Atlantic Youth Hockey League

2015 AYHL All-Star Saturday Recap

Release Date : 01/22/2014

HAMDEN, CONN. – The Atlantic Youth Hockey League held its 2015 All-Star Games at the High Point Solutions Arena at the TD Bank Sports Center, on the campus of Quinnipiac University. T

he games were held at the Bantam Major 14U, Midget Minor 16U National and the Midget Major 18U levels. The 18U game was a returning feature to the AYHL All-Star Saturday.

It was a clean sweep for Team Blue as they defeated Team White 4-3 (14U), 5-2 (16U) and 5-3 (18U) in front of the watchful eyes of many Division I and Junior scouts.

In the opening game, the closest game of the afternoon, Team Comcast forward Kyle Knight (’00 birth year/Mantua, N.J.) scored an late third period goal that would prove to be the game-winner as Team Blue overcame a 2-1 deficit to defeat Team White.

After New Jersey Rockets forward Trevor Clemson (’00 birth year/Westfield, N.J.) opened the day’s scoring, giving Team White an early lead, Team Comcast forward Max Kouznetsov (’00 birth year/Voorhees, N.J.) tied the game up for Team Blue.

Long Island Royals forward Jason Ruszkowski (’00 birth year/South Setauket, N.Y.) would light the lamp at the end first period to give Team White a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.

Team Blue would add score a pair of goals just 1:51 apart to take a brief lead before a Jake Veillieux (’00 birth year/South Windsor, Conn.) would again tie the game at the intermission, setting the stage for Knight’s game-winner.

Team Comcast’s Ian Graiff (’00 birth year/Newfield, N.J.) picked up the win in goal with a scoreless third period.

In the 16U game, first period goals from Mercer Chiefs forward Jon Bendorf (’99 birth year/Yardville, N.J.) and Connecticut Wolfpack forward Jordan Seyfert (’99 birth year/Annville, Pa.) and a shutout first period from the Wolfpack’s Simeon Pincombe (’99 birth year/Skolkie, Ill.) were too much to overcome as Team Blue skated away with a 5-2 victory. The three-goal margin of victory was the largest of the afternoon.

After the two-goal first period, Team Blue would add to their lead in the second on a goal by the Wolfpack’s Joey Cipollone (’99 birth year/Purchase, N.Y.).

Team White would finally get on the board five minutes into the second period when Team Comcast’s Matt Cassidy (’99 birth year/Medford, N.J.) buried one home.

Comcast’s Kyle Weller (’98 birth year/Philadelphia, Pa.) would score thirty seconds into the final period to reclaim Team Blue’s two-goal lead.

North Jersey Avalanche forward Augie Burkhardt (’98 birth year/New York, N.Y.) would again trim the Blue lead to one before Weller scored his second of the game to provide the game’s final margin.

Long Island Gulls netminder Vin Capezza (’99 birth year/Bayside, N.Y.) made nine saves in his one period of work for Team White and Pincombe picked up the win for Blue.

In the day’s final game, third period goals from Team Comcast forward Nick Polsinelli (’96 birth year/Galloway, N.J.) and Connecticut Wolfpack forward Tyler Hackett (’96 birth year/Branford, Conn.) were the difference as Team Blue defeated Team White 5-3.

Comcast’s Ryan Conlin (’96 birth year/Sewell, N.J.) scored a pair of first period goals just five minutes apart for Team White but was matched by Avalanche forward Chris Grando (’96 birth year/Islip, N.Y.) and the Wolfpack’s Danny Tyczynski (’97 birth year/Durham, Conn.), who also scored just five minutes apart, as the teams were deadlocked at the first intermission.

Tyczynski would score his second of the game five minutes into the second period to give Team Blue a lead, but Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Junior Knights forward John Yenchak (’96 birth year/Wyoming, Pa.), would match Tyczynski’s goal, lighting the lamp with a little more than a minute to play in the period.

Avalanche goaltender Jordan Bustard (’96 birth year/Flanders, N.J.) would then shutout Team White, making twelve, third-period saves, to pick up the win after Polsinelli put Team Blue up for good early in the period.

The twelve saves for Bustard were the high-water mark in saves for the entire afternoon and one of only three shutout periods on the day.

Carmo Photography was on hand snapping team photos and action photos of all the AYHL All-Stars and Fast Hockey was on hand filming all the action. DVD copies, with full play-by-play are available for purchase for those unable to purchase on-site.