16U AA Midget 

From Coach Jesse: 16 U AA had an EJ showcase over the weekend in Aston.  We started with a very good club Saturday morning matching up against the Long Island Edge.  It was a gritty back and forth battle with high speed, big hits and a lot of defense on both sides. Erik Ingholt was an absolute monster in net.  We had been applying a ton of pressure with the forecheck and they were starting to break.  With 4:19 left in the game Aiden Holmes (Holmzy) won the face-off and beat the goalie glove high to go ahead 1-0.  We knew what was coming and the boys buckled down.  We played everything right. Blocking shots, neutral zone pressure, intensity that lead to another gear. Unfortunately with 40 seconds left a shot from the point deflected off of our defensemen's skate and went in.  Ok, let's get to OT.  We got to OT and with 1: 57 left a shot from the point got past a screened Erik Ingholt and we lost in OT. We didn't mope or blame anyone, because we are a team of brothers. We supported each other and  talked about the positives.   

Next up we played the Prestige Stars out of Brooklyn, NY.  They never stood a chance. With the way we were playing and the way we lost that morning, the boys were buzzin.  At 16:36 Bode Greene beat the goalie on a beaut of a sauce by Justin Silver. Five minutes later on the Power Play Charlie Huber buried a shot from the slot to make it 2-0. Five minutes after that Riley Naftzinger beat the goalie for 3-0. and you guessed it, five minutes after that, Ryan Syto got another power play goal to go up 4-0 into the half.  While in the room waiting for the ice cut the boys were focused and ready for more.  The Stars made some adjustments but at 7:40 Riley Naftzinger broke through for a 5-0 lead. Ryan Syto scored on the  power play off of a beautiful set play with assists from Wyatt Gooch and Steven Melson to go up 6-0.  With 1:23 left in the game DJ Mast took a shot from the point which was redirected by Ryan Syto to make it 7-0 and finish the domination. Quinn Kelley earned a shutout. While he only faced 13 shots, he remained ready and focused making an outstanding save on a breakaway to keep his bagel. This was exactly the response we needed. Big shout out to our team parents who jumped in front of the other team and our boys as they were going to the rooms that crossed paths and the Stars players were downright nasty. I was told, JR Starke and "a bunch of hockey moms thwarted the attack". Appreciate you guys looking out for the boys.   

Knowing that we were facing Snider the following morning, who wanted revenge against us for a previous loss at home on opening weekend, we shifted our focus. The last time we played them it was very chippy and we expected that again. As expected, Snider brought it.  We started the scoring with Riley Naftzinger receiving a nasty pass from Wyatt Bolin to go up 1-0. They tied it at 1-1 and we again took the lead 2-1 on a goal by Holmzy assisted by Big E Erik Ingholt.  While on the kill, Chris Howie, who is a phenomenal PK and forechecker, ripped a shot on net that the goalie mishandled and went in making it 3-1. One minute later Snider scored to make it 3-2. Snider came out at half and tied it to make it 3-3, but 3 minutes later Riley Naftzinger buried a shot on another Wyatt Bolin pass that was also assisted by Chips Bockhorn.  This made it 4-3. Snider then got two quick ones to go up by one at 5-4. 30 second later Andy Wu buried a beautiful shot off a pass from Justin Silver to tie it back up at 5 and 40 seconds later Riley Naftzinger gave us the lead off of a pass from Steven Melson to make it 7-6.  Snider would not quit and tied the score up at 7 with 4 minutes left. At 1:05, Steven Melson buried the game winner on assists from DJ Mast and Wyatt Bolin. We closed out Snider on a close one where the boys never quit. I am proud of their effort, resilience, and following through with coaching adjustments to defeat a talented Snider team again.  We play them three more times this season and they will be a battle. 

After Saturday morning's OT loss, the boys reset their weekend goal to go 3-1 for the showcase.  We matched up against Louden for the final game. We took an early penalty and paid the price. That's all it would take but, Quinn Kelley was insane in the net.  Loudon was credited with another goal where the puck was on the outside of the net below the goal line and their player was in our crease and toe dragged the puck in. It was allowed as the other ref could not see it, but after the game admitted it should not have been a goal.  We talked about learning from it, and that the refs are a part of the game.  In all it was a great weekend. I am very happy with where we are in our progression and continue to improve every practice and game. The boys come ready to work and are playing some very good hockey with an unlimited ceiling.  Next up homecoming season inserts its ugly head as we travel to face Union saturday in a MAHA matchup. Sunday we head down to Potomac to face the Patriots for an EJ matchup. 

18U AA Midget 

JBH 18AA hit the road to Buffalo, NY, this past weekend to compete in the LECOM Harborcenter Cup. Over the course of six games in three days, the team battled hard, finishing first in pool play in a strong seven-team bracket, and created memories both on and off the ice.

The weekend opened with a close 4-3 loss to the Tri City Eagles. The Hens saw offense from Enrique Boyd, assisted by David Funk Jr. and Aydan Savery, followed by a second-period tally from Savery with help from Brennan Austin and Ethan Lannon. B. Austin added the third goal off a feed from James Austin. Goaltender Ryne Dominick kept the game tight, facing 27 shots in net.

The boys bounced back in Game 2 with a convincing 6-2 win over the Amherst Knights. Aydan Savery struck first with assists from James Austin and Enrique Boyd, and J. Austin followed with a goal from Brennan Austin. Boyd then lit the lamp with help from Gavin Mellon and David Funk Jr. before J. Austin scored his second of the game off a pass from Dylan Schenk. The scoring kept rolling as Dylan Crandall converted on a setup from Funk Jr. and Gavin Mellon, and Nate Ponden capped it off, assisted by Funk Jr. and Dominick.

Game 3 was all about defense, as the Hens blanked the Camillus Cougars 4-0 behind a 21-save shutout from Dylan Morrison. Ethan Lannon opened the scoring with an assist from Tyler Heffington, Brennan Austin added another with help from Aydan Savery and James Austin, Cian Harp netted one unassisted, and Nate Ponden finished the effort on a feed from Enrique Boyd.

Momentum carried into Game 4, where the Jr. Blue Hens rolled to a 7-2 victory over the Erie Jr. Otters. Gavin Mellon, assisted by Cian Harp, got things started before Nate Ponden added another with help from Enrique Boyd. Aydan Savery then scored on a setup from Brennan Austin and Blake Ditalia, and B. Austin followed with a goal assisted by Ponden and Braden Nieman. Savery notched his second of the game from B. Austin, Dylan Schenk buried one with Savery picking up the assist, and Ethan Lannon rounded out the scoring. Morrison turned away 15 shots in the win.

After finishing first in pool play, the Hens advanced to the semifinals for a rematch with the Camillus Cougars. Despite strong effort, the boys came up short in a 4-1 loss, with the lone goal coming from Dylan Schenk, assisted by David Funk Jr. Morrison stood tall again, making 20 saves on 24 shots.

The weekend wrapped up with a final consolation game against Amherst. With five hard-fought games already in the books and a long seven-hour trip home ahead, the Hens decided to have some fun. Players swapped positions, new faces took face-offs, and the team closed out the weekend with smiles, laughs, and plenty of celebration.

Though the Jr. Blue Hens didn’t bring home the championship trophy, they showcased grit and talent throughout the tournament, highlighted by finishing first in bracket play, earning big wins over tough opponents, and most importantly, building great memories together in Buffalo. The boys will now enjoy a much-deserved weekend off before getting back to work.

In Other News...

UD hosted JBH Night at the Men's D1 Season Opener vs Temple on Saturday evening. We flooded the stands with JBH jerseys, which was quite the sight to see. During 1st Intermission, our very own Mites took the ice for a Mites On Ice showcase with some of our 16U boys there to assist. Coming off the ice, the D1 guys came out from their locker room to make a people tunnel for the kids to walk through, the way their faces lit up was priceless. Two weekends in a row we've shown up for our community and volunteered our time to share our love of hockey with friends, family, and neighbors. It's a very special thing to be a part of, and we're so glad you're with us on this wonderful ride.