10/4 Recap: Skate Safe Minor League Festival

by Anthony Flynn

The PIHA Minor League Festival brought together 15 teams from the Mid‑Atlantic and Metropolitan Divisions for a full day of cross‑division play. Each club played four games, producing 30 total matchups filled with goals, rivalries, and some standout individual performances. The event not only showcased which clubs could handle diverse opposition but also highlighted several players making an early case for league scoring titles.

Narrative Recap

The day opened with a statement from the Empire State Legends programs as Black, Gold, and Silver each played as distinct squads and picked up big wins in their own right. Suffolk Sting looked every bit the powerhouse with multiple double‑digit scoring efforts. Mach 1 Moustache powered through with a perfect record built on balanced scoring. Rink Rat Long Island Blazers impressed with high‑octane offense. Meanwhile, the Champion Impact program used a deep roster to go 4‑0 and prove themselves against top Mid‑Atlantic opposition.

While the Mid‑Atlantic clubs showed flashes of brilliance, it was the Metropolitan Division’s depth that often shone through—especially from Suffolk Sting and the Empire State Legends Black squad, who combined elite goaltending with dynamic scoring.

Team‑by‑Team Breakdown

  • Suffolk Sting (4‑0): Dominated their slate with convincing wins over Unify NJ (10‑0) and Champion Purple Pandas (9‑1) before edging Champion Trash Pandas and New Jersey Jagaloons. Ryan Standard (4G, 8A) and Josh Roland (10G, 1A) set the tone offensively.

  • Mach 1 Moustache (4‑0): Knocked off Champion Trash Pandas (5‑3), Champion Purple Pandas (7‑3), Unify NJ (6‑0), and rallied past NJ Jagaloons in OT. Greg Cartwright (8G, 3A) and Rory Sheppard (8G) were unstoppable.

  • Champion Impact (4‑0): Steamrolled Mach 1 Rinkster Empire 13‑1 and picked up key wins over Morristown Revolt Roosters, ISCA Icee Boyz, and ISCA Grizzlies. Craig Zecca’s 5G, 4A and Logan Cain’s 4G, 4A paced the attack.

  • Empire State Legends Black (4‑0): Posted clean wins over ISCA Grizzlies (3‑0), Mach 1 Rinkster Empire (7‑3), Morristown Revolt Roosters (3‑0), and ISCA Icee Boyz (4‑1).

  • Empire State Legends Silver (4‑0): Beat ISCA Icee Boyz (5‑1), Morristown Revolt Roosters (6‑1), ISCA Grizzlies (4‑3), and Mach 1 Rinkster Empire (6‑4). Dylan Marszalek was dominant from the blue line with 7G, 4A.

  • Rink Rat Long Island Blazers (4‑0): Notched high‑scoring wins over Champion Trash Pandas (5‑1), NJ Jagaloons (9‑4), Unify NJ Wolfpack (6‑1), and Champion Purple Pandas in OT.

  • Champion Trash Pandas (1‑3): Opened with a win over Champion Purple Pandas but fell to Rink Rat Long Island Blazers, Mach 1 Moustache, and Suffolk Sting.

  • Champion Purple Pandas (0‑4): Played tough in losses to Suffolk Sting, Mach 1 Moustache, Rink Rat Long Island Blazers, and Champion Trash Pandas.

  • New Jersey Jagaloons (0‑4): Dropped tight games to Unify NJ (5‑4) and Mach 1 Moustache in OT, plus losses to Rink Rat Long Island Blazers and Suffolk Sting.

  • Unify New Jersey Wolfpack (1‑3): Earned a gutsy 5‑4 win over NJ Jagaloons but ran into the Metropolitan buzz saw the rest of the day.

  • ISCA Grizzlies (0‑4): Battled but fell to Empire State Legends Black, Empire State Legends Silver, Champion Impact, and Empire State Legends Gold.

  • ISCA Icee Boyz (0‑4): Showed effort but lost to Empire State Legends Gold, Silver, Black, and Champion Impact.

  • Morristown Revolt Roosters (2‑2): Impressive 4‑2 win over Empire State Legends Gold and competitive against Champion Impact but fell to Empire State Legends Silver and Black.

  • Mach 1 Rinkster Empire (0‑4): Lost to Empire State Legends Silver, Gold, Black, and Champion Impact despite some bright spots.

  • Empire State Legends Gold (2‑2): Beat ISCA Icee Boyz and Mach 1 Rinkster Empire but lost to Morristown Revolt Roosters and Suffolk Sting.

Top Performers

The festival doubled as an early showcase for individual talent. Suffolk Sting’s Ryan Standard (4G, 8A) led all scorers with 12 points in four games. Empire State Legends Silver defenseman Dylan Marszalek (7G, 4A) proved lethal from the back end. Mach 1 Moustache forwards Greg Cartwright (8G, 3A) and Rory Sheppard (8G) combined for 19 goals. Suffolk Sting’s Josh Roland (10G, 1A) erupted for double‑digit goals. Other standouts included Alex Khusid (Rink Rat Long Island Blazers, 3G, 6A), Craig Zecca (Champion Impact, 5G, 4A, 3 GWG), and Matt Clancy (Rink Rat Long Island Blazers, 6G, 2A).

Division vs. Division

The Metropolitan Division clubs had the upper hand in this cross‑division festival, with multiple teams sweeping their schedules and showing deep offensive cores. The Mid‑Atlantic squads fought hard but were forced to chase games early and often. Still, performances from Champion Impact, Morristown Revolt Roosters, and the Empire State Legends Silver highlighted the depth and skill growing in the Mid‑Atlantic.