Shockwave Rolls on New Stillmat Surface at Yellow Breeches

PIHA’s first visit of the season to Yellow Breeches Sports Center doubled as a test drive for the venue’s brand new Stillmat floor – and the surface passed with flying colors. Fast, clean, and consistent, it set the stage for a ten-game Minor slate featuring the Marple Geese Chasers, Marple SK Labeda Gladiators, Steel City Shockwave, Pottstown Rink Rat Iron Knights, and Susquehanna Scream, each playing four important early-season games.

By the end of the day, Steel City Shockwave had emerged as the clear pace-setter at 4–0, while both Marple clubs made strong statements and Pottstown and Susquehanna showed flashes that this building will not be an easy stop for anyone this year.

Game-by-Game Overview

• Marple Geese Chasers 5, Susquehanna Scream 2 – 12:00 PM
  The Geese Chasers opened the day with a businesslike win, jumping out early and never really letting Susquehanna settle in. They dictated pace on the new floor and banked a comfortable first two points.

• Pottstown Rink Rat Iron Knights 1, Marple SK Labeda Gladiators 7 – 12:40 PM
  The Gladiators immediately showed their teeth in their opener, overwhelming Pottstown with speed and puck movement. A 7–1 final underscored just how dangerous this group is when they get rolling.

• Steel City Shockwave 8, Marple Geese Chasers 6 – 1:20 PM
  In one of the day’s most entertaining games, Steel City and Marple traded goals in a high-tempo, end-to-end affair. Shockwave found a little extra finish late to pull away in an 8–6 decision that hinted at how explosive their offense would be all day.

• Susquehanna Scream 5, Pottstown Rink Rat Iron Knights 9 – 2:00 PM
  Both teams opened things up in the highest-scoring game of the early block. Susquehanna’s attack finally broke through, but Pottstown rode a multi-line push and timely shooting to a 9–5 victory and their first win of the event.

• Marple SK Labeda Gladiators 3, Steel City Shockwave 6 – 2:40 PM
  In a key measuring-stick matchup, Steel City answered the Gladiators’ early momentum with a strong response of their own. Shockwave doubled up Marple SK 6–3, using their transition game and depth to stay perfect.

• Pottstown Rink Rat Iron Knights 2, Marple Geese Chasers 11 – 3:20 PM
  The Geese Chasers erupted in their most dominant outing of the day, pouring in eleven goals and putting the game out of reach early. Pottstown found a couple of answers, but Marple’s attack was simply too much in this one.

• Marple SK Labeda Gladiators 8, Susquehanna Scream 2 – 4:00 PM
  The Gladiators bounced back emphatically, rolling to an 8–2 win over the Scream. Marple SK controlled the puck, controlled the tempo, and tightened things up defensively as they moved to 2–1 on the day.

• Steel City Shockwave 4, Pottstown Rink Rat Iron Knights 1 – 4:40 PM
  Shockwave proved they could win a tighter, more defensive game as well. A disciplined effort and another strong closing stretch carried Steel City to a 4–1 victory and a 3–0 start.

• Marple Geese Chasers 5, Marple SK Labeda Gladiators 6 (OT) – 5:20 PM
  The all-Marple showdown delivered exactly what you would expect: pace, skill, and drama. The Geese Chasers and Gladiators traded chances all game long before Marple SK found the overtime winner, claiming the 6–5 decision and bragging rights in what felt like a playoff preview.

• Susquehanna Scream 3, Steel City Shockwave 12 – 6:00 PM
  Steel City closed their day with authority, exploding for a 12-goal performance and finishing the festival at 4–0. Susquehanna managed to generate some offense of their own, but Shockwave’s attack was relentless in the finale and capped off a statement day on the new Stillmat surface.

Festival Snapshot

Even without full statistical sheets, some early storylines were clear by the end of Saturday:

• Steel City Shockwave finished a perfect 4–0, combining volume scoring (30 goals on the day) with enough structure in their own end to allow just 13 against.

• The Marple SK Labeda Gladiators closed at 3–1, with their only loss coming to Steel City and their day capped by a dramatic OT win over the Geese Chasers.

• The Marple Geese Chasers went 2–1–1, highlighted by an 11-goal outburst versus Pottstown and a controlling win in the opener, plus a hard-fought OT point against their organizational counterparts.

• The Pottstown Rink Rat Iron Knights finished 1–3, but their nine-goal explosion against Susquehanna showed they can be dangerous in any given game.

• The Susquehanna Scream ended 0–4, yet had stretches in multiple games where they pushed the pace and found offense; as they settle in on the new floor and get more reps, their results should tighten.

With a successful first PIHA Minor festival now in the books at Yellow Breeches and the new Stillmat floor officially broken in, the stage is set for a strong home slate in New Cumberland as the season progresses and full game data rolls in.