Titans clinch playoff spot

March 27, 2006 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release


TRENTON, NJ - The Trenton Titans gained another three out of a possible six points over the weekend while clinching the fifth and final postseason berth in the North Division. The Titans stand at 28-34-4, in fifth place in the North and are currently in the middle of a string of five in a row on their home ice.

With their magic number at only one, the Titans took the ice against the Wheeling Nailers on Friday hoping to secure their spot in the Kelly Cup Playoffs. Sean Collins gave the Nailers an early 1-0 lead on a power play goal at 3:49 of the first, but Jim Henkel picked up a marker on the Titans man-advantage later in the period to tie the score. In the middle frame, Chris Pittman gave Trenton its first lead of the night with his eighteenth of the season. The Titans would be unable to hold on to their lead as Bo Cheesman tied the score 2-2 to send it into overtime. Though they had already clinched their playoff spot, the Titans did one better when Chris Pittman notched his second goal of the night with a backhander on the breakaway to make the final score 3-2 in favor of Trenton.

The Titans headed to the Sovereign Center on Saturday for their final road match-up versus the Reading Royals. Shay Stephenson potted a goal each in the first two periods to put his team up 2-0 after forty minutes of hockey. Pittman got the Titans on the board at 7:47 of the third to cut the Royals' lead in half, but Tyler Hanchuk responded fifty-three seconds later to put Reading back up by two. Yutaka Fukufuji made Reading's lead stand by turning away all but one of Trenton's 51 shots.

Trenton and Reading faced off at SBA on Sunday in the latter game of their home-and-home series. Jim Henkel scored his team-leading ninth power play goal 7:47 into the game to make it 1-0 Titans. The Royals came back to tie the score later in the period on Larry Courville's 5-on-4 tally, but Seamus Young's first professional goal - coming shorthanded - made it 2-1 for Trenton heading into the first intermission. The score would remain the same until Chris Bala tied it at 2-2 with 8:35 left in regulation. The two teams would skate through the overtime and into the shootout where Eric Werner's goal in the top half of round twelve helped give the Royals the 3-2 win.

The Titans continue their homestand with a game against the Johnstown Chiefs on Wednesday, March 29 and a two-game series versus the Toledo Storm on Friday, March 31 and Saturday, April 1.



ECHL Stories from March 27, 2006


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