Assault Tune Up, Barons Lock In: Semi-Pro Close Out Northeast Regular Season at ISCA

The Northeast semi-pro regular season wrapped up at Inline Skating Club of America on Saturday with a focused eight-game slate that doubled as a playoff dress rehearsal. New Jersey Assault looked every bit like a top seed with a perfect 4-0 day, while the Philadelphia Barons did enough early to lock down the Keystone Division’s No. 2 seed before easing off the gas late. ISCA Mach 1 (Revolt) and Fusion Blizzard had flashes but largely found themselves chasing the game against a pair of opponents already in playoff form.

With seeding essentially set outside of that Keystone No. 2 slot, the priority for all four clubs was rhythm, structure, and special-teams detail. By night’s end, Assault had tightened its grip as the team to beat, the Barons had cemented their position, Mach 1 had salvaged a split in competitive fashion, and Blizzard left with a very clear picture of what needs to sharpen before elimination hockey begins.

Game-by-Game Recaps

ISCA Mach 1 5, Philadelphia Barons 6 (OT)

The day opened with a wild one as Mach 1 and the Barons traded momentum swings in a 6–5 overtime thriller. Mach 1 jumped out with a pair of first-period goals from Chris Cromwell, who was the trigger man on a couple of slick feeds from Justin Tiso and the ISCA blue line. The Barons answered with a three-goal punch from the familiar trio of Justin Brown, Pat Foy, and Keith Goodman, and pushed ahead 4–2 by the end of the first. Mach 1 stormed back with three in the second to force overtime, but Goodman capped his first-star effort by burying the winner just 36 seconds into OT, giving Philadelphia a crucial extra point in the Keystone race.

New Jersey Assault 6, Fusion Blizzard 0

Assault’s first game of the day was a clinic in both puck movement and defensive structure. Chris Connor ran the show from the back end, opening the scoring with a point shot and then dishing three more helpers as New Jersey built a 3–0 lead in the first and never looked back. Anthony Gizzi was perfect in goal, turning away all 13 Fusion shots to secure the shutout. With secondary scoring from Anthony Gallicchio, Matt Morelli, and Scott Huber, Assault spread the offense around and set an early tone that they were treating the day like a playoff tune-up, not a formality.

New Jersey Assault 5, ISCA Mach 1

The Assault machine kept rolling in Game 3, this time grinding down Mach 1 in a 5–1 win that showcased both depth and discipline. ISCA scored first through Nick Maniaci, but New Jersey responded with five unanswered, including another multi-point night for Connor and a steady stream of contributions from the forward group. Goaltender Ed Rafferty slammed the door with 26 saves on 27 shots as Assault pulled away and never gave Mach 1 a sniff in the third period of the weekend series between the two clubs.

Fusion Blizzard 0, Philadelphia Barons 3

In a meeting of Keystone rivals, the Barons leaned on their structure and goaltending to blank Fusion 3–0. Philadelphia got timely offense from its veteran core and did an excellent job of limiting Blizzard’s chances off the rush, keeping most of Fusion’s looks to the outside. With the win, the Barons moved one step closer to securing that all-important 2-seed, while Blizzard was left searching for answers after a second straight shutout loss on the day.

ISCA Mach 1 6, Fusion Blizzard 4

ISCA and Fusion finally found some offense in an entertaining 6–4 contest that broke the shutout streaks on both sides. Mach 1 pushed the pace early, building a lead behind another strong night from Cromwell and Tiso, while Blizzard responded with some of their best offensive stretches of the weekend. In the end, Mach 1’s ability to convert on their chances in tight and manage the clock in the third period proved the difference, giving them a needed win and handing Blizzard their third loss of the day.

Philadelphia Barons 3, New Jersey Assault 6

The marquee matchup of the evening saw the top two Keystone seeds collide, and Assault again sent a message with a 6–3 win. New Jersey and Philadelphia traded goals early, skating to a 2–2 tie after one, but Assault took over territorially in the second. Connor, Tom Russo, and Jordan Black all had their fingerprints on the scoring, as the visitors out-shot the Barons 24–12 and pulled away with four second-period goals. The win wrapped up a season series statement for Assault and highlighted the gap they’ve opened on the rest of the division.

Philadelphia Barons 0 (FF), ISCA Mach 1

With the Keystone 2-seed already mathematically clinched, the Barons opted to forgo their second meeting with Mach 1, resulting in a 1–0 forfeit decision in favor of ISCA. The “win” goes on Mach 1’s ledger and the loss onto Philadelphia’s, but it came with no ice time, no injuries, and no additional wear on either roster. From a competitive standpoint, the real work between these two was already done in their earlier OT thriller.

Fusion Blizzard 3, New Jersey Assault 11

Assault closed the day in frightening form, exploding for 11 goals in a lopsided win over Fusion. New Jersey’s forecheck and transition game overwhelmed Blizzard from the opening draw, with wave after wave of Assault attackers generating odd-man looks and extended zone time. Even in the fourth game of the day, the top seed showed no signs of fatigue, and the scoreline reinforced both their offensive depth and the sharp goaltending behind them. For Blizzard, it was a tough final snapshot of the regular season and a clear reminder of the pace they will have to match in the postseason.

Team-by-Team Breakdown

New Jersey Assault

New Jersey completed a statement 4–0 day, outscoring opponents by a combined 28–4 and tightening every screw of their game. Connor was a force from the blue line, piling up points while still handling heavy defensive minutes, and the forward group—led by Huber, Gallicchio, Russo, Morelli, and Kane—showed the kind of scoring depth that will make them a matchup nightmare in any playoff series. Between the pipes, Gizzi and Rafferty combined for a shutout, a one-goal outing, and two more sturdy performances, giving the Assault staff confidence in their goaltending tandem. Already locked into the Keystone’s top seed coming into the weekend, New Jersey leaves ISCA looking every bit like the favorite to come out of the Northeast.

Philadelphia Barons

The Barons went 2–1 on the ice (plus the late forfeit loss) and did exactly what they needed to do: win early, secure points, and lock in the No. 2 seed. The comeback OT win over Mach 1 set the tone, featuring big nights from Keith Goodman and Pat Foy, while the 3–0 shutout of Fusion showcased a dialed-in defensive structure. Even in the 6–3 loss to Assault, Philadelphia had stretches where they skated with the top seed, and they now have a clear picture of small adjustments required in puck management and special teams. With seeding now confirmed, the Barons can turn their focus entirely to fine-tuning for a likely gauntlet of divisional rivals.

ISCA Mach 1 (Revolt)

Mach 1’s day was a mixed bag: a spirited OT loss to the Barons, a competitive but decisive defeat to Assault, a solid regulation win over Fusion, and a late-day forfeit win in the books. When they were on, ISCA looked dangerous—Cromwell and Tiso drove the attack, and they generated plenty of shots in both games against New Jersey and Philadelphia. The challenge was stringing together full 24-minute efforts and limiting breakdowns under pressure. Still, a 2–2 record on paper and strong stretches of play against two top Keystone clubs give Mach 1 some positives to build on heading into the playoffs.

Fusion Blizzard

For Fusion Blizzard, the ISCA set was a tough regular-season finale, as they finished 0–4 and were shut out in their first two games before finally finding some goals in the nightcap against Assault. Goaltenders Dylan Sapienza and Zach Orcutt faced heavy volume and long sequences of sustained pressure, often dealing with Assault and Barons rushes and east-west puck movement. Offensively, Blizzard had moments where their speed showed, especially in the loss to Mach 1 and late against Assault, but they struggled to consistently get to dangerous areas or extend offensive-zone time. The results weren’t there, but the tape from this event should provide a clear roadmap of where structure and details need to tighten before the postseason.

Individual Standouts

• Chris Connor, New Jersey Assault – The Assault blue-liner was the centerpiece of New Jersey’s attack, logging multi-point games in both wins over Fusion and factoring into key goals against Mach 1 and the Barons. His ability to quarterback the power play and jumpstart transition makes him one of the marquee players to watch in the Keystone playoffs.

• Anthony Gizzi & Ed Rafferty, New Jersey Assault – Gizzi’s 13-save shutout against Fusion and Rafferty’s 26-save gem in the 5–1 win over Mach 1 gave Assault a dominant 1-2 punch in goal, allowing just four goals across four games.

• Justin Brown & Pat Foy, Philadelphia Barons – Brown and Foy were central to the Barons’ opening-game comeback, combining on several key goals in the 6–5 OT win over Mach 1 and providing steady offense throughout the day.

• Keith Goodman, Philadelphia Barons – Goodman earned first-star honors in the opener with the OT winner and a multi-point night, and continued to be a stabilizing presence on the back end for Philadelphia.

• Chris Cromwell & Justin Tiso, ISCA Mach 1 – The Mach 1 duo drove the offense in both matchups with the Barons, with Cromwell scoring twice early in Game 1 and Tiso factoring on multiple goals as ISCA nearly stole the extra point.

• Fusion Blizzard goaltending tandem – Despite the results, Sapienza and Orcutt battled through heavy shot volumes, especially in the second meeting with Assault, where the Blizzard netminders faced constant Grade-A chances and kept the score respectable for stretches.

What’s Next

With these final regular-season games in the books, all Northeast semi-pro teams now shift their attention to the playoffs. The Metropolitan Division playoffs will open in early February at Rapid Fire Arena, where familiar rivals will collide with a trip to the PIHA Finals on the line. Later in February, the Mid-Atlantic and Keystone Division playoffs will take center stage at Marple Sports Arena, with New Jersey Assault entering as the Keystone favorite and Philadelphia, Mach 1, and Fusion all looking for the upset route to Colorado Springs.

Photo Credit: Suffix Photography