News release
24 March 2013
Sunday, March 24, 2013ELMIRA, N.Y. - The Elmira Jackals saw their four game winning streak brought to a halt in an 8-2 loss to the Trenton Titans at First Arena on Sunday evening. The loss moved Elmira's record to 38-24-7 on the season.
When Elmira and Trenton squared off in Elmira on Wednesday of this week, the Jackals used an offensive blitzkrieg to take control of the game in the first. They had no such luck today as the Titans piled 16 shots Maxime Clermont's way in the opening period against just eight for the Jackals. Clermont was at his sharpest in the first and swatted away 15 of the shots that he saw. The first one to get by him came off the stick of Jacob Cepis on a wraparound midway through the period. At the other end of the ice, Brooks Ostergard turned away every shot he faced to send Elmira into the second down by one.
After regrouping at intermission, the Jackals came out looking for a quick start to the second. But it was a Trenton goal 46 seconds in that set the tone. Mike Ullrich, the trailer on a 3-on-1 took a drop pass from Cepis and banged home his 14th of the season to stretch Trenton's lead to two. Elmira climbed back within striking distance when Matt Tassone converted an odd-man rush at 8:06 for his second in five games with the Jackals. Rob Bellamy and Jordan Pietrus notched the assists. Only 16 seconds later Trenton's Jesse Todd wristed a puck high on Clermont for his fifth to put the Titans back up by a pair at 3-1. From there Shane Harper and Ullrich added late goals to balloon Trenton's lead to 5-1 after two.
Elmira earned a late power play in the second and had 1:33 of the advantage carry over to the third. They hardly needed any of that time thanks to a Chaz Johnson blast that beat Ostergard 12 seconds into the stanza. Elmira couldn't pull itself any closer, though, and Cepis tacked on his second of the game, 23rd of the season, at 3:51 to cement Trenton's advantage. Insurance goals in the second half of the period came from Todd and Alex Carrier.
Clermont sustained his 13th loss of the season while making 28 saves for the Jackals. Elmira ended the night 1-for-3 on the power play and 3-for-3 on the penalty kill.