Teams fight for playoff positioning, going head-to-head against different divisions
ASTON, PA — This weekend, all 15 Eastern Hockey League teams and all 11 EHLP teams will travel to Aston, Pennsylvania, home of the Philadelphia Little Flyers, for the Broad Street Battle Showcase.
Games will take place from Friday March 6 to Monday March 9 at Ice Works Skating Complex. This year will be slightly different from previous years; the EHL and EHLP regular seasons will not end with the showcase. However, teams will still be fighting for playoff positioning while going head-to-head against organizations from different divisions.
As the final showcase of the season draws near, here are some of the top stories and things to look out for this weekend.
Top Performers Clashing
The EHL has seen some truly historic performances this season, and it starts with Express Hockey Club forward Ville Bodin. The Curry College commit holds the EHL single-season goals record and is the first player in league history to reach 50 goals in a single season. Heading into the showcase, Bodin has 83 points (50g, 33a) through 41 games. If he can maintain his scoring pace in the final nine games of the regular season, he can break Alexander Legkov’s single-season points record (97) and hit the century mark.
On Friday, Bodin and the Express will take on Hockey Club Rhode Island and two ’07 forwards who have been scoring at a torrid pace all year. Aiden Forcier is third in the league with 69 points (33g, 36a) while Ernests Muska is sixth with 61 points (23g, 38a). Rhode Island is heading into the showcase with a four-game winning streak while the Express is 4-0-1 in their last five, setting up a marquee matchup on Day One of the showcase.
Elsewhere in the East Division, Seahawks Hockey Club’s Nicky DeGeorge is having a remarkable season with 78 points (23g, 55a) through 41 games and has recorded multiple points in each of his last four contests. The Seahawks will take on the New Jersey Bears on Friday, HC Rhode Island and Saturday, and New York Apple Core on Sunday.
The hottest team heading into the Broad Street Battle is the New Hampshire Avalanche with an 11-0-1 record over their last 12 games. The Avs own the best record in the EHL at 35-5-3 and have already clinched the North Division. Ben Carfora (16g, 44a) and Danny Storella (24g, 32a) have been leading the team all season and are the seventh and eighth-highest scorers in the EHL respectively. This weekend, New Hampshire will take on the Connecticut Nor’Easter, the Little Flyers and the Pennsylvania Huntsmen.
Philadelphia Hockey Club has also surged ahead of the showcase with six consecutive wins. Sporting a 33-6-3 record, Philadelphia has a nine-point lead in the South Division. If the team wasn’t scary enough, they recently welcomed back offensive defenseman Ty Simonet. He has 13 points in 11 games (6g, 7a) including three points in his first three games since returning to the EHL. Their games will be ones to watch for as they will face the Bandits, Express and Apple Core this weekend.
Jockeying for Playoff Positioning
While the Avalanche and HC Rhode Island have clinched the North and Central Divisions respectively, plenty of other teams around the league are fighting for home-ice advantage in the fast-approaching postseason.
The Seahawks (27-10-4) are five points behind the Express for the top spot in the East Division, and a strong showcase performance can help them close the gap heading into the final two weeks of the season.
In the South Division, the New Jersey Bears (27-13-4) caught up with the New Jersey 87’s (28-13-2) and are tied for second place with 58 points each. The Bears have won four in a row, including a 4-2 victory over the 87’s on Tuesday. They will be put to the test with matchups against the Seahawks, Wizards and Nor’Easter.
Another battle for second place is happening in the Central Division. The Nor’Easter (17-22-3) is coming off a 6-3 win over Apple Core thanks to a three-point game from Josh Hauser (2g, 1a). The team is now three points behind the Providence Capitals for second in the Central, and they’ll take on the Avs, Valley Jr. Warriors and the aforementioned Bears.
EHLP and its Stars Take Center Stage
For the first time since the October showcase, all 11 EHLP teams will square off in a league-wide showcase. In addition to the 20 EHLP games taking place this weekend, the All-Star Game will be played on Saturday at 8:00 p.m. on Rink 4.
The matchup will be Team Jake vs. Team Olivia, as the teams were selected by EHL Director of Communications, Jake Basile, and Director of Hockey Operations, Olivia Scalise. Team Jake will feature standout players such as Seahawks forwards Carson Low and Orynn Freedman, while Team Olivia has the league’s leading scorer in Bears’ forward Dominic Moushon (31g, 48a, 79p).
College Hockey? In Our Junior Showcase??
Players, coaches and fans of the EHL will have an opportunity to catch postseason college hockey during the Broadstreet Battle. On Saturday at 7:00 p.m. on Rink 3, Neumann University will host Stevenson University for the Middle Atlantic Conference championship.
Both programs have several EHL alumni on their rosters and coaching staff. For Neumann, that includes former 87’s forward Ben Gibbons, Little Flyers forward Tony Andrews, Boston Jr. Rangers forward Tay Melis and Protec Jr. Ducks defenseman TJ Ezzard. Former Little Flyers defenseman Nate Dunning is also serving as an assistant coach for Neumann.
Stevenson has three former Little Flyers on the roster: forward Connor MacDonnell, defenseman Jack Costabile and goaltender Louis Finnegan. Other EHL alumni include former Pennsylvania Huntsmen forward Ryan Arendes as well as 87’s and Team Maryland goaltender Jake Hugessen.
For current EHL players, this NCAA game can be a glimpse into the future of their hockey careers as well as a learning experience to see what it takes to play in the collegiate ranks. Either way, it will be a fun addition to an already jam-packed schedule this weekend in Philadelphia.