Taras Lendzyk has established himself as Trenton's new premier goalie! Titans fans knew from the start that sooner or later the day would come that Bujar Amidovski would ascend to the AHL, leaving Trenton in dire need of a starting goaltender. After the All-Star break, the Titans learned that it would be sooner as the result of a trade between the Philadelphia Flyers and the Carolina Hurricanes. The deal sent Flyers veteran Rod Brind'Amour, Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL) starting goaltender Jean-Marc Pelltier, and a draft pick to the Hurricanes for veteran Keith Primeau and a draft pick. The Flyers organization expressed an interest in acquiring another goalie of NHL or AHL caliber to strengthen their netminding in the wake of the trade, but nothing materialized. Bujar received his promotion to leave a gaping hole in the Titans' net.

Titans General Manager Brian McKenna wasted no time securing Bujar's replacement. He sent forwards D.J. Mando, Martin Cerven, and future considerations to the Charlotte Checkers for goaltender Taras Lendzyk, defenseman Dave Risk, and future considerations. Lendzyk made his Trenton Titans debut on the road January 28th, making 44 saves on 47 Hampton Admirals shots. The following evening, he stopped 32 of 33 Blizzard shots at Huntington for his first victory in a Titans uniform. The message was sent back to Trenton that Titans fans have another awesome goalie!

And now for the man behind the mask... Taras Lendzyk was born on March 8, 1972 in Saskatchewan. While Taras excelled at hockey from a very young age, he was also the quarterback for his Wynyard Bears High School team. In college, Taras was goaltender for the University of Minnesota - Duluth Bulldogs for four years, setting many records and leading his team to a WCHA Championship. After graduation, he began his professional career in the ECHL, compiling a 28-10-7 regular season record for the 1996/1997 Kelly Cup Champion South Carolina Stingrays. Taras played for the Richmond Renegades in 1997/1998 before moving on to the Charlotte Checkers the following season.

After the 1998/1999 season concluded for the Checkers, Taras Lendzyk wed college sweetheart Melissa Sanford in Ocho Rios, Jamaica (May 29, 1999). Hopefully, Taras and Melissa will consider calling Trenton home for a while. You can find out more about them at www.angelfire.com/nc2/taraslendzyk.

Jed Whitchurch has been chosen as Titanic's Titan of the Month for January! In the early days of October 1999, many skeptics doubted whether Jed Whitchurch would even make the Trenton Titans rosters. Many thought that the St. Thomas, Ontario native was too small to play professional hockey --- but how many times have we heard that before? Little did they know, that the Colgate University graduate would become a vital part of the Trenton Titans offense. After 37 games, Whitchurch has tallied 13 goals and 21 assists with a team leading +17 plus/minus. While 3 goals and 5 assists in 9 games for the month of January are not the kind of numbers that re-write the record books, Jed's contribution to the Titans goes much deeper. He has been a consistent inspiration on the Titans roster since the very first game, exhibiting the kind of determination that turns an average player into an MVP. Discipline has been a big key to Jed's success as he has received only 6 penalty minutes in 37 games. Expect Jed Whitchurch to have a long and prosperous professional career with the Titans and beyond!

The Titans posted their second consecutive winning month in January with a 7-5-1 record! The Trenton Titans continued their winning ways in January (7-5-1) to improve to 21-17-3 for their inaugural season. Trenton broke tradition by starting the month with a win: a 5-3 road victory at the Dayton Bombers led by Jed Whitchurch's goal and three assists. Trenton settled for a point the following evening with 2-3 shootout loss at the Wheeling Nailers after erasing a 2-0 third period deficit. The Titans returned home for a 3-1 victory over the Charlotte Checkers behind a 37 save performance from Stephen Valiquette. Two nights later, the Huntington Blizzard knocked Valiquette out of the game en route to a 6-2 victory over Trenton at the Sovereign Bank Arena. The wasted weekend continued on the road with a 2-4 loss at the Charlotte Checkers, followed by a 5-8 loss at the Greensboro Generals.

Dangerously close to the .500 mark at 16-15-3, the Titans snapped their losing streak with a 4-2 home victory over the Jacksonville Lizard Kings. Marty Phillips didn't fare well as the third goalie to start for the Trenton Titans franchise, losing 5-7 at the Richmond Renegades in a game that the Titans offense did everything possible to win. Bujar Amidovski returned to the net the following night at Johnstown to record 31 saves in a 2-1 shootout win over the Chiefs (with Scott Bertoli notching the regulation goal and shootout game-winner).

The Titans resumed play after the All-Star break with a 3-2 victory over the visiting Roanoke Express, followed by a 5-1 embarassment of the Hampton Roads Admirals the next night. Six days later, the Admirals got their revenge in a 4-2 victory at the Norfolk Scope despite new Titans goaltender Taras Lendzyk's 44 saves. The Titans repaid Lendzyk the following night with a 4-1 road victory over the Huntington Blizzard to finish the month with a 7-5-1 record.

Many of the Opening Day Titans have already left town. When you look at the Trenton Titans roster from October 15, 1999, half of the players that played are no longer with the team. Anthony Cappelletti, Martin Cerven, Eon MacFarlane, D.J. Mando, and Jeff Mercer have all been traded away. Left wing Mercer was the first to go, traded after playing only two games to the Pensacola Ice Pilots for Vince Williams. He ended up choosing the WPHL instead of the Ice Pilots, playing first for the Amarillo Rattlers, then for the Tupelo T-Rex when the Rattlers ceased operations. Defenseman Eon MacFarlane was the most surprising to go; the Titans first team Captain was traded to the Birmingham Bulls after playing only three games as a Titan. He has 5 goals and 15 assists in 44 games with Birmingham since the trade. On the same day, center Jarret Whidden, who never got to play for Trenton due to an injury, was traded to the Jacksonville Lizard Kings. After only 3 games with Jacksonville, Whidden was traded to the Arkansas RiverBlades who dealt him to the Toledo Storm after 27 games (with 12 goals and 14 assists). In 13 games with the Storm, Whidden has 3 goals and 5 assists.

The next original Titan to be traded was defenseman Anthony Cappelletti, sent to the Huntington Blizzard after 8 games with the Titans. He has tallied 4 goals and 3 assists in 29 games with the Blizzard, including a game-winner against the Titans in his first reunion. The next Titan to vanish was Eric Weichselbaumer, who was waived after playing 18 games with Trenton. Defenseman D.J. Mando and center Martin Cerven were the next trade victims, sent to the Charlotte Checkers in the deal to acquire goaltender Taras Lendzyk and defenseman Dave Risk. Mando tallied a goal and two assists in his first three games with Charlotte while Cerven has been scoreless.

After the All-Star Break, two original Titans and ECHL All-Stars left Trenton for better reasons. Goalie Bujar Amidovski (Philadelphia Phantoms) and left wing Mark Murphy (Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins) have been called up to the AHL after enormous contributions to the Titans' inaugural season. If you are keeping count, the other 'half' player of the 17 players missing from opening day is defenseman Ryan Brown, frequently injured but technically still with the Titans. Of the other eight remaining Titans, several have had call-ups but returned for the time being. Left wing Scott Bertoli made a quick trip to the Lowell Lock Monsters (AHL), but returned without missing a Titans game. Defenseman Chris Feil has been recalled by the IHL's Cleveland Lumberjacks twice, but is currently on the Titans' injured reserve list. Right wing Cail MacLean has played for the Lowell Lock Monsters and the IHL's Michigan K-Wings. Last but not least, Sergei Skrobot was recalled briefly by the Philadelphia Phantoms. Defenseman Scott Kelsey has been waived on a few occasions, and even picked up briefly by the Richmond Renegades, but he is currently back with the Titans.

So, the Opening Titans who haven't strayed from home all season: centers Mike Hall, Chris Masters, and Jed Whitchurch. Defensemen Likit Andersson was on the injured reserve list to start the season, but has been with the Titans all season. Right wing Mike Mader debuted with the Titans in their second game and has made a pair of brief trips to the Lowell Lock Monsters. Of the other players on the roster on Opening Day that did not play that day, right wing Matt Hogan has been waived and goaltender Stephen Valiquette has been recalled by the Lowell Lock Monsters. The new faces currently on the Titans roster: right wing Jesse Boulerice, left wing Todd Fedoruk, center Jerry Keefe, center Bob Thornton, center Jeff Trembecky, defenseman Dave Risk, defenseman Kam White, defenseman Vince Williams, and goaltenders Taras Lendzyk and Marty Phillips. It wouldn't be fair to close without mentioning the other Titans who have appeared briefly this season: left wing Francis Belanger, center Ruslan Fedotenko, right wing Matt Henderson, defenseman Sean Blanchard, and the five emergency backup goaltenders who only saw the bench (George Bosak, Craig Fiander, Andy McLaughlin, Lance Perschau, and John Salerno). That's a lot of Titans!

NORTHERN CONFERENCE / NORTHEAST DIVISION With only two months left to the regular season, the playoff race is heating up. The ranks of the Northeast changed slightly in January, but the Kelly Cup runner-up Richmond Renegades remain on top with a 28-11-2 record after a 6-4-1 month. The Renegades would currently earn a second seed berth in the Northern Conference as the lesser of two division winners, but one game can see them switch seeds with Peoria and gain home ice all the way to another crack at the Cup. Hot on Richmond's heels in second place, the Roanoke Express (27-11-4) went 8-3 in January and are close enough to taste a third straight division title and second consecutive regular season conference title. Barring a major collapse, the Renegades and Express have a lock on two of the top three seeds for the Northern Conference playoffs. After a 6-5-1 month, the Hampton Roads Admirals (26-16-3) have sunken further into third place. While a playoff spot is virtually guaranteed at this point for the playoff perennial Admirals, they will need to stay vigilant to secure home advantage. A 7-5-1 month keeps the Trenton Titans (21-17-3) in fourth place and within striking distance of the Admirals. The current standings would reward the Titans inaugural effort with a sixth seed in the Northern Conference playoffs. On the outside looking in, the 17-19-4 Charlotte Checkers went 5-3-1 in January and remain in fifth place. A strong effort down the stretch is needed for the Checkers to avoid a second consecutive season absent from the playoffs. The Greensboro Generals (14-29-4) will not be crawling out of the division basement or partaking in the postseason after a 3-8-2 month dashed any distant hopes of a late-season turnaround.

NORTHERN CONFERENCE / NORTHWEST DIVISION The Peoria Rivermen are attempting to runaway with the Northwest Division after a 10-2 January improves their record to 28-10-3. Peoria has a stanglehold on either a first or second berth in the playoffs, depending on whether they continue to outpace the Northeast Division leader. The real runner-up in the Northwest, hidden with a fourth place point total but a few games in hand, the 21-15-6 Johnstown Chiefs appear determined to end a four year playoff drought with a 7-3-2 January effort. The Chiefs would currently cling to a fifth seed in the Northern Conference based on win percentage. A 6-6-2 month leaves the Dayton Bombers in third place by percentage, holding onto a seventh seed with a 21-18-8 season record. The Bombers will need to at least break even down the stretch to ensure that their flawless string of playoff invites remains intact. Inches behind Dayton, in fourth place with an eighth and final playoff seed, the Huntington Blizzard (21-18-8) had a disappointing 5-7-1 month. The Blizzard will need to re-charge for the playoff run to return after missing the postseason last year. A 4-4-3 month has done little to prevent the Toledo Storm (16-19-5) from staying on track to miss the playoffs for the first time in franchise history. While an eleventh hour effort isn't impossible, it appears unlikely that Toledo has the gas (or the engine). The fate of the Northern Conference cellar dweller Wheeling Nailers (13-27-3) was sealed with a 3-9 month. It will be the Nailers second year in a row on the golf course during the postseason.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE / SOUTHEAST DIVISION The war continues in the Southeast with the Pee Dee Pride, Greenville Grrrowl, and Florida Everblades fighting not only for the division lead, but for the best record in the league and number one seed in the playoffs. The Pride (28-8-2) and Grrrowl (28-7-5) remain in a dead heat, separated by a fraction of a percentage point at .763, a slight improvement over the Pride's league leading win percentage from last season. The Pride went 6-3-1 in January, compared with the Grrrowl's 5-2-3 month. There is certainly no such thing as a sophomore slump for the Grrrowl, who were 26-33-11 in their inaugural season last year. The momentum in the dogfight goes to the third team, the Florida Everblades (31-10-1 .750), after a 9-2-1 surge for the month. These teams will be the ones to beat in the ECHL playoffs this year - it's a shame that only one can advance to the Kelly Cup Finals. A mile away in fourth place, the South Carolina Stingrays would only garnish a number nine wildcard seed with their 20-17-5 reocrd after a 5-4-1 month. A 6-5-2 January has the Jacksonville Lizard Kings (17-18-5) creeping closer to the playoff list after a horrible start. The fifth place Lizard Kings are currently ranked 13th in the conference (11 teams qualify for postseason bids in the Southern Conference), but are just one game out of a tie for the final spot. Meanwhile, a 6-5 month has done little to lift the fellow Floridian Tallahassee Tiger Sharks (16-22-4) from sixth place. Chances are good that their playoff boycott streak will be extended to three seasons. Still in the division basement despite a 5-3 start to the new year, the Augusta Lynx (15-24-2) will not be joining the Quest for the Cup this year.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE / SOUTHWEST DIVISION The playoff picture in the Southwest remains about as clear as a murky pond with several teams in contention for the division lead and number two playoff berth. The runner-up will have to settle for the fifth and final 'normal' playoff bid, while the other teams will have to scramble for the six wildcards. Currently on top of the heap after a 7-2-1 January, the Louisiana IceGators (24-14-7) are looking to three-peat as Southwest Division champions. The New Orleans Brass (23-14-5) won't make it easy for the Gators after a 7-3-2 performance for the month. In a close third place, the Birmingham Bulls (24-16-4) have fallen from the lead due to a 5-7 month. Just a few games behind the Bulls, in fourth place, the Mobile Mysticks (24-18-2) slipped a bit with a 6-7 month, but remain close enough to challenge for the division lead. Also down but certainly not out, the 21-16-3 Baton Rouge Kingfish went 4-6 in January, but remain in the hunt. The Pensacola Ice Pilots need better than a 5-6-1 month to improve their sixth place 22-19-3 record and current number ten ranking in the Southern Conference. In a tie for seventh place in the division and the final wildcard berth at 20-20-4 are the defending Kelly Cup Champion Mississippi Sea Wolves (7-4-2 in January) and the recently relocated Jackson Bandits (5-7-1). The Bandits needed to rekindle their earlier fire to prevent being robbed of the playoff bid by the defending Champs. Expect a nail-biter right up until the end of the season in the Southern Conference. The only team in the Southwest Division with a losing record is also the ECHL's weakest link: the Arkansas RiverBlades at 9-33-3. A 3-7 month continues their miserable debut in which their only challenge is to avoid posting the league's all-time lowest winning percentage.

The UHL plans to expand to Allentown, Pennsylvania for the 2001/2002 season! The New York - New Jersey - Pennsylvania tri-state area is getting its fill of professional hockey teams. In a relatively short corridor, we already have four NHL teams: New York Islanders, New York Rangers, New Jersey Devils, and Philadelphia Flyers. Add to that the ECHL's Trenton Titans and AHL's Philadelphia Phantoms. The ECHL will be relocating the Hampton Roads Admirals franchise to Atlantic City for 2001/2002. Reading, Pennsylvania is already in the ECHL's expansion scope for the near future. Now the United Hockey League has announced their intentions on placing a team in Allentown , Pennsylvania for the 2001/2002 season, barely an hour from the Titans, Phantoms, and Flyers. If all of the plans come through, central New Jersey hockey fans will have nine professional teams less than two hours away! Further more, at least one report indicates that Camden County, New Jersey has plans to build an arena and lure another UHL franchise to the area in time for the 2002/2003 hockey season. Too much hockey? Of course not! In most cases, the competition is welcomed. ECHL and Trenton Titans officials have expressed that they would have been more than happy to welcome Allentown into the ECHL to provide another local rivalry for the Titans and continue the league's expansion into the Northeast. It is assumed that Allentown bypassed the ECHL due to loftly expansion fees. Only time will tell if the tri-state area can support all nine (or ten) teams.

Mr. ECHL As the East Coast Hockey League skates through its twelfth season, one player has been there every step of the way: goaltender Nick Vitucci. The 21-year-old netminder was as a member of the Carolina Thunderbirds during the ECHL's inaugural season (1988/1989). The next season, he played with the Winston-Salem Thunderbirds and Greensboro Monarchs. After two more seasons with Greensboro, Vitucci moved on to the Hampton Roads Admirals. As the years progressed, he played for the Toledo Storm and Charlotte Checkers. In 1998, Vitucci joined the Greenville Grrrowl, where he plays now. Vitucci has tallied over 423 games in the ECHL, he has only played 7 in the AHL and 19 in the IHL.

Multiplicity Think your eyes are deceiving you? Nope, you really have been seeing a lot of goaltender Brent Belecki in the ECHL this season. Belecki has appeared in goal for four ECHL teams this season: the Charlotte Checkers (4 games), Greensboro Generals (9 games), Huntington Blizzard (1 game), and most recently the Hampton Roads Admirals (6 games).