Forwards
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Erik Mitchell – Atlantic City Sharks
The division leader in goals and points, Mitchell has had an offensive explosion to start the season. Through eight games, he has 27 goals and 35 points. This translates to a scoring pace of nearly 4 goals and 4.5 points per game. The shooting talents of Mitchell are remarkable, finding ways to score from any position in the offensive zone. Look for Mitchell and the Sharks to continue their powerful attack.
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Leonard Rybakov – New Jersey Stars
Rybakov has displayed his talents as a high-scoring forward throughout this season. On offense, he is averaging 2.5 points per game (16 G, 9 A) through his first 10 games. He scored 5 points (3 G, 2 A) in a 10-6 victory over the Grundy Senators and 4 points (3 G, 1 A) in a 5-4 win over Maryland Jr. Black Bears Red. In the Maryland game, all three of his goals came in the third period, his hat trick goal serving as the game winner.
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Grey Yinger – York Devils
A forward with an outstanding shot, Yinger has established his talents by leading his team in scoring. Yinger has 16 goals and 9 assists through 11 games, a good pace for the York player. He has scored two hat tricks this season, one against New Jersey and another against Jersey Shore Wildcats Red, in which he scored four times. In both of these games, his final goal was the game winner. Not only does he score with regularity, but Yinger scores when his team needs it most.
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Defense
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Colton Dreyfus – Royals Hockey Club National
A goal per game coming from the blue line is an excellent commodity to have, and this is exactly what the Royals have in Dreyfus. He has scored 7 goals and 4 assists in seven games this season. His offensive talents were on display right from the start, as he scored 4 goals and added an assist in the season opener vs. Jersey Shore. He is currently on a 5-game point streak and will look to extend it this weekend.
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Luca Guarna – Jersey Shore Wildcats Black
A two-way defenseman gifted with a powerful shot, Guarna is the glue at the back for this Wildcats team. Through six games this season, Guarna has 11 goals and 5 assists, so he is scoring at a rate of nearly 2 goals per game. In addition to his great offensive talents, he has also shown his skill in his own half of the ice, locking down attackers and helping Jersey Shore to become one of the division’s more defensively sound teams.
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Goalies
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Johnny Gillin – Haverford Hawks White
An athletically gifted net minder, Gillin leads the division in several goalie categories. Over six games this season, he leads the way in GAA (0.50) and SV% (.956). He only has one official shutout, but has been in net to contribute to flawless defensive efforts three times. His best performance came in an 18-save shutout against New Jersey Bandits National, but he will look to surpass it this weekend.
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Riley McIntosh – Igloo Jaguars
The Jaguar’s saving grace in the crease, McIntosh has been stellar through five games this season. In those five games, she has posted a GAA of 2.30 and SV% of .910. Standing only 4’6”, 64 lbs, Riley has to rely on pure athleticism to make stops in goal. She has done so with great success and will hope to continue to backstop the Jaguars towards the top of the league.
Atlantic City Sharks vs. Haverford Hawks White – October 23, 9:45 AM
The division’s top two teams are set to do battle to get their showcase under way on Saturday. Atlantic City (8-0-0) sits in second place after going undefeated through their first eight games this season. Their offensive attack has been nearly uncontainable this season, scoring 84 goals. Three players lead the way with double-digit goal tallies and at least 20 points. Haverford (9-1-0) sits in first place with outstanding defense, only allowing 9 goals through their opening 10 games. They will look to bounce back from their first loss of the season, a 4-2 decision to Hollydell Hurricanes Black in their last game, after starting the year with nine wins. In a classic battle of defensive game plan vs. offensive attack, only one can win.
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Team Philadelphia vs. New Jersey Stars – October 24, 7:30 AM
Team Philadelphia (5-1-0) will hope to continue their hot start when they meet tough opposition in New Jersey (6-3-1). Philadelphia has a strong offensive attack, averaging 6 goals per game. They are led by Brooks Angelo, as they have racked up 11 goals and 6 assists to begin the season. New Jersey also has a high powered offense, scoring 61 goals through 10 games. Four forwards have at least 10 points. Leonard Rybakov leads the way with 25 points (16 G, 9 A). The first time these teams met, Philadelphia emerged with a statement win on August 28. Will they be able to repeat that result or will New Jersey respond?
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Jersey Shore Wildcats Black vs. Igloo Jaguars – October 24, 10:10 AM
Two teams with 6 wins will meet on Saturday in a matchup between Jersey Shore (6-0-0) and the Igloo Jaguars (6-2-0). The Wildcats have a very strong offense, tallying 71 goals through their first six games. Every forward has at least 6 points while three have double-digit goals this season. Their attack has not been slowed once this season, as they have not scored fewer than 5 goals in a game this season. The Jaguars have a well-rounded game plan, earning a goal differential of +23. They are led offensively by Trey Frederico, as he has 10 goals and 9 assists on the season. They also have solid team defense, allowing no more than 6 goals in a game this season. This statistic will be put to the test, however, against Wildcats.
FORWARD
Shane Papaccioli, North Jersey Avalanche
With six goals and three assists in the Showcase, Papaccioli was a key component in the Avalanche’s 4-0 weekend. A natural goal-scorer, Papaccioli is second on the team with 15 goals on the season.
Eric Bieda, Maryland Jr. Black Bears
Tallying four goals and six points, Bieda was a key cog in the Jr. Black Bears Showcase. Bieda contributed on four of the five Maryland goals in the opening game on the weekend with two goals and two assists.
Daniel Donagan, Haverford Hawks
One of the Hawks most consistent players, Donagan led by example this weekend, helping out his squad with three goals in the Showcase. Donagan’s hockey IQ and balanced attack has him atop the Hawks scoring list with 20 points on the season.
Kyler Johnson, Igloo Jaguars
Johnson had himself a solid Showcase with two goals and six assists for the weekend. With solid hands and crisp vision of the ice Johnson was able to help set-up his team and helped contribute to the three victories for the Jaguars in the Showcase.
Brady Schmidt, Royals Hockey Club
While he might be one of the smaller players on the ice, Schmidt is one of the more tenacious out there. With a never-say-die attitude, Schmidt is not afraid of anyone on the ice. That helped this weekend with a goal and an assist to show for his efforts.
DEFENSE
Brody D’Alessandro, Haverford Hawks
Out there against the oppositions’ top lines, D’Alessandro was a force on the blue line, making some big plays on the defensive side. While he was responsible in his own end, D’Alessandro also provided offensively with a goal and three assists on the weekend.
Daniel Pucci, Team Philadelphia
A great first step and solid stick-handling helped Pucci to a solid offensive output. With two goals and five points, Pucci’s contribution on the scoresheet showed through the Showcase.
Josh Zdunkiewicz, Royals Hockey Club
Heads-up plays by Zdunkiewicz helped the Royals to an undefeated Showcase. His hockey IQ and solid vision of the ice allowed him to anticipate counteracts and break-up several possible breakaway attempts.
GOALIE
Aidan Pesek, MYHA Blue
Putting up a strong showing with a shutout in the first Showcase game, Pesek ended the Showcase with a 1.50 GAA and .919 save percentage. Pesek’s play helped the Blue Devils to a solid weekend and help them stay in the top three in the standings.
Chayce Turnbull, Rye Rangers
In three games, Turnbull left the Showcase with a 2.00 GAA and .903 save percentage. Turnbull used his solid lateral movement and ability to cut off the angles in order to help the Rangers to two wins in his three appearances.
North Jersey Avalanche (4-0-0, 19 GF, 6A): A solid performance by North Jersey boosted them up to the fourth position in the U12AA standings. Both Davin Friedman and Shane Papaccioli had six goals on the weekend, while Peter McAdams and Jack DeBlinger helped the Avalanche limit the opponents to only 21 shots a game. Ryan Kovacs and Christopher Schulz teamed up for a 1.50 GAA on the weekend for the Avs.
Igloo Jaguars (3-1-0, 16 GF, 7 GA): Led by Tyler Reillo’s six goals and Kyler Johnson’s six assists, the Jaguars were able to move their way into the top-four of the U12AA standings. Solid defensive play by Owen Jenkins and Andrew Krott provided fits for the opponents, with Chase Kishler and Tyler Davis standing tall between the pipes and combining for a 1.75 GAA.
Rye Rangers (3-1-0, 20 GF, 12 GA): In their first Showcase, the Rangers put out a big display. Rogan Lester (4g, 3), Owen Nates (5g, 1a), and Liam Heffernan (2g, 3a) helped out offensively, while Dillion Sykes and Will Leahy helped on the defensive side of the puck. Chayce Turnbull was solid in net, leaving the Showcase with a 2.00 GAA on the weekend.
Maryland Jr. Black Bears (3-1-0, 14 GF, 13 GA): Maryland doubled their win total in the AHF during the Showcase, thanks in part to Eric Bieda, Gavin Monaco, and Cole Zoren putting up multi-goal games during the weekend. Maryland had plenty of contributions up and down the line-up, helping them to their three win weekend.
TEAM PHILADELPHIA (14-2-0-0; 95 GF, 30 GA): With a division-leading plus-65 goal differential, Team Philadelphia played a well-round season in the AHF. Andrew Pisano led the way in scoring with 21 assists and 29 points on the year, while Tucker Graham topped in the goal-scoring duties with 13 goals. Dante DeFruscio and Alex Denny stood strong in net with a combined 1.88 goals-against average behind a solid defensive corps that let in the least amount of goals in the 16U AA division.
MYHA BLUE (13-3-0-0; 72 GF, 31 GA): MYHA spread out their goal scoring with five players having seven or more tallies on the season with Patrick McNeice hitting the 10-goal mark. Andrew Renzi was the key guy on special teams with three power play goals while adding two assists with the man-advantage. In net, Devin Brown was a workhorse facing 250 shots in 13 games, most among goaltenders in the playoffs. Brown also maintained a 1.92 GAA throughout the season.
ASHBURN XTREME (12-3-0-1; 90 GF, 46 GA): Special teams was the key for Ashburn with 23 power play goals and nine shorthanded goals, leading the division in both categories. On the power play side, both Sam Segar and Will Schneider had four power play goals a piece, with Jarrett Ireland potting eight power play points. From the blue line, Aidan Harrison and Spencer Combs were solid on the power play with four assists and three assists respectively. Down a man, that’s where Paul Allison shined, as he had four shorthanded markers and one assist while on the penalty kill.
NJ SKYLANDS KINGS NAVY (11-3-0-1, 55 GF, 38 GA): A core four group of scorers– Ayden Greenberg (10), Brendan Boudreau (9), Aaron Shulman (9), and Robbie Myshoff (9)– were instrumental for the Skylands Kings scoring, combining for about 65% of the team’s scoring. Johan Bars, Will Garrison, and Michael Piccinich anchor a defense that allowed only 2.53 goals a game with Rylan Gibbons and Tyler Paluzzi splitting time between the pipes.
HAVERFORD HAWKS (11-3-0-0; 63 GF, 41 GA): Another team that spreads the scoring around, Haverford was led in goals by Sean Tooke, who had 10, as Colin Rink, Coleman Peskin, and Ian D’Ambrosio all added eight through the year. AJ Moleski was atop the defensemen in scoring, while also being in a tie for the power play goals lead, contributing three goals with the extra man– tied with Tooke and leading scorer Dylan Kouba.
IGLOO JAGUARS BLACK (10-4-0-0; 65 GF, 31 GA): CJ Compagnola finished the AHF season leading the division in goals with 15, all of them being even strength. Tate Baer and Tommy Angelone led in power play goals with three each, while Colton Weiss’ six goals and 14 points led all defensemen in the 16U AA division. In net, Robert Kennedy had a .926 save percentage, which is the highest amongst the six playoff teams
Team Philadelphia (11-3-0) vs. Philadelphia Blazers (10-4-0) – Saturday, January 15th, 3:00 PM: It’s a battle of Philadelphia on day one for round-robin games in the U18 AA playoffs! The Blazers’ offense has been red hot, with its 74 goals the fourth-most in U18 AA. Add on the fact that the Blazers have outscored its opponents 21-2 during its three-game win streak to end the season and this is definitely an offense to watch out for. Brady Baehser leads the way for the Blazers with 25 points on the season and 12 points in his last five games. Team Philadelphia’s defense has played great this season, allowing only 29 goals (third-lowest total amongst U18 AA teams with ten or more games played). Team Philadelphia ended the season on a four-game win streak outscoring its opponents 16-4 in that stretch. Ethan Fredricks leads Team Philadelphia in scoring with 18 points on the season. This game will take place at Northeast Skate Zone Rink #1 and will be the first meeting between these two teams in the AHF this season.
MYHA Blue (15-1-0) vs. Igloo Jaguars Black (11-5-0) – Saturday, January 15th, 8:20 PM: The two highest-scoring teams in the Atlantic Hockey Federation’s U18 AA division go at it this Saturday night. MYHA Blue (93 goals) is the highest-scoring team in U18 AA and the only team to eclipse 90 goals this season. It boasts a roster with eight players scoring at or higher than a point per game average and a goaltending tandem of Sebastian Blanc and Joseph Lawrence who both posted a save percentage higher than .920 and combined for four shutouts. TJ Kouba leads the way offensively, with his 14 goals and 28 points good for third in the league in each category. He also places second in the league in assists with 14. MYHA is currently riding a 14 game win streak into the playoffs and hasn’t lost since August 28th, 2021. The Jaguars (87 goals) have the second-highest scoring offense in U18 AA. On top of that, goaltenders Michael Lieze and Nolan Bonawitz combine for the most shutouts amongst a goaltending tandem in U18 AA with five. Mario Leone is a player to watch out for on offense as his 21 goals are good enough to tie for the top goal scorer in the league. Leone also ranks second in points with 31. These two teams met twice during the regular season, with MYHA Blue winning both games 3-1 and 7-4. This game will be played at Grundy Ice Arena Rink B.
Ashburn Xtreme (12-2-0) vs. Rockets Hockey Club Black (7-6-0) – Sunday, January 16th, 1:10 PM: The Xtreme has enjoyed a successful season, with its offense ranking third in the league for most goals scored with 82 and only yielding 22 goals defensively. The 22 goals against is the lowest total in the league among U18 AA teams that have played ten or more games. Ashburn ended the regular season on a four-game win streak while outscoring its opponents 26-5. Andrew Kurowski has been a force offensively for the Xtreme this season, with his goals (21) and points (36) leading the league in both categories. The Rockets have had close contests with all the teams in this year’s U18 AA playoffs but have yet to face the Ashburn Xtreme. The Rockets Hockey Club got off to a red hot start winning six of its first seven games and never looked back. Four players on the Rockets average over a point per game, led by John Crowdell and his 19 points. This game will be played at Northeast Skate Zone Rink #1.
MYHA Blue vs. Igloo Jaguars Black: The Jaguars have had MYHA’s number this season, beating them twice already this season by a score of 4-2 and 5-3. CJ Compagnola and Colin Pape scored in both games and Tate Baer had a goal and two assists over the two games for the Jaguars. MYHA was led by Andre Serra and Cody Keegan, who both had two points in the two games. It remains to be seen if there will be pressure on the Jaguars, as it’s tough for teams to win three in a row against another, especially with so much on the line.
Team Philadelphia vs. Haverford Hawks: These two did not meet in the AHF schedule but have faced off against each other in the DVHL with Team Philadelphia besting Haverford 5-1. Haverford comes into this match-up as one of the hotter teams with four straight division wins going into the playoffs. Team Philadelphia is on a five-game winning streak, as well as a balanced attack on both sides of the puck. One of the biggest features will be how Haverford will be able to break through Team Philadelphia’s defense, while trying to hold off Team Philadelphia’s potent offensive prowess.
Ashburn Xtreme vs. New Jersey Skylands Kings Navy: While separated in the standings by two points, Ashburn has the upper hand with a 6-2 victory in their only AHF match-up of the season in September. Landon Street had two goals for Ashburn, while Paul Allison had a goal and assist in the victory. The Skylands Kings, however, got on a roll in December winning four of their five games in the month rolling towards the playoffs. Robbie Myshoff and Aaron Shulman potted four goals each in that span to help the team stay hot going into the playoffs.
The first-ever U18 AA playoffs wrapped up this past Sunday. Six teams entered with championship aspirations but only one could leave victorious. And after round-robin games that saw numerous close games, the Ashburn Xtreme stood tall and clinched the championship with a 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Blazers.
Day one saw a lot of ice time for the teams competing, with each team in action twice. MYHA Blue took home the first victory of the round-robin with a 7-2 win over the Rockets Hockey Club Black. Joshua Weitzman led the way for MYHA, recording two goals and an assist. Later that afternoon, Ashburn forward Connor Gnatek (two goals, one assist) and goaltender Patrick DePault (25 saves) led the Ashburn Xtreme to an impressive 4-1 win over the Igloo Jaguars Black. All four goals scored by the Xtreme came in the final period of play. The Philadelphia Blazers then won an all Philadelphia match-up, beating Team Philadelphia in a close 4-2 contest. Max Maddalo and Brady Baehser each had two goals for the Blazers.
The Igloo Jaguars Black bounced back from its loss to Ashburn earlier that day by stunning the top-seeded MYHA Blue 5-1. Jaguars goalie Michael Lieze made 30 saves and forward Dylan Faulhaber scored twice for Igloo. The Rockets took out Team Philadelphia 3-2 in its second contest of the day, with Richard Arale scoring the game winning goal late in the third period. The Ashburn Xtreme capped off day one with a 6-4 win over the Philadelphia Blazers, riding a three goal third period for the victory.
Day two started off with Max Maddalo striking twice for the Philadelphia Blazers in a 3-2 win over MYHA Blue. Ashburn had 11 different players score in a dominant 11-2 victory over the Rockets Hockey Club Black. Round robin action concluded with some overtime heroics, as Nick Fonseca’s overtime tally lifted the Igloo Jaguars Black to a 2-1 win over Team Philadelphia.
The U18 AA championship game saw the Ashburn Xtreme take on the Philadelphia Blazers. It was a back and forth start, with the Xtreme leading 3-2 after the first 20 minutes. Max Maddalo started the scoring off for Philadelphia with his sixth goal of the postseason, but Derek Zhou responded for Ashburn to tie the game at 1-1. Sean Marshall got Philadelphia back on top with a goal to make it 2-1, but the Xtreme responded with two goals from John Ryan and Jospeh Sciavolino to give Ashburn a 3-2 lead after the first period.
Josh Shewbridge added to the Xtreme’s lead with a second period goal to make it 4-2. Kevin Donnelly and Evan Gould added insurance goals in the third period, leading to the Ashburn Xtreme’s 6-2 win over the Philadelphia Blazers for the championship. Leo Quattrone put together one of his best performances of the season for the Xtreme, turning aside 37 shots. Leo is now 3-0-0 when making 30 or more saves in a game this season.
A masterful playoff performance that saw them give up only three goals against in the playoffs, Team Philadelphia took home the inaugural AHF 16U AA Championship. Their title run started in the first game on Saturday with a 5-0 victory over Haverford in a game that saw Carter Sabato and Derek Boyd-Volz net two goals a piece and Alex Denny getting the shutout thanks to the Team Philadelphia defense allowing only nine shots on goal in the contest.
Other Day One Morning results had the Igloo Jaguars beat MYHA for a third straight time, this time by a count of 1-0 in a shootout with Robert Kennedy from the Jaguars and Liam Jukus from MYHA putting on a display in net. CJ Compagnola netted the lone shootout goal. Ashburn Xtreme and North Jersey Skyland Kings Navy put on a spirited affair, as the Xtreme edged out the Skyland Kings 4-3 thanks to three shorthanded goals from Ashburn– two from Sam Segar and the game-winner from Kyle Tinschert with only 1:25 remaining in regulation.
The afternoon session saw Team Philadelphia take a 7-1 victory over Igloo thanks to two goals from Tucker Graham and multi-point performances from Sabato, Boyd-Volz, and Andrew Pisano. MYHA bounced back with a 3-1 win over the Skyland Kings with goals from Ethan Birndorf, Andrew Renzi, and Patrick McNeice. Ashburn closed out Day One with a 8-3 win over Haverford with Paul Allison, Shane Siwik, and Landon Street with two goals apiece.
Sunday morning was the last of the round-robin games and Team Philadelphia was taken to the limit by the Skyland Kings, but booked their spot for the final thanks to a Kain Walker goal in overtime to win it 1-0 for Philadelphia despite 31 saves from North Jersey goalie Tyler Paluzzi. MYHA help their cause by shutting out Haverford 3-0 with Jukas getting a 22-save shutout with goals from McNeice, Birndorf, and Caden Blazer. The Igloo Jaguars played spoiler for Ashburn, as the Jaguars scored five unanswered goals, including two goals from Andrew Sizmur, to beat Ashburn 6-1. Alec Rittenhouse made 24 saves in the Igloo victory.
That set the final between Team Philadelphia and MYHA, where MYHA got out to a 2-0 lead after the 1st on the back of goals from McNeice and Connor Hall. However, Team Philadelphia charged back with five unanswered goals– three on the power play– from five different goal scorers (Pisano, Boyd-Volz, Sabato, Walker, and Peter Boctor), to top MYHA 5-2 and take home the 16U AA division crown.
Team Philadelphia ended their AHF season with a 18-2-0 record, a goal differential of plus-80, three 15-plus goal scorers (Sabato, Boyd-Volz, and Graham), and five players with over 25 points (Pisano, Sabato, Boyd-Volz, Walker, and Graham). Their defense allowed just over 17 shots a game in 20 games and the goaltending of Denny and Dante DeFruscio finished with a combined 1.59 GAA and .915 save percentage.