The East Coast Elite League (ECEL) opened the 2026–27 season this past weekend with the ECEL Fall Classic, held September 18–20 at the Mullins Center and Mullins Center Practice Rink at UMass Amherst. The showcase brought together teams across the 15U, 16U, and 18U divisions for a weekend of competitive hockey and strong individual performances.
16U Division
The 16U division featured a competitive weekend with Long Beach Lightning, Central Penn Panthers, Western MA Vipers, and Ontario Hockey Academy all battling throughout the showcase.
The Long Beach Lightning finished the weekend with a 3-0-1 record, opening the showcase with a 5-3 win over Central Penn. Cooper Gallow and Kelly Cardo each recorded a goal and an assist in the victory. Long Beach later earned a hard-fought 2-1 win over Ontario Hockey Academy, with Paxton Lombardo scoring the game-winning goal with just 2:41 remaining.
Long Beach closed out the showcase with another strong performance against Central Penn, earning a 6-2 victory after outscoring the Panthers 5-0 in the second half. Akio Therrien led the way with four points (2G, 2A), while Luca Petrone added three points (1G, 2A). Long Beach also picked up a shootout victory over Western MA Vipers in a back-and-forth matchup Saturday night.
The Central Penn Panthers finished the weekend 2-2-0 and received several standout performances. Drew Groft recorded a hat trick in a 4-1 victory over Western MA, while goaltender Brant Fauth made 23 saves in the win. Against Ontario Hockey Academy, Shane Fleming scored twice, including the game-winning goal with 7:47 remaining.
Western MA Vipers finished the showcase 1-1-1, including a 3-2 victory over Ontario Hockey Academy on Sunday. Nolan Kalinowski scored twice in the win, while Chayton Massa added a goal and an assist.
Ontario Hockey Academy battled throughout the weekend, finishing with a 0-4-0 record.
15U Division
The Mid Hudson Polar Bears turned in a dominant weekend at 15U, finishing the Fall Classic with a perfect 4-0-0 record.
Mid Hudson opened the weekend with a 7-5 victory over Elite Hockey Academy. George Goodwin led the way with four points (1G, 3A), while AJ Guzzo added three points (2G, 1A) and Devin Achord recorded three points (1G, 2A). John Greifzu led Elite Hockey Academy with three points (1G, 1A).
Mid Hudson continued its strong weekend with a 7-1 victory over Western MA Vipers before defeating the Springfield T-Birds 5-2. Despite being outshot 45-26, Mid Hudson goaltender Patrick Darragh stopped 43 shots to preserve the win. Henry Pedersen also put together a standout performance, recording a hat trick and an assist.
The Polar Bears closed out the showcase with a 7-0 shutout win over Western MA Vipers. Guzzo recorded three points (2G, 1A), Goodwin added three points (1G, 2A), and Darragh stopped all 11 shots he faced to record the shutout.
The 15U Fall Classic results saw Mid Hudson finish 4-0-0, followed by Elite Hockey Academy at 0-1-0, Springfield T-Birds at 0-1-0, and Western MA Vipers at 0-2-0.
18U Division
The 18U competition featured Nassau County Lions and Western MA Vipers in a pair of games throughout the weekend.
The Nassau County Lions finished the showcase with a 3-0-0 record. Nassau opened the weekend with a strong offensive performance and continued its run with a 5-3 victory over Western MA Vipers. Matthew Mulder recorded three assists in the win, while Nicholas Matos scored twice.
Nassau added another victory Sunday, defeating Western MA 4-1. Matthew Scaccia scored twice, while Leo Soria recorded two assists and Kolya Umlauf contributed a goal and an assist.
Western MA Vipers finished the showcase with a 0-2-0 record.
Looking Ahead
The ECEL thanks all teams, coaches, players, and families for contributing to a successful opening showcase of the 2026–27 season. The league now looks ahead to the ECEL Winter Classic, set to take place January 8–10, 2027 at the Ralph Walker Ice Rink in New Haven, CT. The ECEL looks forward to another exciting showcase weekend as teams return to the ice in January.
Follow the ECEL for updates, scores, and highlights throughout the 2026–27 season.