The second season of the Middle Village Roller Hockey League has officially ended this month, with a newly named champion team winning the league’s first-ever Spring Season games.
The Thunder Trucks defeated the reigning MVP Champions, the High Flyers, to take home the Queens Moloney Cup on Sunday, June 9, at the final championship game of the season. The defending champions battled against what were considered the underdogs in a head-to-head game that ultimately led to a final 4-1 victory for the Thunder Trucks.
Among the many players in this season’s games were a few standout roller hockey fanatics who brought their teams together. All-star Thomas Cernan, playing for the Thunder Trucks, scored the game’s first goal for his team, which was quickly answered back by High Flyer Max Byhoff, who scored his first goal ever in the season on championship game day.
Additional Goals by Freddy Faulkner and the Pogo Boys brought the trophy home for the Thunder Trucks. Team goalie Anthony Corso turned away 28 of the 29 shots he faced. Coach Pranav Vaki, leading the way for The Thunder Trucks victory, accompanied by bench coaches Thomas Schmidt, Richard Mundy and Charles Troche, set the tone for the Thunder Trucks all season long with three successful game days prior to Sunday.
The Thunder Trucks Finished third in the regular season standings with a 4-4 record.
Last year’s champions, the High Flyers, gave the Thunder Trucks a run for their spot all season, touting a tremendous 8-2 record leading up to the playoffs. The High Flyers coaches Michael Concepcion and Glen Santos reaped the benefits of unwavering fan and parent support, and High Flyers captain Nazariy Hirnyak, named best player in the league, was backed by his first line — including Joey Chierichella, Alex Wilkos, Nicholas Rybacki, Liam Redaj and Maksym Berezhnyi.
The High Flyers also featured a very solid second line in the season, led by Anthony Wilkos, his brother Benji Wilkos, linemates Julian Izydorczyk, Marcel Zolech, Henrick Santos, Brian Nowasad, Max Byhoff and star Defenseman Patryk Burbula.
High Flyers coach Michael Concepcion illustrated tremendous sportsmanship by handing over the High Flyers’ championship belt to the Thunder’s coaching staff. Furthermore, Coach Concepcion assisted the Thunder Coaches in handing out the 1st-place Trophies to his opponents, recognizing the players’ commitment to the games.
Although not all the MVP teams were able to make it to the final games, their entries into the playoffs and season games made for more history-making moments for the revived Middle Village league.
In the playoffs leading up to the championship game, on Tuesday, June 4, the Dolphins defeated the Cardinals to secure their spot in the semi-finals.
The Cardinals sought victory over the Dolphins with team captains Mason Monahan, Frank Ehrhart, Mathew Koenig and Goalie Gino Campo at the ready, but they will have to wait for another shot at the final next season.
Dolphins coaches Bill Browne, Brendan Sexton and Daniel Porr centered their teams’ training around defense and passing the puck, which ultimately paid off. The Dolphins were carried all year by league-leading scorer and team captain Quinn Tashiro. His line mates, the Sexton Brothers, Patrick Fegan, Damian Maselbas and Joquinn Lozano, supported the high performer.
The Dolphins second line stepped up big in the absence of their team captain Jake Browne and Drew Porr, along with his linemates Abraham Zhang, Wulan Zhang, John Macchio, Henry Rock and top defenseman Noah Belopolsky.
Shortly after, the first of two semi-finals held on Saturday, June 8, the High Flyers defeated the Dolphins in the first game of the day. The High Flyers team captain Nazariy Hirnyak, the Wilkos Brothers, Julian Izydorczyk and their goaltender Juan Jose, who posted the second shutout in the young league’s history, led the charge towards the championships.
The second semi-final matchup of the Saturday featured the Thunder Trucks and Tigers battling in a 2-2 regulation stalemate that required the league’s first-ever overtime to decide a winner. The Thunder prevailed in overtime with a game-winning goal from Jack Pogozelski.
Freddy Faulkner and Paul Pogozelski Jr. also netted goals for their winning team.
Tigers coach Gary Posylkin, alongside bench coaches Eugene McPhillips and Mathew Restrepo, guided their team to an overall spectacular season with the league’s best record with the High Flyers at 7-1, although facing defeat.
Tigers team captains Simon Steskal and Daniel Krawiec tallied their two scores with the help of goalie Alex Sliwa. The Team also featured a very strong second line with team captain Misha Carbonari, strikers Alexander Posylkin and Jojo Anderson and defensive standouts Conor Mcphillips, Landon Restrepo, Ava Tucci and AJ Tucci.
The Tigers first lineman and standout defensive player, Daniel Gonzalez, worked collaboratively with his linemates Jax Kuchinski, Jax Anderson and Aidan Cavanaugh to help earn the team’s best league record.
Middle Village Players Roller Hockey President Paul Pogozelski thanked The Ridgewood Times for its continued coverage of the League.
Pogozelski also shared a special thank you to league executives Eileen Moloney, Pete Mastrandea and Giedre Pogozelski and referees Zachary Mitchell, Peter Pieniadz Thomas Pieniadz.
The league’s sponsors, State Senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., Council Member Robert Holden and The New York City Department of Parks and Recreation, were also thanked by Pogozelski for their contributions and continued support.
MVP Roller Hockey will begin its Summer Season on Tuesday, July 9, followed by the Fall Season in September. MVP Roller Hockey looks forward to seeing the public at the James Bohan Memorial Rink.
Additional information and reporting were provided by MVP Roller Hockey League President Paul Pogozelski.
