Weekend Headlines

GAME OF THE WEEKEND — New York Saints 5, NY Arrows 4 (OT) in 9U. The two teams combined for seven third-period goals, and the Saints were still a goal down inside the last minute when James Olson tied it with 25.2 seconds to play. Olson then won it in overtime with 14.1 seconds left. Logan Cornely scored twice for New York.

TOP PLAYER PERFORMANCE — David Mourtazaev, Jersey Shore Lightning 13U. Mourtazaev scored three of the Lightning’s four goals against NY Dynamo, including the winner with 7:23 left in the third, in a 4-3 result.

OT HERO — Gino Lombardi, Cyclones Academy 14U. After CT Chiefs erased a three-goal deficit to force overtime, Lombardi buried the winner with 23.7 seconds left for a 6-5 final.

GOALIE PERFORMANCE — Ryan Spooner turned aside 47 shots for New York Saints 14U in a 4-3 win over NYC Hockey Club, with Alexander Martins scoring the winner at 28.1 seconds. In 11U, Jake Vulpis made 41 saves for PAL Jr Islanders Orange and Artem Strukov 18 for Rockets Hockey Club in a 0-0 draw.

BIGGEST KRACH SURPRISE — Mid Fairfield 14U turned in one of the weekend’s biggest surprises, beating a Red Bank Generals side rated well above them in KRACH. Jordy Hellinger scored twice, Gianmarco Pecchia added a goal and an assist, and Charlie Jackson made 31 saves.

UNBEATEN WEEKEND — Utica Jr. Comets 12U went 3-0-1 across four games, the only THF team to play four times and come away without a loss. Matthew Kulik scored eight goals over the weekend.

By Division

9U — Olson Twice When It Counted

New York Saints and NY Arrows produced the weekend’s best game, a 5-4 overtime finish in which James Olson scored the tying goal with 25.2 seconds left and the winner 14.1 seconds from the end of overtime. Logan Cornely scored twice in the same game. Elsewhere, Jersey Hitmen edged PAL Jr. Islanders 3-2 behind Brooks Lack’s goal and assist, and Piney Pirates recovered from a two-goal deficit against Philadelphia Revolution Elite, with Ivan Bezkorovainyi scoring the go-ahead goal in the third.

10U — Rangers Climb Out of a Three-Goal Hole

CT Jr. Rangers trailed Team Maryland by three in the first period and won 5-4, scoring four times in the second period before Austin Orme buried the winner with 7:49 left in the third. Jack Smith had a goal and two assists in the comeback. Daniel Colantuoni scored three times and added two assists for Utica Jr. Comets, and Aj Mooney made 40 saves for Springfield Aces in a win over CT Chiefs, where Maddox Williams scored twice in the third.

11U — A Scoreless Draw and a Winner With 51 Seconds Left

PAL Jr Islanders Orange and Rockets Hockey Club skated to a 0-0 tie, Jake Vulpis stopping 41 shots and Artem Strukov 18. CT Jr. Rangers beat NYC Hockey Club 4-3 on Dylan Battle’s second goal of the game with 51.4 seconds remaining, and Mid-Fairfield won 3-2 at Utica Jr. Comets on Dylan O’Connell’s goal with 1:41 to play. Four of the division’s 16 games were decided by a single goal and two more finished level.

12U — Comets Go Unbeaten in Four

Utica Jr. Comets played more hockey than anyone in THF and came through it 3-0-1, with Matthew Kulik scoring eight goals and Vincent St.Louis adding three goals and five assists. Sammy Schleicher posted a 19-save shutout for Rockets Hockey Club, who scored both of their goals in the third. NY Arrows and CT Jr Rangers traded goals to a 2-2 finish.

13U — Lightning Win the Same Game Twice

Jersey Shore Lightning beat NY Dynamo 4-3 on consecutive days. David Mourtazaev’s hat trick decided the first, and Alexander Froberg won the second in overtime with 23.4 seconds left after Dynamo had tied it inside the last four minutes of regulation. Andrew Schwartz recorded a 16-save shutout for PAL Jr. Islanders, and Jack Dato scored twice with two assists across the weekend. Hartford Jr. Wolfpack also came from two down to beat CT Chiefs 3-2.

14U — Two Overtimes and a 47-Save Night

The division’s 16 games produced both of the weekend’s 14U overtime finishes: Gino Lombardi won it for Cyclones Academy 6-5 with 23.7 seconds left, and Mark Morav won it for Mercer Chiefs 4-3 at Utica Jr. Comets after Gavin Martin tied the game in the third. Ryan Spooner faced 50 shots and stopped 47 as New York Saints held on 4-3 against NYC Hockey Club, Alexander Martins scoring the winner with 28.1 seconds on the clock. Jace Willetts added a 21-save shutout for Utica.

15U — Shaheen Settles It With Six Seconds Left

Red Bank Generals trailed Mercer Chiefs by two in the third and won 4-3, Aiden Honan tying it with 1:06 to play and then setting up Easton Shaheen’s winner with 6.1 seconds on the clock. Jersey Hitmen took the division’s other one-goal game 4-3 over New York Saints, with Joseph Catalano scoring twice and Max Cohen adding two of his own, including the winner.

16U — Babinec Holds the Fort

Cyclones Academy and CT Jr. Rangers National split a two-game set, the Rangers taking the second behind Cole Pryzwansky’s hat trick and 44 saves from Logan Babinec. Kevin McQuillan posted a 12-save shutout for Red Bank Generals against NY Arrows, and Rockets Hockey Club Elite finished the weekend 2-0 with Walter Frazee contributing a goal and five assists.

16U — GAME OF THE WEEK

The Red Bank Generals 16U earned a 2-0 shutout victory over the NY Arrows 16U on Saturday, October 17, at Red Bank Armory. Ronan Fry opened the scoring late in the first period, assisted by Kane Tomczyk, before Paul Goins II added an insurance goal in the third. Goaltender Kevin McQuillan stopped all 12 shots he faced to secure the shutout, while the Generals outshot the Arrows 25-12 in a strong all-around performance.

18U — Arrows Score Five Straight

NY Arrows fell behind New York Saints by three in the first period and answered with five unanswered goals, Robert Albi setting up four of them and Connor Girard finishing with a goal and two assists. Jersey Hitmen produced another of the weekend’s surprises against PAL Jr. Islanders, with Aaron Bielen and CJ Sorrentino scoring 20 seconds apart in the third to overturn the game against a side carrying a stronger KRACH rating. Seth Heacock turned in a 21-save shutout for Islanders HC, and Rockets Hockey Club Elite won both of their games by a single goal.