Playoff Series Preview: Gladiators vs Baymen

The Keystone Division playoffs shift to Marple Sports Arena as the top-seeded Marple Gladiators face the fourth-seeded Chesapeake Baymen in a best-of-three semifinal series.

Marple enters as the division’s top seed after a strong regular season, while Chesapeake arrives as the underdog looking to extend their season and pull off a postseason upset. With a berth in the Keystone Division Final on the line, every shift will carry playoff urgency.

📅 Series Schedule — Marple Sports Arena

🕘 Game 1: February 21, 2026 – 11:00 AM
🕘 Game 2: February 21, 2026 – 12:30 PM
🕘 Game 3 (If Necessary): February 21, 2026 – 2:00 PM

The winner advances to the Keystone Division Final on Sunday, February 22.

🟡 Marple Gladiators (1st Seed)

Regular Season Record: 12-8-0

Head-to-Head This Season

• Won 9–5
• Won 6–1
• Won 5–2

Marple enters the semifinal with momentum and confidence after sweeping the season series against Chesapeake. Their balanced attack and experienced blue line have been the foundation of their success.

Offensive Leaders

• Corey Kosick — 30 pts (14G, 16A)

• Eric Wakefield — 28 pts (D)

• Brian Beatson — 23 pts (D)

• Dave Cutler — 23 pts

• Ryan Ferrell — 22 pts (D)

The Gladiators generate offense from every position, particularly from the blue line, where Wakefield, Beatson, and Ferrell drive transition and puck movement.

Goaltending

• Andrew Sharkus: 3.26 GAA, .789 SV%

• Nikolas Tkacz: 3.78 GAA

🔑 Key to Victory:
Control the tempo and use defensive depth to transition quickly into offense. Marple thrives when their defense activates and supports the rush.

⚠️ Potential Weakness:
Games can open up defensively if the pace becomes too high, creating opportunities for counter-attacks.

🔵 Chesapeake Baymen (4th Seed)

Regular Season Record: 2-18-0

Despite a difficult regular season, the Baymen enter the postseason with nothing to lose—a dangerous mindset in a short best-of-three format.

Offensive Leaders

• Justin Ferencz — 12 pts

• Ayden Staats — 11 pts

• Frank Gregorini — 8 pts

• Charlie Niber — 7 pts

• Reese Tibbs — 7 pts (D)

Chesapeake will rely on quick-strike offense and opportunistic scoring to stay competitive.

Goaltending

• Julio Baña Fernandez: 3.57 GAA, .754 SV%

• Paul Gray: 5.30 GAA

🔑 Key to Victory:
Defensive discipline and goaltending performance. Slowing the game and capitalizing on limited scoring chances will be essential.

⚠️ Potential Weakness:
Depth and consistency against one of the division’s most balanced teams.

🔚 What to Expect

This semifinal pits the division’s top seed and season-long favorite against a determined underdog looking to extend their playoff run.

Marple’s balanced lineup and season sweep make them the team to beat, but the short series format leaves little margin for error. With a trip to the Keystone Division Final at stake, expect urgency, physical play, and momentum swings throughout the series.