September is in the books, and the Tier 1 Hockey Federation is heading into October with plenty still taking shape.

THF teams return to the ice October 2–4 as early-season results continue to add up and clubs look to turn promising starts into sustained momentum. Last weekend delivered everything from late-game heroics and overtime winners to major comebacks, providing another reminder of how little can separate teams across the federation.

Now, a new month brings another opportunity to make a move.

Here’s what to know heading into the weekend.

GAME OF THE WEEK: Notre Dame Hockey Academy vs. Flyers Elite – BBNA

The THF Game of the Week turns its attention to the 16U division Saturday afternoon.

Notre Dame Hockey Academy vs. Flyers Elite-Black Bear National Academy
16U
Saturday, October 3 | 4:15 PM
Pennsauken Skate Zone

There’s already some history behind this one.

Notre Dame and Flyers Elite-BBNA met twice earlier this season, and there was little separating the two sides. The teams split the two matchups, with each decided by just one goal.

Now they meet again, this time with the Game of the Week spotlight on them.

Notre Dame has shown plenty of early-season promise across its program, while Flyers Elite-BBNA gets the opportunity to defend home ice at Pennsauken. With their previous meetings demonstrating just how evenly matched these teams can be, Saturday afternoon sets up as another intriguing chapter between the two 16U sides.

It also kicks off a busy October for the THF Game of the Week series, with four more featured matchups scheduled before the month is over.

Catch the Game of the Week live on Black Bear TV from Pennsauken Skate Zone.

Coming Off a Wild Weekend

The THF closed September with plenty of drama.

A total of 98 games were played last weekend, and 26 were decided by a single goal. Five more finished tied, while four needed overtime.

The drama went well beyond the final scores.

Fourteen teams erased two-goal deficits, five came back from three or more goals down and 33 games featured a goal inside the final two minutes of regulation.

At 16U, Rockets Hockey Club Premier put together a perfect 3-0 weekend, while Rockets Hockey Club Elite went 2-0 on a separate schedule.

The 15U division saw plenty of success as well. Notre Dame Hockey Academy, Mercer Chiefs, Philadelphia Revolution and Woodbridge Wolfpack Pure Premier all finished 2-0.

At 12U, PBK collected points in all four of its games with a 3-0-1 record, while NYC Hockey Club was the only 13U team to finish the weekend unbeaten at 2-0.

Players to Watch

Several players enter the new month after standout performances.

At 10U, NY Dynamo’s Jamieson Whitty scored nine goals and added two assists over four games.

Camden Fritz of PBK recorded three goals and five assists in four games at 12U, while Hartford Jr. Wolfpack’s Alan Pei scored five times and added an assist over three games at 13U.

One of the biggest performances came at 16U, where Rockets Hockey Club Elite’s Arsenii Pastukh recorded five goals and three assists in just two games.

There were impressive performances in net, too. Mercer Chiefs’ James Caton stopped 49 of 52 shots over two games at 14U, while Philadelphia Revolution’s Logan Mitchell faced 79 shots in two games at 15U and stopped 74 of them.

September produced plenty of early-season standouts. October brings a new opportunity to see who can keep rolling — and who will be next to break through.

The Early Picture is Taking Shape

The season isn’t new anymore.

Teams have played showcase games, worked through the opening weeks of the regular season and begun learning what it takes to consistently pick up results.

Last weekend illustrated just how quickly games can turn. Leads disappeared. Games were decided in the final seconds. Overtime became necessary. One play often separated winning from losing.

Those experiences become increasingly valuable as teams move deeper into the schedule.

Some clubs enter October looking to extend strong starts. Others are trying to turn close losses into wins and begin climbing the standings.

There is plenty of hockey left to play, but the foundation has been laid.

Now comes the challenge of building on it.

Follow the Action All Weekend Long

Stay connected throughout the weekend with the THF Game Center, where fans can follow schedules, scores, standings and statistics from across the federation.

Fans can also watch eligible THF games live and on demand with Black Bear TV, including Saturday afternoon’s Game of the Week between Notre Dame Hockey Academy and Flyers Elite-BBNA at Pennsauken Skate Zone.

September gave us a first look at what these teams can do.

October is where they get the chance to build on it.