Week 16 - Recap

As the FHL Regular Season continues to roll on, Week Sixteen has come and gone. Many huge storylines including FHL Playoff seeding, scoring races, and much more have gone into this week’s three games. After last week’s action, the Jets locked up the #1 seed, the Kings we’re solid at #2, and the Crosby’s and Bishop Boyle were tied at 7-8. Rounding out the league we’re the Hawks, standing at 6-9 and the Pirates at 5-10. Many things could and would change this week, as the Crosby’s went up against the Hawks at 11:00, the Jets took on Bishop Boyle at 12:30, and the Pirates and Kings squared up at 2:00. The Crosby’s came out buzzing this week as the Hawks were missing their Captain Matt Gori as well as leading scorer Gary Gerson. The Crosby’s scored a goal in each of the games, leading to a 3-1 series win. Leading the way scoring for the Crosby’s was Buddy Doyle. Matt Wierchowski added a goal and an assist. FHL’s leading goal scorer Roy McDonald IV did not score a goal, but tallied an assist in the win, leaving him with 34 goals on the season. The Hawks were able to win Game Three of the series 2-1 in Overtime due to Ryan Marino’s two-goal performance. Also, the Hawks picked up four penalties in the game. Jeff Rogers played his first game as a Hawk since last season, picking up two assists. The Hawks, with a loss, fell behind the Pirates into 6th place in the standings. The Crosby’s took over 2nd place in the league with their second straight win. The Jets and the Bishop Boyle Lancers went to battle this week. Each team filled with tough players like the Jets’ Mark and Tom Fetsko and Boyle’s Siniawski brothers, Nick and Zack. Each game was a war, with very close scores. Game One saw Zack Wahal find the back of the net with just seconds remaining to give the Jets a 1-0 lead. Game Two had a 1-0 Boyle lead thanks to Brian Grise erased with a goal by Jason Tatrai, and Mark Fetsko’s Shoot-Out Game Winner. After a scoreless Game Three entered Over Time, Brian Grise said no to the sweep by scoring and keeping his team alive. With momentum on their side, Boyle was set for Game Four, until Rookie of the Year Candidate Ryan Mains scored for the Jets, giving them the series win, 3-1. League Leader in Points Brian Barca scored one point for the Jets, giving him 61 on the year. For the Lancers, Nick Siniawski had two assists. The Jets remained at the top of the FHL Standings, and Boyle remained a four-seed. The Pirates, after seeing the Hawks lose, were looking to come out of the cellar of the FHL, as the Kings saw the Crosby’s put them on the brink of losing their 2nd seed with an earlier win. The Kings found out that their star defenseman Bill Seaman would not be in attendance, and were without the likes of Chad Kanz and Adam Cristallini for Game One. The Pirates had a full team for the first time since the trade deadline, when acquiring Brian Hreha, Drew Hruska, and Shane Lucas for Jeff Rogers and Dan Rojtas. Even without the likes of Kanz, Cristallini, and Seaman, the Kings took Game One with a goal by Justin Gardner in the final minutes. From there, it seemed as if the Bucs took control. A 3-1 victory in Game Two was sparked by Ryan Cleary’s two goals. Cleary then scored early in Game Three, giving the Pirates a lead. Not long after though, Chad Kanz scored, tying it up. Neil Murray scored for the Pirates, untying the game, and giving them the 2-1 series lead. Tony Bonacorso took Game Four into his own hands, scoring twice to lead the Pirates to the 3-1 series victory. Former FHL MVP Chad Kanz scored two goals for the Kings, giving him 33 on the year, one behind Crosby’s Roy McDonald. The Pirates have won 3 of 4 since the trade deadline, and have a league leading five players over twenty points, along with three more in double digits.

With the Jets, Crosby’s, and Pirates winning this week, and the Kings, Lancers, and Hawks losing this week, the standings have changed. The Crosby’s moved past the Kings into second place, and as of right now have the bye in the first round of the playoffs. Also, with a win and a Hawks loss, the Pirates hold the tiebreaker over them, taking them out of the cellar of the FHL and into fifth place. Here is an updated look at the standings: 1.) Jets: 13-3 (43-24) 64.2% 2.) Crosby’s: 8-8 (35-33) 51.5% 3.) Kings: 8-8 (33-34) 49.3% 4.) Bishop Boyle: 7-9 (31-36) 46.3% 5.) Pirates: 6-10 (31-36) 46.3% 6.) Hawks: 6-10 (27-37) 42.2% With only one week of the FHL Season left, there are still many question marks. During the final week of the season, the Jets will play the Crosby’s, the Kings and Pirates will battle, and the Hawks will go against the Bishop Boyle Lancers.