The East Coast Elite League (ECEL) U16 Playoffs delivered a competitive and fast‑paced weekend, showcasing the depth of talent and parity across the league. Regular season results established playoff seeding, but once the puck dropped, the slate was wiped clean and every game carried championship weight.
Regular Season Seeds
- Nassau County Lions
- Long Beach Lightning
- Long Island Rebels
- Ontario Hockey Academy
- Central Penn Panthers
Nassau County earned the top seed and received a Friday bye, which counted as a three‑point win in the playoff standings. The remaining four teams battled through Friday and Saturday, with Sunday reserved for semifinal crossovers and the championship game.
Friday Results
Long Beach Lightning 6, Central Penn Panthers 3
Long Beach opened the weekend with an offensive statement, led by a two‑goal performance from Desmond Deacon. Balanced scoring powered the Lightning, with Samuel Polyakov (1G, 1A), James Shields (1G, 1A), James Quinn (1G, 1A), and Andrew Versace (2A) all recording multi‑point games. Lucas Goldyn contributed two assists for Central Penn, but the Panthers were unable to keep pace.
Long Island Rebels 6, Ontario Hockey Academy 2
Jonathan Grande delivered a standout performance for the Rebels, recording a hat trick and adding an assist (3G, 1A). Max Meszaros scored both goals for OHA in the loss, while Joseph Scholz anchored the Rebels with 31 saves.
Saturday Results
Long Island Rebels 4, Central Penn Panthers 1
The Rebels continued their strong play behind balanced production. Luke Anderson (1G, 1A), Liam McNamara (1G, 1A), and Danny Disque (1G, 1A) each recorded two points. Tyler Sapoff turned aside 28 shots in the win.
Nassau County Lions 3, Ontario Hockey Academy 2
In a tightly contested matchup, Nassau edged OHA behind a game‑winning goal from Matthew Rudzewick with 10:52 remaining in the second half. Royce Delormier scored both goals for Ontario in the loss.
Long Beach Lightning 6, Long Island Rebels 3
Trailing 3-2 entering the second half, Long Beach erupted for four unanswered goals to secure the win. Hayden Landry and Cody Pichichero each scored twice, while Dylan Gormezano was outstanding in net, stopping 45 shots.
Nassau County Lions 6, Central Penn Panthers 2
Nassau’s offense came alive as Max Adelstein scored twice. Matthew Scaccia (2G, 1A) and Joseph Dunphy (1G, 2A) each recorded three points in the victory.
Ontario Hockey Academy 5, Long Beach Lightning 4 (Shootout)
One of the weekend’s most thrilling games ended in a shootout win for OHA. Simon Boris scored twice, Lucas Huand added a goal and an assist, and Eloy Escobar made 37 saves. John Schwenker was exceptional for Long Beach with 46 saves, while Maxim Gorentsuk netted the shootout winner.
Semifinal Matchups
Following pool play, the four advancing teams were seeded as follows:
- Nassau County Lions (3‑0‑0)
- Long Beach Lightning (2‑0‑1)
- Long Island Rebels (2‑1‑0)
- Ontario Hockey Academy (1‑2‑0)
Semifinal 1: Nassau County Lions 3, Ontario Hockey Academy 1
Matthew Rudzewick continued his strong weekend, scoring twice to lift Nassau into the championship game.
Semifinal 2: Long Beach Lightning 3, Long Island Rebels 1
James Quinn led the way for Long Beach with a goal and an assist, while Dylan Gormezano made 34 saves to secure the Lightning’s spot in the final.
Championship Game
Long Beach Lightning 4, Nassau County Lions 2
The championship matchup lived up to the moment, as Long Beach Lightning captured the ECEL U16 title with a 4-2 victory over Nassau County. Cody Pichichero (1G, 2A) and James Quinn (1G, 2A) each recorded three‑point performances, while Dylan Gormezano once again delivered a lights‑out effort in goal. Matthew Rudzewick scored both goals for Nassau in the loss.
James Quinn was named Tournament MVP after a dominant playoff performance that consistently drove Long Beach’s offense.
Congratulations & Thank You
Congratulations to the Long Beach Lightning, your ECEL U16 Playoff Champions.
The ECEL would like to thank all participating teams for an outstanding playoff weekend and for competing in our ECEL showcases throughout the season. The level of play, sportsmanship, and commitment from every organization made for a tremendous year.
We look forward to building on this momentum for an exciting 2026-2027 ECEL season.