The Patriot Ice Center in Newark, DE, was buzzing with excitement over the weekend as the Defender Hockey Tournaments Delaware Spring Thaw took place. The event featured a series of intense ice hockey matches, with teams from 10U to 18U competing for the championship title in their divisions.
One of the highlights of the tournament was the 10U B Championship game, where the Hollydell Selects (Sauer) took on the Frederick Polar Bears. The game was tightly contested, with both teams playing at a high level. In the end, the Hollydell Selects emerged victorious, winning 6-5 against the Frederick Polar Bears. Bryce Donahue was the standout player for the Hollydell Selects, scoring four goals including the winning OT goal.
The Richmond Snipers also had a dominant performance, winning the 12U A Championship 12-1 against the Brandywine Outlaws. The Snipers' top goal scorer, Jake Goumenis, scored three goals, while their top points leader, Gavin Gwinn, registered an impressive nine points in the game.
In the 12U B Championship game, the Hollydell Selects once again showed their mettle, defeating the Black Bear Selects (Girls) 5-3. Jordan Roverano scored the first two goals of the game in the first period, while Nick Sauer and Collins Marchese also contributed goals in the second and third periods.
The Delaware Patriots dominated the 14U A and B Championship games, winning 5-2 against Stingers Hockey and Devil Dogs. In the 14U A Championship game, Chris Porecca was the star player, scoring four goals in the first period, while Braydn Stauder contributed with a goal in the second period. Meanwhile, in the 14U B Championship game, Derasmo, Olds, Carroll, and Watkins all scored for the Patriots, helping their team secure the win.
The 16U A Championship game between Stingers Hockey and Devil Dogs was a close match, with Stingers Hockey emerging victorious with a 3-2 score. The Devil Dogs took an early lead in the first period, with a goal from Drew Savarese assisted by Nolan Shingle. However, Stingers Hockey came back in the third period with two goals from Brayden Houser and one from Brady McMann to secure the win.
In the 18U AA/A Championship game, the Frederick Polar Bears beat Stingers Hockey 5-3 in a hard-fought game. The Polar Bears took an early lead in the first period, scoring three goals, but Stingers Hockey managed to fight back with two goals from Chase Gittens in the same period. The second period saw no goals from either team, but the Polar Bears came back strong in the third period, with Bradley Cupples scoring the GWG and Brady Gardiner adding an unassisted goal with just 10 seconds left on the clock.
Congratulations to all the teams who participated and to the champions who emerged victorious in their divisions!
