By Stephen Dafoe
Morinville – The Titans’ cheer squad got a real workout Sunday night running up and down the bleachers whenever their team rippled the mesh. Given the Titans’ 11-6 victory over the Edmonton Ice, the squad seemed to run the length of the rink as much as the team they were cheering for.
The Titans seemed eager to win Sunday night, Nick Borle picking up the club’s first goal 22 seconds after the opening face off. Borle went on to pick up another goal 14 minutes later, nullifying the one goal Edmonton managed to get past Titans’ backstop Jeff Pelletier. Borle’s second goal was followed by one from Terrance Majeau 20 seconds later to give the Titans a 3-1 lead heading into the middle frame.
The Titans continued to pour it on during the second period, taking advantage of some weak goaltending to pocket six during the period, including one short-handed and one powerplay goal.
But things petered out for the Titans in the final frame. The club allowed the Ice to bounce back from a 9-2 deficit to pick up another four goals of their own during the period.
Although pleased the Titans picked up their third consecutive win and their eighth game without a loss, Head Coach Jeff Montina said Sunday night’s contest was not the Titans’ best effort this season.
“We’re lucky we came up against a little weaker goaltending, so we got away with one,” Montina said. “But there were definitely a lot of things we could have done better. I think we got outworked most of the game. Our power play was horrible; penalty killing wasn’t great. I don’t think we put our best effort out there.”
The Titans are going to need to tighten up their skates and their game over the next week as they take to the road for three contests Nov. 18 to 21. Although the club’s Nov. 21 matchup against the struggling Millet Lightning should yield another victory for the Titans, both the Nov. 18 contest against the Seera Stealth and Nov. 23 contest against the Edmonton Avalanche will provide the Titans with a higher level of competition than they have seen in the past few outings.
Montina said he is particularly concerned about the Titans first matchup with the 9-1-0 Edmonton Avalanche, a team currently sitting at the top of the Noralta Junior C Hockey League. The Avalanche are averaging 8.5 goals per game but giving up only an average of two per game this season.
“That’s definitely a game where we’re going to have to have our A game to beat them,” the coach said. “That’s a team that if you don’t come to play – they’re going to put you down pretty fast.”
The Titans return to home ice Nov. 28 to take on the 8-1-0 Beaumont Braves. Game time is 7:30 p.m. at the Ray McDonald Sports Centre.
