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A fitting tribute
Monday, February 15th, 2010
In the 36th game of the year, a day after suffering their worst defeat of the season, 16 boys and three coaches took part in something very special… something much more than just another Sunday morning hockey game. As they gathered in blue rink locker room #4, the Pee Wee Gibbons team somberly dealt with the sad news of the unexpected death of Coach Gibby’s father the day before. While Coach Barr and Coach Ziegler placed black bands on each of the players’ left arms, Coach Gibby walked through the door, inspiring the team with his presence at such a difficult time. And in one of those rare storybook endings, the boys responded with their flat-out best effort of the season–a stunning and dramatic 3-2 victory over the Toms River Blackhawks. Indeed, it was no ordinary victory. This same Toms River team had already beaten the Titans twice during the season and had won the Thanksgiving tournament in Delaware where our guys had also participated. Add to that, they are a team bound for the playoffs in the NJYHL.
But for this Sunday morning, the game belonged to the NJ Jr. Titans. They played together as a team and as befitting for Valentine’s Day, every team member played his heart out. They checked, they passed the puck, they played defense, and they scored. They killed off five penalties, including a four-minute power play for the Blackhawks and a minute and four seconds of a 5-on-3 advantage in the third period. And they held on for the last minute of the game when Toms River pulled their goalie for a 6-on-5 skating advantage. On a day where there were 16 heroes, none stood taller than goalie #30 Brian H., who made 16 saves, many of them spectacular, but none more than the 4-on-0 breakaway stuff with two minutes left in the game. Leading the charge offensively was #84 Patrick Q. who scored twice, once assisted by #45 Noah Z. and unassisted on the game-winning tally. Defenseman #9 Chris P. netted the other Titan goal on a screen shot from the left point.
There are rare moments in sports when sometimes the event transcends the game. The Pee Wee Gibbons team experienced one of those moments on Sunday. Rest in peace James Gibbons.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
11 Goals in Weekend Split for Pee Wee Gibbons
Wednesday, December 16th, 2009
Things had not gone well over the last couple of weeks for the Pee Wee Gibbons team. Suffering a season-high six-game losing streak (including an 0-3 showing at the Pond Ice Thanksgiving Tournament) the Titans looked to rebound on Saturday against the Hollydell Hurricanes, a team they beat 4-2 way back in the fourth game of the season. It didn’t start out well. Within three minutes, the Titans were down 2-0, victimized again by power play goals. Things got downright bleak after a shorthanded goal increased the deficit to 3-0. But in a statement game, the boys in the road reds rose up and scored six unanswered goals to take home a much-needed 6-3 victory.
#26 Victor D. got it going at 10:33 in the first when he found an opening in the slot and converted a feed from #87 Anthony S. #50 Aidan B. picked up a secondary assist on the play. Less than three minutes later, #18 Louie K. banged in a rebound of a #16 Austin Z. shot as the Titans climbed to within 3-2 to end the first period. In spirited manner, the Wall-based warriors then erupted for two goals in the second and two more in the third in what turned out to be a very ugly game penalty-wise. By the time the final horn sounded, the two teams had combined for 68 penalty minutes and four game misconducts.
#84 Patrick Q. led the Titan scoring charge with two of the final four goals, while #13 Stephen W. and #8 Cole W. picked up the other two. Defenseman #11 Michael N. chipped in with three assists, while forwards #45 Noah Z. and #16 Austin Z. each contributed a pair. Not to be lost in the offensive outburst was the stellar play of goaltender #51 Spencer R., who recorded 39 saves and shut the door on the ‘Canes after the 8:31 mark of the first period.
In their best weekend offensive showing of the season, the Titans scored five more goals on Sunday but unfortunately fell to the Old Bridge Jr. Knights by a score of 8-5. #84 Patrick Q. again led the team offensively, netting two goals and assisting on another. #45 Noah Z., #16 Austin Z. and #8 Cole W. also tweaked the twine for the home team. Top playmaker of the game was #18 Louie K. who assisted on three goals, while #10 Eric R., #13 Stephen W. and #24 Logan A. were credited with one assist apiece.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Meet the Players…
Friday, December 4th, 2009
Meet one of our wingers #16 Autin Z. He is one of our second year Pee Wee players. He has been playing hockey for 8 years and played for the NJ Titans PW B last year. Austin is a NJ Devils fan and his favorite NHL player is Patrik Elias. In his free time Austin likes to fish. He is most looking forward to “a win” this season.
Meet another one of our returning Pee Wee players #10 Eric R. He has been playing hockey for 7 years and played for the NJ Titans PW B team last year. He is a NY Islanders fan and his favorite NHL player is John Tavares. Erik enjoys playing when he has free time. He is looking forward to scoring goals this year.
Meet one of our centers #45 Noah Z. He is also a returning second year Pee Wee that played for the NJ Titans PW A last season. He has been playing hockey for 5 years. He enjoys camping and boyscouts in his freetime. Noah is a NJ Devils fan and his favorite player is retired Scott Stevens. He is looking forward to working on a team this year and maybe winning a tournament.
Next up…..Meet the Coaches…..
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Titans fall 3-1 on Sunday…
Thursday, December 3rd, 2009
Despite a productive dryland practice on Saturday morning, the Pee Wee Gibbons team absorbed a tough 3-1 loss to the Protec Ducks at Protec Ponds on Sunday. In a rematch of the team’s second game of the season, the Titans played better but still fell to the quick-skating quackers. Both goalies, #30 Brian H. and #51 Spencer R., again played well, combining for 30 saves. The team also played much more disciplined hockey, taking only one penalty in the contest to the Ducks’ six. That proved to be the key to the game as the Titans couldn’t capitalize on the overwhelming advantage in power-play time. The redshirts’ lone goal came at even strength, 20 seconds after a 5-on-3 situation had elapsed. #87 Anthony S. won a tenacious battle on the boards, then flung the puck toward the net where big #84 Patrick Q. banged it home. Next up: The Pond Ice Thanksgiving Tournament in Newark, Delaware where the Titans will face off against the Woodbridge Wolfpack, Toms River Blackhawks and Delaware Ducks.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Meet the players
Monday, November 16th, 2009
Meet this small but mighty forward #26 Victor D. He has been playing hockey for 3 years and played for the Titans last year. He is a New Jersey Devils fan & his favorite player is Martin Brodeur. He enjoys karate in his free time. Victor is most looking forward to being a playmaker this year!
Meet #24 defenseman Logan A. He has been playing hockey for 4 years now & most recently for the Titans squirts last year. He is a New York Rangers fan and his favorite player is Marian Gaborik. When off the ice he likes to spend his time playing soccer. Logan would like to make more assists this year.
Meet #11 Mike N. you will find him playing both offense & defense positions. He has been playing hockey for 5 years and played for the Titans last season. He is a New Jersey Devils fan and his favorite player is Zach Parisi. In his freetime he likes to play tennis. Mike’s goal for this year is setting up more plays.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
A double-win weekend…
Monday, November 16th, 2009
The Pee Wee Gibbons team went back to basics this weekend and came away with two hard-fought wins. On Saturday, the Titans donned the bright whites to host the Nutley-Clifton Hockey Club that ventured down to the nor’easter-ravaged shore from North Jersey. With the wind and rains subsiding outside, the Titans stormed the ice and proceeded to blow away Nutley-Clifton by a final score of 4-0.
Big-play wing #8 Cole W. got things going at 10:54 of the first period as he put himself in perfect position to tuck in a rebound of a hard low shot from #50 Aidan B. on the left point. Seeing his first action on offense this year, #84 Patrick Q. then impressed the crowd with an unassisted, impossible-angle shot that put the Titans up 2-0 early in the second period.
Finisher #18 Louie K. netted his team-leading 9th and 10th goals of the season to seal the win, both coming off assists from reliable set-up man #26 Victor D. Goalie #51 Spencer R. backstopped his second shutout in the last two weeks, turning away 18 shots and blanking five Nutley-Clifton power play chances.
The next day’s contest versus the Mt. Laurel Jaguars was arguably the Titans’ most exciting game of the season to date. The two teams had met earlier in the season and battled to a 1-1 tie at Gold Coast Arena. Sunday’s affair at the Igloo proved to be another nail-biter between two well-matched clubs. After spending much of the first period on the penalty kill, the Titans struck first just 40 seconds into the second when #87 Anthony S. scored the goal he’d promised as a gift for his mother’s birthday. Winger #10 Eric R. picked up a solo assist on the play.
With the road warriors nursing a slim 1-0 lead, the game went back and forth, up and down the ice, as the shots piled up on both goalies. Titan netminder #30 Brian H. was unconscious in goal, stoning five Jaguar breakaways, swatting away rebound tries, and fending off a lot of traffic in the crease. Despite his heroics, the Jags finally cashed in on their sixth breakaway chance to tie it at one with just four minutes remaining in the game.
The character Coach Gibby has instilled in the boys showed itself in those last few minutes of desperation play between both teams. In dramatic fashion, our relentless small-but-mighty forwards once again came up big as #26 Victor D. popped in the game winner with 32.7 seconds left to play, with linemate #18 Louie K. assisting during a mad scramble in front of the Jags’ net.
After notching two more satisfying tallies in the win column, the Titans have one final tune-up against the Protec Ducks next weekend before heading down to The Pond Ice Thanksgiving Tournament in Newark, Delaware.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Another tough weekend
Saturday, November 14th, 2009
On Saturday, the Pee Wee Gibbons team made the long and winding trip up to Aspen Ice Randolph, only to be tripped up 6-1 by the NJ Freeze. In a game where two Titan goalies faced a barrage of 44 shots, the Titan skaters never seemed to find their wheels and played much of the game shorthanded after taking too many undisciplined penalties. Netminders #51 Spencer R. and #30 Brian H. stood on their heads to record 38 saves between them. The lone bright spot on offense occurred near the end of the first period when #8 Cole W. intercepted a pass in the Freeze defensive zone, skated in, and after making a sweet move to send the Freeze goalie sprawling, went top shelf with the shot. With just three weeks to go before the Thanksgiving Tournament in Delaware, the boys will look to pick up their level of play in next weekend’s games against Nutley-Clifton and the Mt. Laurel Jaguars.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Weekend split for Pee Wee Gibbons
Wednesday, November 4th, 2009
The Pee Wee Gibbons team notched its fifth win of the season in an away game on Halloween morning against the Flemington Hawks. The 4-0 shutout was particularly satisfying for the boys in the road reds who played two defensemen down due to injury and suspension. The Titan “O” came out strong, setting the tone early when #11 Michael N. knocked in his first goal of the year just 26 seconds into the game. Credit assist king #8 Cole W. with setting up another one. A minute later sniper #87 Anthony S. beat the Hawk goalie on a whistling shot from the right wing, unassisted.
A goal in each of the second and third periods rounded out the Titan scoring. First, center #45 Noah Z. converted a feed from #26 Victor D. Then, with the game well in hand, #16 Austin Z. added the exclamation point, scoring his first goal of the season on a pretty breakaway chance off the left wing. Goalie #51 Spencer R. hung the bagel on the Hawks, making several slick saves on breakaways and point-blank shots from the slot.
Special nod goes to the depleted defense corps which extra-shifted the entire game: #24 Logan A., #6 Justin L., #50 Aidan B. and #9 Chris P. And best wishes for a speedy recovery to #3 Luke P. who suffered a broken collar bone in the game at Atlantic City last weekend. Heal quickly Luke!
In a penalty-filled affair at home on Sunday afternoon, the Titans came out on the short end of a 4-2 score versus the Woodbridge Wolfpack. The two teams racked up 44 minutes of chippy penalties between them with Woodbridge winning the battle of special teams, scoring three power-play goals despite a valiant and acrobatic 29-save performance by Titan netminder #30 Brian H. Titan goals were scored by #45 Noah Z. who banged in a puck dug out from the boards by #84 Patrick Q., and #18 Louie K. who deftly deflected a shot off the stick of #13 Stephen W.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Winning ways return…
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Coach Gibby’s Pee Wees got back on track with a big 4-2 come-from-behind win over the South Jersey Black Bears this past Saturday at home. The two teams had met three weeks ago in Vineland in a game which saw the Titans pick up their first victory of the year in convincing 5-2 fashion. The South Jersey team proved to be a much more formidable opponent in the rematch. The Bears came out flying in the first period, hustling all over the ice and hitting everything in sight. Titan goalie #30 Brian H. played the hero early, keeping his team in the game with several spectacular saves, including a highlight-reel diving stick-stuff of an open-net rebound chance by a swarming Black Bear offense. The Titan defense also hung tough, withstanding nearly two minutes of a 5-on-3 chance for the visitors to begin the second period. Great job by defenders #84 Patrick Q., #6 Justin L., #11 Michael N., #24 Logan A. and checking forward #50 Aidan B. on the kill.
The mounting tension in the scoreless game was finally broken with 1:45 remaining in the second period when the Titans drew first blood. In a nifty unassisted move, #8 Cole W. picked up a loose puck and launched a rising shot that cleared the goalie’s left shoulder and caught twine on the far side of the net. Protecting a precarious 1-0 lead, penalties came back to bite the Titans early in the third period as the Bears scored one minute into another 5-on-3 advantage and then again just as the second Titan was released from the box. The home team showed its character when it counted, however, as they scored three unanswered goals late in the final frame. #13 Stephen W. tied the game at two with an unassisted wrist shot, followed shortly thereafter by the go-ahead goal from #18 Louie K. off a feed from #87 Anthony S. #18 Louie K. then sealed the deal by swatting in a rebound of a #8 Cole W. shot with just ten ticks remaining on the clock.
After a well-deserved Sunday off, Coach Gibby’s charges will travel to Atlantic City next weekend to take on the high-flying A.C. Sharks.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
Meet the Players…
Tuesday, October 20th, 2009
Meet one of our first year defensemen, Anthony S. #87. He has only been playing hockey for 2 years & played for the NJ Titans Squirt team last year. He is a Pittsburgh Penguins hockey fan and his favorite player is Sidney Crosby. He is a busy guy who plays travel baseball in his “free” time. Anthony hopes to have a good team this year.
Chris P. #9 is another one of our defensemen. He is another first year Pee Wee (although you wouldn’t know it from his size). He has been playing hockey for 5 years & played for the NJ Titans last season. His favorite hockey player is Zach Parisi and he is a NJ Devils fan. Chris likes to go fishing when he has the time. He hopes to have a good defense this year.
Meet Steve W. #13. He is a second year Pee Wee that played on the NJ Titans PW B team last year. He has been playing hockey for 6 years. Steve is a NJ Devils fan and his favorite player is Brian Gionta. He enjoys football as well as hockey. Steve is hoping for more assists this year but, he is doing pretty well at scoring goals too.
Posted in Pee Wee Gibbons
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