Trenton prepares for three of next four on home ice

March 20, 2007 - ECHL (ECHL)
Trenton Devils News Release


TRENTON, NJ - The Trenton Titans were victorious in two out of their three games this weekend, but still fell back to fourth place in the North Division with a record of 31-26-5. The Titans gained a split against the Cyclones in Cincinnati after a 4-1 loss on Friday and a 3-2 win on Saturday and then trounced Johnstown, 5-2, on Sunday. The Titans will play three of their four games this week at the Sovereign Bank Arena beginning with a rematch against the Chiefs on Wednesday. Trenton will then travel to Wheeling on Friday before coming home to host the Cyclones on Saturday and Sunday.

CYCLONES' START SINKS TITANS: A three-goal first period by the Cincinnati Cyclones allowed them to race away from the Titans with a 4-1 win. Mathieu Aubin began the scoring with a power play goal 2:41 into game before Matt Rogers gave Cincinnati a 2-0 lead at 6:22 of the first. The Cyclones made it 3-0 when Scott Reynolds completed a 2-on-1 with 3:34 left in the opening period. Benoit Mondou got the Titans on the board at 11:41 of the second period, but any potential comeback was bottled up when Jason Deitsch put the Cyclones back up by three with a power play tally at 19:34 of the middle stanza.

SECOND LINE SPARKS WIN: As the Titans fell behind the previous evening, 3-0, to the Cyclones, they flipped the script on this night en route to a 3-2 win over Cincinnati. Trenton was led by the line combination of Les Hagett, Benoit Mondou and Mark Pandolfo, as they combined for 8 points (2g, 6a) to stake Trenton's 3-0 lead after one. Bryan Miller drew first blood with a goal on the man-advantage just 1:11 into the game. Haggett and Mondou then lit the lamp 2:34 apart later in the period as the Titans built a sizeable lead. The Cyclones made a game of it with power play goals in both the second and third periods, but Gregg Naumenko stood tall down the stretch to finish with 31 saves and notch the win.

TITANS KEEP COOKIN': For the second consecutive game, the Titans used a trio of goals in the first period to record a win - a 5-2 victory versus the Chiefs. A flurry of goals over a span of 2:37 in the first period would provide all of the offense that Trenton would need. Scott Bertoli started the scoring with a wrist shot at 14:55 while Benoit Mondou quickly followed with a power play goal. Bertoli hit Troy Riddle with a breakaway pass 44 seconds later to complete Trenton's torrent of goals. The Titans and Chiefs would trade markers in the remaining period as Gregg Naumenko registered his second win in a row.

PLAYOFF PUSH: With two wins this weekend and a Johnstown loss, the Titans' magic number shrank to 14. Any combination of 14 points gained by Trenton or lost by Johnstown will result in a spot in the playoffs for the Titans. Trenton has 10 games (5 home, 5 away) remaining in the regular season schedule: 3 against Wheeling, 2 versus Reading and Cincinnati and one each against Dayton, Johnstown and Toledo.

MON DIEU, MONDOU: Benoit Mondou is back to his scoring ways with a five-game point streak that has produced 5 goals and two assists. His recent scoring streak has lifted him into a tie for 16th among rookie scorers with 40 points (18g, 22a). Mondou has registered nine multi-point games this season, during which the Titans are 8-1-0.

QUICK HITS: After his two-point (1g, 1a) game on Sunday, the Titans are 15-2-1 when Troy Riddle scores more than one point...Gregg Naumenko has won four of his last five starts with a 2.31 GAA and a .932 save percentage...The Titans are 12-6-1 on Saturdays...The Titans have scored four or more goals in 31 of their 62 games played to date and are 25-4-2 in those contests.

ALONG THE BOARDS: "Along the Boards," the Trenton Titans' weekly talk radio show, is at Bill's Olde Tavern on Tuesday, March 20 at 7pm. This week's guests will be #8 Trevor Wolfe and #15 Tony Zancanaro. "Along the Boards" can be heard on WBCB-1490AM following The Bill Clement Show. Bill's Olde Tavern is located at 2694 Nottingham Way in Hamilton, NJ.

UPCOMING GAMES

Wednesday, March 21, 7:00pm - Titans vs. Johnstown Chiefs

This marks the final regular season contest between the Titans and Chiefs. Trenton leads the season series 7-2-2 including a 4-0-1 record versus Johnstown at the Sovereign Bank Arena. Maxime Boisclair paces the Chiefs' offense with 44 points (14g, 30a), which also ranks him seventh among rookie scorers. Troy Riddle has registered 8 goals and 8 assists in ten games against Johnstown, while Gregg Naumenko is 6-1-1 in the season series with a 2.10 GAA and a .925 save percentage.

Friday, March 23, 7:30pm - Titans @ Wheeling Nailers

The Titans face the Nailers for the ninth time in the eleven-game season series. Wheeling has won the last two meetings against Trenton, though the Titans lead the series 4-3-1. Wheeling has also notched victories in its last two games with Ned Havern (2g, 2a) and Jordan Cameron (2g, 3a) leading the charge. The Nailers rank last in the league on the penalty kill at 79.3%, but are 85.0% (41-for-50) versus the Titans' power play.

Saturday, March 24, 7:35pm - Titans @ Cincinnati Cyclones

Sunday, March 25, 7:35pm - Titans @ Cincinnati Cyclones

The Titans host the Cyclones for the last weekend set of the season between the two squads. Trenton gained a split on Cincinnati's home ice this past weekend to hold on to a 5-3-0 series lead. The Cyclones are 4-1-1 in their last six games as they maintain their spot atop the North Division. Jason Deitsch and Mathieu Aubin each have 2 goals and 3 assists in their last three matches.

TITANS GAME BROADCASTS: Tune in as the Voice of the Titans, Mike O'Brien, brings you all of the Titans hockey action live on WBCB-1490AM Sunday through Thursday and WTSR-91.3 FM on Friday and Saturday. Fans can also watch or listen in on the Titans website, www.trentontitans.com, courtesy of B2 Networks. Video broadcasts are available for a charge of $6 per game, while audiocasts are free of charge. A cable or DSL Internet connection and Windows Media Player 9 are required to view the games.



ECHL Stories from March 20, 2007


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