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EJEPL 10U-13U-15U Diamond All Stars Shared a Magical Weekend

By EJEPL Reporter, 05/23/18, 3:45PM EDT

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Chemistry


15U Diamond All Star Team


10U Diamond All Star Team

EJEPL 10U-13U-15U All Stars Shared a Magical Weekend

 

   The Weekend of May 18-May 20th, 2018 the EJEPL sent the 10U Diamond All Stars, 13U Diamond All Stars and the 15U Diamond All Stars to the Spring Fling Tournament Hosted by the New England Sports Center in Marlborough, Massachusetts. Players and Parents planned for hockey games but didn’t plan for the remarkable experience they encountered within a short period of time of three days.

 

10U All Stars – The Beginning

On Friday May 18 the 10U Diamond All Star Team played in the Pee Wee Minor Division. They began their weekend meeting for the first time at 1:30pm in the upstairs lobby of the rink, jersey handed out, Coach Larry Nastasi (EJEPL VP) gave his opening welcome speech and team expectations while players and parents stood quietly feeling out what they might have gotten themselves into. Most of them strangers except possibly playing against each other during the regular season. Coach Dennis Mastriano was raring to go and was a great asset to helping develop the culture of the 10U Locker room.  After the team quietly gathered in the locker room before the first game, friendships started to build quickly. Chemistry was instantly developed, and the quietness of the locker room would be no more.

As quick as the team’s chemistry came together off the ice – it transpired just as fast on the ice. The 10U’s opened the tournament with a 7-1 victory over The Brooklyn Knights Purple Team followed later in the day with a tie against the Susquehanna team 4 – 4. Both games were great performances by the two goaltenders Sarah Martin and Andrew Skorupka. On Saturday the teams first game was a dog fight to the end against the Maine Ice Dogs, Bryce Mastriano opened the scoring in the 2nd period followed by the Ice Dogs scoring twice after. With 1:20 left in the game the Ice Dogs scored their 3rd goal taken the lead 3-1. After pulling the goalie Axel Favreau scored with 20 seconds left to bring the game to 3-2. With great fury and time running out the 10U team was unable to tie the game. To close the preliminary round the team went on to beat the Brooklyn Knights Yellow Team 13 -2 with goal scoring from multiple players such as Defensemen Declan Kelly, Kyle Katz, Drew Larsen and Nikko Nastasi followed by Center Wyatt Capro, Danny Hussa, Wingers Bryce Montababa, Derek Jones and Louis Kilpatrick.

Sunday the 10U opened the Semi Final game bright and early at 6:50am to face the 1st seed New Hampshire Nor’easters. With a strong desire to reach the Championship game the 10U’s showed no mercy lead by Danny Hussa’s Hat trick followed with scoring from Logan Kenney and Sean Fagan along with Assist from Defensemen Ace Watson and strong defensive play from Nate D’Amico and Paul Mastriano for a 9-2 victory.  In the Championship game the Team found them selves playing against the Susquehanna team which they tied 4-4 earlier in the Tournament. This was another battle, Kyle Katz opened the game scoring in the first period. Susquehanna tied the game in the second period and then scored the next two goals in the third period for a 3-1 lead. Later in the third period with 3:40 left, Wyatt Capro scored to bring the game closer 3-2 but with strong determination and effort the Team would come up short and Susquehanna took the Championship 3-2.  When the tournament was all set and done these boys realized the accomplishment they achieved, and the great friendship made along with their chemistry. Playing against each other now will never be the same because of the bond they developed between themselves.

 

13U All Stars – Pure Magic

Coach Eric Gleie began the Tournament meeting his team for the first time at the rink on Friday May 18th before their first game. As like with the 10U Team the 13U Diamond All Star Team which played in the Bantam Major Division were meeting each other for the first time together. Jersey handed out, Tournament itinerary explained, and expectations laid out. To the surprise of Coach Gleie the players acted as if they all played together for years with instant chemistry that would develop even stronger as the weekend moves on.

The 13U Team opened up the Tournament with a 11–2 victory over the Long Island Ducks lead by 4 goals from Marcos Trasbach, 2 goals by Jack Doherty, 1 goal by Ty Battipaglia, Dylan Hendrix, Michael Torre, Jake Hines and Defensemen Jack Trehaar. On Saturday The Team played a much tougher opponent in their second game The Tribe from Connecticut. With scoring from Dylan Hendrix, Michael Torre and Marcos Trasbach and play making assists from Defensemen Kaleb Mac Aulay and Will Thygeson along with strong goaltending from Ethan Roach and Jason LoRicco, the 13U All Stars were able to hold off the tribe for a 3-1 win. The Evening Game vs Brooklyn Knights Pink was proof that the chemistry was building stronger on this team with 2 goals from Jake Hines followed with goals from Ty Battipaglia, Dylan Hendrix and Defensemen Jack Trehaar along with more aggressive play making assists from Defensemen Grant Curtis and Will Thygeson lead the team to a 5-1 victory.

On Sunday the Team was matched up in the Semi Final round against The Tribe. Knowing that the first time these two teams met it was a battle of survivors. This 13U Team needed to make a statement and show their skill level. Thanks to the hard work and grinding in the corners and winning the little battles during the game Forward Colin Delanzo, Ej Gleie, Ryan Lavery and Defensemen Adrian Ebeling with Joe DiGiovanni lead the team to a 6-2 win and punched their ticket to the Championship Game against the New Hampshire Nor’easters.

Chemistry, Magic what ever you want to call it. Coach Gleie new this team had no quit in its makeup. The contest between these two teams proved why they were the two teams left standing at the Bantam Major Level. The first two periods were back and forth grinding and clawing and showing a testament of skills, EJ Gleie was a victim of the physical play sustaining a broken hand. Late in the third period with less than 2 minutes remaining in the game the 13U All Stars found them selves down by two goals. Coach Gleie quickly called a time out and drew up his master plan with this group of young men growing up quick in the game of hockey. With the goalie pulled, which gave the team an extra forward for a 6 to 5 player advantage, Michael Torre scored to make it a 4-3 game with less than a minute remaining Will Thygeson scored the tying goal to force a 4 against 4 Sudden Death overtime period. During the Sudden Death it didn’t take long for Marcos Trasbach to score the winning goal and cement the Championship for the EJEPL 13U All Star Team.

This Team had chemistry from the start and leaned on it to magically overcome a deficit and take it all.

After the Tournament Coach Gleie had time to reflect:

 

 “I know we didn't win the Stanley Cup HOWEVER....

Wow! What a weekend! 

“I was on pure adrenaline the entire ride home.  I kept playing back in my head how we could have possibly won that game and still can't figure it out.  It came down to pure grit, determination and heart.  I hope you were in awe like I was witnessing that comeback.   “

“Immediately after the game the first thing the boys asked me is if they could play together again in another tournament. They all became close in such a short amount of time, exchanged phone numbers and have been actively texting ever since Sunday.  It would be an honor to coach and represent them again sometime.  “

 

 

15U All Stars – Icing on The Cake

Not to be out done by the 13U All Stars, Coach Steve Kauffman’s crew also showed a display of Comradery and Chemistry that was present from the beginning. The 15U Diamond All Star Team played in the Midget Minor Division and was a Force to be recon with. This team composed of Forward Easton Eggli, Jorie Boyd, Seasn Jones, Jack Callaghan, Anyhony Viola, Logan Kennedy, Ryan Williams, Aiden Dowsett, Defensemen Tate Jenson, Scott Crème, Tony Shi, Nate Benoit, Nikita Medvedev and Goaltenders Gavin Ross and Will Reagan were unstoppable and had a great time along the way. In their first game the 15U All Stars defeated the Knights 4-1, an Hour Later in their second game on Friday night with a few more players that Flew in for the Tournament Defeated Team Alberta 3-1. On Saturday The Team faced off against the Tribe from Connecticut to defeat them 4-1. As the Team grew stronger and closer their skills and Hockey IQ were increasing. The next opponent didn’t know what hit them, the 15U All Stars defeat The Brooklyn Knights Green 13-0 with a great exhibit of Defense and Goaltending. After Saturday the 15U All Stars were 4-0 in the preliminary round.

Sunday, Coach Kauffman’s Crew was matched up for a rematch game in the Semi Finals Against the Tribe from Connecticut. Having beaten them earlier 4-1 they new this would not be an easy game.  Late in the third period the score was 0-0 when the 15U Team opened the scoring and took the lead and never relinquished it. The hard-fought game was a 3-0 victory and a Date to the Championship game against The Grand Park Huskies. The 15U All Stars were determined not to be out done by any team in their Division or by their All-Star counterpart the 13U All Star Team.  Leading the way with 2 goals each were Easton Eggli and Jorie Boyd followed by goals from Nate Benoit, Tate Jenson and Sean Jones along with the Goalie tandem of Gavin Ross and Will Reagan the 15U All Stars easily took the Championship Crown Winning 7-1.  

 

All Three All Star Teams were amazing not just their display of skills but also how they all handled themselves off the ice and made friends. Each will now have a bond to share when they run into each other at different rinks playing against each other. Each share a common goal.  The Love of Hockey


13U Diamond All Star Team