Roosters, Trash Pandas, and Grizzlies Own the Night at ISCA

by Anthony Flynn

Inline Skating Club of America hosted a 12-game PIHA Minor marathon on Saturday as six clubs – the Morristown Revolt Roosters, Champion Trash Pandas, ISCA Grizzlies, ISCA Icee Boys, Champion Purple Pandas, and Mach 1 Rinkster Empire – each played four times in a tightly packed festival schedule.

By the end of the night, Morristown, Champion Trash, and the ISCA Grizzlies had separated themselves as the day’s big winners, while the Purple Pandas, Icee Boys, and Mach 1 all had stretches where they showed they could skate with anyone in the building.

Game-by-Game Recap

Game 1 – ISCA Grizzlies 3, Champion Trash Pandas 2

Game #MNE149 – 3:00 PM

The day opened with a tight Garden State matchup. Champion Trash struck first when Kevin Morello finished a feed from Ryan Scott, but the ISCA Grizzlies answered with goals from Jim McGrath, Brian Cutler, and Bret Shaffer to grab a 3–1 edge.

Trash pulled within one in the third on a point shot from Phil Townsend through traffic, but Taylor Boss and the Grizzlies closed it out, handing the Trash Pandas their only loss of the day.

Game 2 – Mach 1 Rinkster Empire 4, Champion Purple Pandas 3

Game #MNE150 – 3:40 PM

The first Mid-Atlantic vs Mid-Atlantic contest saw Champion Purple Pandas jump out 3–1 on goals from Jimmy Dean, Alex Doria, and Brian Spagnoli.

But Mach 1 Rinkster Empire responded with four unanswered, led by Ryan Wing, Matt Armbruster, Victor Mihaiu, and Chris Dehnert, who cashed in twice in the second period. AJ Frey settled in after the early barrage, and Mach 1 skated away with a 4–3 comeback win.

Game 3 – Morristown Revolt Roosters 6, ISCA Icee Boys 1

Game #MNE151 – 4:20 PM

The Morristown Revolt Roosters announced themselves early with a convincing win over the ISCA Icee Boys.

Morristown’s pressure came in waves: Jeremy Beattie and Griffin Crossan opened the scoring, and the Roosters poured in four more in the second from Charlie Hood, Brendan Perretta, Ryan Hille, and Beattie again. The Icee Boys broke the shutout on a second-period strike from Anthony Oliveri, but the Roosters controlled play start to finish.

Game 4 – Champion Trash Pandas 4, Mach 1 Rinkster Empire 3

Game #MNE152 – 5:00 PM

In the first Garden State–Mid-Atlantic crossover of the day, the Champion Trash Pandas bounced back against Mach 1.

Trash got first-period goals from Greg Bernhardt and Ryan Scott, only to see Mach 1 respond via Sebastian Puerta and Dehnert. In the third, James Conway restored the Trash lead, and Tyler Sanborn added an empty-netter that held up as the game-winner after a late Mach tally. Tyler Squitieri closed the door with a strong second half in net.

Game 5 – ISCA Grizzlies 6, ISCA Icee Boys 1

Game #MNE153 – 5:40 PM

The all-ISCA matchup went decisively to the Grizzlies.

A five-goal first period saw Andrew Rutherford, Cutler, Evan Knoll, Santo Competiello, and Charlie Ruzkowski all find the back of the net, with Matt Tofte factoring in on several of the goals. Ruggiero added one more in the second, while the Icee Boys’ lone response came from Garret Negron. Boss again stood tall in the Grizz net to secure their second win.

Game 6 – Morristown Revolt Roosters 7, Champion Purple Pandas 2

Game #MNE154 – 6:20 PM

Morristown continued its offensive tear against the Purple Pandas.

The Roosters exploded for six in the first period, with goals from Ryan Hille, Brendan Hille, Josh Firkser (twice), Antonio Martiniello, and Beattie. Brendan Hille completed his big night with a power-play goal in the second. Purple answered with a power-play strike from Zane Claudio and a second-period goal by Doria, but the Roosters’ depth and pace were the story.

Game 7 – Champion Trash Pandas 7, ISCA Icee Boys 4

Game #MNE155 – 7:00 PM

This one turned into a special-teams showcase for the Champion Trash Pandas.

The Icee Boys got early offense from Negron, Andrew Sadati, Iglesias, and Oliveri, but Trash’s counterpunch was relentless. Kevin Morello dominated the scoresheet with four goals (including two shorthanded) and multiple assists, while Joe Auci, Bernhardt, and Sanborn also scored. Squitieri closed it out with a solid second period as Trash pulled away.

Game 8 – Morristown Revolt Roosters 7, Mach 1 Rinkster Empire 5

Game #MNE156 – 7:40 PM

In a high-scoring Garden State/Mid-Atlantic clash, Morristown outlasted Mach 1.

Roosters goals came from Johnny Hoppeler, Firkser, Martiniello, Perretta, Hood, and another pair from Firkser and Hoppeler in the second. Mach 1 answered with a flurry in the final frame – Puerta, Dehnert, Mike Landa, and Victor Mihaiu all scored – but Kyle Edgar and the Roosters did just enough defensively to secure their third victory.

Game 9 – ISCA Grizzlies 5, Champion Purple Pandas 2

Game #MNE157 – 8:20 PM

The ISCA Grizzlies stayed perfect with another disciplined, opportunistic effort, this time against the Purple Pandas.

Rutherford and Tofte staked ISCA to a 2–0 lead, and the Grizzlies put it away in the second with goals from Competiello, Rutherford again, and Zac Demarco, all keyed by strong puck movement from the blue line. Purple got on the board with tallies from Claudio and Christopher Geiger, but Boss turned away most of what he saw to lock in a 5–2 win.

Game 10 – Champion Trash Pandas 5, Morristown Revolt Roosters 3

Game #MNE158 – 9:00 PM

Two of the day’s top teams met in a marquee late matchup, with Champion Trash edging Morristown.

The Roosters built an early 2–0 cushion on goals by Brendan Hille and Martiniello, but Trash methodically reeled them in. Sanborn and Morello scored in the first, then Bernhardt, Sean Rogers, and another late marker from Morello completed the comeback. Mortensen and the Trash defense were excellent in the closing minutes as they handed Morristown its only loss of the day.

Game 11 – Champion Purple Pandas 7, ISCA Icee Boys 6

Game #MNE159 – 9:40 PM

In one of the wildest games of the festival, the Purple Pandas and Icee Boys combined for 13 goals.

Icee’s offense surged behind Sadati, Bekarian, Luzio, Deatherage, and multiple points from their top line, but the Pandas countered with a massive second period. Claudio, Brian Spagnoli, Dale Konop, Paul Golembiewski, and Alex Doria all recorded points as Purple turned a 2–1 deficit into a 7–6 win, with Cody Smith making key late saves to preserve it.

Game 12 – ISCA Grizzlies 1, Mach 1 Rinkster Empire 0 (FF)

Game #MNE160 – 10:20 PM

The festival closed with a scheduled Mid-Atlantic/Garden State matchup that went down as a forfeit win for the ISCA Grizzlies, officially recorded as 1–0. Mach 1 was unable to ice a lineup for the nightcap, giving the Grizzlies a clean 4–0 record on the day.

Festival Summary

By the end of the 12-game slate, the records shook out as follows (including the forfeit result):

ISCA Grizzlies:4–0 – Tight defensive structure, timely scoring, and strong goaltending from Taylor Boss and company made ISCA the day’s only unbeaten side.
Morristown Revolt Roosters:3–1 – High-octane offense, three games with six or more goals, and a lone loss only to the red-hot Trash Pandas.
Champion Trash Pandas:3–1 – Special-teams dominance and a deep attack led by Kevin Morello powered wins over Mach 1, the Icee Boys, and Morristown.
Champion Purple Pandas:1–3 – Flashes of explosive offense and a wild win over the Icee Boys, but they ran into three of the day’s best-performing teams.
Mach 1 Rinkster Empire:1–3 (including 1 FF loss) – A gritty comeback win in their opener but tough sledding against Trash, Morristown, and a forfeit to the Grizzlies.
ISCA Icee Boys:0–4 – The record does not reflect their sustained push in several games, especially their 7–6 shootout with the Purple Pandas.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE HIGHLIGHTS

Morristown Revolt Roosters

Josh Firkser and Jeremy Beattie drove Morristown’s high-tempo attack, each posting multi-goal, multi-point games across the slate, including a combined five-point outburst in the 7–5 win over Mach 1.
The Hille brothers – Ryan and Brendan – were impact players every time they hit the floor. Ryan contributed key goals and steady work on the back end, while Brendan scored in multiple games and was a constant net-front presence.
Antonio Martiniello, Johnny Hoppeler, and Griffin Crossan rounded out a deep forward core, with Martiniello and Hoppeler both recording big goals in each of Morristown’s wins and Crossan jumping into the play to chip in offensively.
Goaltenders Kyle Edgar and Charlie Hood each earned wins, with Edgar backstopping the early rout of the Icee Boys and the high-event victory over Mach 1, and Hood closing the door in Morristown’s 6–1 and 7–2 results.

Champion Trash Pandas

Kevin Morello was one of the most dominant skaters of the festival. He piled up goals and assists in all three Trash wins, including a four-goal, six-point-style performance against the ISCA Icee Boys and multiple points in the comeback victory over Morristown.
Greg Bernhardt, Joe Auci, and Tyler Sanborn provided a steady stream of secondary scoring, with each recording big goals in the wins over Mach 1, the Icee Boys, and the Roosters.
On the back end, Phil Townsend, James Conway, and Donald Cioffi logged heavy minutes and appeared frequently on the scoresheet, with Townsend’s point production and Conway’s game-winner against Mach 1 standing out.
Tyler Squitieri and Kyle Mortensen were solid in net, stabilizing things after the opening loss to the Grizzlies and closing out tight third periods in both crossover wins.

ISCA Grizzlies

Andrew Rutherford was the heartbeat of the Grizzlies’ 4–0 day, scoring in multiple games and driving the transition game with speed and finish.
Matt Tofte, Brian Cutler, Evan Knoll, Santo Competiello, Jim McGrath, and Bret Shaffer shared the offensive load, with McGrath and Cutler kick-starting the scoring in the opener against the Trash Pandas and Tofte/Competiello keying the middle-game outbursts.
John Ruggiero and Charlie Ruzkowski provided reliable two-way play, frequently on the ice in key situations and chipping in with goals and primary assists.
Between the pipes, Taylor Boss was quietly excellent, backstopping all three on-floor wins and allowing two goals or fewer in each start, giving ISCA the only perfect record of the event (plus the forfeit result).

Champion Purple Pandas

Alex Doria put together a big offensive day, scoring and setting up goals in multiple games, capped by a multi-point performance in the 7–6 barnburner against the Icee Boys.
Zane Claudio was a consistent finisher, opening the scoring against Morristown, producing in the loss to the Grizzlies, and contributing again in the late-night shootout win.
Jimmy Dean, Brian Spagnoli, Dale Konop, and Paul Golembiewski all had notable moments, with Dean and Spagnoli driving the attack in the early 3–0 burst versus Mach 1 and Golembiewski stepping up with key points in the comeback over the Icee Boys.
Goaltender Tim Currie faced quality chances all day and gave his team a chance to hang around against three of the hottest offensive groups in the building.

ISCA Icee Boys

Despite a tough day in the standings, Andrew Sadati, Joey Deatherage, Garret Negron, Anthony Oliveri, Griffin Iglesias, and Steven Luzio all produced meaningful offense. The line of Sadati–Deatherage–Luzio was particularly dangerous in the 7–6 thriller with the Purple Pandas.
Negron and Aren Bekarian provided punch from the back end, with Negron scoring early against the Trash Pandas and Bekarian piling up assists in the later games.
Goaltender James Antonacci weathered heavy shot volumes in all three starts he finished, making enough saves to keep several games within striking distance late.

Mach 1 Rinkster Empire

Chris Dehnert was Mach 1’s offensive catalyst, scoring in all three of their played games and consistently generating chances from the high slot and off the rush.
Victor Mihaiu, Ryan Wing, Matt Armbruster, Mike Landa, and Sebastian Puerta all chipped in key goals, highlighted by Mihaiu’s and Dehnert’s late push in the 7–5 loss to Morristown and the complete team comeback in the 4–3 win over the Purple Pandas.
AJ Frey battled in net throughout the day, facing some of the heaviest firepower in the event and keeping Mach 1 competitive deep into games against both Garden State powers and fellow Mid-Atlantic opponents.

With three different clubs making strong cases at the top – and inter-division matchups between Garden State and Mid-Atlantic sides proving highly competitive – the ISCA festival set the tone for what should be a compelling Minor season as these teams cross paths again later in the schedule.