18u Premier
The 18u Premier division will have a lot of eyes on it this weekend as it features teams that play a hard nose style of hockey that Junior and College coaches love. With how tight the standings were all season in this division we would not be shocked if any of these teams walked away with the AY crown.
The Favorite
Philadelphia Little Flyers
Dave Doorman's group may have a little more motivation after struggling to score goals in the NAPHL playoffs last weekend. His group went undefeated in AYHL play going 16-0-2 during the regular season and are a deep experienced team with solid goaltending.
The Contender
New Jersey Titans
George Haviland knows how to get the most out of his squad come playoff time. The Titans play a physical brand of hockey that is hard to play against as it wears down their opponent. They have enough scoring lead by NAHL Titan Tender Ethan Wongus and Boston College Commit Justin Solovey to outscore anyone in the 18u division.
Prediction
Philadelphia Little Flyers
18u Elite
Finishing up tied for first were the Long Island Royas and the New Jersey Devils Youth with 36 points respectfully. In a tight race for the fourth spot the Saints edged out Mercer and Palmyra a few points to clinch the playoff birth.
The Favorite
New Jersey Devils Youth
With a winning record vs the Long Island Royals they are looked at as the team to beat in the division. Goaltenders Matthew Dworkowitz and Gavin Schornstein provide a good 1 to 2 punch in net and a group of forwards that have shown they can score at will make them scary. If they can stay out of the penalty box and control their emotions, they will be a hard out.
The Contender
Long Island Royals
Hard to see another team in the Elite division that can skate with the Devils other than the Royals. In their match up's with the Devils this season, they saw highly competitive games. A balanced attack to go with a heavy style of hockey makes them a threat.
Prediction
Long Island Royals
16u Premier
The 16u division was one of the most skilled divisions in the United States as it features several USHL and OHL draft picks. The Avalanche lead the way with an undefeated season, followed by a two-loss season by the Junior Flyers. The Colonials showed they have the ability to skate with the big dogs in the division along the with the Flyers Elite.
The Favorite
North Jersey Avalanche
Undefeated for a reason the Avalanche are loaded with talent that makes it hard for their opponents to match up against. It's easy to talk about 06' sensation Cole Hutson as he accumulated 62 points on the blue line for the Avalanche, but 05 Ryan Carr has been impressive all year as well in a support D role. Their forward group is fast and is a must watch.
The Contender
Junior Flyers
The only team in the 16u division that can contend with the Avalanche in terms of the skill are the Junior Flyers. Although they struggled vs the Avalanche throughout the season, they have enough fire power behind Trey Jefferis and Jake Lewis to keep up with the pace. In reality if the Flyers are going to find a way to host the AY banner, Dylan Krick will have to be huge in net for the Flyers. Look for Krick to have his coming out party...
Prediction
Junior Flyers
16u American
North Jersey Avalanche and the Long Island Royals proved to be head and shoulders better than most of the division. Often playing tight games with each other, these two are well on their way to facing each other in the championship.
The Favorite
North Jersey Avalanche
Sitting in first in the division they are the favorite, however this squad can be streaky. If they are clicking on all cylinders, they should be able to walk away with the trophy. This group features a lot of high school hockey talent which draws concerns on who shows up for them, making them vulnerable.
The Contender
Long Island Royals
They feature a group of forwards that has been proven to score. If their scoring does not dry up and they get timely saves from Alessandro Giulietti and Jack Kiel through out the weekend they have more than a punchers chance to win.
Prediction
Long Island Royals
15u Premier
The deepest division in the AYHL top to bottom was the 15u division. All four teams battling it out in the playoffs have a chance to take home the trophy, especially with the Avalanche missing top player Christian Chouha. The Avalanche finished up the regular season undefeated with the Jr. Flyers, Saints and Valley Forge battled it out for seeds 2-4. All four teams spent time in the top 25 this year and Valley Forge the 4th seed won the USHL cup.
The Favorite
North Jersey Avalanche
Even with missing Christian Chouha, the Avalanche provide a ton of fire power up front. John Mustard has been picking up his scoring lately and Michael Schmelzer has really rounded out his game the second half of the year picking up the slack. On defense a lot of eyes will be on the intriguing Julian Brown who has made his opponents lives difficult this year. If the Avalanche get flustered, they are vulnerable...
The Contender
New York Saints
Of the four teams in the playoffs the Saints probably lack the least amount of household names. But what they do provide is a well-structured style of play that everyone buys into on the team. Exactly the recipe needed to beat the Junior Flyers and put a scare into the Avalanche.
Prediction
North Jersey Avalanche
15u National Elite
In a good year for the lower division in terms of competition in cross over games, first year member Palmyra finished in first. The CT Chiefs and Little Flyers also showed the ability to play up a level which bodes well for playoff entertainment this weekend.
The Favorite
Palmyra
Not an overly skilled team but a well-coached balanced attack makes them hard to beat. They have shown the ability to change their playing style and to make adjustments when needed. They have won many different ways this year and look for that to continue.
The Contender
CT Chiefs
A very streaky team that can catch fire at any moment. They are a top-heavy team offensively but their depth plays with energy and do a lot of things well that help a team win. Their scorers have the ability to score in bunches which they have done all year.
Prediction
Palmyra
14u Major National
The top four seeds are as impressive as any other teams in the country and have the ability to beat each other on any night. The Flyers Elite finished up first in the division with only 2 losses on the year, while the Avalanche, Junior Flyers and Little Caps battled it out for seeds 2-4. No seeded team had more than 4 losses on the year showing the dominance this group had over their opponents.
The Favorite
Flyers Elite
With their only two AYHL losses coming back in September and October it is easy to say this team is clicking on all cylinders. They are a physically mature group that can play the game with a ton of pace. What makes them even harder to beat is the fact they do not beat themselves as they are an extremely disciplined bunch. Forward Jackson Vaites has been on a scoring tear all year with 42 points but fellow teammates Wyatt Ewanchyna, Jake Schults and defensemen Anthony Yeager have been equally as impressive.
The Contender
Junior Flyers
The Avalanche have a good case to be the contender, but the Junior Flyers play a more complete game that mimics how the Flyers Elite play. With enough scoring power, their team defense is what makes them even more impressive as they have given up the least number of goals this season in the AY. Goaltenders Ryan Cameron and Patrick Quinlan have posted ridiculous numbers this year and the team is averaging 1.32 GAA.
Prediction
Flyers Elite
14u Major American
Top seeds Palmyra and the New Jersey Titans have shown the ability to skate with the top teams in the National division regularly. While 3 and 4 seeds the Long Island Royals and New Jersey Colonials have pushed Palmyra and the Titans in division play hard. The American is wide open as these teams have shown they are pretty even throughout the year.
The Favorite
Palmyra
The first year AY team is a deep heavy team that is physically mature making them a pain for the smaller teams in the AY to deal with. They have no issues putting the puck in the net as Blake Umberger and Ethan Coots have proven to be two of the better players in the AYHL for the 07 year. Both Palymra goaltenders Jacob Aranda and Alexander Placeres have shown the ability to get the job done when needed.
The Contender
New Jersey Titans
The Titan 07 group has had a tremendous turn around this season overall. They are a group that never goes away and competes hard whistle to whistle. They are extremely detailed in their approach and have proven to be prepared every game with a game plan. They have slipped up a little the second half but it looks Coach Biggs got his guys back on track at the NAPHL playoffs.
Prediction
Palmyra
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