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Philadelphia Showcase Recap

By Anthony Di Paolo, 03/06/25, 8:00PM EST

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Season Concluded with 57-Game Showcase at Ice Works in Aston, PA

DAY FOUR

EHL

New England Wolves 4 – Connecticut RoughRiders 3: The New England Wolves completed a showcase sweep with a 4-3 win over the RoughRiders.

Jack Kovacs put the Wolves ahead 1-0 in the opening minutes of the half, but the RoughRiders had a quick response as Reese Bynan tallied his ninth goal of the season. New England regained momentum shortly after the Connecticut goal as Justin Ahern responded with his eighth goal of the year. Brendan Fields tacked on one more goal in the half to make it a 3-1 game.

The RoughRiders showed some pushback late in the second half; Lucas Goldstein scored a shorthanded goal to cut the deficit to one. Harrison Kramer provided some insurance for the Wolves with his team-leading 30thgoal of the season, and it proved to be the game-winning goal. Rufus Gray scored late to pull the RoughRiders back to within one, but New England held on for their fourth consecutive win.

Pennsylvania Huntsmen 5 – Seahawks Hockey Club 1: Devin Schaeffer and Edward Mirigliano had two points each while the Huntsmen’s penalty kill excelled in a 5-1 win over the Seahawks.

John Manzi started the scoring with a shorthanded goal midway through the first half, netting his 12th goal of the season. Schaeffer and Xavier Tremblay also scored in the first, giving the Huntsmen a 3-0 lead at the break. Mirigliano made it 4-0 early in the second half, and Seahawks got one back as Colin Duffy scored his first EHL goal. 

The Huntsmen took a major penalty in the second half and took an additional minor soon after, giving the Seahawks a two-minute 5-on-3 power play. Pennsylvania killed it off without conceding a goal, and Auge Cisar capped off the scoring later in the half with his eighth of the year.

Express Hockey Club 2 – New Hampshire Avalanche 1: Nate Brissett scored a power-play goal late in the game as the Express took down the Avalanche to win the regular-season championship.

The Express took a 1-0 lead early in the first half as Charles Dey won a faceoff and slipped a pass to Myles Kidd, as he slammed home a one-timer for his 19th goal of the season. New Hampshire responded in the second half as defenseman Grant Curtis ripped a one-timer from the left faceoff circle for his third of the year. Later in the second half, the Express went to the power play and Dey set up Brissett in the slot, where he roofed a shot for his 14th goal of the season.

Express goaltender Alex Koenig was brilliant down the stretch, making a few big saves in the final minute of regulation to preserve the one-goal lead. The regulation win meant the Express tied the Avs with 79 points in the standings, and the Express held the tie-breaker by winning the season-series against New Hampshire.

New Jersey 87’s 5 – East Coast Wizards 1: Alex Legkov scored twice as the 87’s closed out the Aston showcase 5-1 win over the Wizards.

Legkov got the scoring started as he carried the puck down the left wing and snapped home a sharp-angle shot on the short side. Charlie Moore made it 1-1 late in the half on a similar play, slipping a shot five-hole for his fourth goal of the season. The 87’s took the lead back a minute and 10 seconds later, as defenseman Conor Santay wired a shot just under the crossbar.

The 87’s scored three more goals in the second half to extend the lead. Tyler Gearman fired a one-timer off the faceoff for his 13th of the season. Landon Adams scored on the power play by ringing a shot off the post and in, picking up his 22nd goal of the year. Late in the half, Wizards’ leading scorer Daxton St. Hillaire was denied on a breakaway by 87’s goaltender Florentin Fally Puskas, and right off the rebound, Legkov was set up for a breakaway off the counter attack where he snapped a shot five-hole for his second of the game. Legkov, who led the EHL in scoring this season, finished his remarkable campaign with 91 points (31g, 60a) in 38 games.

EHLP

New England Wolves 12 – Philadelphia Little Flyers 1: Zach Spicuzza had a goal and five assists as the Wolves completed the showcase sweep with a 12-1 win over the Little Flyers.

Noah Parrelli and Lukas Marek gave the Wolves a 2-0 lead in the opening half, and Philadelphia responded with a goal from Devin Bates. New England struck twice in the final minute of the first; Cam Plumb scored his league-leading 42nd goal of the season and Spicuzza tallied his 22nd goal of the year. In the second half, New England would tack on eight more goals including two from Charles-Etienne Roy and Alan Urbis’ 30th of the year.

The Wolves closed out their regular-season with a six-game winning streak and finished with a 38-4-0 record. The team scored 251 goals in 42 games and had a goal differential of plus-136. 

New Jersey 87’s 2 – Seahawks Hockey Club 1: Sultan Kulumbek and Matt Duffy’s second-half goals led the 87’s to a 2-1 victory over the Seahawks as Frankie Smith set the all-time EHLP record for wins as a goaltender.

Austin Bonebright struck first for the Seahawks by roofing a sharp-angle shot upstairs for his 14th goal of the season. The score held until the midway point of the second half, as Kulumbek tied the game with his 21st goal of the year while Duffy gave New Jersey the lead with his 6th of the season.

Smith, who entered the game in the second half, kept the Seahawks off the board in the final 25 minutes of play. He earned his 36th victory with the 87’s EHLP team, surpassing former 87 Jeremy Connor for the all-time record with goalie wins. 

New Hampshire Avalanche 3 – Pennsylvania Huntsmen 0: Connor Carey scored the game-winning goal while Deagan Rathburn pitched a 19-save shutout in the Avs’ 3-0 win over the Huntsmen.

New Hampshire took a penalty early in the first half, but Carey capitalized with a shorthanded goal for his 20th of the season. Braulio Siu and Vaclav Tetiva tacked on insurance goals in the second half while the team held the Huntsmen to just seven shots in the second half. 

Philadelphia Little Flyers 2 – Express Hockey Club 1 (F/SO): Devin Brown and the Little Flyers outlasted the Express in a goalie duel to close out the showcase with a 2-1 win.

The Express took the lead in the final minutes of the first half as Nick Weinstock scored his second goal of the year. Philadelphia tied the game in the early stages of the second half with his sixth goal of the year. The score held throughout regulation and overtime as Flyers goaltender Brown made 32 saves while Express goaltender Colton Alles stopped 24 of 25 shots.

In the shootout, Donte Neve scored the lone goal while Brown stopped all three shots he faced. Philadelphia ended their hometown showcase with a 2-2-0 mark.


DAY THREE

EHL

Connecticut Nor’Easter 3 – Valley Jr. Warriors 1: Dylan Rovetti’s second-half goal stood as the game-winner in the Nor’Easter’s 3-1 victory over the Jr. Warriors.

Hunter Harkins got Connecticut on the board early as he jammed home a rebound, picking up his 10th goal of the season. The Warriors responded early in the second half with a goal from Quinn Murray, but Rovetti put the Nor’Easter back on top as he rang a shot off the post and in for his ninth of the season. Christopher Sager sealed the game with an empty-net goal as Connecticut ended their regular season with back-to-back wins.

East Coast Wizards 4 – Vermont Lumberjacks 3 (F/SO): Jake Murphy had a pair of goals for the Wizards as they took down the Lumberjacks, 4-3 in a shootout.

Vermont jumped out in front on a goal from Colden Lawrence, and it started a tug-of-war where the two teams traded goals; Caden Jacobs also found the back of the net in between Wizards goals from Murphy and Tedy O’Keefe.

In the second half, Murphy put the Wizards in front with his 13th goal of the season, but Lawrence tied the game later in the half with his second goal of the game. The score held throughout regulation and overtime, and JJ Alger scored the lone goal in the shootout to give the Wizards the extra point.

New York Apple Core 6 – Boston Dukes 3: Tyler Gobel picked up the hat trick as Apple Core ends its season with a 6-3 victory over the Dukes.

Paulis Leonards Paegle started the scoring midway through the first half with his eighth goal of the season. In the final minutes of the first, Elijah Youmans buried his first EHL goal to tie things up at one. 

Boston took the lead early in the second half as Edmond O’Connell set up Amit Ben Tov for his fifth goal of the year, but Apple Core responded with five of the next six goals. Three of them came from the captain, Tyler Gobel while Chase Chalfin and Will Rowell also found the back of the net. Dukes defender Zach DeLuca scored on a point shot for his second of the season, but it wasn’t enough as Apple Core closed out their showcase with the win.

Providence Capitals 3 – Philadelphia Hockey Club 2: Deaglan Kelly scored two goals as the Capitals completed a showcase sweep with a win over Philadelphia Hockey Club.

Both teams traded power play goals in the first half as Kelly put the Caps ahead, then Matt Donegan evened the score for Philadelphia with a power-play goal of his own. Providence took the lead in the second with a power play goal from Rodion Trushkin, but Philadelphia had another quick response when Connor Movalli scored his 21st goal of the season. Then with 2:49 left in regulation, Kelly scored his second goal of the game and 30th of the season. The score held as the Capitals ended their showcase with a perfect 3-0-0 mark.

New Hampshire Avalanche 5 – Bridgewater Bandits 1: The Avalanche scored five unanswered goals in the second half, including two from Danny Storella, in a 5-1 win over the Bandits.

Bridgewater struck first on a goal from Grig Kaagan, netting his eighth of the season. New Hampshire turned it around in the second half as Storella scored the tying and go-ahead goals, giving him 30 this season. Owen Guerin and Cory Alissi turned the game on its head by scoring goals just six seconds apart, and Patrick Cooley rounded out the scoring with his first EHL goal. 

New Hampshire has a two-point lead over the Express for the best record in the league, and the Avs can clinch the regular-season championship if they pick up one point against the Express on Monday.

Express Hockey Club 5 – Boston Jr. Eagles 3: Myles Kidd and Charles Dey powered the Express’ offense in a 5-3 win over the Jr. Eagles. 

Both of Kidd’s points came early in the first half, setting up Charles Vukovic’s opening goal before scoring one himself to make it 2-0. Boston responded as Gerald Cahill and Michael Bourgeois found the back of the net and made it 2-2 at the half. Simon Ruel gave the Express a 3-2 lead early in the second, and the Eagles responded 15 seconds later with a goal from Ryan Fanelli. The Express pulled away minutes later as Nate Brissett notched his 13th goal of the season, then Ville Bodin put the game out of reach with a power-play goal for his 26th of the year. Charles Dey had three assists while Lukas Toth made 24 saves.

The Express will close out their showcase against the New Hampshire Avalanche on Monday, and they can only win the regular-season championship with a regulation win.

New England Wolves 3 – New Jersey Bears 2: The Wolves scored three goals in the first half and held on for a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Bears.

Harrison Kramer started the scoring early in the second half with his 29thgoal of the season. New Jersey got one back with a goal from Milan Khameneh just two minutes later. Midway through the half, RJ Sember and Justin Ahern scored goals just 15 seconds apart to put the Wolves up by two. The Bears cut the deficit in the second half as Phil Aube netted his 15th goal of the season, but the Wolves held onto the lead thanks in part to Lukas Bukatovs, earning his 15th win of the season. 

Seahawks 3 – HC Rhode Island 2 (F/OT): Aidan Gallagher was the overtime hero in the Seahawks’ 3-2 overtime win against HC Rhode Island as the team extended its winning streak to seven games.

Austin Haldane put Rhode Island on the board early in the first half with his 11th goal of the season. The Seahawks responded later in the first with a power-play goal from Jacob Roberts to make it 1-1. Danny Kehoe the Seahawks ahead with his 17th goal of the season, but Rhode Island tied the game late in the second half as Jarret Rainey-Gibson scored his 12th goal of the year. In overtime, Gallagher rushed up the ice on a 2-on-1 and buried a rebound for his second goal of the year, securing the Seahawks’ seventh straight win. 

Philadelphia Little Flyers 6 – Connecticut RoughRiders 3: The Little Flyers ended their season with a 6-3 win over Connecticut as Kevin Walton had two goals plus an assist.

Both teams went back and forth with multiple goals in the first 10:41 of the opening half; Dominic Mascieri, Christian Kinsler and Charles Antrilli scored for Philadelphia while Lucas Goldstein scored twice for Connecticut. Aidan Westphalen tied it for the RoughRiders in the second half, but the Little Flyers went on to score three more goals, including two from Walton and one from Steve Mense. The Little Flyers are out of playoff contention, so they conclude their season by going 1-1-1 in the showcase.

EHLP

Valley Jr. Warriors 7 – Philadelphia Little Flyers 4: Jack Guagliano had a goal and two assists as the Warriors completed their showcase sweep with a 7-4 win over the Little Flyers.

Philadelphia jumped to an early 2-0 lead with goals from Justin Celentino and Donte Neve. That lead was short-lived, however, as the Warriors responded with five unanswered goals in the first half. Mark Rosa netted his first two goals in the EHLP while Jacob Scott, Onyx King and Paul Magalhaes also found the back of the net. Connor Gluck and Ian McClatchy scored power-play goals for the Flyers in the second half, but the Warriors had a quick response for both goals as Guagliano and John Greer provided insurance markers. Valley completed the three-game sweep with the win, and they outscored opponents 23-6 in the process.

Adirondack Jr. Thunder 3 – Pennsylvania Huntsmen 0: Mack Ryan had a goal plus an assist while Conner Traver earned the shutout in the Thunder’s win over the Huntsmen.

Adirondack took a 2-0 lead in the first half with Alex Ridley’s 19th goal of the season and Quinn Wimer’s 34th of the year. Mack Ryan tacked on another insurance goal in the second half with his sixth goal of the season. Cole Davidson had an assist on Ryan’s goal as he finished a remarkable regular season with 81 points (35g, 46a) in 41 regular-season games.

Providence Capitals 1 – New Jersey Bears 0: Mason Czaban had the game’s only goal while Caps goaltender Mason Campbell made 25 saves in a shutout win over the Bears.

The Bears peppered 17 shots on goal in the opening half, but Campbell was up to the task and stopped everything his way. Providence went to the power play early in the second, and Czaban converted on the power play with his second goal in as many days. The score held for the rest of the game, and the Caps finished the showcase with three wins in four games.

Vermont Lumberjacks 7 – New Jersey 87’s 2: Josh Bain had a hat trick as the Lumberjacks erupted for seven goals in a win over the 87’s. 

Vermont took a 4-1 lead in the first half as Bain scored twice while Ole Svangstu and Mackenzie Owens also recorded goals. Bain completed the hat trick with a goal in the second half, then Svangstu recorded his second goal of the game while defenseman Nolan Lyford rounded out the scoring late in regulation. Kian Bendico and Anthony O’Brien scored the two goals for New Jersey, and Vermont ended their showcase with 21 goals in their final two games.

Connecticut Nor’Easter 2 – Union Jr. Thunder 1 (F/OT): Trey Guire scored both goals for Connecticut, including the OT winner, as the Nor’Easter ended their showcase with a win over Union.

Simon Zavorka put the Thunder up 1-0 in the first half with a power-play goal and his fifth of the season. Guire tied it up early in the second half as the Nor’Easter converted on the man advantage. In overtime, Connecticut went on the power play again as Guire netted his second goal of the game and 28th of the season. Drareg Galang made 28 saves as the Nor’Easter finished the showcase with consecutive wins.

New England Wolves 7 – Bridgewater Bandits 1: Seven different players found the back of the net as the Wolves cruised to a 7-1 win over Bridgewater.

The Wolves scored three times in the first half with goals from Robbie Murphy, Noah Deyak and Cam Plumb who notched his league-leading 41stgoal of the season. Yaroslav Danylchenko put the Bandits on the board late in the first half, but the Wolves went on to score another four goals in the second as David Klaus, Alan Urbis, Ivars Veisbardis and Robert Horejs found the back of the net. With the win, the Wolves clinched the EHLP regular-season championship.

New Hampshire Avalanche 5 – New Jersey Renegades 1: Adyn Simmons and Michael Cote had multi-point games as the Avs knocked down the Renegades by a score of 5-1. 

New Hampshire took a 3-0 lead early in the opening half with goals from Maxwell Warfield, Simmons and Cameron Burns. Matt Tavares got the Renegades on the board with his team-leading 25th goal of the year before the intermission. The Avs put the game out of reach late in the second with a power-play tally from Griffin Curran and a goal from Casey Fuller.

New Jersey 87’s 3 – Express Hockey Club 1: The 87’s scored two goals in the first half against the Express, en route to a 3-1 win in their second game of a doubleheader.

New Jersey struck twice in the early stages of the first half with goals from Vincent Baldari and Sean Elbrecht. Austin Hollander scored on a breakaway for his first EHLP goal, cutting the deficit in half before the intermission. The Express put out the extra attacker in an effort to tie the game, but Sultan Kulumbek scored an empty netter for his 20th goal of the season and secured the win for the 87’s.

Seahawks Hockey Club 2 – New Jersey Bears 0: Orynn Freedman had a pair of goals while Justin Mackley pitched a shutout in the Seahawks’ win over the Bears.

Neither side found the back of the net in the opening half, but the Seahawks finally broke through on a couple of power plays, as Freedman scored twice in the second half for his 22nd and 23rd goals of the season. The Seahawks’ defense was stifling, limiting the Bears to just nine shots in each half as Mackley earned his second shutout of the season. The Seahawks are now 9-0-1 in their last 10 games, and they overtake the Providence Capitals for first place in the East Division.


DAY TWO

EHL

New Jersey Bears 2 – HC Rhode Island 1: The Bears scored two unanswered goals, both from Massimiliano Scotto-Di-Carlo, as they took down HC Rhode Island 2-1.

Mike Bianco opened the scoring for Rhode Island midway through the first half as he recorded his 29th goal of the season. The Bears would even things up as Scotto-Di-Carlo connected with a power-play goal for his 13th of the season. He scored again in the second half to put his team ahead, and the score would hold as the Bears secured its fifth straight win. The Bears also clinched first place in the South Division as they have a three-point lead over the New Jersey 87’s with one game remaining for both teams.

Pennsylvania Huntsmen 2 – Boston Dukes 1: John Manzi and Theodore Lountzis found the back of the net while Ryan Murphy made 34 saves in the Huntsmen win over the Dukes.

Amit Ben Tov struck early in the first half with his fourth goal of the season, giving the Dukes a 1-0 lead. Manzi responded for the Huntsmen later in the half, netting his 11th goal of the year. Then in the second half, Lountzis put the Huntsmen ahead with his seventh goal of the season which stood as the game-winner. With their win, the Huntsmen clinched the number three seed in the South Division and will face the 87’s in the first round of the playoffs.

Connecticut Nor’Easter 2 – New Jersey 87’s 1: Jason LoRicco made 33 saves on 34 shots as the Nor’Easter knocked down the 87’s by a score of 2-1.

Micaiah Bascombe gave the Nor’Easter a 1-0 lead in the first half as he scored his 15th goal of the season. Early in the second, Joshua Petrini made it 2-0 by scoring his 11th of the year. New Jersey got one back as J.D. Shoniker found the back of the net, but Connecticut’s defense held strong as LoRicco secured the win against his former team. 

Bridgewater Bandits 5 – Philadelphia Hockey Club 3: The Bandits scored four goals in the second half en route to a 5-3 win over Philadelphia.

PHC took a 2-1 lead in the first half with goals from Tavian Ewan and Ryan Suchy. Bridgewater took over in the second half as Grig Kaagan struck early to make it 2-2. Christian Golic, who scored the Bandits’ lone goal in the first half, scored again in the second to put the team ahead. Nick Vinson tied it up again with his league-leading 33rd goal of the season, but the Bandits took the lead right back with Sam Neville’s ninth of the year while Brogan Andrus sealed the win with an empty netter.

Boston Jr. Eagles 2 – Valley Jr. Warriors 1: Nick Haust had a goal and assist for the Jr. Eagles as they defeated the Warriors 2-1.

The Eagles took a 1-0 lead in the first half as Jake McIntosh buried his fifth goal of the season. Valley tied it up minutes later with Michael Spinelli’s 13thof the year. In the second half, with 3:16 left in regulation, Haust scored on the player play to put Boston ahead; the goal stood as the game-winner. Caden Pasqualone made 27 saves on 28 shots to pick up the win.

Vermont Lumberjacks 4 – Connecticut RoughRiders 2: Vermont scored three unanswered goals in the second half as they extend their winning streak to eight games.

Aidan Westphalen put Connecticut up 1-0 in the first half with his fourth goal of the year. Jordan Blais got one back for the Jacks, but the RoughRiders regained the lead soon after on a goal from Matt McCormack. 

Vermont came alive in the second half though as Leonardo Kahlhammer knotted the score at two. They struck two more times in a span of 1:35 as Blais scored his second of the game, then Gavin Bernsten put the game out of reach with his 11th of the year. Lumberjacks netminder Cam Wickens made 27 saves to earn his 19th win of the season; that’s the second most in the league only behind Express goaltender Alex Koenig.

Providence Capitals 1 – East Coast Wizards 0: Rodion Trushkin scored the only game of the contest while Nick Hansen made 28 saves in the Capitals’ shutout win over the Wizards.

Trushkin’s goal came later in the first half as he scored his fifth goal of the season. The Wizards controlled the play in the second half, outshooting the Caps 16-4, but were unable to solve Hansen. With the win, Providence swept the regular-season series against the Wizards, going a perfect 3-0-0 against them.

Seahawks 4 – New Hampshire Avalanche 3 (F/SO): Aaron Sawicki had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Seahawks defeated the Avs in a come-from-behind victory.

Avs’ forward Owen Guerin scored the lone goal in the first half to put New Hampshire up 1-0. Louis-Charles Tremblay doubled the lead early in the second half with his 23rd goal of the season, and Sawicki put the Seahawks on the board a few minutes later with his 16th of the year. Danny Storella put the Avalanche back up by two, netting his 28th goal of the season midway through the half, but the Seahawks erased the deficit as Jacob Gelman and Corey Kashul both scored within the final seven minutes of regulation.

Neither team scored in overtime, and the Seahawks broke through in the third round of the shootout when Sawicki snapped a shot high-glove side. Goaltender Cade Chapman made 34 saves and went 3-for-3 in the shootout to secure the victory. The Seahawks also extended its winning streak to six games.

New England Wolves 5 – Philadelphia Little Flyers 4 (F/OT): Alex Roy capped off a high-scoring affair with an overtime-winning goal in the Wolves’ 5-4 victory over the Little Flyers.

Dmitrijs Leins gave the Wolves a 1-0 lead in the first half, though the Little Flyers responded with goals from Campbell Finley and Ben Smith. Brendan Fields responded quickly for the Wolves, scoring his 19th goal of the season to make it a 2-2 game. Philadelphia took a major penalty later in the half, but Kain Walker scored a shorthanded goal to put the Flyers in front 3-2. Before the power play ended, the Wolves got one back on a goal from Felipe-Miguel Miron.

Metthew Bellopede scored late in the second half to give the Flyers its third lead of the game, but Ryan Teehan would tie things up for the Wolves in the closing minutes of regulation. Roy scored the overtime goal just 18 seconds into the extra frame as the team earned its 32nd win of the season.

Express Hockey Club 8 – New York Apple Core 2: Ville Bodin had two goals and two assists in the Express’ win over New York Apple Core.

Both of Bodin’s goals came in the first half as the Express jumped out to a 5-1 lead. Nate Brissett had a goal and two assists in the first half while Quinton McElligott and Sam Steinman also found the back of the net. George Truicko and Rohan Novela scored for Apple Core, but the Express extended the lead with second-half goals from Jason Gilpatrick, Ori Segal and Charles Vukovic. 

With the win, the Express will enter the second-to-last day of the season two points behind the Avs for the best regular-season record.

EHLP

Adirondack Jr. Thunder 5 – Providence Capitals 1: Quinn Wimer scored two shorthanded goals in the Thunders’ commanding 5-1 win over the Capitals.

Thomas Labelle took a penalty early in the first half, but the Thunder took advantage as Wimer scored two shorthanded goals on the same penalty. Cole Davidson extended the lead with his 35th goal of the season, second-best in the league, while Evan Haskins and Brodie McEwan tacked on two more goals before the end of the half. Providence scored the lone goal in the second frame as Jack Farrell notched his team-leading 23rd goal of the year. With the win, Adirondack overtook the Valley Jr. Warriors for third in the North Division.

Valley Jr. Warriors 8 – New Jersey Renegades 2: Jake Scott (3g, 1a) and Paul Magalhaes (4a) each had four points in the Warriors’ 8-2 win over the Renegades.

Jack Guagliano opened the floodgates with a shorthanded goal early in the first half for his 11th of the season. Valley followed that up with three power-play goals, coming from Nolan Mallett, Scott and George Petrush. The Renegades scored once in each half to cut the deficit in half, getting goals from Daniel Testa and Anthony Lanzillotti, but the Warriors responded with four more goals, including two more from Scott to complete the hat trick.

Vermont Lumberjacks 14 – Bridgewater Bandits 3: Cam Perras and Caden Jacobs scored three goals each as Vermont erupted offensively in a win over the Bandits.

Perras opened the scoring in the opening minutes of the half and it opened the floodgates, as the Lumberjacks scored 12 goals in the first half. Lucas Herjet scored for the Bandits in the first half while Eric Santospago recorded a pair of goals for Bridgewater in the second half. Vermont snapped a six-game winless streak, and it was the second time this season the team reached double digits in a single game.

Connecticut Nor’Easter 2 – Pennsylvania Hunstmen 1: Trey Guire and Shane Bradley found the back of the net as the Nor’Easter outlasted the Huntsmen in a 2-1 win.

Guire netted his 26th goal of the season midway through the first half, scoring on a 2-on-1 rush by snapping a shot high glove side. Bradley doubled the lead early in the second half as he lofted a puck high in the air, as it sailed over the head of Huntsmen goaltender Josh Pierce and into the net. Evan Mostoller got one back for Pennsylvania as he scored a power-play goal, but the comeback effort fell short as Nor’Easter goaltender Kristians Vegners made 25 saves on 26 shots.

New Jersey 87’s 2 – New Hampshire Avalanche 1: Chris Erasmus’ late goal propelled the 87’s to a 2-1 victory over the New Hampshire Avalanche. 

Neither side scored in the first half, though the Avs peppered New Jersey goaltender Frankie Smith with 23 shots in the first 25 minutes. Matthew Duffy broke the ice in the second half, scoring on a 2-on-1 rush for this fourth goal of the season, but New Hampshire quickly responded as Louis DeManche slipped a sharp-angle shot past the blocker of Smith.

As regulation time was winding down, Chris Erasmus caught a stretch pass and scored on a breakaway with eight seconds left, which stood as the game-winner. The 87’s extended its winning streak to 10 games.

Seahawks Hockey Club 1 – Adirondack Jr. Thunder 0: Carson Low scored the game’s only goal while goaltender Will Rose pitched a 25-save shutout.

Rose and Thunder goaltender Aymen Eljaji stole the show in the first half, stopping a combined 32 shots in the opening stanza. Low finally opened the scoring late in the second half with his team-leading 24th goal of the year. With the win, the Seahawks are now 8-0-1 in their last nine games.

New England Wolves 5 – Express Hockey Club 1: Alan Urbis had a pair of goals while Cam Plumb hit the 40-goal plateau in the Wolves’ win over the Express.

The Wolves scored two quick goals in the first half as Urbis and Charles-Etienne Roy found the back of the net. Noah Deyak added another goal late in the first, then Urbis and Plumb scored two more in the second half to give New England a 5-0 lead. Sviatoslov Antipkin ended the Wolves’ shutout bid later in the half by scoring his ninth goal of the season, but the Wolves still cruised to its fourth consecutive win. 

New Jersey Bears 6 – Bridgewater Bandits 1: Six different players scored for the Bears as they took down the Bandits 6-1.

Carter Zimmer, Troy Gorski and Dominic Moushon all scored in the first half to give New Jersey a 3-0 lead at the half. The Bandits got one back with a goal from Evan Yates, but the Bears responded with three more goals from Logan Camilleri, Bauer Crooks and Ryan Melrose. Ethan Sadeghian made 29 saves on 30 shots to earn the win as the Bears clinched second place in the South Division.

Providence Capitals 2 – Union Jr. Thunder 1: Mason Czaban and James Caeran scored for the Capitals as they held off the Union Jr. Thunder in a 2-1 victory.

Czaban opened the scoring early in the half as he slipped a sharp-angle shot under the pads of Union goaltender Nicholai Rubio. Caeran tacked on another goal late in the first, tallying his 21st of the season. When Union went on a five-minute power play in the second period, Isaac Walker scored to cut their deficit back to a goal. Mason Campbell, who played in relief during Providence’s earlier game, got the win by stopping 18 out of 19 shots and thwarted the Jr. Thunder’s comeback effort.


DAY ONE

EHL

Providence Capitals 4 – Philadelphia Little Flyers 1: The Caps earned its 30th win of the season as they opened the showcase with a 4-1 win over Philadelphia.

Josh Coderre found the back of the net twice while Aidan Radic scored in the first half, giving the Caps a 3-0 lead at the intermission. Maddox Watson tacked on his 15th goal of the season in the second half to make it 4-0, but the Little Flyers got on the board late in the game with a goal from Brennan Green. Providence goaltender Kaden Clegg made 28 saves on 29 shots to earn the victory.

HC Rhode Island 2 – New York Apple Core 1: John Cronin and Mike Bianco scored for Rhode Island while Clayton Elsbree made 36 saves in Rhode Island’s win over New York.

Neither side found the back of the net in the first half, but Rhode Island broke through on the power play early in the second half with a goal from Cronin. Bianco provided some insurance a few minutes later with his 28thgoal of the season. New York got one back with a goal from Braedon Gallante, but the comeback effort fell short as HC Rhode Island picked up its 20th win of the season.

Boston Dukes 4 – Philadelphia Hockey Club 1: Justin Wammes and Ryan Hammer led the Dukes offensively as they took down Philadelphia Hockey Club 4-1.

Jason Schnitzler struck first for the Dukes, but Philadelphia made it a 1-1 game as Jimmy Thorpe netted his third goal of the season. Boston pulled ahead late in the half with a goal from Hammer, and Wammes would score a pair of goals in the second half to cushion the lead. Dukes goaltender Andrew Craig made 29 saves on 30 shots for the win.

Bridgewater Bandits 3 – Pennsylvania Huntsmen 0: Avery Rovira-Hewett pitched a 31-save shutout as the Bandits blanked the Huntsmen.

Bridgewater jumped out to a 1-0 lead early in the first half as Brogan Andrus scored his 10th goal of the season. They scored two more goals in the second as Sam Neville notched his eighth of the season while Brennan Lopes tallied his ninth of the year. 

New Jersey Bears 5 – Connecticut Nor’Easter 1: New Jersey’s offense was firing on all cylinders as the Bears surged past Connecticut in a 5-1 victory.

Michael Benkovitz opened the scoring by going end-to-end for a shorthanded goal and his 18th of the season. Patrick Dixon doubled the lead with a power-play tally, and Marcos Trasbach rang a shot off the crossbar and in to make it 3-0 in the first half.

Phil Aube and Preston Tauter added goals in the second half, but Connecticut would spoil James Mikos’ bid for a shutout as Jack Hale scored his sixth goal of the season late in the game. 

New Jersey 87’s 4 – Valley Jr. Warriors 0: Alex Legkov and Landon Adams each had a goal and an assist while Dylan Gorman recorded a shutout in the 87’s win over the Warriors. 

87’s defenseman Artur Kharisov put New Jersey ahead with his seventh goal of the season, and Landon Adams doubled the lead soon after with his 21stof the year. Legkov and Connor McLachlan added goals early in the second half while Gorman finished the night with 18 saves. With the win, the 87’s extended its winning streak to six games.

Vermont Lumberjacks 2 – Boston Jr. Eagles 0: Cam Wickens pitched a 26-save shutout as the Lumberjacks opened their showcase by earning its seventh straight win.

Jordan Blais put Vermont ahead 1-0 midway through the first half with his seventh goal of the season. Chase Porter doubled the lead early in the second, and the defense took care of the rest as the Lumberjacks held the Jr. Eagles off the board. With the victory, the Lumberjacks have the second-longest active winning streak in the league.

EHLP

Adirondack Jr. Thunder 2 – Union Jr. Thunder 1: Adirondack proved victorious in the battle of the Jr. Thunders, scoring two quick goals in the first half.

Chase Bailey-Reed scored his 11th goal of the season to give Adirondack a 1-0 lead, and they doubled the lead soon after from Layton Marcantonio eighth goal of the year. Union came out swinging in the second period, getting a goal from Michael Tompkins to make it 2-1. Adirondack’s defense held strong, however, and goaltender Aymen Eljaji made 20 saves on 21 shots to secure the win for Adirondack. 

Providence Capitals 5 – New Jersey Renegades 2: Jack Farrell and Nathan Alves had multi-point performances in the Caps’ win over the Renegades.

Providence jumped to a 3-0 lead in the first half with goals from Jack Nummela, Alves and Farrell. Ryan Frenette made it 4-0 early in the second, but the Renegades responded as Matt Tavares notched his team-leading 24th goal of the season, followed by Anthony Lanzilotti recording his 12thgoal of the year. The Caps regained momentum, however, as Farrell would round out the scoring with his second goal of the game and 22nd of the year. With the win, the Caps are now one point behind the Seahawks for first place in the East Division. 

Valley Jr. Warriors 8 – Bridgewater Bandits 0: John Greer and Paul Magalhaes combined for seven points as the Warriors dominated the Bandits with an 8-0 win.

The Warriors took a 2-0 lead quickly in the first half as Magalhaes and Brady Penner struck just 16 seconds apart. The team went on to score six more goals in the second half, including a hat trick from Greer while Magalhaes added his second of the game and 24th of the season. Cole Currier finished the night with a 22-save shutout as the Warriors trail the third-place Adirondack Jr. Thunder by just one point in the North Division.

Philadelphia Little Flyers 2 – Connecticut Nor’Easter 0: Owen Ozer and Donte Neve scored while the Flyers’ penalty kill came up huge in a shutout win over Connecticut.

Philadelphia took a 1-0 lead midway through the first half as Ozer netted his 22nd goal of the season. Neve added to the lead late in the first by scoring his 13th goal of the year. Throughout the game, Connecticut had five power-play opportunities including a pair of lengthy 5-on-3 power plays, but Philadelphia managed to keep the Nor’Easter off the board. Flyers goaltender Devin Brown made 22 saves for the shut out.

New Jersey Bears 5 – Vermont Lumberjacks 3: Four different players had multi-point performances for the Bears as they knocked down the Lumberjacks, 5-3.

New Jersey jumped to a 4-0 lead in the first half with two goals from Carter Zimmer as well as goals from Dominic Moushon and Winston Sweet. Vermont pushed back with three unanswered goals from Dugan Cretu, Mackenzie Owens and Keegan Lozier, but the Bears put the game out of reach as Griffin Meyer notched his 12th goal of the year midway through the second half. The win put the Bears back in second place, one point ahead of the Union Jr. Thunder in the South Division standings. 


SHOWCASE PREVIEW

Aston, PA -- In a span of four days, the Eastern Hockey League (EHL) and Eastern Hockey League Premier (EHLP) will wrap up its regular season with a mammoth 57-game showcase at Ice Works Arena in Aston, PA, home of the Philadelphia Little Flyers.

The games will take place from Friday to Monday as the EHL and EHLP will close out the regular-season at Ice Works for the second straight year. As teams gear up for the weekend, here are some of the biggest stories heading into the showcase.

Push to the Postseason

The playoff seeding is mostly set throughout the EHL, however, there are a few teams jockeying for better placement in the standings.

Most notable are the races in the South Division. The first-place New Jersey Bears (30-9-4) have a one-point lead over the New Jersey 87’s (31-11-1). Going into the showcase, the 87’s have won five straight and will face the Valley Jr. Warriors, Connecticut Nor’Easter and the East Coast Wizards. Meanwhile, the Bears have won three in a row and will play the Nor’Easter, HC Rhode Island and the New England Wolves.

The third and fourth seeds are also up for grabs in the South; the Pennsylvania Huntsmen (21-17-5) has a two-point lead over Philadelphia Hockey Club (21-19-3) for third in the division. The Huntsmen will face the Bridgewater Bandits, Boston Dukes and the Seahawks Hockey Club while Philadelphia Hockey Club will play the Dukes, Bandits and the Providence Capitals.

The only other playoff seed up for grabs in the EHL is the second seed in the Central Division. Right now, HC Rhode Island (19-17-7) has a four-point lead over the third-place Nor’Easter (19-21-3). What’s also noteworthy is that Connecticut is heading into the showcase red hot with a four-game winning streak. If they keep the momentum going against the Bears, 87’s and Warriors, they could potentially overtake Rhode Island and get home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs.

Flying High to Aston

A handful of teams are coming into the showcase on winning streaks, most notably the New Hampshire Avalanche and their 10-game winning streak. Also in the North Division, the New England Wolves are 4-0-1 in their last five while the Vermont Lumberjacks have won six in a row. 

In the East Division, the Seahawks Hockey Club has won five in a row, including a 3-2 overtime win against the Capitals on Tuesday with an Aaron Sawicki game-winning goal. They continue a remarkable turnaround from the midway point of the season where they went 4-14-2 in their first 20 games, and have gone 17-4-2 in their last 23. This weekend, the Seahawks will take on the Avalanche, HC Rhode Island and the Huntsmen.

Marquee Matchups and Players to Watch

If there is one team to keep an eye on throughout the entire showcase, it may be the East Coast Wizards. They are second in the East Division with a record of 30-10-3, and all three of their games are against some of the top teams in the EHL. They start their slate of games on Saturday when they take on the Capitals, who have clinched first in the Central. On Sunday, they play the aforementioned Lumberjacks, then the Wizards will close out the showcase with the 87’s, a team still battling for the top seed in the South.

Standings aside, all of those matchups will have a fair share of stars on each side. The Wizards have been led all season by forwards Daxton St. Hillaire (31g, 39a, 70p) and Joey Ala (15g, 38a, 53p). Providence has the second and fourth best scorers in the league with Daniel Kroon (25g, 48a, 73p) and Deaglan Kelly (28g, 36a, 64p) while the 87’s have the league’s top scorer in Alexander Legkov (28g, 58a, 86p). 

Vermont’s x-factor is their goaltender, Cam Wickens, who leads the league with 1923 minutes played and still has a .932 save percentage with three shutouts.

The New Hampshire Avalanche will also be at the center of two games to watch. New Hampshire will take on the streaking Seahawks on Saturday and close out their showcase on Monday against the Express Hockey Club. The latter game could potentially decide the regular-season championship; the Avs (36-3-4) are three points ahead of the Express (33-3-7) for the best EHL record. 

Looking at key players for those games, the Avs have been led all season by three forwards who are in the top 11 for points: Louis-Charles Tremblay (22g, 32a, 54p), Danny Storella (27g, 23a, 50p) and Ben Carfora (13g, 36a, 49p). 

The Seahawks’ turnaround has been powered by forwards Danny Kehoe (16g, 28a, 44p), Cory Kashul (24g, 19a, 43p) and Jacob Gelman (12g, 30a, 42p), while the Express have been led by forward Ville Bodin (23g, 22a, 45p) and goaltender Alex Koenig. After going 3-0-0 in the October showcase, Koenig now has a 21-3-2 record this season with a .951 save percentage and eight shutouts.

Around the EHLP

Just like the October showcase, all 16 EHLP teams will compete at Ice Works this weekend. While every team will play in the postseason, there are still plenty of storylines and players to keep an eye on this weekend.

The top two teams in the EHLP are the New England Wolves (35-4-0) and the New Jersey 87’s (34-4-0). New England has a two-point lead over the 87’s for the best record in the league, but the 87’s have a game in hand. Heading into Aston, the 87’s have won nine straight games while the Wolves have won their last three. In addition to these two teams battling for the regular-season championship, the Wolves and 87’s could both tie the EHLP all-time record for wins in a season (38) that was set last year.

Throughout the 2024-25 season, the EHLP scoring race has boiled down to players for the Wolves and Adirondack Jr. Thunder; the top five scorers from the league play for those teams. Adirondack forward Cole Davidson leads the league with 79 points (34g, 45a) while his teammate Bradley Parker is fourth with 71 points (33g, 38a).

New England’s top scorers are Cam Plumb with 78 points and a league-leading 39 goals, Zach Spicuzza with 73 points (21g, 53a) and Charles-Etienne Roy with 68 points (34g, 34a).

Like their EHL counterparts, the Seahawks are also coming into the showcase red hot, going 7-0-1 in their last eight games. The team has a three-point lead over the Providence Capitals for first place and are led by forwards Carson Low (23g, 28a, 51p) and Orynn Freedman (21g, 28a, 49p), who are seventh and ninth in EHLP scoring respectively. This weekend, they’ll go up against Adirondack, the New Jersey Bears and 87’s.

Keeping up in Aston

All 57 games this weekend will be available for streaming on FloHockey. We’ll also have day-by-day recaps that will be updated as the games progress throughout the showcase. 


Anthony Di Paolo

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.

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