With one prestigious Cup now residing on South Broad Street, the Trenton Titans turn their focus to THE Cup ! The Trenton Titans led the East Coast Hockey League for the vast majority of the 2000/2001 season, finishing on top with a 50-18-4 record to earn the Brabham Cup! Everyone in the Titans organization deserves credit for putting together a great season, but I will single out a few. Let's start at the top: Titans Owner Geoff Berman. Without the Bermans (Geoff and Ron), we would still be waiting for an arena and a hockey team to come to Trenton. Geoff Berman has spared no expense to run a 1st Class operation in Trenton. Compare him to owners like Tallahassee's Michael Cadrin and you have a nominee for sainthood.

Next, I have to take my hat off to Trenton Titans General Manager Brian McKenna. One very unpopular trade will not keep me from recognizing McKenna as the best in the business! He has assembled more talent in Trenton during the past two seasons than many franchises see in a lifetime, all while playing fairly under the ECHL's salary cap rules (which so many teams seem to have a problem with). Injuries? Call-ups? No problem! McKenna stays one step ahead of the problems that typically plague minor league hockey teams. Create a gap and he'll fill it, often with a player even better than the one that was lost! If he doesn't deserve the ECHL's Executive of the Year Award again this year, then I don't know who does.

And then there's ECHL Coach of the Year Troy Ward. Love him or hate him, he is an NHL caliber coach! Any coach worth his salt could have turned the roster McKenna provided into a playoff team. Ward went much further, creating the best defensive system the ECHL has ever seen! The preparation that Troy Ward does for the job is monumental and the dividends are plentiful. He works his butt off for the players and expects the players to work their butts off not for him, but for the team. The result: the Brabham Cup winning Trenton Titans and home ice advantage throughout the playoffs. Let's not forget that Assistant Coach Mike Haviland has been there every step of the way, working with the players to build the best team in the league! Haviland helped to secure the success of the 1999/2000 Trenton Titans as a solid foundation for Ward to build his system on. Without that foundation, who knows how things would have gone? Troy Ward will be a tough act to follow, but we expect to see Mike Haviland at the helm of the Titans in the very near future.

Rather than start a raging controversy by singling out individual players, I'll do what really should be done: thank them as a team! There were 43 players who wore the Trenton Titans jersey this season and each one contributed to the phenomenal success of the team. I would like to thank all of them for their outstanding effort! It's very unfortunate that of those 43 players, only 20 will get to represent the Titans as they begin the playoffs, but we know that every last one of the 43 helped make it happen. Thank you for all of your hard work!

Now, we get down to business! There's not one player, fan, or staff member of the Trenton Titans that thinks the job is done. Sure, a Brabham Cup is a magnificent accomplishment in its own right, but that is not what we are here for. The Trenton Titans are still 14 victories away from THE Cup - The Kelly Cup! The first hurdle: the Johnstown Chiefs. On paper, the Trenton Titans shouldn't even have to show up to defeat the Chiefs in the Northern Conference Quarterfinals. Ah, but we all know better than that. Any team in the ECHL can win 3 of 5 games against any other ECHL team if there heart is in it and their opponent gives them the opportunity.

CAN the Trenton Titans win the Kelly Cup? SHOULD the Trenton Titans win the Kelly Cup? Unlike last season, these questions can not be debated this year. The expectation is that the Trenton Titans WILL win the Kelly Cup! Rest assured, this is no easy task. There's a reason that only 1 team in the ECHL's first 12 seasons won both the Brabham Cup and the league championship (Kelly or Riley Cup). It's easy to compensate for mistakes made during a 72-game season. That task becomes much harder when a couple of poorly timed missteps will send you to the golf course. The 1996/1997 South Carolina Stingrays set the standard when they captured both the Brabham and Kelly Cups.

Don't judge the Trenton Titans by the final outcome - the odds are stacked against them. Judge the Trenton Titans by their effort. All that we ask of our 20 players is that they put forth their best effort, pour their heart out on the ice, try not to make many mistakes, and never surrender. If they put forth a solid effort, we will be proud of them regardless of the outcome. Of course, if they bring another Cup home to South Broad Street it will be that much sweeter! One Cup Down, One Cup To Go! Bring on the Chiefs!

Aniket Dhadphale finishes the regular season as the Titans' leading scorer and earns Titanic's March Player of the Month award! Throughout the 2000/2001 regular season, Aniket Dhadphale has proven to be a consistent leader on the Trenton Titans offense. He was selected as our November Player of the Month for making an immediate impact upon joining the Titans and finished his 2nd season of professional hockey just as strongly! In the 16 games during March (with April 1st's game thrown in), University of Notre Dame alum Aniket Dhadphale led the Trenton offense with 9 goals including 4 on the power play and 2 game-winners. With 11 assists and a +6 rating, Dhadphale delivered the most balanced offensive attack for the Titans down the final stretch of the 2000/2001 regular season. For the 2nd Annual Trenton Titans Fan Awards, he was the runner-up for the Most Valuable Player and Best Forward awards, as voted by Titans fans visiting this site.

Dhadphale finished the season as the Trenton Titans' leader for points (tying Scott Bertoli's season record from last year) and goals. In 68 games, he compiled 30 goals and 35 assists with a +10 plus/minus rating and 14 power play goals. For his fine work throughout the entire season and his great performance during the final month, Aniket Dhadphale was selected as Titanic's March 2001 Player of the Month!

If this isn't heresy, I don't know what is: John Brophy - the next Head Coach of the Trenton Titans ! Mike Haviland, please leave the room - you don't deserve to hear this. It may sound like a sad joke or wild speculation at first, but give it some thought: John Brophy, Head Coach of the Trenton Titans. It is almost certain that Troy Ward's excellent performance this season for the Titans (not to mention the already impressive resume he brought to Trenton) has earned him a new job. Options are lining up for Ward like cars line up on Route 1 during rush hour. It has been widely speculated that his friend and business partner Kevin Constantine is a leading candidate to become Head Coach of the New York Islanders next season. There is little doubt in anyone's mind that Troy Ward would follow Constantine as an Assistant Coach, filling the positions they held together with the Pittsburgh Penguins for 2 1/2 seasons (1997/1998 - part of 1999/2000). Option 2: Ward is also believed to be a top candidate for the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters Head Coach position unless their NHL-affiliate Carolina Hurricanes insist on placing their own choice. Even if both of these opportunities fall through, you can bet that Coach of the Year Troy Ward will not be back in the ECHL next season. He would undoubtedly make the short list for any coaching vacancy in the IHL or AHL.

So, it's a foregone conclusion that the Trenton Titans will need to hire a 3rd Head Coach for next season. Leave it to the fans: Assistant Coach Mike Haviland would be promoted before the ink even dries on Ward's resignation letter. Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on your perspective), fans don't call the shots, the professionals do. That decision would ultimately be made by Titans owner Geoff Berman and General Manager Brian McKenna. I would think that after two seasons, they would already know whether or not Mike Haviland is the man for the job. Let's just assume for a minute that they have their reasons not to promote Haviland, and that his supporters would not burn Sovereign Bank Arena to the ground in protest. They bypassed Haviland last year, it could happen this year. Who then would be the leading candidates for the job?

Hopefully former Philadelphia Flyers and recently resigned Pensacola Ice Pilots bench boss Wayne Cashman would not even be considered for the job! We could run through a whole laundry list of qualified candidates and who to exclude, but what about John Brophy? With the botched attempt to relocate the Hampton Roads Admirals to Atlantic City for the 2001/2002 season, The Legend needs a job. Sources close to Brophy report that he is progressing back to full health after his near-fatal car accident last year (see The Survivor for details). The last indications before the Atlantic City Admirals attempt folded in February were that John Brophy was ready and able to take the helm behind the bench this Fall. He reportedly has a little difficulty getting around because of his leg injuries and one source indicates that he may be experiencing some lingering double vision, but that could certainly cease to be an issue long before the start of the new season. On March 23rd, Brophy was back in action as a Guest Coach along side of the South Carolina Stingrays' Rick Adduono during "Rod Taylor Night" at the Richmond Coliseum. Renegades winger Taylor, the ECHL's career goal scoring leader, spent 9 seasons on Brophy's Hampton Roads Admirals and was their Captain before they suspended operations last Summer. Media reports of the game seem to indicate that Brophy didn't miss a beat.

Norfolk Admirals (AHL) Director of Operations Todd McKeating, previously in charge of setting up shop in Atlantic City for the ECHL Admirals, expects that several ECHL clubs will be contacting Broph for an interview this Summer. Could Trenton be one of them? Assuming (and hoping) that John Brophy is truly of sound mind and body, he is perfect for the job. Brophy's resume puts previous Titans bench bosses Bruce Cassidy and Troy Ward to shame. Having coached the Hampton Roads Admirals to 3 ECHL championships in 11 seasons without a single losing season, you couldn't possibly overlook the man. That's not even including several years of NHL, AHL, WHA, NAHL, and SHL Head Coaching experience. In all, The Broph has coached nearly 2000 regular season games with 964 victories! Only Scotty Bowman has a deeper resume in professional hockey. Of course, there's Brophy's reputation for getting into trouble occasionally, but that will just keep things interesting. Besides, it's not a problem once he's on our side, right? Sure Brophy may not be the ideal dinner guest, but it's not like Troy Ward earned much fan support with his charming personality. A Head Coach is there to win games and championships, not make friends.

Would players accept John Brophy as Head Coach of the Trenton Titans? Two current Titans probably wouldn't mind a reunion with him: Rick Kowalsky and Chad Ackerman. Prior to this season, Kowalsky spent 5 seasons with Brophy and the Hampton Roads Admirals. Ackerman was there for the last four of those seasons. You can't buy that kind of loyalty to a coach, especially in the ECHL! Quoting another current Titans star: "Brophy has had a successful coaching career and is loyal to guys he has had in the past. He also likes a tougher style team..." Isn't that what fans were screaming for all season long? Brophy would likely be able to recruit a decent handful of his former troops to compliment any returning Titans. While his team would be quite different than Troy Ward's version of the Titans, success would be almost guaranteed.

In the event that Mike Haviland is not given the job, let's hope that the next Head Coach of the Trenton Titans is none other than John Brophy! (For more details about Brophy's accident and his great career, check out The Survivor).

The Trenton Titans have lost another great player and fan favorite ! It may not be permanent, and the reason is a bit easier to swallow and less shocking for Titans fans than the trades of Jed Whitchurch, Eric Brule, and Sandy Cohen, but the impact certainly isn't any less! Just two weeks prior to the end of the regular season, the Titans lost their Best Defenseman (as voted by fans in this site's 2nd Annual Trenton Titans Fan Awards)! Vince "VDubs" Williams was signed by the IHL's Orlando Solar Bears for the remainder of their regular season and playoffs. After starting his first season of professional hockey (1998/1999) with the ECHL's Columbus Chill, Williams was called-up to the IHL by Bruce Cassidy's Indianapolis Ice, where he played in 33 games plus the playoffs. The next season, less than one week into Cassidy's tenure with the Trenton Titans, Williams was acquired from the Pensacola Ice Pilots (who held his ECHL rights).

Vince Williams was a key component of the Trenton Titans' inaugural season success, notching 4 goals and 11 assists in 64 games with a +19 plus/minus rating. He appeared in 1 game for the AHL's Lowell Lock Monsters before returning to help lead the Titans' through their phenomenal playoff run. After attending the IHL Houston Aeros' training camp, VDubs returned to Trenton for another season where he served as the backbone of the Titans defense, leading the team with a +19 rating while tallying 3 goals and 8 assists in 59 games. Meanwhile, he became a more disciplined player during the 2000/2001 season, dropping his penalty minutes from 91 last year to only 50 this season. At the end of both seasons, Titans fans selected Williams as the "Best Defenseman" in this site's Trenton Titans Fan Awards.

What does the future hold for Vince Williams? His performance with the Solar Bears will likely be a major factor. Through April 4th, he had one assist and a +2 rating in 3 games. The postseason prospect looks bright for the Solar Bears (45-24-7 .638), who advanced to the 2nd round of the playoffs last season and made it to the Turner Cup Finals in 1998/1999. Ironically, Orlando is 2nd only to Bruce Cassidy's Grand Rapids Griffins in the IHL standings this season. An impressive performance with Orlando could earn Vince a contract for next season, or he could end up back with the Titans. After two fine seasons in the ECHL, he should be able to find a home in the IHL or AHL next season, but only time will tell. As much as fans would love for him to come 'home' to Trenton, we want to see VDubs continue on the path to the NHL! Good Luck Vince! Make Us Proud (like you always do)!

NORTHERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS The Northern Conference Quarterfinals brings four matchups never before seen in the ECHL playoffs. The Brabham Cup winning Trenton Titans (50-18-4 .722) begin their playoff run against the 8th seeded Johnstown Chiefs (28-36-8 .444). As mismatched as this series is, and as much as you might say that the Chiefs have no place being in the playoffs, the fact is that they are here and will be looking for an upset. While posting an 11-0 combined record this season against the top 4 seeds in both conferences, the Titans tended to have more difficulty against lesser teams. However, Trenton was 6-0-1 this season and is 13-2-1 overall against the ECHL's oldest team. (Prediction: Titans in 4). The Northern Conference's second matchup pits the defending Kelly Cup Champion Peoria Rivermen (45-17-10 .694) against the Richmond Renegades (35-31-6 .528). I smell upset! The Renegades are still mad about being swept by the Titans in last year's quarterfinals and goalie Rastislav Stana has the potential to build a wall in front of their goal. Peoria and Richmond split their regular season meetings one game apiece. (Prediction: Renegades in 4). Momentum favors the 3rd seeded Dayton Bombers (45-21-6 .667) over the 6th seeded Charlotte Checkers (34-26-12 .556) in the conference's third pairing. Dayton finished the season strong and won the season series 2-0-1 over Charlotte. They look to continue the trend, especially with Alex Westlund in goal, and the Checkers have little defense for their attack. (Prediction: Bombers in 3). The final first round showdown in the North features the 4th seeded Toledo Storm (37-27-8 .569) and the 5th seeded Roanoke Express (38-30-4 .556). Contrary to the standings, Roanoke is clearly the better team and defeated Toledo 3 games to 1 this season. The Express finished strong while the Storm finished weak. Toledo's high octane offense can't mask their inept defense. (Prediction: Express in 4).

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE WILDCARDS Leave it to the ECHL to invent a wacky new playoff format! The Southern Conference's wildcard teams will meet in a unique (to put it politely) "Best of 2" series. In the event that a series is tied at the conclusion of Game 2, the teams will begin a 10 minute mini-game to determine a victor. If that ends in a tie, they proceed to 20-minute sudden death periods and play until one team either scores or collapses from exhaustion. The first guinea pigs: the 7th seeded New Orleans Brass (35-25-12 .569) and the 10th seeded Augusta Lynx (36-29-7 .549). Augusta only made the playoffs because of the league's 15 point deduction to the Tallahassee Tiger Sharks for salary cap violations, but down the final stretch of the season they were trying their best to capture a playoff spot honestly. Last season, the Lynx delivered a knockout punch to the Brass in Game 3 of the Wildcard Series after each team carved out a 2-1 overtime victory in the first two games. The Brass also fell to the Lynx 7-1 in November, but that was without netmeister Ron Vogel in goal. It's payback time for New Orleans! (Prediction: Brass in regulation 2). My money is on the 8th seeded Arkansas RiverBlades (34-24-14 .569) and 9th seeded Baton Rouge Kingfish (35-26-11 .563) to give the wildcard format a true test drive. The RiverBlades won the season series against the Kingfish 5-3-1, but neither team has a clear advantage when it comes to the playoffs. Expect Arkansas to make the most of their first playoff appearance. (Prediction: RiverBlades in the mini-game).

UPDATE 1: Okay, so my predictions had it backwards: the Arkansas RiverBlades won in 2 regulation games (4-3 in Game 1 (OT) and Game 2 over the Baton Rouge Kingfish), and it was the New Orleans Brass that gave the wacky Wildcard format a true test drive! After a 4-2 victory in Game 1, the Brass got ambushed by the Augusta Lynx 9-3 in Game 2, but won the mini Game 3 in sudden death overtime 1-0.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE QUARTERFINALS The Southern Conference leading South Carolina Stingrays (42-23-7 .632) will await the lower seeded team to emerge from the Wildcard round, while the 2nd seeded Louisiana IceGators (42-24-6 .625) will face the higher seeded victor. Meanwhile, the 3rd seeded Jackson Bandits (39-24-9 .604) and 6th seeded Mobile Mysticks (38-28-6 .569) will square off in the quarterfinals. The Bandits are making their playoff debut (not counting their Chesapeake Icebreakers days) while the Mysticks hope to survive the first round of the playoffs in their 5th attempt. Mobile bested Jackson 4-2-1 in the regular season, but the Bandits have been on the prowl lately. Expect an entertaining battle ultimately decided by Jackson's goaltending. (Prediction: Bandits in 5). The last quarterfinals pairing in the South pits the 4th seeded Florida Everblades (38-26-8 .583) against the 5th seeded Pee Dee Pride (38-28-6 .569). These teams have never faced each other in the postseason, but the Everblades won their season series 6-3. Both teams recovered from hard times this season to swipe quarterfinal bids, but the talent scale tilts in favor of Florida. Expect a hard fought series with no recounts! (Prediction: Everblades in 4).

UPDATE 2: The Arkansas RiverBlades cashed in their Wildcard victory for the 8th seed in the Southern Conference Quarterfinals, facing off against the South Carolina Stingrays. The 'Rays were 4-0 against the expansion 'Blades last season, but did not face the new and vastly improved Arkansas team this season. Experience and goaltending should hand the series to South Carolina, but Arkansas has the fighting spirit that Cinderella teams are made of. (Prediction: RiverBlades in 5). The New Orleans Brass emerged from their Wildcard series with the 7th seed for a Quarterfinals showdown with the Louisiana IceGators. The Brass will be attempting to repeat their 1998/1999 performance, when they upset the heavily favored IceGators 3-2 in the Quarterfinals. Louisiana won 7 of 9 meetings with their cross-state rivals this season, but this series will rest squarely on rookie netminder Ron Vogel's shoulders. The IceGators will prevail in a high-scoring series unless Vogel can cure his Jekyl and Hyde disease really soon. I'll put my faith in him. (Prediction: Brass in 4).

NORTHERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS My Northern Conference Quarterfinals predictions only picked half of the winners: the Titans and the Bombers. I over estimated the underdog spirit of the Richmond Renegades and Roanoke Express, as they fell to the Peoria Rivermen and Toledo Storm respectively. Now for the Semi-Finals! The top seeded Trenton Titans will face the 4th seeded Toledo Storm, while the 2nd seeded Peoria Rivermen meet the 3rd seeded Dayton Bombers. The Titans went 2-0 this season (8-0 at Toledo, 6-1 at Trenton) and 6-0 last season against the Storm, outscoring them 47-11 in those 8 games. However, the Storm seems determined to make the most of their return to the postseason after a franchise-first bye last year. (Prediction: Titans in 5). The Rivermen captured their season series 7-4-1 over the Bombers, whom they swept in the quarterfinals last year. As much as I would love to see a Northern Conference Finals rematch between the Titans and Rivermen, I think the Bombers and Alex Westlund will upset the impressive Curtis Sanford and Rivermen. (Prediction: Bombers in 4).

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE SEMI-FINALS My Southern Conference Quarterfinals predictions were nothing short of pathetic: 0-4 after going 2-0 for the wildcards. The Mobile Mysticks and Pee Dee Pride pulled off upsets, while the heavily favored South Carolina Stingrays and Louisiana IceGators both won. In the Semi-Finals, the top seeded South Carolina Stingrays will faceoff against the 6th seeded Mobile Mysticks, and the 2nd seeded Louisiana IceGators will play the 5th seeded Pee Dee Pride. The Stingrays were 2-0 against the Mysticks this season and have never faced them in the playoffs. I expect the Stingrays to flex their Conference winning muscle and dispatch the Mysticks quickly. (Prediction: Stingrays in 3). The IceGators and Pride did not meet previously this season, but the IceGators swept them in their only postseason meeting (the 1997/1998 Semi-Finals). I think the IceGators' drive to return to the Kelly Cup Finals after falling to the Rivermen last year will give them the advantage in this series. (Prediction: IceGators in 5).

NORTHERN CONFERENCE FINALS My Northern Conference Semi-Finals predictions were 50/50 again: the Titans prevailed over the Storm even quicker than I predicted, but the Peoria Rivermen made quick work of the Dayton Bombers (my pick). Now, the Trenton Titans and Peoria Rivermen meet again in a rematch of last year's Northern Conference Finals, which the Rivermen won in 6 games and advanced to win the Kelly Cup. The Titans bested the Rivermen during the regular season with a 3-2 win at Peoria and a 5-0 victory in Trenton. Peoria goalie Curtis Sanford has been red-hot this postseason, but he's about to get a rude wakeup call. (Prediction: Titans in 5).

This section will continue to be updated throughout the playoffs with previews of the matchups and our predictions. For playoff schedules and results, check out our 2000/2001 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs page, also available from the main ECHL and Standings links.

SOUTHERN CONFERENCE FINALS I actually predicted both victors in the Southern Conference Semi-Finals (boosting my pathetic batting average) with one bull's eye (IceGators in 5). The Conference Finals is a rematch of the 1996/1997 Kelly Cup Finals showdown between the South Carolina Stingrays and the Louisiana IceGators, which South Carolina won 4 games to 1 for their first ECHL Championship. The Stingrays and IceGators haven't played against each other since last April when Louisiana swept South Carolina in the Semi-Finals. I don't think South Carolina will bow out quite as easily this year, but the 'Gators will still prevail. (Prediction: IceGators in 7).

This section will continue to be updated throughout the playoffs with previews of the matchups and our predictions. For playoff schedules and results, check out our 2000/2001 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs page, also available from the main ECHL and Standings links.

The Trenton Titans finished their sophomore season with a solid 11-4-1 run to capture the Brabham Cup ! (Games from 3/1/01 - 4/1/01). The Titans began the month of March with a 4-1 home victory over the Roanoke Express. Butch Kaebel and Shane Belter supplied power play goals while Aniket Dhadphale and Alain St. Hilaire notched even-strength tallies to provide more than enough offense to cover Scott Stirling's 19 saves on 20 shots for his 24th victory. The following day, it was the same opponent but a much different outcome. The Express notched a trio of goals apiece off of starting goaltender Scott Stirling and relief netminder Dennis Bassett while Mike Hall and Butch Kaebel provided Trenton's only lamp-lighters en route to a 6-2 home loss.

There's nothing like a road trip to shake off an ugly loss. The Titans dropped by Johnstown on March 4th and left town with a 3-1 victory. Defenseman Jason Beckett's 1st Titans goal (on the power play no less) was preceded by a goal from fellow blueliner Shane Belter, doubling the Chiefs 1st period output for a 2-1 lead. Scott Stirling picked up an easy 3-1 win (secured by a Scott Bertoli empty-netter) with just 17 saves on 18 shots. Five nights later in Charlotte, the Titans tripled the Checkers' 1st period tally with virgin goals from Eric Silverman and Rick Kowalsky sandwiched around an Alain St. Hilaire score. Kowalsky added a 2nd goal for his Titans debut in the middle frame and Bertoli added another 3rd period mark for a 5-1 victory. Stirling collected another sweatless win with 17 shots. The Checkers got their revenge the next night, claiming a 2-1 lead in the opening period and matching Trenton's solo goals in the remaining periods for a 4-3 win. Scott Bertoli and Mike Hall notched power play goals while Rick Kowalsky added his 3rd netfinder in 2 games. Scott Stirling paid retribution for his easy wins with 37 saves in the loss. The Greensboro Generals served up a rare back-to-back loss for the Titans the next day, triumphing 4-3 in a shootout. Alain St. Hilaire and David Whitworth built a 2-1 Titans lead after 2 periods, but the Generals turned the tables in the 3rd period despite Aniket Dhadphale's 23rd goal of the season, setting up the bonus round.

March 13th provided another rematch of last year's Northern Conference Finals between the Titans and Peoria Rivermen. Despite being outshot 35-16 at home, the Titans posted a solid 5-0 victory behind a 35-save shutout performance by Scott Stirling. Shane Belter and Sasha Cucuz supplimented power play goals from Aniket Dhadphale, Steve O'Brien, and Jason Beckett for the 5-0 score. Unfortunately, the momentum was nowhere to be found 3 nights later as the Charlotte Checkers tagged Stirling for 4 opening period goals. Dennis Bassett gave up 3 additional goals in relief, inheritting the loss because Stirling's deficit was covered by goals from Alain St. Hilaire (2), Scott Bertoli, and Aniket Dhadphale. Trenton bounced back from the 7-4 home loss to defeat Charlotte 3-1 the following night. Rick Kowalsky's power play goal was followed by Chris Heron's 1st as a Titan, and a Paul Spadafora empty-netter offset a 3rd period Checkers goal. Stirling earned his 28th win of the season with a 32 save effort.

Trenton added a 6-4 home win over the Johnstown Chiefs on March 20th to create a streak. The Titans scored twice per period with power play goals from Paul Spadafora, Aniket Dhadphale, and Alain St. Hilaire and even-strength goals from Rick Kowalsky, Steve O'Brien, and Cail MacLean. Stirling tossed another win on the pile with 19 saves on 23 Chiefs shots. After 2 days off, the Titans extended their win streak to 3 games with a surprise 29-save Dennis Bassett shutout. Sasha Cucuz, Cail MacLean (power play), and Aniket Dhadphale supplied the offense for the 3-0 road win. Momentum reached a climax the next night when the Titans embarassed the South Carolina Stingrays 8-0 in their own barn. The Great Scotts captured the headlines: Bertoli with the 1st traditional hat trick of his professional career and a Gordie Howe hat trick (goal, assist, fight), and Stirling with 26 saves for his league leading 5th shutout of the season.

Those meddlesome Charlotte Checkers broke up another Trenton win streak on March 27th by stealing a 4-2 victory with a strong performance from New York Rangers prospect goalie Jason LaBarbera. Cail MacLean's 2 power play goals were the only pucks to find the net on 35 Trenton attempts. Scott Stirling dropped to 30-10-3 with the setback, which caused the Titans to share the ECHL point lead for the first time in months. As a result, Trenton entered the final weekend of the regular season with their Brabham Cup claim being threatened by the defending Kelly Cup Champion Peoria Rivermen. However, the Men of Steel rose to the challenge with a sweep of their 3 remaining games! March 30th provided a 6-1 win over the visiting Toledo Storm, handing Stirling his 31st victory on only 16 saves. Titans goals were supplied by Rick Kowalsky, Chris Heron (pp), Scott Bertoli, Aniket Dhadphale (pp), Cail MacLean (pp), and Butch Kaebel. The Richmond Renegades proved to be a more formidable opponent the next night, scoring 4 goals in the 2nd period to make the Titans rally for their 5-4 win. Cail MacLean notched a pair of goals (one pp), along with solo tallies from Paul Spadafora, Rick Kowalsky, and Aniket Dhadphale. Dennis Bassett salvaged his 3rd victory despite looking shaky and stopping only 23 of 27 shots. The Titans finished out their regular season with a 3-2 road victory over the Renegades despite being outshot 38-19. Stirling was sharp between the pipes with 36 saves for victory 32 while Butch Kaebel, Chris Heron (pp), and Steve O'Brien (pp) manufactured the goals. It was no April Fool's joke as the Titans concluded their sophomore season with a Brabham Cup winning 50-18-4 record!

The Trenton Lightning become the 4th professional sports team to call the City of Trenton home ! On April 13th, Lightning will strike for the very first time! The Trenton Lightning! The capital city's newest professional sports franchise debuts on the road against the Tennessee ThunderCats on April 13th. The expansion Indoor Professional Football League franchise coached by former Philadelphia Eagle running back Vince Hebron will make its Sovereign Bank Arena debut on April 28th against the Omaha Beef. The rebirth of professional sports in Trenton ignited with the construction of Waterfront Park and the 1994 debut of the Trenton Thunder, an Eastern League Double-A baseball team. Following the solid success of the Thunder on and off the field came the construction of the Sovereign Bank Arena. Upon its completion in the fall of 1999, Trenton gave birth to two new professional sports franchises: the East Coast Hockey League's Trenton Titans and the International Basketball League's Trenton Shooting Stars. One year later, the Indoor Professional Football League brings football to SBA and the City of Trenton with the Trenton Lightning.

Friday the 13th could prove to be a phenomenal day for Trenton sports fans! In addition to the Lightning's franchise debut in Tennessee on April 13th, the Trenton Thunder will be in action on the road against the New Haven Ravens. Meanwhile, the Trenton Shooting Stars will be visiting the Gary Steelheads. There's a slight chance the Trenton Titans could end up with a playoff game that evening to have all 4 Trenton sports franchises playing at the same precise time! Wouldn't it be great for all 4 teams to record victories simultaneously? On the few occasions that the Thunder, Titans, and Stars all played, at least one of the teams failed to record a win. One possible roadblock for the Friday the 13th Quadrupleheader: a WPST Popfest scheduled for that evening at Sovereign Bank Arena. Chances are that for a Titans game to be played on April 13th, it would probably be Game 5 of the Quarterfinals, which the Titans should host. It's conceiveable that the Titans could play during the day prior to the concert, in which case all 4 teams would play on the same day just not at the same point in time. A second opportunity for a Quadrupleheader would be April 28th, requiring a Titans playoff run at least as successful as last season. The Lighting will be making their home debut against the Omaha Beef that night, while the Trenton Thunder host the Norwich Navigators, and the Trenton Stars conclude their regular season at the Las Vegas Silver Bandits. An extended playoff run from the Titans could provide additional opportunities since it appears that the Shooting Stars will be in the IBL's playoffs.

While the Trenton Titans and hockey are the main focus of The Unofficial Web Site, Trenton's other franchises each have a limited section on the site as does Central Jersey's newest baseball team, the South Atlantic League's Lakewood BlueClaws.

What's new on The Unofficial Web Site ? The month started with my April Fools Joke: an Unofficial Web Site of the New Orleans Brass facade complete with a tongue-in-cheek "Top 10 Reasons the Brass will beat the Titans for the Kelly Cup". To relive the madness or visit the prank for the first time: April Fool's Facade. Special thanks go out to the handful of visitors who fell hook, line, and sinker for the gag - you know who you are! Of course, the month of April also brings the 2000/2001 ECHL Kelly Cup Playoffs. You can follow the link (also available on ECHL and Standings pages) for schedules and scores. Matchups and predictions will be update here in the April Titanic throughout the postseason. Visit my Trenton Titans Booster Club section to see their newly elected Board of Directors featuring the brand new President (Bernie Haney) and Vice President (Deborah Thomeier). Congratulate them on their unanimous victories! Joe Piserchia (Treasurer), Susan Rabel (Secretary), and Joe Thomeier (Representative-at-Large) have been re-elected while Jack Pilla (Representative-at-Large) and Lynn Meloni (Sergeant-at-Arms) join the Board. Congratulations! If you're not already a member of the Booster Club, check it out! It's a great way to support the Trenton Titans players and you just might have some fun doing it!

Don't forget: you should always feel free to send suggestions, corrections, contributions, and even criticism for The Unofficial Web Site of the Trenton Titans. You can send feedback to trentontitans@yahoo.com     Thank You !!!