New Jersey Rockets ~ 18U Northeast Pack Champions
Congratulations to the 18U New Jersey Rockets team on being crowned league champions for the 2023-2024 season. New Jersey Rockets defeated the Long Island Gulls 8-4 in the championship game that was played on the Aud Ice at the Utica University Nexus Center. After round robin play, the Rockets advanced to the semi-finals and won 5-4 in overtime against Mount St. Charles. "I am really proud of my team to win one of the hardest championships in the country against all top 15 teams in the country," said New Jersey Rockets Head Coach Noel Rubin. "We got great goaltending from Jason Cai who has been to the Northeast Pack finals 2 years prior and came up short. He was motivated today to get the championship as the third time was the charm for him. My top line played excellent all weekend. Brent Beswick scored the OT winner vs. Mount in the semis. Max Pendy had 6 points in the finals (3g, 3a), and Christian Chouha (1g, 2a). Michael Smelzner had 2 goals in the final and finished the tournament with 5 goals and 2 assists. Returning players from last year's championship that brought great experience were Joe Fenton, Vin Bronzo, Chouha, Pendy, Joe Wall, Nico Evangelista and Evan Jones."