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Titans Take Eight-Round Shootout Thriller in Wheeling, 3-2

March 1, 2013 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Titans News Release


WHEELING, WV - Connor Goggin made his first-ever attempt in a professional shootout count, as he slipped one past Wheeling keeper Scott Darling in Round Eight. Scott Wedgewood made that one goal stand as the Titans pulled out a 3-2 (1-0 SO) win over the Nailers before 3,004 at WesBanco Arena.

With every point important to fleeing playoff hopes, the Titans (23-27-4-454 points), proud ECHL affiliate of the Philadelphia Fllyers, grabbed an important extra point with the win. Wheeling (23-23-3-756) falls for the fifth consecutive time at home, and dropped an ECHL-leading seventh shootout in 12 tries.

Trenton started early against a team that doesn't allow too many power play chances and is the best in killing them at home (89 percent). At 1:21 of the first and six seconds into a power play, Brian Haczyk beat Darling (L, 34 saves, 9-10-1-2) for the early 1-0 lead.

The Titans appeared to have a 2-0 heading into the second, but the goal with 12 seconds left in the period was disallowed on a high stick call.

Reading also took advantage of a power play for its goal. Despite having the second best PK unit in the league, a 5-on-3 was eventually too much to kill as Paul Crowder pushed one past Wedgewood (W, 33 saves, 17-19-3-2) with 30 seconds left in the second and two ticks left in the 5-on-3 to ties the game at one.

Wedgewood and Darling kept making one spectacular save after another when Kory Nagy finally solved Darling at 3:54 of the third. He took a Haczyk rebound and deked a prone Darling for his sixth goal and a 2-1 Titans lead.

Wedgewood and the defense made it stand, but with Darling pulled and just after a Trenton timeout, the Titans couldn't control or clear the puck from their own end off a draw. A mad scramble in front eventually led to Keven Veilleux getting his fourth goal of the year past Wedgewood with 1:25 in regulation, forcing OT and an eventual shootout.

Neither goalie was tested until Round Five, when Wedgewood had to make a sprawling save on Zach Torquato to force extra rounds. Blake Kessel almost got the first goal in Round Seven, but after trickling through Darling's legs, the Wheeling netminder rolled and covered the puck before it hit the goal line.

Finally in Round Eight, Goggin faked forehand then backhand. When Darling committed, Goggin went back to the forehand to score the first goal in the shootout. Crowder had one last chance to force another round, but Wedgewood turned him away for the win.

There is no rest for the weary as these two teams go back at it Saturday night at 7:00 pm back in WesBanco Arena. The Voice of the Titans, "The Bronc" Daryle Dobos, will call all the action on AmericaOne.com, 107.7 FM (Trenton) and 1077theBronc.com, starting with the pregame at 6:40 pm.

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