Their journey began on Thursday night when the Wings of Steel all gathered from various South Jersey towns to meet at the Buffalo Marriott. Their mission: they wanted to win the Disabled Festival Tournament for the team’s out-going seniors - Steve Potter, Nickolai Jewell and Hesham ‘E’ Nassar. On Sunday morning they accomplished that mission with a 4-2 win over a scrappy team from Minnesota, the Wild. Having gone 3-0 in their first three games, the Wings were faced with playing the title game without their starting goalie, Nate ‘Buzz’ Costa.

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Isaiah Beck snapped a 1-1 tie with three minutes left in the game as the Wings of Steel defeated the Minnesota Wild 3-1, advancing both teams to the title game in the Disable Festival in Buffalo. Jesse Beck scored midway through the first period on a breakaway as he slid the puck under the goalie and found the long side. That 1-0 lead held up until late in the third period, the Wild would get the tying goal on a shot from the point that was just under the crossbar. After taking a much-calculated time out, Coach Valentine addressed the team and stressed playing solid defense, put his top line out there and told Isaiah to go score.

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Isaiah Beck continued his torrid scoring streak adding two more goals as the Wings of Steel defeated the Nashville Sled Preds 4-1. The win caps a 2-0 day for our team and puts them in good position to advance to the finals. Hashem Nassar and JoJo Costa scored the other goals for the Wings. Beck opened the scoring in the first period going top shelf. Later in the period Mike ‘BuddhaMan’ Mauger broke down the left side and after his shot was saved, Nassar was there to put home the rebound and the lead was 2-0. Mauger appeared to give the Wings a 3-0 lead but had the goal wiped out on a crease violation.

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Isaiah Beck scored a hat trick and brother Jesse added a goal to give the Wings of Steel an opening round 5-3 win over a team from Ohio as play opened up in Buffalo for the Annual Disabled Hockey Festival. The Wings jumped out to an early 2-0 lead against former teammate Mike Reiner, who got his first start of the season in nets for Youngstown. Mike played with the Wings tournament team last year, so it was bitter-sweet playing against our former teammate. Youngstown cut the lead to 2-1 late in the first period. Wings got the lead back to 3-1 as Isaiah scored on a breakaway midway through the second period, but the scrappy kids from Ohio would not go away and cut the lead to 3-2 heading into the final period. Mike “BuddhaMan” Mauger gave the Wings some breathing room as he lifted a shot from between the circle to make it 4-2.

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Mike Hughes stopped all 22 shots as Clearview defeated Washington Township 4-0 to win the second annual NJ/DE Flyers Cup before a partisan Township crowd on Monday night. Hughes was named MVP as he did not surrender a goal in both games he started. Anthony DelleRose from Clearview led the tournament in scoring. Hughes got the start as he has had success against Township this year only giving up one goal during the regular season to the Minutemen. Having lost to Township last week for the Tier I title, Coach Volpio told his team to play their game and forget about last week and play hard, keep skating and good things will happen.

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Joseph Freda scored two goals in the opening minutes of the game and they stood up as Clearview defeated Delaware Military Academy 2-1 and advance to the finals of the NJ/DE Flyers cup and will face Washington Township in a rematch of the Tier I finals. Max Ramos stopped 20 shots for the victory. DMA started a freshman goalie in nets, Julie Emerich and after giving up the two early goals; she rebounded and shut out the Pioneers.

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Zachary Burkhardt stopped 36 shots as Washington Township defeated Salesianum 2-1 and reached the finals of the NJ/DE Flyers Cup. They await the winner of the Delaware Military Academy vs. Clearview game being played on Thursday night. To say this season has been a dream season for Burkhardt would be an understatement. Leading his team to a first place title, leading the league in wins and GAA with a 1.50 and winning the Glen Holland award for best goalie and capping it off with a Tier I Championship. With a win against Salesianum standing in the way of reaching the Finals, Burkhardt was outstanding in nets. Township dominated play in the first period scoring in the opening two minutes as Brandon Balsama, whose play over the last month has been great, put home a rebound on a shot by Matt Kammerer.

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Brandon Balsama scored two goals as Washington Township defeated HLV 5-1 and advanced to the semi-finals in the NJ/DE Flyers Cup against Salesianum. After coming off an emotional night on Monday in defeating Clearview for the Tier I Title, Township started off with 17 shots in the first period but no goals. Early in the second period, Balsama broke in and lifted a shot into the short side for a 1-0 lead. Not known as a scorer, defenseman Eric Sailor blasted a shot from the point that found its way into the net for a 2-0 lead. Sailor, who played a solid game defensively, scored just one goal all season, and you guessed it, against HLV. Nick Urban made it 3-0 midway through the period and Township was in control.

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Clearview rebounded from a loss in the championship game by having seven different players score goals and Mike Hughes stopped all 14 shots as Clearview defeated Cherokee 7-0 in the first round of the NJ/DE Flyers cup at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. Anthony DelleRose opened the scoring two minutes into the game Kyle McGovern added a power play goal four minutes later and the View led 2-0. Nick Ramos made it 3-0 late in the period and Cherokee was unable to generate much offense as Clearview would not allow any penetration down low.

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Jimmy Pollock scored two goals and assisted on another as Washington Township defeated Clearview 3-1 and win the Tier I Championship before a packed house at the Skate Zone in Voorhees. Township played defensive hockey and only allowed 13 shots for the night with Mason Gagne getting the lone goal on a power play. After a scoreless first period with neither team wanting to make a mistake, Pollock scored just over one minute into the second period with Mark Di Renzo getting the assist. Township made it 2-0 at the eight minute mark with Donovan Haslett working hard to keep the pressure on and Pollock putting home his second of the night.

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