11/1 Recap: Inman (Minor)

The PIHA Minor League Mid-Atlantic Division made its latest stop at Inman Sports Complex in Edison, New Jersey, for a twelve-game festival featuring six of the region’s eight teams — the ISCA Grizzlies, ISCA Icee Boys, New Jersey Jagaloons, Champion Trash Pandas, Champion Purple Pandas, and Unify New Jersey Wolfpack.

The day brought a mix of tight, defensive battles and offensive fireworks, including a nine-goal outburst from the Purple Pandas, a pair of shutouts from the Trash Pandas, and multiple strong performances from the Grizzlies and Jagaloons. As the standings begin to take shape, parity ruled the day — with three teams finishing 3-1-0 and no team going unbeaten or winless.

Recap Overview

A trio of teams shared the top of the table as the New Jersey Jagaloons, ISCA Grizzlies, and Champion Trash Pandas each finished 3-1-0, showcasing depth, experience, and timely scoring.

The ISCA Icee Boys, Champion Purple Pandas, and Unify New Jersey Wolfpack each closed the day 1-3-0, but all three picked up notable wins and pushed opponents throughout a balanced and competitive event.

Individual Game Summaries

12:00 PM – ISCA Grizzlies 3, Champion Trash Pandas 2
The Grizzlies rallied with three unanswered goals in the second half, sparked by Eddie Wellema, Jim McGrath, and John Ruggiero. Bart Cambria made key saves late to preserve the win.

12:40 PM – New Jersey Jagaloons 6, ISCA Icee Boys 3
The Jagaloons opened their day in high gear as Christian Hoppeler recorded a hat trick and Adam Godfrey added two goals. New Jersey’s attack proved too fast for ISCA to contain.

1:20 PM – Unify NJ Wolfpack 3, Champion Purple Pandas 0
Jonathan Nastashkin was perfect in net, earning the shutout for Unify. Nick Fanizza, Michael Bickerton, and EJ Gesior scored in a composed team win.

2:00 PM – New Jersey Jagaloons 5, ISCA Grizzlies 1
A statement win for the Jagaloons, who controlled possession from the start. Adam Godfrey recorded a hat trick and Christian Hoppeler added two more as New Jersey improved to 2-0.

2:40 PM – Champion Trash Pandas 3, Unify NJ Wolfpack 0
Tyler Squitieri notched the shutout, while Ryan Scott, Tyler Sanborn, and Donald Cioffi provided the goals. Champion’s defensive structure was flawless.

3:20 PM – Champion Purple Pandas 9, ISCA Icee Boys 4
The Purple Pandas broke through with their first win of the year in explosive fashion. Christopher Geiger, Brian Spagnoli, Kurt Kroeper, and Paul Golembiewski all contributed to a nine-goal eruption.

4:00 PM – ISCA Grizzlies 5, Unify NJ Wolfpack 2
John Ruggiero and Andrew Rutherford led the way as the Grizzlies returned to the win column. EJ Gesior and Cameron Satkowski scored for the Wolfpack in defeat.

4:40 PM – Champion Trash Pandas 2, ISCA Icee Boys 0
Another strong defensive effort from the Trash Pandas, who posted their second shutout of the day. Joe Auci and Jason Klar supplied the offense.

5:20 PM – New Jersey Jagaloons 5, Champion Purple Pandas 2
Christian Hoppeler and Dennis Mazza led the scoring as the Jagaloons’ offensive core continued to dominate. The Purple Pandas stayed aggressive but couldn’t contain the transition game.

6:00 PM – ISCA Icee Boys 2, Unify NJ Wolfpack 1
The Icee Boys earned their first win with goals from Zach Davis and Andrew Sadati, while Jonathan Nastashkin turned aside 20 shots in another strong showing for Unify.

6:40 PM – ISCA Grizzlies 5, Champion Purple Pandas 3
The Grizzlies capped their day at 3-1-0 thanks to balanced scoring and sharp puck movement. The Purple Pandas showed continued offensive spark, led by Dom Pearsall.

7:20 PM – Champion Trash Pandas 3, New Jersey Jagaloons 2
In the day’s finale, the Trash Pandas handed New Jersey their only loss. Erik Hersh, Jason Klar, and Steve Bernhardt powered the attack, while Tyler Squitieri closed the night with clutch saves.

Event Stars

1st Star – Adam Godfrey (New Jersey Jagaloons)
Five goals on the day, including two multi-goal games, cemented his place as one of the division’s most consistent finishers.

2nd Star – Tyler Squitieri (Champion Trash Pandas)
Recorded two shutouts and backstopped the Trash Pandas’ statement win over New Jersey.

3rd Star – John Ruggiero (ISCA Grizzlies)
Led by example with points in three of four games, sparking ISCA’s turnaround after an early defeat.

Honorable Mentions:

• Christian Hoppeler (NJ Jagaloons) – 6 points, driving force in transition

• Kurt Kroeper (Champion Purple Pandas) – Sparked the 9-goal outburst

• Eddie Wellema (ISCA Grizzlies) – Reliable production in clutch moments

• Jonathan Nastashkin (Unify NJ) – Steady all day, including a shutout win

What’s Next

The Mid-Atlantic Division now shifts focus to its next challenge — the Northeast Cross-Division Festival, where it will face the Metropolitan Division on Saturday, November 8, 2025, at Marple Sports Arena in Broomall, Pennsylvania. With three teams tied atop the standings and confidence high across the board, the upcoming event promises to be one of the most competitive Minor Division showcases of PIHA’s 25th Anniversary Season.

Photo:  Stu Bernhardt