The New Jersey Titans return to action this weekend for their first game since December 21st when they host the Northeast Generals for a pair of games on Friday and Saturday night at the Middletown Sports Complex. The Titans hold a 3-1-0 record over the Generals with all four games played in Massachusetts. This is the only trip Northeast will take to Middletown in the regular season.
The Titans enter 2025 with a record of 17-12-5, good for 39 points and 4th place in the East Division. They are 4 points behind Maryland and Maine, who are tied for second place. Meanwhile, Northeast finds themselves on the outside looking in the playoff race with a record of 14-17-5, trailing Johnstown for the final playoff spot by a point.
The Generals are led up front by Rich Rucireto with 42 points. The Sacred Heart commit saw his 9 game point streak snapped on Saturday against Danbury, but his 14 points in December were still enough to garner the Bauer NAHL Forward of the Month honors. Ryan Nolan is expected to patrol the Northeast crease, bringing a 12-8-5 record with a 3.59 goals against average and a .897 save percentage. His 842 saves lead the league.
New Jersey boasts an impressive top of the lineup with Jack Hillier and Alex Papaspyropoulos both in the top 7 of league scoring with 47 and 40 points respectively. Papaspyropoulos leads the Titans with 16 goals, while Hillier’s 34 assists leads the entire NAHL. He trails Alex Laurenza of the Austin Bruins by 3 points for the league lead. Austin McNicholas and Charlie Mistretta continue to split time in the New Jersey net, with McNicholas holding a 11-9-3 record with a 3.35 goals against average, while Mistretta has the slight advantage with a .906 save percentage.
Friday night’s game is scheduled for a 7:30pm faceoff at the Middletown Sports Complex. The Titans will be honoring Cub Scout Pack #66 before the game, and ticket sales will go to benefit this local partner. Saturday’s game is set for a 7:00pm faceoff. Tickets are available for purchase by following this link.