Offense on display of Day 1 of Pittsburgh event
Defenseman Zach Hixon led the Esmark Stars 16U team to two wins on Day 1.
The sixth NAPHL event of the 2020-21 season got underway on Friday at the Pittsburgh Ice Arena in Pittsburgh, PA. NAPHL 18U and 16U Central and East Division teams were in action and the day featured plenty of scoring and offense. Day 2 begins at 8am on Saturday.
Now in its 12th season, no other USA Hockey youth league does more for its players than the NAPHL. Operated by the full-time staff of the North American Hockey League (NAHL), who make it their mission to outperform others both on and off the ice in promoting its players. The NAPHL has proved over the years that the league is a great stepping-stone for development and training for young hockey players looking to gain experience and knowledge to work their way up to the National level.
The NAPHL continues to monitor local and federal guidelines and will follow the recommendations in place. Even with everyone’s participation, the NAPHL cannot eliminate all risk associated with Covid-19. By choosing to participate, players and guests are assuming the risk of contracting Covid-19 at the event. With that said, we need everyone's cooperation and commitment to follow the Return To Play guidelines as outlined by the Pittsburgh Ice Arena. A few of those guidelines are listed below but it is important that you become familiar with all of the Return To Play guidelines: Read Here
- Two (2) spectators per player enter at game time (NO GATE FEE)
- Everyone must wear a mask upon entrance to the arena
- Players may enter the arena 15 minutes prior to game
- Players and spectators must exit the facilities one the game ends
For those who will not be attending, all NAPHL games will be broadcast live on HockeyTV by selecting the Elite Package.
*Schedules subject to change
Download the NAHL App to keep up to date with NAPHL scores (iOS - Google Play)
NAPHL merchandise will be on sale during the event. NAPHL merchandise is sold exclusively and only at NAPHL events and features the hottest and newest styles of sweatshirts, t-shirts, shorts, hats, and more!
Food Trucks: Throughout the weekend during the NAPHL event in Pittsburgh, food trucks will be offering a variety of tasty food that you can enjoy for lunch or dinner. It’s a fun experience, so ENJOY! Here are some of those scheduled to be on site:
- Wicked Ribs n'at
- La Catrina on Wheels
- Kona Ice
- PGH Crepes
- Del Vecchio Sausage & Fries
- Java Jeffrey Coffee
- PGH Halal Truck
- CFP Cafe Truck (City Fresh Pasta)
- Cousins Maine Lobster (as seen on Shark Tank) - Friday only!!!
Day 1 Recaps
18U Division: The NAPHL event in Pittsburgh got off to a hot start with five 18U games highlighting the action on day one. Florida Alliance and the Cleveland Barons got things started in a game that saw Florida take an early lead through 20, but the Barons netted two in the second period for a 3-2 win. Indy then took down Tri-State 2-1 as the teams traded third-period tallies, before Esmark hammered Team Maryland 6-2 on the back of an Edward Pazo hat-trick and two goals by John Camp. Day one also saw some OT action, as the Skipjacks and Meijer went down to the wire. After 60 minutes solved nothing with the teams knotted at three, Emerson Goode played hero for Meijer with the overtime game-winner just over a minute into the extra frame. The day's final tilt was arguably the most thrilling, as Philadelphia and Carshield put on an 11-goal barnburner to cap off the opening slate. Carshield raced out to an early 3-0 lead, but the Little Flyers quickly erased that deficit in the second period. And when Carshield again took the lead late in the frame, Philly responded with another tying effort early in the third. Not to be denied, Carshield -- led by Tyler Cullenton completing his hat-trick -- slotted home three more goals for a 7-4 victory.
16U Division: Offense was the theme of the day at the 16U level, with each winning team recording at least five goals. Esmark opened the day with a comfortable 6-2 win over Tri-State, led by two-goal efforts from Milan Levcenko and Shane Kozlina to eclipse Jack Joseph Fortuna's own double for the Spartans. Florida Alliance erupted for a 9-2 win over Meijer, scoring three goals in each period in a rampant victory. Later on, Carshield took a back-and-forth thriller against Philadelphia 7-5 after erasing a pair of two-goal deficits, thanks in large part to Nick Jones' hat-trick. Philadelphia took on Esmark later on and again jumped out to an early lead, but their advantage again dissipated as the Stars roared back for a 5-1 win. Finally, the Skipjacks dealt Tri-State a second loss on the day, riding two Brett LoGelfo goals and a 3-0 run through the middle portion of the game to a 5-2 victory over the Spartans to close things out. In the evening finale, Meijer AAA picked up thei first win of the event with a convincing 5-0 shutout of CarShield AAA as Logan Sutliff picked up the shutout for Meijer AAA.
