TRENTON, N.J. - The Elmira Jackals sustained a 5-4 loss to the Trenton Titans on Wednesday night at the Sun National Bank Center to begin their seven-game road trip. The loss moved Elmira's record to 12-11-3 on the season.
Elmira and Trenton played to a scoreless draw in the first, but the opening 20 minutes were not without their share of drama and scoring chances. Near the midway point of the stanza Justin DaCosta sent a backhander on goal that Scott Wedgewood kicked right back to the low slot. Jack Downing lifted the puck back on goal but Wedgewood made a lunging glove save to keep the Jackals at bay. With just over six minutes to play the Jackals were awarded their first power play of the game, but Trenton put together the best scoring opportunity. Justin Taylor took a stretch pass and went in on a breakaway against Marc Cheverie. Taylor's shot didn't have much pace on it and Cheverie made the left pad save. Towards the end of the period, Trenton's Marcel Noebels hit the post to Cheverie's blocker side but couldn't give Trenton the lead. Cheverie and Wedgewood each turned in nine saves in the first.
It didn't take long for both offenses to get in gear in the second period. The Jackals and Titans traded a goal each in just 2:03. Jacob Drewiske gave the Titans the lead 1:25 in when he slammed in a rebound from low on the left wing. Just moments later, Benjamin Dieude-Fauvel rushed coast-to-coast before hitting Kevin Harvey with a centering pass that was deflected past Wedgewood for Harvey's second goal of the season. Justin Daniels, in his Jackals debut, put home a centering pass from Artem Demkov at 12:32 to give the Jackals their first lead of the night, but Marcel Noebels scored on the power play with 50 seconds remaining in the period to tie the game at two.
The third period was a see-saw of goals and emotions as the Jackals took two different one-goal leads but couldn't make them stand up. Demkov opened the action at 6:57 with his team-leading 15th goal only to have Trenton's Ryan Grimshaw answer 53 seconds later to tie it at three. Elmira went ahead 4-3 when Louie Caporusso scored unassisted at 8:34. The Jackals did their best to make the lead stand up to the final horn but Phil DiSimone tied it at 16:19 as he deked to the backhand and slid the puck underneath Cheverie. Andy Bombach finished Trenton's rally 29 seconds after DiSimone's goal with what proved to be the winning goal. The Jackals pulled Cheverie with a minute left and came dangerously close to tying it but Caporusso's shot from in close hit the post and bounced away.
Cheverie took the loss while making 27 saves. The Jackals were 0-for-3 on the power play and 1-for-2 on the penalty kill.
By: Ray Schmitt - Elmira Jackals
