MARCH 27, 2005
While the Titans enjoyed their Easter Sunday, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (38-21-8, 84 pts) were hard at work, defeating the Johnstown Chiefs to leap frog the idle Reading Royals (38-20-7, 83 pts) into the Northern Division lead. The next chapter of the division race will be written on Wednesday when Trenton hosts the 5th place Peoria Rivermen while Atlantic City hosts the 6th place Wheeling Nailers. While the playoff race is fast and furious in the Northern Division and the National Conference's Western Division, non-refundable tickets to the postseason have already been issued in the American Conference. Check the updated ECHL Standings to see who lives on for the second season and who is hitting the links early.
MARCH 26, 2005
Notice has been served: the Trenton Titans are making a run at the division title! The Titans (36-20-9, 81 pts) delivered a solid 6-2 reality check to the division-leading Reading Royals (38-20-7, 83 pts) to close to within 2 points of them in the Northern Division race. Rick Kowalsky's power play goal 6:32 into the 1st period got the party started for Trenton, but Reading wasn't about to roll over for their hosts. The Royals evened the score with a power play goal of their own midway through the opening act, but the Titans reclaimed the lead with 1:06 remaining in the period with a Brent Robinson goal. Reading knotted the game once again 7:48 into the 2nd period with another power play goal, but Scott Bertoli bagged a shorthanded goal at the 13:07 mark for a 3-2 advantage. Trenton never looked back, extended their lead 39 seconds later on Tim Judy's 1st professional goal. The Titans were given
a 5-2 lead 6:37 into the 3rd period when Bertoli notched his 2nd goal of the night and career-best 26th goal of the season! The final salt in Reading's wounds was added 15:19 into the period when Leon Hayward posted his 16th goal of the season for the 6-2 finale. While the scoring was over, Hayward completed a hat trick (of the "Gordie Howe" variety) a few minutes later when both he and Matt Zultek got to drop the gloves with unhappy campers wearing Royals jerseys. Andrew Allen posted his 24th win of the season after collecting 27 saves on 29 shots, including a 13-for-13 effort in the final frame. Great job Titans! With a win over the Johnstown Chiefs, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies remain sandwiched between the Royals and Titans in the standings at 37-21-8 (82 pts) with an opportunity to seize the division lead tomorrow when they host the Chiefs again while the Royals and Titans enjoy Easter Sunday off. The Toledo
Storm and Peoria Rivermen both remain within striking distance of Trenton at 79 points (37-23-5 and 36-22-7, respectively) following wins tonight, while a loss leaves the Wheeling Nailers (36-24-5, 77 pts) in 6th place after leading the division just 2 weeks ago. The Titans will have the opportunity to pass the Royals on Wednesday when they host the Peoria Rivermen, but the Bullies' games tomorrow and Wednesday will decide whether that would be for 1st or 2nd place.
MARCH 25, 2005
The Trenton Titans narrowly escaped with a monumental 4-3 win over the Boardwalk Bullies! Trenton raced out to a 3-0 lead with opening period goals from B.J. Abel, Leon Hayward, and Les Haggett. They padded the margin 20 seconds into the 2nd period with a Matt Zultek goal and seemed firmly in control of the game until the 3rd period. Atlantic City cracked Andrew Allen's armor 1:11 into the final frame with a power play goal, then rallied for a pair of goals in the period's 18th minute to turn the game into a nail-biter. But Allen and the Titans held on for the victory, capturing the 2004/2005 Garden State Cup in the final regular season match between New Jersey's two ECHL franchises. Allen improved to 23-10-3 on the year with 32 saves on 35 shots, while Trenton improved to 35-20-9 on the season to keep pace with the division-leading Reading Royals (victors over the Johnstown
Chiefs) while closing to within a point of the 2nd place Bullies. The Titans stand 2 points ahead of the division's 3 other contenders after the evening's action. Trenton has the opportunity to fire a wakeup shot across Reading's bow tomorrow night when they host the Royals. The Titans are 7-0-1 in their last 8 games at Sovereign Bank Arena.
MARCH 25, 2005
Regular season games don't get much bigger than tonight's showdown between the Trenton Titans and the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies! With barely 2 weeks left on the schedule, 6 teams are in a melee for the Northern Division's 4 playoff berths: all 6 have a shot at the division title, all 6 have a shot at an early tee time on the golf course. Smack dab in the middle of the frenzy you'll find the intrastate rival Titans and Bullies. The Bullies have 1 fewer game remaining than their 5 fellow combatants, but at 36-20-8 (80 pts) are nipping at the heels of the division-leading Reading Royals (37-19-7, 81 pts). The Titans are in 3rd place at 34-20-9 (77 pts) with the rest of the pack clawing at their tailfeathers: Wheeling Nailers (36-23-4, 76 pts), Toledo Storm (35-23-5, 75 pts), Peoria Rivermen (34-22-7, 75 pts). To say that every game matters for these 6 teams is to say that it's important to breathe - something fans will probably be doing very little of over the next 16 days. But that is just
one layer of skin to tonight's drama: peel it back and you find a Garden State Cup on the line between the Titans and Bullies. Trenton won the "Grainger Cup" by a 6-4 advantage during the 2001/2002 season, but the Bullies captured the renamed "Garden State Cup" the following season by the same slender margin. The Titans rallied from behind for a 6-4 Cup win in 2003/2004, but the Bullies maintain a 5-4 edge heading into tonight's final showdown. A regulation Trenton win would give them a 5-3-2 record versus a 5-4-1 Bullies record; a Titans overtime or shootout win would split hairs on tie-breakers to determine the final owner of the Garden State Cup. Yes, final --- that reveals the next layer of the onion. Not only is this the final game of this year's Garden State Cup series, it will be the final regular season showdown between Trenton and Atlantic City as its the Bullies' curtain call after 4 seasons on the Jersey Shore (the franchise is packed and ready to trade coasts for Stockton,
California). In all probability, it may be the last game between the Titans and Bullies: chances of both teams making the playoffs and surviving long enough to face each other are perhaps less than even odds at this point. Throw in the normal emotionally charged atmosphere of a Trenton versus Atlantic City scrum, and the lingering animosity between the Bullies new bench boss and and their former skipper now behind the Titans' bench, and you have a huge powder keg ready to erupt this evening.
MARCH 15, 2005
For the first time since 2004, the Trenton Titans are riding a 3-game winning streak! Leon Hayward, Jarrett Thompson, and Jeff Smith each found the net in the opening period as the visiting Titans dominated the Checkers with a 14-4 shot advantage en route to a 3-0 lead. However, the home team chipped away at the Trenton lead with a power play goal in the middle of the 2nd period, an even-strength goal 2:47 into the 3rd act, followed by the game-tying tally at the 8:30 mark. With 1:45 remaining in regulation and Charlotte threatening to complete their rally, Hayward provided the heroics with his 2nd goal of the night (14th of the season) for the eventual game-winner! The victory was shrink-wrapped a minute later with a Nick Deschenes empty-netter for the 5-3 final score. Andrew Allen padded his resume with 24 saves on 27 shots to improve to
21-9-3 on the season as the Titans recaptured 4th place in the Northern Division at 32-19-9 (73 pts). They leapfrog the Toledo Storm (34-22-4 / 72 pts) and keep pace with the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, who extended their bid to go out on top with a 1-0 overtime win over the Dayton Bombers for sole possession of 1st place (34-19-8 / 76 pts). The Reading Royals posted a 3-1 win over the Peoria Rivermen to slide into 2nd place (35-18-5 / 75 pts), while the dormant Wheeling Nailers drop to 3rd place (35-21-4 / 74 pts). The Storm will be looking to put the Titans' fledgling streak on ice when they host them for a pair of critical showdowns Friday and Saturday.
MARCH 1, 2005
When the dust settled on the month of February, it was a very good month for the Trenton Titans. Not that their level of play or consistency was worth bragging about, but they somehow managed to post a respectable 9-5-2 (.625) record for the month to land just 1 point behind the division leaders! Mediocracy reigns supreme in the Northern Division with the top 5 teams clustered around a single point in the standings: the Wheeling Nailers and the Toledo Storm at 66 points with the Reading Royals, Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies, and Trenton Titans all at 65 points (29-17-7 .613). While the Titans have yet to find a groove, they managed to rebound nicely from a horrific January (3-7-1 .318) and are perfectly poised to seize control of the playoff race should it suit their fancy. With 19 games remaining in their regular season schedule, it's time for Trenton to seize the day. GO TITANS !!!
FEBRUARY 28, 2005
My apologies for the current state of the web site. It will be a slow and painful crawl to the postseason, but I hope to be able to bring the basic pages (news, box scores, rosters, transactions, stats, standings) up to date by this weekend and try to keep them reasonably up to date for the remainder of the season.
FEBRUARY 18, 2005
Facing a 2-1 deficit in the 3rd period, the Titans ralled for 3 unanswered goals to skate off with a 4-2 home win! Toledo claimed a 1-0 lead midway through the 1st period but Brent Robinson's power play goal knotted the game 13:16 into the 2nd act. Three minutes into the 3rd period, the Storm recaptured the lead but couldn't fend off a Titans surge. Vince Williams scored his 1st goal of the season to tie the game and start the rally 6:27 into the period, then Bryce Cockburn snatched the lead just 31 seconds later. Rick Kowalsky potted an empty-netter for his 16th goal of the season and the 4-2 finale. Andrew Allen improved to 14-7-3 in goal with 24 saves on 26 shots while the Titans improved to 25-15-7 on the year. The victory enabled Trenton (57 pts.) to gain 2 points on the top 2 teams in the division: the Wheeling Nailers (62 pts.) and the Storm (60 pts.). The
Reading Royals and Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies are a single point ahead of the Titans in the tightened Northern Division pack. Trenton has the opportunity to leap frog the Royals when they host them tomorrow evening while the Storm and Bullies square off and the Nailers remain idle.
FEBRUARY 16, 2005
The Titans squandered a chance to gain 2 key points against a division rival with a 7-5 lashing by the visiting Storm. Toledo set the tone for the game 52 seconds out of the starting block, then posted a 2-0 lead 11:32 into the opening period. Rick Kowalsky sliced the lead in half with a power play goal 6 minutes later, but the Storm responded in kind at the 18:21 mark. Toledo poured on power play and shorthanded goals in the early minutes of the 2nd period for a 5-1 edge. Titans defenseman Matt Libby cashed in on the power play 34 seconds later, but the Storm heaped on 2 more goals for a crippling 7-2 margin heading into the 3rd period. Trenton finally emerged from hibernation in the 3rd period with goals from Paul Brown, Leon Hayward, and Bryce Cockburn but the hole was far too deep for them to claw their way out of. Chris Houle (12 saves on
16 shots) took the loss in relief of Andrew Allen (12 saves on 15 shots).
FEBRUARY 15, 2005
The Reading Royals rallied for a trio of goals in the 2nd half of the 3rd period to turn a close game into an ugly 4-1 loss for the Titans. After a scoreless opening period, Brent Robinson notched a power play goal 14 minutes into the 2nd period to offset a Reading goal scored 3:51 into the frame. The 1-1 tie lasted until the 12:17 mark of the 3rd period when the Royals seized control of the game. Chris Houle was tagged with the loss with 34 saves on 38 shots for an 11-7-4 record on the season. The defeat snapped a 4-game unbeaten-in-regulation streak for the 24-14-7 Titans who occupy 5th place despite being only 3 points behind the division-leading Wheeling Nailers with 2 games in hand.
FEBRUARY 13, 2005
Goalie Chris Houle emerged from Dayton's carpet-bombing onslaught with 48 saves to lead the Trenton Titans to an uplifting 3-2 road win! Former Titan Matt Herneisen scored 6:17 into the opening act for a 1-0 Bombers lead, but Michael Schutte notched his 1st goal as a Titan on a power play with 16 seconds left in the period to even the score. Trenton took a 2-1 lead early in the 2nd period on a Leon Hayward shorthanded goal, then he return to the net for insurance 14:15 through the 3rd period. The Bombers threw everything they had at the net in the 25-shot 3rd period, but only managed to sneak a lone goal past Houle. With only 6 seconds remaining in regulation, it was too little, too late for the home team as the Titans skated off victoriously!
FEBRUARY 11, 2005
In what will probably be the Titans' last appearance at Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall, Trenton fell to the Bullies 3-2 in a shootout. Connor Dunlop netted his 6th of the season 3:39 into the game for a 1-0 advantage, but the Bullies deposited a power play goal 14:37 through the period to knot the game. The Titans recaptured the lead at the 17:04 mark on a Matt Zultek tally, maining it until Atlantic City posted a shorthanded goal 31 seconds into the 3rd period. The resulting tie remained for the balance of regulation and the 5-minute overtime session before the Bullies bested Trenton 2-0 in the shootout for the 3-2 victory. The win gave Atlantic City a 5-4 edge for this year's Garden State Cup. Andrew Allen stopped 28 of 30 shots on the night in the losing effort. Despite the setback, the 23-13-7 Titans remain just 5 points behind the division leading Wheeling Nailers with 2 games in hand.
FEBRUARY 9, 2005
Suddenly, the slump doesn't look that bad. Brent Robinson and Scott Bertoli each notched a pair of goals to lead the Titans to a solid 5-2 victory over the Johnstown Chiefs. With back-to-back wins under their belt, Trenton's record over the past 8 games doesn't seem all that bad at of 4-2-2 (3-1-1 in the month of February). The Titans took the lead just 75 seconds into the contest on a power play goal from Robinson, then extended the margin at 3:20 with a goal from Nick Deschenes. The Chiefs rallied for a pair later in the period to tie the game at 2-2, but Andrew Allen and the Trenton defense shut them down for the balance of the game. Bertoli notched the eventual game-winner early in the 2nd period, followed by Robinson's 2nd of the evening (13th of the season) at the 12:58 mark for a 4-2 edge. Bertoli bagged his 17th of the season with 1:11 remaining in the game to secure the 5-2 finale. The
Titans improved to 23-13-6 with the home win while Allen boosted his record to 13-7-2 with 25 saves in the game. Trenton looks to carry the momentum on the road with games at Atlantic City on Friday, Dayton on Sunday, and Reading next Tuesday.
FEBRUARY 6, 2005
Andrew Allen stopped 27 of 28 shots to lead the Titans to a 4-1 home win over the Reading Royals. Leon Hayward scored 4:49 into the game for a 1-0 Trenton advantage, but the Royals returned 12:21 through the period to tie the game. Twenty-six seconds later, Nick Deschenes reclaimed the lead and the Titans never looked back. Defenseman Stephen Wood added a power play goal late in the 2nd period and an even-strength tally 4:53 into the 3rd period as Trenton cruised to a much-needed victory. Streaks are built one game at a time...
FEBRUARY 5, 2005
Who's your daddy? That seems to be the question the Wheeling Nailers ask whenever they play the Trenton Titans. Tonight's 5-2 debacle was no different. Paul Brown notched his 1st Titans goal at the 7:26 mark of the 1st period as Trenton dominated the visiting Nailers with a 13-3 shot margin. However, their 1-0 lead went to hell in a handbasket in the 2nd period. Wheeling knotted the game with a power play goal 1:49 into the second act, then assumed the lead with a shorthander at 7:32. Brent Robinson found the net midway through the period for a 2-2 tie, but the visitors bounced right back with a pair of goals off of goalie Chris Houle for a 4-2 lead. A power play goal with 1:45 remaining in the 3rd period sealed the Titans fate. Nailers goalie Joe Exter skated away with 37 saves on 39 shots to earn the victory while Houle's revival was put on ice with 5 goals on just 20 shots. Will the Titans get religious and find
their soul tomorrow when they host the Reading Royals? Or will the fans be left to sing Sunday Bloody Sunday?
FEBRUARY 4, 2005
Matt Zultek and Brent Robinson each cashed in on a power play for their 10th goal of the season to lead the Titans to a 2-1 victory over the Toledo Storm. A fight ended the scoreless 1st period, but Trenton came out fighting in the 2nd period with 18 shots on goal including Zultek's netfinder 6:52 into the frame. The Titans guarded their slender lead until Robinson doubled it 3:51 into the 3rd period. The Storm chopped the margin in half 3 minutes later, but Chris Houle dug in for the win with 30 saves on 31 shots. The victory raised Houle to 10-5-4 on the season while Trenton rose to 21-12-6. The loss knocked the Storm out of a points tie for the division lead, but victories helped the 1st place Wheeling Nailers maintain a 6-pt cushion over the Titans while the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies pulled even with the Storm at 4 points up on Trenton, and the Reading Royals retained a 3-point advantage in 4th place.
FEBRUARY 1, 2005
The meter is running and opportunities are slipping by... The Titans escaped another game with 1 point when they should have skated away with the victory. The Rivermen grabbed a 1-0 lead midway through the opening period then held tight as the slow-to-warmup Titans cranked up their shot tallies. Finally, midway through the 16-shot 3rd period, Leon Hayward found the net to tie the game at 1-1. That would be the only time Trenton found the net as the knotted game proceeded through overtime and into the shootout where the Titans came up empty and Peoria bagged a pair for the 2-1 win. Chris Houle was
slapped with the shootout loss after making 27 saves on 28 shots versus Alfie Michaud's 38 save effort for the Rivermen. Despite their midseason meltdown, 5th place Trenton (20-12-6) is miraculously only 6 points behind the division leading Wheeling Nailers with enough games-in-hand to bridge the gap provided they can actually buy some W's.
JANUARY 30, 2005
The win streak grinds to a halt at 1 as the Titans get shut out 1-0 by the Wheeling Nailers. A power play goal 7:50 into the 2nd period was the game's lone tally as Joe Exter and the Nailers kept the wayward Titans out of the net. Chris Houle kept Trenton in the game, stopping 35 of 36 shots but slipping to 9-5-3 on the season for his effort. The loss closed out a horrendous 3-7-1 (.318) month for the Titans - their worst in franchise history after starting the season with a stellar 17-5-4 record. Tuesday starts a 5-game homestand that will be critical for Trenton to claw it's way back into the playoff race.
JANUARY 29, 2005
Rick Kowalsky notched a power play goal 4:05 into overtime to lift the Titans to a 4-3 win over the visiting Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies! The victory snapped a franchise record-tying 5-game winless streak for Trenton. The Boardwalk Bullies dominated the opening period of the game with a shorthanded goal sandwiched by a pair of power play scores for a commanding 3-0 lead. The frame would have been a complete failure except for a Matt Libby goal with 25 seconds remaining to put the Titans on the board. Trenton seized control of the game in the 2nd period with their defense holding the visitors to just 4 shots while Connor Dunlop and Leon Hayward put biscuits in the basket to tie the game at 3 apeice. The Titans and Bullies remained deadlocked through the 2nd half of the middle period, throughout the 3rd period, and into overtime until Kowalsky's heroics. Andrew Allen
picked up the win between the pipes with 18 saves on 21 shots.
JANUARY 28, 2005
The Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies scored 3:54 into overtime for a 3-2 victory over the visiting Titans. Trenton claimed a 1-0 advantage at the 12:15 mark of the 1st period on Matt Zultek's 9th goal of the season, holding tight to the lead as tension mounted between the intrastate rivals. That tension reached the boiling point in the final seconds of the 2nd period when Leon Hayward dropped gloves with Atlantic City's Fraser Clair at the 19:38 mark. Twenty-two seconds later when the period ended, the melee began! Bullies Head Coach Matt Thomas sent out his goons to rough up the Titans and several fights ensued. When the dust settled, Trenton lost Vince Williams, Matt Zultek, and Paul Brown to game misconducts versus a lone Bully ejection. As a result, the Titans began the 3rd period shorthanded, yet
Nick Deschenes managed to turn the tables on Atlantic City's power play for a 2-0 lead. The celebration was shortlived as the Bullies rallied to tie the game by the 11:26 mark of the period, setting the table for their overtime win. Andrew Allen bore the loss with 27 saves on 30 shots, slipping to 10-7-2 on the season. The current winless streak of 5 games ties a Titans franchise futility record. Prior to the game, Trenton announced Jeff Mandel's return to the Titans front office as the new General Manager following Rich Lisk's departure.
JANUARY 27, 2005
For several days, Head Coach Mike Haviland promised changes would be made to right his listing ship. Today saw the first of those changes as he sent forward Phil Lewandowski to the Long Beach Ice Dogs for scrappy former Titan/Bully Paul Spadafora. The popular center played for Haviland with the Titans in their second season (2000/2001) and with Kelly Cup Championship Bullies 2 seasons later. He was recently suspended by the Ice Dogs for "conduct detrimental to the team".
JANUARY 22, 2005
Hah! The naysayers in the crowd who thought the Titans would loss both games this weekend were wrong! Of course, it took a little help from Mother Nature to ensure that Trenton escaped the weekend after throwing away only 2 valuable standings points. Tonight's game at Reading has been rescheduled to Tuesday, February 15th.
JANUARY 21, 2005
The first word that came to mind after tonight's game was a 4-letter word. The supposedly underachieving Scott Bertoli (in the opinion of a small pocket of fans not including this one) started the game on the right foot with a power play tally 3:07 into the first stanza for a 1-0 Titans lead, but the Reading Royals responded with a goal at the 8:47 mark followed by a Cail MacLean power play goal at 14:06 for a 2-1 edge. Matt Zultek undid the former Titan captain's damage barely a minute later with another power play goal for a 2-2 tie. However, with penalties being dished out to Trenton like Halloween candy in the early minutes of the 2nd period (plus one carried over from the close of the opening act), Reading seized the day with a trio of lantern-lighters with the man advantage for a commanding 5-2 lead. Their 4th goal chased Chris Houle from the Titans net. The power play fireworks continued in the
latter half of the 2nd period when Phil Lewandowski notched one to trim the deficit to 5-3. A minute later, Bertoli bagged his 2nd goal of the night to narrow the margin to a lone goal and give the Titans a sliver of hope heading into the 3rd period. That sliver vanished quickly as the home team chalked up a rare (on the night) even-strength goal and a shorthanded tally in the opening minutes for a 7-4 advantage. Nick Deschenes found the net 8:36 into the period, but the Titans would come up painfully short as the Royals poured on an empty-netter in the final seconds for the 8-5 final. Andrew Allen was slapped with the loss after allowing 3 goals on 17 shots in relief of Houle, who yielded 4 on an equal number of shots. The loss dropped Trenton to a seemingly innocent 19-11-4 on the season but tied franchise marks for most goals allowed in a game and most consecutive regulation losses (4). What a game for right wing
Paul Brown, freshly assigned from the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, to make his Titans debut in. By the way, the word was ugly.
JANUARY 21, 2005
This weekend will most likely be a strong indication of what is in store for the Trenton Titans in the second half of their 2004/2005 season. Tonight and tomorrow's games at Reading will bring them to the All-Star Break, just one game shy of the true midpoint of their regular season schedule. The way I see it, things can go one of three different ways. We could have a repeat of last weekend's fate which would leave Trenton with a franchise record-tying 5-game losing streak and grave concern as to whether they will even be a playoff team this season. We could see a pair of solid victories that could jump start the engine and renew hopes that the Titans really are a Kelly Cup contender. Or we could see some mediocre outcome that would continue to string the fans along through yet another winter of discontent.
JANUARY 15, 2005
For the second time this month, the Titans are in possession of a 3-game losing streak. Peoria wasn't about to be held in check by a short-rostered Trenton squad for a second consecutive night, dishing out a decisive 6-2 victory over the visitors. The Rivermen calmly chipped away at the Titans with a pair of goals per period until the final buzzer sent Trenton packing. Mathieu Brunelle broke the silence for the Titans' offense late in the 2nd period with his 12th goal of the season for a 4-1 score but it failed to ignite a rally. Scott Bertoli notched his 13th goal of the season 7:55 into the 3rd period but the game was already beyond hope at 6-2. Andrew Allen took another lump in goal for Trenton with 29 saves on 35 shots. With the loss, the Titans fell to 19-10-4 on the season and back to 4th place in the Northern Division.
JANUARY 14, 2005
Shooting blanks... That describes the 42-shot effort by a Trenton Titans team with an obscenely short bench that resulted in a 2-0 shutout loss to the Peoria Rivermen. The visiting Titans kept pace with the Rivermen in the opening period then dominated the 2nd period with a 16-2 shot advantage, but Peoria netminder Alfie Michaud stood on his head to preserve the scoreless tie. The Rivermen cracked open the game with back-to-back goals 5:10 into the 3rd period and 58 seconds later for the 2-0 final score. Andrew Allen stopped 25 of 27 shots in
the losing effort, slipping to 10-5-1 on the year as Trenton dropped to 19-9-4. The shutout loss was Trenton's first in a regular season game since February 7th of last year. Tack a scarlet "L" on the chest of Titans ownership/management for this loss - they had plenty of time to bolster the paper-thin roster before heading to Peoria. Absolutely no excuse for 3 empty spots on the bench under these circumstances. The Titans would have been down 4 spots if they hadn't picked up defenseman Steve Howard before the game.
JANUARY 9, 2005
The Titans fell 3-1 to the visiting Bakersfield Condors, missing an opportunity to gain ground on the division-leading Boardwalk Bullies. After a scoreless opening period, Bakersfield bagged a shorthanded goal 7:01 into the second act, then added a goal at the 15:58 mark for a 2-0 advantage. Continuing his attempt to carry the team on his back, Scott Bertoli notched a power play goal 8:48 into the 3rd period to put the Titans back into the game, but the Trenton offense couldn't pull the trigger on a game-tying goal. The Condors chalked up an empty net goal with 10 seconds left on the clock for the 3-1 final. Andrew Allen took the loss with 23 saves on 25 shots. The Titans won't play at Sovereign Bank Arena until January 29th with a pair of games next weekend in Peoria, two the following weekend at Reading, then one in Atlantic City on the 28th after the ECHL All-Star Break. Given their performance on the road (10-2-2) and at home (9-6-2) this
year, the trip should be good news.
JANUARY 8, 2005
Andrew Allen returned from the injured reserve list to post Trenton's 1st shutout of the season as the Titans silenced the Boardwalk Bullies 2-0! New Jersey's two ECHL teams locked horns in a defensive struggle that remained scoreless until Rick Kowalsky broke the ice with his 13th goal of the season with just 1:41 remaining in regulation. Bryce Cockburn knocked in an empty-netter 50 seconds later for the 2-0 home win which evens the 2004/2005 Garden State Cup series at 3 games apiece. Allen posted 19 saves for the shutout, improving to 10-3-1 for the year while the Titans ascend to 19-7-4. Trenton has broken free of a 3-game skid to gain 4 points on the Bullies in the past 2 nights and can close the gap to a single point by cashing in a game-in-hand tomorrow when they host the Bakersfield Condors as the Bullies rest. A victory would also give the Titans the best winning percentage in the league once again
(a distinction currently belonging to 21-7-5 Atlantic City).
JANUARY 7, 2005
Great Scott! Leave it to original Titan Scott Bertoli to lift his team out of a slump! His 2nd career hat trick (numero uno was back on 3/24/01 at the South Carolina Stingrays) secured a 5-2 road win to snap Trenton's 3-game skid. The Titans controlled the opening period with goals from Connor Dunlop and Rick Kowalsky early in the frame and Bertoli's 1st of the evening late in the period. Kowalsky's power play tally was his first goal since December 16th, an amazing drought for "The Killer". The Chiefs slowly crept back in the game with a power play goal late in the 2nd period and an even-strength goal 3:02 into the 3rd period to trim their deficit to 3-2. However, Bertoli penned an insurance policy with goals at 4:33 and 9:37 to complete his hat trick and 5-2 win. Chris Houle was the benefactor in the net, stopping 26 of 28 Johnstown shots for the victory. Both Bertoli and Kowalsky posted
4-point performances in the game. The Titans are now 24-0-1 all-time in games where one of the men of steel notches a hat trick.
JANUARY 5, 2005
Is this Armstrong's Titans or Haviland's Titans? A week ago tonight, that would have been an absurd question to ask with the Trenton Titans poised atop the ECHL courtesy of a 17-4-4 record. However, since then they have phoned in 3 straight losses that brings flashbacks of their gory days. The latest system failure was a last-minute 4-3 loss to the visiting Bakersfield Condors. The Titans jumped out to a 2-0 start in the middle of the 1st period on a Mathieu Brunelle power play tally followed closely by a Connor Dunlop goal. But Trenton gave it all back with interest in the 2nd period with Chris Houle coughing up a trio of even-strength goals on 14 shots while the Titans shot blanks at their end of the ice. Hope was renewed 6:53 into the 3rd period when Brent Robinson notched a power play goal to tie
the game at 3-3, but the curtains came crashing down in the final minute of regulation when the Condors tapped one in past Houle for the win. The 0-3-0 slump has dropped Trenton 7 points behind the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (a gap no longer covered by the 3 games in hand held by the Titans). Houle fell to 8-4-3 with 23 saves on 27 shots in the loss as Trenton slipped to 17-7-4 with an underachieving 8-5-2 mark at Sovereign Bank Arena.
JANUARY 2, 2005
2005 started on a sour note, a 5-2 home loss to the Johnstown Chiefs. The visitors chalked up a power play 2:25 into the game and kept Trenton battling from behind all day. Steve Cygan scored his 6th goal of the season a few minutes later to tie the game, but the Chiefs fired back midway through the opening period to hand the Titans a 2-1 deficit. Connor Dunlop scored his 2nd goal of the season at the 13:43 mark of the 1st period for a 2-2 tie, but that would be the last red light for the Titans today. Johnstown preventing the home team from capturing the lead, then unleashed a pair of goals in the middle of the 3rd period to open up a 4-2 lead. An empty-netter with 12 seconds on the clock completed their 5-2 victory. It's the first time this season that the Titans have suffered consecutive regulation losses. Chris Houle slipped to 8-3-3 on the season with 23 saves on
27 shots.
JANUARY 1, 2005
Happy New Year!
DECEMBER 31, 2004
The Trenton Titans closed the books on a rollercoaster 2004 with a 3-1 loss at Boardwalk Hall. Despite a 12-7 shot advantage in the opening frame, the Titans surrendered an Atlantic City goal 13:29 through the period for a 1-0 deficit. The Bullies were unable to cash in on a shift in momentum in the 2nd period, which featured a rare fighting major for Vince Williams. However, they took out insurance with 2:02 remaining in the 3rd period which came in handy when B.J. Abel put a proverbial biscuit in the basket 20 seconds later. An empty-net goal with 50 seconds left in regulation preserved the Atlantic City win. Chris Houle was tagged with the loss despite 33 saves on 35 shots as the Bullies reclaim the Northern Division lead from their intrastate rivals. Nonetheless, the Trenton Titans finish the year with an impressive 17-5-4 (.731) record just 2 points behind Atlantic City but
with a pair of games in hand and the best winning percentage in the entire league. Not a bad way to ring in the New Year!
DECEMBER 30, 2004
The Titans closed out their 2004 Sovereign Bank Arena schedule with a solid 6-1 victory over the visiting Toledo Storm to improve to 17-4-4 (.760) on the season and recapture the division lead from the Bullies, who snatched it with a win yesterday. Mathieu Brunelle notched his 10th goal of the season 2:17 into the first act for a 1-0 Trenton lead, then Steve Cygan added what would become his 2nd game-winner in as many games late the period for a 2-0 advantage. The Titans opened up a 3-goal lead on a Connor Dunlop tally (1st with Trenton) 5:16 into the 2nd period, then Toledo cracked the scoreboard 3 minutes later. To remove any thoughts of a Storm rally, Trenton dished out a trio of goals in the 3rd period to cement the win. Matt Libby bagged his 1st of the season 8:59 into the period, followed by yet another Cygan goal at 13:55, then by a
Matt Zultek tally with 2:26 remaining. Chris Houle skated to victory with 21 saves on 22 shots for an 8-1-3 record. Defenseman Brian Sullivan made his Trenton debut and dropped gloves with former Titan Nick Parillo in the closing minute of the game.
DECEMBER 29, 2004
Trenton delivered some relief to their paper thin blueline roster today, signing former Dallas Stars draft pick Brian Sullivan. The 2003 Northeastern University alum, not to be confused with the former New Jersey Devils right wing by the same name who graduated from there in 1991, started the season with the Florida Everblades but was released from his contract after being disappointed by limited ice time. He made brief appearances with the AHL's Springfield Falcons and Lowell Lock Monsters last season, his first year in professional hockey.
DECEMBER 28, 2004
The Trenton Titans continue to improve upon the best winning percentage in the ECHL, defeating the Dayton Bombers 4-3 to ascend to 16-4-4 (.750)! The victory returns Trenton to the Northern Division lead (edging the 16-6-4 Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies) with one-third of the regular season schedule under their belt. While their 16-4-4 mark is eclipsed by their 2000/2001 24-game record (18-5-1 .771), it's a world apart from the dismal 11-11-2 they posted during each of the past 2 seasons. Red-hot Scott Bertoli started tonight's scoring with a power play goal 8:32 into the opening period, but the visitors replied a few minutes later to knot the game at 1-1. The Titans reclaimed the lead at the 15:16 mark with Brent Robinson's 8th goal of the season, but Dayton bagged a power play goal early in the 2nd period to tie the game once again. Trenton took command of the game in the 3rd period courtesy of a
Matt Zultek power play tally at 1:59 followed exactly 10 minutes later by a Steve Cygan lantern-lighter. Cygan's goal would stand as the game-winner when the Bombers knocked in a power play goal with 8 seconds remaining in regulation for the 4-3 final. Andrew Allen stopped 29 of 32 shots to boost his season record to 9-3-1. Excellence!
DECEMBER 25, 2004
Merry Christmas!
DECEMBER 20, 2004
After 13 games with the Titans, defenseman Andy Burnes has decided to hang up the skates. As standard operating procedure, Trenton has suspended Burnes to retain his rights should he have a change of heart before the season's end.
DECEMBER 18, 2004
Scott Bertoli notched a pair of goals to help the Titans return to their winning ways with a 4-2 home victory over the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies! Bertoli scored 3:52 into the 1st period for a 1-0 Trenton advantage, then defenseman Jerramie Domish deposited his 1st goal as a Titan on a power play midway through the period to double the lead. Bertoli extended the Titans advantage to 3-0 at the 6:02 mark of the middle period with a power play tally. Atlantic City finally offered some resistence in the opening half of the 3rd period, posting a pair of goals to crawl back into the game. However, Bryce Cockburn notched his 2nd goal of the season with 5:08 remaining in the game for insurance and Trenton skated on for the 4-2 win. Chris Houle was the victor between the pipes, stopping 25 of 27 shots to improve to 7-1-3. The win evened the 2004/2005 Garden
State Cup series at 2 games apiece, and returned the Titans to a points-tie with the Bullies atop the Northern Division. Trenton has a better win percentage with 2 games in hand over Atlantic City.
DECEMBER 17, 2004
The Titans road magic didn't follow them back to Sovereign Bank Arena as their 6-game undefeated-in-regulation streak was snapped with a loss to the visiting Wheeling Nailers. The guests took a 1-0 lead with a power play goal 14:53 into the opening act, then doubled the margin 3 minutes into the 2nd period. A shorthanded goal 14:22 into the period gave the Nailers an intimidating 3-0 edge, but the Titans launced an all-out assault in an attempt to salvage the game in the 3rd period. In a 19-shot period, Brent Robinson and Mathieu Brunelle lit the lantern to trim the deficit to 3-2, but Wheeling's Dany Sabourin held off the home team to preserve the win. He finished with 40 saves on 42 shots while Andrew Allen bore the loss with 15 saves on 18 shots. With the loss and a Boardwalk Bullies win, the 14-4-4 Titans slipped out of 1st place.
DECEMBER 16, 2004
Road is where the heart is! After capturing an awesome 9-out-of-10 points on the road trip (closed out with a 3-2 shootout win over the Dayton Bombers tonight), it's now official: the Trenton Titans are off to their best start in franchise history with a 14-3-4 (.762) record through 21 games! And they have the best record in the entire ECHL! Excellence expected? Excellence delivered! In tonight's game, Matt Zultek disrupted a scoreless tie with 31 seconds left in the 2nd period, but the Dayton Bombers evened the score just 64 seconds into the 3rd period. Rick Kowalsky converted on a power play at the 16:59 mark for his 11th goal of the season and a 2-1 Titans lead, but Dayton
responded at 18:20 to send the game into overtime. After a scoreless 5-minute OT, the Titans carved out a 3-1 performance in the shootout for a 3-2 road win! Chris Houle wore the win with 26 saves on 28 shots for a 6-1-3 record on the season as Trenton finished their 5-game road trip with a 4-0-1 record. GREAT JOB TITANS!!!
DECEMBER 14, 2004
Mathieu Brunelle notched a hat trick while Andrew Allen collected 37 saves on 40 shots to lead the Titans to a 4-3 road win over the Dayton Bombers that leaves Trenton just 2 points behind the division-leading Boardwalk Bullies! Brunelle started the evening's scoring 12:33 into a Titans dominated opening period. The 2nd period was a wild west shootout with each team posting 18 shots on goal, but Trenton managed to make good on 3 of them compared to 1 for Dayton. Brunelle added a power play tally 6 minutes into the period for a 2-0 lead, which Matt Zultek extended 77 seconds later. The Bombers found the net midway through the 2nd act, but Brunelle hammered home
the hatmaker at the 13:29 mark for a 4-1 advantage. Dayton rallied for a pair of fast goals in the middle of the 3rd period to turn the game into a nail-bite, but Allen and the Titans held on for the 4-3 victory! At 13-3-4, Trenton is just 1 point shy of its best franchise record through 20 games (15-4-1 in 2000/2001); a win Thursday night will give them their best record through 21 games and make them the best team in the ECHL by win percentage (which they already are at .750) and by points.
DECEMBER 12, 2004
The hot glove of Wheeling's Dany Sabourin nipped the Titans win streak in the bud (3 games), but Trenton skated away with a point in the overtime loss to close to within 4 points of the division-leading Boardwalk Bullies. The Nailers were heavily outshot by the visiting Titans in the opening period but managed to stake a 1-0 lead. Trenton erased their deficit 14:05 into the 2nd period with Brent Robinson's 2nd goal in as many games, then snatched the lead 13 seconds into the 3rd period on Andy Burnes' 1st professional goal. With high sticking calls being dished out like candy, the Nailers pounced on a 5-on-3 opportunity to knot the game at 2-2 at the 7:44 mark, setting the stage for
overtime. Thirty-three seconds into the bonus round, Wheeling found the net for the 3-2 win. Chris Houle took the overtime loss with 28 saves on 31 shots while Sabourin racked up 38 saves for the victory. The Titans return to Ohio for games against the Dayton Bombers on Tuesday and Thursday to close out the road trip.
DECEMBER 11, 2004
The Trenton Titans continue to rule the road, improving to 7-1-1 away from SBA with a solid 5-2 win over the Toledo Storm. Phil Lewandowski notched his 7th goal of the season, a power play tally, midway through the 1st period to offset a goal Toledo scored only 48 seconds into the contest, but Sam Paolini found the net for the 3rd time in 2 nights to recapture the Storm lead. But after being outshot and outscored in the opening act, the visiting Titans didn't look back. Another Lewandowski goal and a Brent Robinson lantern-lighter turned the tables early in the 2nd period for a 3-2 Trenton edge. The narrow margin remained until deep in the 3rd period
when Rick Kowalsky collected his 10th goal of the season and Scott Bertoli added an empty-netter to secure the victory. Andrew Allen made 24 saves on 26 shots to improve to 7-2-1. The Titans ascend to 12-3-3 on the season, their best 18-game (quarter season) mark since Seasons 2 & 3. Great job Titans!
DECEMBER 10, 2004
A 2nd period flurry was just what the Titans needed (barely) to skate past the Toledo Storm with a 4-3 road win. Former Boardwalk Bully Sam Paolini gave the home team a 1-0 advantage at the 3:58 mark of the opening act and Toledo held tight to the lead until a 2nd period offensive clinic from the visiting Titans. In a span of less than 10 minutes in the middle frame, Steve Cygan and Mathieu Brunelle notched even-strength goals followed by power play trophies from Bryce Cockburn (1st goal of the season) and Matt Zultek! The sudden 4-1 Trenton lead failed to demoralize the Storm as they attempted a 3rd period
comeback bid with a power play goal early in the period and another Paolini goal with 1:17 remaining in regulation. If the home crowd smelled overtime in the air, they were mistaken as Andrew Allen and crew held on to closeout the victory. The 11-3-3 Titans leapfrog the Wheeling Nailers (dismissed 2-1 by Atlantic City tonight) into 2nd place, 6 points behind the Bullies but with 5 games in hand. Trenton will need to thwart Toledo's attempts to avenge the loss tomorrow night.
DECEMBER 10, 2004
Missed opportunities aside, the Trenton Titans enter the weekend with the 2nd best record (10-3-3 23pts.) in the entire ECHL with a .719 win percentage! Their position in the standings continues to be deceptive due to the number of games-in-hand they have over their rivals: 5 over the division-leading Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies (13-5-3 .690 29pts.), 4 over the 2nd place Wheeling Nailers (12-8-0 .600 24pts.). In fact, Trenton has played less games so far this season than all but two of their ECHL leaguemates. However, the Titans have embarked on the longest road trip of their season: a 5-game trek through Ohio and West Virginia (over 7 days compared to a 5-game road trip in January that's spread over 15 days with the All-Star
Break intervening). They play the Toledo Storm tonight and tomorrow night, the Wheeling Nailers on Sunday, then finish out the trip with games against the Dayton Bombers on Tuesday and Thursday. A great chance for the Titans to flex the muscle of their sleeping-giant offense! Speaking of the Trenton offense, former Notre Dame center Connor Dunlop, son of NHLer Blake Dunlop, was signed yesterday to bolster the frontline.
DECEMBER 7, 2004
Happy Hanukkah to all of the Titans fans who observe the holiday!
DECEMBER 5, 2004
It was a rollercoaster ride with a happy ending... a 4-3 Titans shootout victory! Johnstown wasted little time capitalizing on a 5-on-3 early in the 1st period, scoring twice in just under a minute to cash in on both Trenton penalties for a 2-0 lead. The Titans battled back later in the period to tie the game with Rick Kowalsky's 9th goal of the season followed 86 seconds later by Phil Lewandowski's 6th goal. Trenton claimed a 3-2 lead 4:36 into the 2nd period on Mathieu Brunelle's 4th goal of the season, but the Chiefs knotted the game 3-3 early in the 3rd period to set the stage for the Titans' 8th overtime affair in 16 games this year. After
a scoreless overtime session, Trenton notched a 2-0 advantage in the shootout for the win! Chris Houle was flawless in the shootout and stopped 34 of 37 shots in regulation and overtime to improve to 5-1-2 while the Titans rose to 10-3-3 on the season.
DECEMBER 4, 2004
An amazing streak came to an end with tonight's 2-1 Titans home loss against the Reading Royals. For the first time since November 8th of last year, Andrew Allen lost a game in regulation at Sovereign Bank Arena. During that span, Allen went 17-0-3 with a 1.58 goals against average and .945 save percentage in 20 starts and 1 relief appearance. That run also included a 15-game win streak at SBA which ended with the shootout loss against the Bombers on November 12th. Both are franchise records that will probably stand for a while. Allen was hardly the goat for tonight's loss, stopping 22 of 24 shots while the Trenton offense produced a lone goal 7:04 into the opening period. The power play
tally from B.J. Abel was offset by the Royals in the middle of the 2nd period, then Reading swiped the lead with a goal at the 14:32 mark of the 3rd period. That score held up as Reading forced a split of the home-and-home. Tough loss, but Allen deserves a standing ovation for some awesome netminding at home over the past year!
DECEMBER 3, 2004
Nothing like a "Killer" hat trick to lead the Titans to a season-high goal tally for a 5-3 road win against the Reading Royals! The home team came out shooting in the opening period with a 17-8 shot edge over Trenton, including a pair that found the net in the middle of the period for a 2-0 lead. However, Brent Robinson notched his 4th goal of the season just 47 seconds after Reading's 2nd tally to chop the lead in half. Escaping that period with only a 2-1 deficit gave the Titans the morale boost they needed as they exploded for 3 goals in the second stanza for a 4-2 advantage. Scott Bertoli's 4th goal of the season came just 44 seconds into the period, followed
by back-to-back Rick Kowalsky goals (one at 5:58, another at 17:34). The hat trick was signed, sealed, and delivered 4:01 into the 3rd period for a 5-2 lead. The Royals' last stand was a power play goal with 2:26 remaining in regulation for a 5-3 final. After returning for the AHL's Providence Bruins earlier in the week, Andrew Allen secured the victory with 35 saves on 38 shots to improve to 5-1-1. The 9-2-3 Titans glide into 3rd place in the Northern Division with the win. HATS R US: Kowalsky's hat trick was the 23rd in Titans history; he's the 15th player to notch one for them. Trenton is 22-0-1 in games when one of their players nabs a hat trick.
DECEMBER 1, 2004
In a stunning development, Trenton Titans President and General Manager Rich Lisk has resigned effective Friday! A vital part of the Trenton front office since the franchise's birth, Lisk has opted to leave the team to become the Senior Director of Sponsorships for Promo1 (a sports/entertainment event marketing company). He started as the Titans' Vice President of Marketing and Sales in July 1998 and was promoted to his current positions in October 2002. In The Unofficial Web Site's Annual Trenton Titans Fan Awards, Lisk nabbed "Best Front Office Member" in 3 of the 4 seasons (it wasn't a category during Trenton's 1st season). He will be sorely missed! Good Luck in your new endeavor Rich! The search for
General Manager number 3 begins.
NOVEMBER 30, 2004
Congratulations and thanks are due for Trenton Titans athletic trainer Stephan Lipinski for over 5 years of great service! He will be leaving the Titans to become an assistant trainer with the NHL's Philadelphia Flyers. The job of filling his shoes in Trenton goes to Chris Vigneault. Congratulations Pinner! The Titans formally honored Lipinski before last Tuesday's game against the Long Beach Ice Dogs.
NOVEMBER 28, 2004
Matt Zultek scored 51 seconds into overtime to hand the Titans a 3-2 victory over the visiting Ice Dogs! Trenton and goalie Chris Houle survived a 5-games-in-6-days with a 2-1-2 record. The Titans claimed a 1-0 lead late in the 1st period on defenseman Rosario Ruggeri's 1st professional goal, but found themselves staring at another deficit when Long Beach scored 6:49 into 2nd period and added a power play goal for the lead 3 minutes into the third act. Trenton evened the score at the 9:23 mark on Brent Robinson's 3rd goal of the season, setting the stage for the overtime showdown. Houle stopped 21 of 23 Ice Dog
shots en route to the victory.
NOVEMBER 27, 2004
The Trenton Titans are bruised and battered, by the Boardwalk Bullies, by the on-ice officials, and by their own shortened roster. Atlantic City wasted little time in establishing control of the game, scoring 5:22 into the 1st period then adding a shorthanded tally less than 2 minutes later for a 2-0 advantage over the Titans, who were short a pair of skaters for the second straight night due to callups, injuries, and the unwillingness or inability of management to find some warm bodies to fill the roster. Nonetheless, Scott Bertoli (returning from 2 games missed due to a puck to the groin) was not about to throw in the towel despite the ready-made excuses, and notched his 3rd goal of
the season 17:30 into the opening period to put the home team on the scoreboard. Nick Deschenes followed Bertoli's lead, lighting the lantern just 13 seconds later to knot the game at 2-2. Despite having Head Coach Mike Haviland flustered by questionable officiating (and the officiating itself), Trenton escaped the opening period with a tie and momentum still at their end of the ice. However, the second half of the middle period saw the pendulum swing back towards the Bullies as they recaptured the lead at the 12:06 mark then added a power play goal 14:37 through the period. Refusing to lay down, Mathieu Brunelle notched his own
power play goal 5:11 into the 3rd frame to pull Trenton within a goal, but the Boardwalk Bullies responded 15 seconds later for a 5-3 advantage then added a power play insurance goal at the 14:08 mark to cement the 6-3 road win over their intrastate nemesis. The win gave Atlantic City a 2-1 lead for the 2004/2005 Garden State Cup and increased their unbeaten in regulation streak (9-0-1) to 10 games. Chris Houle slipped to 3-1-2 in the beating, allowing 6 goals on just 24 shots as the Titans fell to 7-2-3 on the season - not a bad record, but only good enough for 6th place in the highly competitive Northern Division at the moment. Trenton still has games in hand over all of their divisional
rivals but needs to right its ship before they get too complacent looking up in the standings. Despite having Bertoli back in the lineup for tonight's game, the Titans were without Rick Kowalsky due to a foot injury as well as several players due to AHL callups (Allen, Leach, and Hayward to Providence, Abel to Philadelphia).
NOVEMBER 26, 2004
The traditional first day of the holiday shopping season, and the Trenton Titans almost received their first Christmas gift. Despite being blasted by a 45-18 shot margin, Trenton managed to hold on until the 4:30 mark of overtime before falling 3-2 to the Nailers. Matt Zultek gave the Titans a 1-0 lead with less than a minute remaining in the opening period with his 1st goal of the season, then Stephen Wood notched his 2nd goal (a power play tally) in as many games for a 2-0 advantage 6:36 into the 2nd period. Chris Houle managed to stave off the Wheeling assault until the 3rd
period when he allowed a pair of goals on 19 shots but stopped a penalty shot in the final second of regulation to send the game into overtime. Houle finished the night with 42 saves on 45 shots, stealing a point for the AWOL Titans defense (not that the offense was very productive either). Three out of four points on the road isn't too bad, but the performances certainly weren't Kelly Cup contenter caliber. A nice blowout against the Bullies tomorrow night would surely give the Titans the boost they need.
NOVEMBER 25, 2004
Happy Thanksgiving!
NOVEMBER 24, 2004
Killer Kowalsky claimed another victim, striking down the Johnstown Chiefs with his 5th goal of the season 2:55 into overtime for a 2-1 Titans road victory! Chris Houle allowed a Johnstown goal 1:46 into the match and never looked back, racking up 30 saves on 31 shots to improve to 3-0-1 on the season. Trenton exited the 1st period with a 1-0 road deficit despite outshooting their hosts 13-7 in the period, but managed to tie the game in the middle of the 2nd period with a Stephen Wood goal despite being on the short side of a 15-6 shot differential in the second frame. The game
remained knotted at 1-1 for the next 30 minutes of play until Rick Kowalsky's overtime goal. The Titans improve to 7-1-2 with the road win and move into a points-tie with the Wheeling Nailers for 3rd place in the Northern Division.
NOVEMBER 24, 2004
It's been a while since the last shameless plug, but 'tis the season... Why de