Philadelphia Blazers National vs. Ashburn Xtreme – October 23, 10:00 AM
The undefeated Ashburn Xtreme (10-0-0) checks all of the boxes of a contending hockey team. High-powered offense, they have scored 103 scores, tops in the league. Fortified defense, they have conceded the fewest goals per game in the league at a measly figure of 1.4. The team is paced offensively by Bryan Wallace (31 G, 8 A) and Rylan MacCormick (26 G, 13 A). However, the Blazers (6-1-1) seek to disrupt this rhythm. They have won each of their last five games, including a perfect run of three games during the month of September. A tandem of Jackson Foster (9 G, 5 A) and Brennan McKee (4 G, 12 A) are the center of the Blazer attack and will look to cause problems for Ashburn’s defenders.
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North Jersey Avalanche Blue vs. MYHA Blue – October 23, 11:50 AM
Likely the toughest test so far this season for the league leaders, undefeated MYHA Blue (12-0-0) will face upstart North Jersey (6-1-0) for each team’s first game of the showcase. MYHA owns a strong +43 goal differential over their hot start. MYHA turns to Braxton Menkiti to provide many of the points on the scoreboard, as he leads the league with 32 goals. Meanwhile, Cameron Augustoni provides the spark for the Avalanche, as he leads the team in goals (11) and points (14). North Jersey hopes to continue their stellar defensive play, as they are allowing fewer than 2 goals per game, on average. Either team can open their showcase slate with a loud statement.
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New Jersey Stars Black vs. New Jersey Bandits – October 23, 1:00 PM
Good things happen to teams with good discipline. The Stars (4-4-1) and Bandits (5-3-0), two of the division’s more disciplined sides, will meet in this game. The Bandits lead the league in penalty minutes, only being assessed 24 PIM through their first nine games. Their strong will has kept them competitive against the league’s top competition, most notably MYHA Gold and Maryland Jr. Black Bears Red. The Stars have struggled as of late after a hot start, but this showcase is a perfect opportunity to get back on track.
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Brick Hockey Club vs. MYHA Gold – October 24, 9:10 AM
Two very deep squads, Brick Hockey Club (4-3-1) and MYHA Gold (7-3-0) will face off on Sunday in what should prove to be a competitive game. Most of MYHA’s skaters have scored a point this season. The team hasn’t stood out in any one category of play, but have grit and a determination to win. This determination has resulted in seven of their last eight games ending in victory. Brick Hockey Club also shares the same scoring trait, with only one skater remaining scoreless. The side also seems to find another gear when playing highly touted opponents. They knocked off the Blazers and played competitively against the Maryland Jr. Black Bears Red. Time will tell if this gear will factor into this matchup.
Forwards
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Cole Martinez – Grundy Senators
A pure sniper in every sense of the word, Martinez has potted 13 goals in 9 games this season. The leading scorer for the Senators, he is a reliable option for the team to convert whenever the puck finds his stick in a scoring position. He is a critical part for the Grundy game plan as well, as the team has a 3-2-1 record when Martinez is on the score sheet while they are 0-3-0 when he is held scoreless. His success normally translated to the success of his team, which reflects leadership and an influential style of play.
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Braxton Menkiti – MYHA Blue
League leader in goals (32) and tied for the lead in points (39), Menkiti is the driving force of the MYHA Blue team. He has scored at least one goal in each of the 12 games he has played and has scored at least three goals in half of those games. He has scored five goals twice so far this season, including against Hollydell Hurricanes White, when he scored each of his team’s goals in a 5-0 victory. Menkiti has also displayed some physicality, registering 0.5 hits per game. Look for him to continue to be among the league leaders in scoring as long as MYHA sees continued success.
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Bryan Wallace – Ashburn Xtreme
Scoring at the fastest clip of anyone in the division, Wallace is averaging nearly 4 goals per game, as he has netted 31 in only eight games. Wallace is not only gaining attention for his goal scoring, however, as he has a very well-rounded game that has been put on display thus far this season. He has also distributed the puck well to his teammates, putting up 8 assists. Wallace has also laid the body, notching 7 hits, and has made great use of his good size for the age group. He also has strong discipline, only taking one penalty this season. Excelling at every aspect of the game, Wallace is absolutely one to watch.
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Defense
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Charlie Berry – Rockets Hockey Club
A consistent point-per-game defenseman, Berry has emerged as a skilled two-way defenseman. He has a powerful shot from the blue line, leading to 5 goals, accompanied by 2 assists in seven games. Meanwhile, he has also led the defensive efforts of the Rockets, which has yielded four games of allowing one or fewer goals. He has only one multi-point game, but he has only been held scoreless in one game this season. Look for Berry’s consistency to continue to hold true this weekend.
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Adam Hassan – New Jersey Stars Black
Not many defensive players routinely put up multi-point games with regularity, but that’s exactly what Hassan has done through his first four games. Three of his first four games with New Jersey have seen his name pop up several times in the game summary. He scored two goals against the Delaware Ducks and Capital City Vipers National while he had a 1 goal, 3 assist performance against the Suffolk P.A.L. Silver Knights. Hassan’s defensive efforts are also notable, as he has helped the team to a +20 goal differential. Hassan is developing as a very talented two-way defenseman.
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Gabriel Schon – St. James
The division’s highest point scoring defenseman, Schon has scored 5 points and 5 assists in only four games. The offensive defenseman has also proven to be capable in his own end as well, helping St. James to a 3-1-0 record in those games. Against the Igloo Jaguars, Schon led the way to victory with 2 goals and 3 assists. He has also stayed out of the penalty box, which has been greatly helpful to his team’s game plan. Schon clearly has skill all over the ice and it has reflected on the score sheet.
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Goalies
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Mike Canning – Philadelphia Blazers National
Canning has been excellent through his first three starts of the season, posting a 3-0-0 record with a 1.67 GAA and .904 SV%. In two of his three starts, Canning has only allowed a single goal. The Blazers seem to have a little extra pep whenever Canning stands between the pipes, speaking to his attitude on and off the ice. Look for him to earn more looks in the starting lineup after a strong start
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Jean-Paul Dominguez – North Jersey Avalanche Blue
Among league leaders in GAA (1.56) and SV% (.907), Dominguez has proven to be one of the top net minders in the division. Dominguez also boasts a flawless 4-0-0 record through five games. He posted a shutout against the Grundy Senators in his last appearance, saving each of the 15 shots that he faced. Dominguez doesn’t see a lot of rubber in net, credit to the defensive efforts of North Jersey, but his athleticism can be relied upon to shut down most of the shots that come his way.
Forwards
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Sara Caldicott – MYHA Blue
Caldicott had a great weekend, scoring 3 goals and adding an assist. This propels her point total to 13 for the season, putting her tops for female skaters. Caldicott also displayed her skills as a two-way forward, filling in on the back check and using her speed to catch up with attackers going the other way. Overall, Caldicott has a very well-rounded game.
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Ryan Corsaro – Jersey Shore Wildcats Black
According to his coach, Corsaro is coming off of his best weekend of hockey with the Wildcats. Over the four games, Corsaro bagged 11 points (8 goals, 3 assists). He had at least a goal in every game, but he burst out for 5 goals in a win against New Jersey Aspen Kings Blue. This brought Corsaro’s goal total for the season to 11, reflecting his good shot.
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Marcello Ferrari – New Jersey Stars Black
Ferrari kicked it into high gear during this showcase, putting his name all over the scoresheet. He was able to put a recent slump behind him, scoring multiple points in every game en route to a 10-point (4 goals, 6 assists) weekend. Ferrari had two three-point performances over the weekend, one against the Delaware Ducks and another against MYHA Gold.
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Rylan MacCormick – Ashburn Xtreme
MacCormick had another very strong showing in the showcase, scoring 13 points (6 goals, 7 assists) in his four games. His efforts came with a couple of highlights. He recorded 4 assists in an 8-5 win against Philadelphia Blazers National and he also had a hat trick and 2 assists in a win against North Jersey Avalanche Blue. MacCormick’s passing touch has been unrivaled so far this season, as he has the most assists in the division with 20.
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Defense
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Jacob Ganz – Rockets Hockey Club
A defenseman with an outstanding shot, Ganz let his abilities shine in this showcase. He scored 5 goals and added an assist, bringing his season goal total to 11 over the same number of games. His highlight of the weekend was scoring a hat trick in a win over the York Devils. By bringing his goals per game average to 1.0, Ganz establishes himself as one of the top shooting blue liners in the division.
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Tyler Nevrotski – Philadelphia Blazers National
Contributing equally to offensive and defensive efforts, Nevrotski has been a key factor in the Blazer game plan. This weekend, he scored 3 goals and 2 assists, bringing his season total to 15 points. In a loss to Ashburn, he scored a season-high 3 points by scoring a goal and 2 assists. His defensive skills are also notable, leading the back check for Philadelphia whenever he is on the ice.
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Jackson Skaare – MYHA Blue
A defensive defenseman, Skaare was the leader of MYHA’s backcheck, especially with injuries and other factors leading to the team having a depleted blue line core. He was also a consistent presence on both special teams units. Skaare was not afraid to get low to block shots to help his team. In addition, he also contributed on offense, scoring twice and netting a goal in a winning shootout effort against Brick Hockey Club.
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Goalies
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Dylan Amato – Brick Hockey Club
Amato served as the backbone to a very strong effort from the Brick Hockey Club. Over the weekend, Amato saved 87 of the 91 shots he faced, translating to a stellar .956 save percentage. Included in his efforts was a shutout victory over the Grudy Senators and a 30-save performance along with three saves in a shootout loss to Philadelphia Blazers National. Amato had a real breakout performance, hopefully the first of many strong showings.
Ashburn Xtreme
Remaining perfect on the season, Ashburn improved their win streak to 14 games with four wins this weekend. The Xtreme had a goal differential of +16 over these games. Although they had several dominant performances, including a game in which both Rylan McCormick and Bryan Wallace scored hat tricks, the Xtreme also had their closest game of the season. Jersey Shore Wildcats Black forced the Xtreme to the brink, tying the game by scoring four goals in a row, but Kyle Boteler scored the game winner to keep Ashburn perfect.
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Brick Hockey Club
Despite a difficult slate, the Brick Hockey Club hung tough, managing to end the weekend with a 2-1-1 record. In a win over the Grundy Senators, the team exploded for eight goals while tallying 37 shots on goal. Nick DeMarco and James Sanmarco led the way with 2 goals and an assist each. The team ended the weekend on a high note with a 4-1 win against MYHA Gold, made possible by 20 saves from Dylan Amato. In what could be a season defining showcase, the team’s record has improved to 6-4-2 on the season.
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New Jersey Bandits
The Bandits proved to be a very complete team this weekend, posting a 3-1-0 record over their four games. They played in some very close games, earning one-goal wins over New Jersey Stars Black and St. James. The Bandits also earned a win over the division leaders, MYHA Blue by a 7-3 score, thanks to four goals from Owen Pierri. Their only loss came in a razor-thin 2-1 decision against the next team on this list. This performance greatly improved the Bandits positioning in the standings as their record swelled to 8-4-0.
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Philadelphia Blazers National
The Blazers also recorded a 3-1-0 showcase performance and, similar to the Bandits, also played in some close games. They topped the Brick Hockey Club 2-1, in a shootout, to start their weekend and then added consecutive wins by two-goal margins against North Jersey Avalanche Blue and MYHA Gold. Over those two games, Jackson Foster scored six goals, leading the charge of the Blazer offense. After this weekend, the Blazers season record stands at 9-2-1.