HAVERHILL, MA -- The EHL’s December showcase took place this week at Paul T. Gilmartin Arena, home of the Valley Jr. Warriors. A total of 29 games were played from Monday to Thursday in a league-wide showcase to close out the calendar year.
New Jersey 87’s 3 – Boston Jr. Eagles 0
The 87’s closed out their showcase by blanking the Jr. Eagles 3-0 as Ivan Kulagin had a pair of helpers in the win.
Alexander Legkov opened the scoring early in the first half, increasing his point total to 42 (17g, 25a) in just 18 games played. Sergei Shcherbakov made it 2-0 five minutes later, corralling a drop pass from Kulagin and firing a wrist shot glove side. Kulagin would find the scoresheet again in the second half as he set up Dominic Bertolino for a tap-in at the doorstep. 87’s goaltender Mitch Stenger made 21 saves to record the shutout while the team heads into the holiday break 10-0-1 in their last 11 games.
Express Hockey Club 3 – Pennsylvania Huntsmen 1
Nate Brissett had a goal and an assist as the Express knocked down the Huntsmen to complete a showcase sweep, outscoring opponents 8-1 this week in Haverhill.
The Express took a 1-0 lead midway through the opening half as Ville Bodin slipped a cross-crease pass right to Brissett, where he tapped in his seventh goal of the season. Myles Kidd added to the lead late in the half as he jammed a backhander inside the near post for his 11th goal of the year.
Pennsylvania cut the deficit in the second half as Damon Warren zipped a pass to Devin Schaeffer at the back post for his fourth goal of the season. The Express regained their two-goal lead late in regulation as defenseman Drew Coady snapped a shot high blocker side for his fifth goal of the season. The win capped off a tremendous first half for the Express as they extended their winning streak to 15 games, now tied for the fifth-longest streak in EHL history.
Valley Jr. Warriors 6 – Seahawks Hockey Club 2
Austin Peterson scored a hat trick as the Warriors end their showcase with a big win over the Seahawks hockey club.
Colin Chrisom got the scoring started minutes into the first half with his third goal of the season. The Warriors went on a five-minute power play, and Austin Peterson scored two goals in identical fashion, rolling down from the top of the right faceoff circle and firing wrist shots past Seahawks goaltender Isak Saldjoughi. The Seahawks got on the board late in the half as Danny Kehoe found a loose puck sitting in the crease and buried his fifth goal of the season.
Matt McEnroe and Quinn Murray struck early in the second half to extend the Warriors’ lead to 5-1. Kehoe got one back for the Seahawks with this second goal of the game and sixth of the season, but Peterson capped the scoring with his third power-play goal late in regulation. The Warriors head into the holiday break by snapping a four-game winless streak.
East Coast Wizards 4 – New Jersey Bears 2
The Wizards go two-for-three in Haverhill as they defeated the New Jersey Bears 4-2.
Teddy O’Keefe opened the scoring in the first half as he got the puck off the faceoff and ripped a shot off the crossbar and in. New Jersey responded as Chris Benkovitz slid a pass across to Owen House where he shoveled in a backhander for his 15th goal of the season, but Victor Desmarais put the Wizards back in front later in the half as he launched a slap shot from the point that found its way through traffic.
Jack Brennan put East Coast up by two when he skated down the right wing and fired a slap shot blocker side. Chris Benkovitz got one back as he snapped a shot high-blocker side for his second point of the game. New Jersey continued to push for the tying goal, but the Wizards iced the game as Daxton St. Hillaire scored an empty-net goal.
New England Wolves 4 – Bridgewater Bandits 0
Marek Herda scored twice as the Wolves shut out the Bandits to complete the showcase sweep.
All four goals by the Wolves took place in the first half; Brenden Fields got it started with his ninth goal of the season, then Herda doubled the lead 1:57 later. Ryan Teehan made it 3-0 midway through the half, then Herda notched his second goal of the game and sixth of the season. Cam Reardon made 19 saves for the shutout, and the Wolves head into the holiday break with a five-game winning streak.
Providence Capitals 7 – Boston Dukes 1
Deaglan Kelly and Gage Perri each had a goal plus an assist as the Caps’ offense overpowered the Dukes in a 7-1 win.
Providence came out flying in the first half, scoring three goals within the first 5:53 of the game. Anders Alves, Aidan Radic and Scotty Moritz were the early goal scorers. Kelly made it 4-0 midway through the half, and Perri tacked on another goal shortly before intermission. Artem Chepil scored Boston’s lone tally of the game, but Providence had added to their lead in the second half with a power-play goal from Landon Cole and Luke Haynes late in the half. With the win, the Caps are 5-0-1 in their last six and have a one-point lead over HC Rhode Island for first in the Central while having three games in hand.
New Hampshire Avalanche 3 – Connecticut Nor’Easter 2
Ben Carfora and Louis-Charles Tremblay had two points each in the Avs’ win over the Nor’Easter.
New Hampshire jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first half, starting with a shorthanded goal for Noah Rogers. Later in the half, Tremblay scored for his 11th goal of the season, and Carfora made it 3-0 by scoring his fifth of the season. The Nor’Easter went on the offensive in the second half as Hunter Harkins converted on a Connecticut power play for his seventh goal of the season. Johannes Tammeorg cut the deficit to one as he scored on a long-range wrister late in the half.
The comeback fell short, however, and the Avs held on as Chris Cerrella earned his 500th win as Avalanche head coach. The team closes out the 2024 portion of the season with a 9-0-2 record over their last 11 and a seven-point lead for first place in the North Division.
Philadelphia Little Flyers 4 - Connecticut Nor'Easter 2
The Little Flyers scored three goals in the first half as they took down the Nor'Easter and wrapped up their showcase with two wins in three games.
Charlie Szymczak put Philadelphia ahead 1-0 early in the first half; the Illinois native is now up to 12 points (5g, 7a) in 14 games since joining the team. Ryan Sikorski made it 1-1 by netting his fourth goal of the season, but the Little Flyers responded quickly with two goals in a span of two minutes. Cyril Jebousek scored a power-play goal, then Steve Mense followed up with his sixth goal of the season.
In the second half, Sikorski converted on a Nor'Easter power play for his second goal of the game, but the comeback effort fell short as Christian Kinsler notched his 10th goal of the season late in regulation.
Philadelphia Hockey Club 3 - Seahawks Hockey Club 1
Nick Vinson and Connor Movalli led Philadelphia Hockey Club to a 3-1 win over the Seahawks as they complete the showcase sweep.
Jacob Gelman struck early for the Seahawks as the team took a 1-0 lead into the half. Vinson took over early in the second, scoring a pair of goals including one on the power play. He now has 22 goals this season, including seven points (5g, 2a) in the showcase. Connor Movalli gave Philadelphia some insurance later in the half with his 12th goal of the season, and goaltender Carson Fowler made 25 saves to help PHC to its third straight win.
Pennsylvania Huntsmen 5 - Connecticut RoughRiders 1
Five different players found the back of the net for the Huntsmen as they took down the RoughRiders 5-1.
The RoughRiders jumped to a 1-0 lead as Giancarlo Montanaro scored his second goal of the season. Pennsylvania took over soon after, as Shane Hill evened the score and Enzo Giulani gave the Huntsmen the lead. Edward Mirigliano made it 3-1 later in the half with his fifth goal of the year.
Pennsylvania added two more goals in the second from Paul Auge Cisar and Devin Schaeffer on the power play. Ryan Arendes assisted on both goals in the second half and now has 35 points (17g, 18a) through 22 games. Huntsmen goaltender Aiden Chominsky finished the game 15 saves to earn the win.
New Jersey 87's 3 - New Hampshire Avalanche 2 (F/SO)
Alex Legkov had a goal and an assist as the 87's took down the Avalanche, 3-2 in a shootout.
Aidan Elbrecht kicked off the scoring early in the first as he fired a snapshot past Alex Gerard for his fourth goal of the season. In the second half, New Jersey doubled the lead as Landon Adams slipped a pass to Alex Legkov in the slot, where he lofted a shot upstairs. New Hampshire roared back to tie the game with a pair of goals in a span of 11 seconds. Louis Charles Tremblay scored on a penalty shot after he was hauled down on a breakaway. Off the ensuing faceoff, the Avs took the puck down ice for a quick three-on-two rush where Ben Carfora punched home a rebound.
Both teams traded chances in overtime but neither side scored, sending the game to a shootout. Florentin Fally Puskas, who 33 saves in regulation and overtime, stopped all five shootout attempts, and Connor McLachlan scored the shootout winner in the fifth round. The 87's are now 9-0-1 in their last 10 games and beat the Avs for the first time since January of 2023.
New England Wolves 3 - East Coast Wizards 1
The Wolves scored three goals in the first half against the Wizards, as they extend their winning streak to four games.
Wolves defenseman Alberts Emils Snepste, who had zero goals and eight assists heading into today's game, found the back of the net twice in a span of 16 seconds to put New England up 2-0. Felipe-Miguel Miron added to the lead later in the first half by scoring by scoring his seventh goal of the season. The Wizards got on the board early in the second as Tedy O'Keefe put away his 10th goal of the season, but the Wolves held on as goaltender Lukas Bukatovs made 26 saves in the win.
Express Hockey Club 2 – Valley Jr. Warriors 0
Ville Bodin scored two goals in the second half as the Express shut out the Valley Jr. Warriors 2-0.
The Express came out flying in the first half with 21 shots on goal, but Warriors goaltender Ben O’Keefe was perfect through 25 minutes. Bodin finally broke through in the second half as he snapped a one-timer from the slot on a setup from Dalton Roberto. Those two would connect again on the power play as Roberto slid a pass to the right circle where Bodin slapped a one-timer by O’Keefe for his second goal of the game and 14th of the season. Alex Koenig stopped all 17 shots from the Warriors to earn his seventh shutout of the season and second of the showcase.
Boston Dukes 3 – New Jersey Bears 2
The Boston Dukes stunned the New Jersey Bears with a 3-2 win as Brendan Nee was stellar in goal with 38 saves.
Boston jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the early stages of the first half as Edmond O’Connell and Jamison Baleno both scored their first goals of the season. Phil Aube responded for the Bears to make it 2-1, but Artem Chepil put the Dukes back up by two before the end of the half.
In the second half, Aube scored his second goal of the game and ninth of the season to make it 3-2. It was one of 22 shots the Bears poured on in the second half, but Nee was up to the task and led the Dukes to their second straight win.
Vermont Lumberjacks 2 – Bridgewater Bandits 1 (F/OT)
The Lumberjacks completed the showcase sweep with an OT win against the Bandits, as Gavin Bernsten scored the game-winning goal.
Neither team scored in the opening half, and Lumberjacks forward Camden Jacobs broke the ice with his fifth goal of the season. The Bandits evened the score on a goal from Brandon Borges, and the score would hold for the remainder of regulation.
Bernsten gave Vermont the extra point as he scored the overtime winner 1:59 into the extra session. It was a big win for numerous reasons; it was the second straight game the Lumberjacks have won in overtime, the team is now 6-0-1 since ending an eight-game losing streak and they are now above hockey .500 with a 13-12-2 record.
Boston Jr. Eagles 1 – HC Rhode Island 0 (F/OT)
Max O’Connell scored the game’s only goal as the Jr. Eagles prevailed in overtime against HC Rhode Island.
Both goaltenders were excellent in net; Eagles goaltender Caden Pasqualone stopped all 28 shots he faced while Rhode Island netminder Clayton Elsbree made 20 saves. O’Connell broke the scoring drought a minute and nine seconds into the extra session, netting his eighth goal of the season.
East Coast Wizards 6 – New York Apple Core 0
The Wizards’ offense overpowered New York Apple Core in a 6-0 win; 14 different players found the scoresheet while goaltender Joe Vanaria pitched a 17-save shutout.
Charlie Moore opened the scoring early in the first half and Kai Roberto doubled the lead with his first EHL goal. Max Tong kept the offense rolling as he deposited his 13th goal of the season, and Seth Lockwood tacked on another goal before the end of the half. In the second, the Wizards’ big guns took over as Joey Ala and Cooper St. Hillaire both scored, and Daxton St. Hillaire assisted on both of them. The Wizards’ win against Apple Core ended a three-game skid and they remain three points behind the Express for the first-place spot in the East Division.
Express Hockey Club 3 – Philadelphia Little Flyers 0
Myles Kidd had a goal and an assist and Alex Koenig earned another shutout in the Express’ win over the Little Flyers, extending their winning streak to 13 games.
Kidd found the scoresheet late in the first half with a shorthanded tally and his 10th goal of the season. Charles Dey and Erik Bjornson provided some insurance with goals in the second half while Koenig shut the door with 18 saves for his league-leading sixth shutout of the season.
New Hampshire Avalanche 3 – Pennsylvania Huntsmen 2
The New Hampshire Avalanche became the first EHL team to reach 20 wins this season as they took down the Huntsmen 3-2.
Jake Hines scored twice for New Hampshire, opening the scoring late in the first half and doubling the lead early in the second half; Ryan O’Leary recorded an assist on both of his goals. Damon Warren cut the deficit back to one as he scored his 14th goal of the season, but Mike Rinaldi put the Avs up 3-1 with a power-play goal. The Huntsmen responded shortly after Rinaldi’s goal with a tally from Xavier Tremblay, but New Hampshire held on for the victory; goaltender Will Seagrave made 17 saves on 19 shots to earn the win.
Boston Dukes 2 – Bridgewater Bandits 1 (F/SO)
The Dukes opened up their showcase with a big shootout win over the Bandits.
Grig Kaagan put Bridgewater up 1-0 in the opening minutes of the game, but Dukes forward Amit Ben Tov buried his first EHL goal midway through the half to make it 1-1. The score held for the remainder of regulation and overtime, sending the game into a shootout. Dukes goaltender Brendan Nee, who made 22 saves on 23 shots, stopped all three shootout attempts while James Evans converted on his attempt to give the Dukes the win, as the team snapped a five-game losing streak.
Philadelphia Hockey Club 2 – HC Rhode Island 0
Cross Sherman pitched a 26-save shutout against HC Rhode Island as Philadelphia wins its second showcase game this week.
Philadelphia went on the power play early in the game and Jake Smith converted on the man-advantage for his eighth goal of the season. The score held for most of the game, largely thanks to Philadelphia’s excellent penalty killing as they killed off all four of Rhode Island’s power plays. Nick Vinson sealed the game late in regulation with an empty netter and became the first player to reach 20 goals this season. Philadelphia Hockey Club will have a chance to complete the showcase sweep as they take on the Seahawks Hockey Club tomorrow morning.
New England Wolves 3 – Connecticut Nor’Easter 2
Ryan Teehan struck twice in the Wolves’ win over Connecticut.
Markeli Morin put the Wolves ahead in the early stages of the first half with his fourth goal of the season. Jacob Kettwig responded for the Nor’Easter to start the second half, but Teehan took over with two unanswered goals to give the Wolves a 3-1 lead. Gavin Brandon scored to pull Connecticut back to within a goal, but New England locked things down defensively while goaltender Cam Reardon finished the game with 27 saves to earn the victory. The Wolves picked up their third straight win while improving to 17-6-0.
Seahawks Hockey Club 4 – Connecticut RoughRiders 0
Thomas Plamondon had a pair of goals as the Seahawks Hockey Club blanked the RoughRiders by a score of 4-0.
Jacob Gelman got things rolling in the first with a power-play marker and Plamondon made it 2-0 later in the half. Cory Kashul buried his 13th goal of the season in the second half, and Plamondon capped the scoring with his second goal of the game. Gelman finished the day with a goal and two assists and Danny Kehoe added two helpers. Cade Chapman made 22 saves for a shutout as the Seahawks earned their third consecutive victory.
Vermont Lumberjacks 3 – New Jersey 87’s 2 (F/OT)
Brayson Bennett was the overtime hero as the Vermont Lumberjacks beat the 87’s and snapped their eight-game winning streak.
Vermont jumped to a 2-0 lead early as Gavin Bernsten scored on a two-on-one rush and Caden Jacobs went coast-to-coast for a shorthanded tally. The 87’s erased the deficit late in the half as Alexander Legkov banked a shot off a Lumberjacks defender, then Aiden Lasky punched home a rebound to even things up. In overtime, Bennett skated down the right wing and snapped a shot home to give Vermont the victory. Dating back to December 5, Bennett’s last three goals have all been overtime winners. Cam Wickens was spectacular in net, making 28 saves on 30 shots.
Providence Capitals 2 – New Jersey Bears 1
The Providence Capitals took down the top team in the South Division with a 2-1 win over the New Jersey Bears.
Brayden Deschamps gave the Caps a 1-0 lead as he barreled down the left wing and snapped a shot high-glove side for his eighth goal of the season. Kevin Yousefpor made it a 1-1 game early in the second as he slammed home a puck from the top of the goal crease for his fourth of the season. The Caps regained the lead midway through the second half as he corralled a loose puck at the left faceoff dot and fired home a wrister for his 13th goal of the season. His goal stood as the game-winner and the Caps are now 4-0-1 in their last five games. It was also the first time Providence forward Deaglan Kelly was held off the scoresheet, ending an incredible 21-game point streak.
Philadelphia Hockey Club 4 – Valley Jr. Warriors 1
Philadelphia opened up the showcase with a 4-1 win over the hosting Warriors, and Nick Vinson finished the day with two goals and two assists.
Vinson opened the scoring early in the first half with a shorthanded tally, and Philadelphia tacked on two more goals in the opening half in a span of 56 seconds; Connor Movalli scored on the power play and Sheldon Wilson made it 3-0 shortly after. Vinson struck again in the second half for his league-leading 19th goal of the season. The Warriors ended Philadelphia’s shutout bid as Eric Toto notched his second goal of the season.
HC Rhode Island 5 – New York Apple Core 3
Mike Bianco had a monster four-game performance as Rhode Island knocked down Apple Core 5-3.
Apple Core jumped to a 1-0 lead on a goal from Hunter Atkinson, but Rhode Island scored three unanswered goals; one from Kyler Sun and two from Bianco. New York cut the deficit back to one as Tyler Gobel found the back of the net.
Bianco helped Rhode Island pull away in the second half as he completed the hat trick and added one more goal for good measure. Gobel scored again for New York, but the damage was done and Rhode Island cruised to its 14th win of the season.
Philadelphia Little Flyers 3 – Boston Jr. Eagles 1
The Little Flyers scored two goals in the second half as they took down the Jr. Eagles.
Dominic Mascieri opened the scoring in the first half on a two-on-one rush, netting his sixth goal of the season. The Jr. Eagles knotted things up with a power-play goal from Brady O’Connor, but Philadelphia re-took the lead with a goal from Ilya Moskvin, and Steve Mense scored an empty-net goal late in the game. Tadeas Bezdek made 23 saves on 24 shots, and the Little Flyers are now 3-0-1 in their last four games.
Vermont Lumberjacks 2 – Connecticut RoughRiders 0
Colden Lawrence scored two goals and Cam Wickens posted a 29-save shutout as the Lumberjacks blanked the RoughRiders in the final game of Day One.
Lawrence, who now has 10 goals this season, scored once in the first half and once in the second; both goals were set up by Brayson Bennett and Kyan Klee. Connecticut outshot Vermont 18-15 in the second half but were unable to break through Wickens, who earned his second shutout of the season and fifth since joining the Lumberjacks last year.
Looking ahead to the showcase, here are some teams and matchups to keep an eye on this upcoming week.
Several teams are heading to Haverhill with lengthy winning streaks; the most notable team being the Express Hockey Club, who have won 12 straight and have not lost a game since late October. The Express are led by star goaltender Alex Koenig, rocking a .957 save percentage with an 11-1-2 record, as well as forwards such as Ville Bodin, Myles Kidd and Charles Dey. This week, they’ll take on the Philadelphia Little Flyers, the hosting Warriors and the Pennsylvania Huntsmen.
The two other hottest teams in the league, the New Jersey 87’s and New Hampshire Avalanche, will play against each other on Wednesday.
Coming into the showcase, the 87’s have the second-longest winning streak with eight consecutive victories. Their offense found new life since Alexander Legkov and Landon Adams returned to the team, as Legkov has 37 points (14g, 23a) in 15 games while Adams has 21 points (8g, 13a) in 11 games. Goaltender Florentin Fally Puskas has also won nine straight starts and was named the EHL goaltender of the month for November.
Meanwhile, the Avs are 7-0-1 in their last eight games with an eight-point cushion for the top spot in the North Division. Their depth is exemplified with five players already hitting the 20-point mark, including Jake Hines, Danny Storella, Louis-Charles Tremblay and Ryan O’Leary. Alex Gerard and Will Seagrave have both been spectacular in net, combining for 19 wins and six shutouts. On a historical note, New Hampshire has won the last three games against the 87’s; New Jersey’s last win against the Avs dates back to January of 2023.
Coming into the showcase, several players have already hit the 30-point mark this season. This week, a number of the league’s top-scorers will play against one another.
The New Jersey Bears and Providence Capitals each have two players who have eclipsed 30 points so far this season. For the Bears, Owen House has 36 points (14g, 22a) while Christopher Benkovitz has 31 points (12g, 19a). For the Capitals, Deaglan Kelly is at 35 points (17g, 18a) while Daniel Kroon has 34 (13g, 21a). In addition to offensive firepower, the Bears and Caps are first in the South and Central Divisions respectively, setting up for a marquee matchup on Tuesday.
On Thursday, the Bears will be put to the test again as they face the East Coast Wizards, currently second in the East Division. Wizards forward Daxton St. Hillaire currently leads the league with 38 points (17g, 21a).
Another forward to watch this week is Ryan Arendes of the Pennsylvania Huntsmen. He is currently sixth in the league with 33 points and is tied with Kelly and St. Hillaire with 17 goals so far this season. The Huntsmen will take on the Avalanche, Connecticut RoughRiders and Express Hockey Club in the showcase.
As teams look to end the calendar year on a high note, there are plenty of other teams and players to watch out for in the coming week.
The New England Wolves are looking to gain ground on the first-place Avs in the North Division, as Harrison Kramer is lighting up the scoresheet as an ’06 birthyear; he is currently tied with one other skater for a league-leading 18 goals through 22 games. New England will face the Connecticut Nor’Easter, Wizards and Bridgewater Bandits this week.
Speaking of the Bandits, they are 2-0-1 in their last three games prior to the showcase, and forward Ben Dias is tied with Kramer for most goals in the league. Before Thursday’s showdown against the Wolves, Bridgewater will face the Boston Dukes and Vermont Lumberjacks.
Right in the mix of things are the Boston Jr. Eagles (12-10-2) and HC Rhode Island (13-8-2). Boston is third in the East Division and Riley Van Son is the most recent player to join the 30-point club. Rhode Island has been in a lengthy battle with Providence for the top spot in the Central Division and is led by goaltender Ryan Rhodes, who has a .940 save percentage through 12 starts. Those two teams will play the final game on Wednesday.
Anthony Di Paolo covers the EHL for HNIB and can be followed on Twitter @DiPaolo_016
Anthony Di Paolo has been working in various levels of hockey over the last five years, ranging from juniors to the pros. Di Paolo spent four seasons as the Communications Director and play-by-play announcer for the New Jersey Titans of the North American Hockey League (2016-2020), and is entering his fifth season in a similar role with the New Jersey 87’s of the Eastern Hockey League. Graduating from Seton Hall University in 2016 with a bachelor’s degree in journalism, the New Jersey native covered Division I athletics for his school’s radio station, WSOU, and spent two years writing for the Fischler Report, a newsletter run by U.S. Hockey Hall-of-Fame inductee Stan Fischler. In addition to writing features and player spotlights throughout the season, Anthony is a fixture on the weekly #EShow podcast.