South Shore Ball Hockey League

South Shore Ball Hockey League Join the South Shore Ball Hockey League in Marshfield, MA! We focus on fun, safety, and sportsmanship, offering a great workout for all skill levels.

It’s the perfect way to stay active, meet new friends, and enjoy the game. Come be part of the team!

09/08/2026

SSBHL LEAGUE REMINDER – COMPETITIVE CONTACT vs. BODY CHECKING

Alright boys, quick league-wide reminder because the physical play has been starting to creep up a little too much lately.

The SSBHL is a NON-CHECKING league.

That does NOT mean it is a no-contact league. Ball hockey is competitive, guys are moving fast, battling for possession, fighting for position, and sometimes bodies are going to come together. That's part of the game.

What we allow is generally referred to as COMPETITIVE CONTACT.

There is, however, a pretty big difference between competitive contact and body checking, so let's make this as simple as possible:

COMPETITIVE CONTACT = PLAYING THE BALL

You can:

• Lean into somebody while battling for a loose ball
• Use your body to protect the ball
• Battle shoulder-to-shoulder for position
• Angle somebody toward the boards or away from an area
• Make reasonable body contact while both players are actively competing for possession
• Hold your ground when somebody is trying to go through you
• Have incidental contact when two players arrive at the ball at the same time

Basically, you're making a play on the ball and contact happens as part of that play.

BODY CHECKING = PLAYING THE PERSON

You CANNOT:

• Line somebody up and hit them
• Throw your shoulder or hip into somebody to knock them down
• Finish a check after they move the ball
• Hit somebody simply because they're in your way
• Use excessive force to separate somebody from the ball
• Drive somebody hard into the boards
• Take a run at somebody
• Hit somebody to intimidate, punish, or "send a message"

Basically, if your primary objective is hitting the player instead of making a play on the ball, you've crossed the line.

An easy way to think about it:

Battling through someone to get the ball = Fine

Hitting someone to get them out of the way = Not Fine

And while we're on this subject, there's another phrase we've been hearing a little too often lately:

"I THOUGHT WE WERE PLAYING HOCKEY!?"

Yes. We are playing hockey...

But let's be very clear about what kind of hockey we're playing.

This is ball hockey in a non-checking recreational league. This is NOT full-contact ice hockey.

Most of us are running around out there in T-shirts and shorts with no helmet, no shoulder pads, no chest protection, and basically nothing protecting us from getting drilled into the boards or pavement.

There's a reason full-contact ice hockey players wear helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads, padded pants, gloves, and a whole bunch of other protective equipment.

We don't.

So saying "I thought we were playing hockey" isn't a free pass to blow somebody up, finish a check, shove somebody into the boards, or play unnecessarily physical.

Nobody is asking anyone to play soft.

Compete. Battle for the ball. Fight for position. Play hard.

But there's a difference between playing hard and hitting somebody or being overly physical

This league was created so guys could come out on a Sunday morning, get some exercise, compete, have some fun, talk some s**t, and enjoy playing hockey.

We are not playing for the Stanley Cup. There are no scouts in the parking lot. Nobody is getting called up on Monday morning. 😂

We're all adults. We have jobs, families, responsibilities, and s**t to do after we leave the rink. Nobody should have to worry about going to work Monday with a concussion, separated shoulder, broken wrist, or whatever else because somebody decided "it's hockey" was justification for lighting someone up who wasn't expecting to be hit.

We're not trying to eliminate physical play. We WANT guys competing hard. We want battles. We want intensity. We want games to mean something.

Competitive does not have to mean dangerous.

Refs are going to be keeping a closer eye on this going forward, and if something clearly crosses from competitive contact into a body check, expect it to be called.

And if you're on the receiving end of something you don't like, let the refs handle it. Don't retaliate and turn one questionable play into two, then four, then a game where everybody is pi**ed off at each other.

This isn't directed at one team or one player. It's a reminder for everybody, because we'd rather address it now before somebody actually gets hurt or things escalate further.

SSBHL has always been competitive, and we absolutely want to keep it that way.

Just don't fu***ng hit people...

That's really not that complicated.

Let's have some fun out there, boys, Cheers.

Dan H

09/04/2026

Fall 2026 SSBHL Week 1 Write-Ups — Welcome Back!

Hello and good afternoon, SSBHL Community!

First off, I just wanted to give everyone a big WELCOME BACK for another great season of SSBHL hockey — Fall Edition!

I hope everyone enjoyed their summer with friends and family and, most importantly, stayed safe and healthy. We had some great things happen over the summer in case you missed out! We held a tournament in honor of our dearly departed Ronnie Prince, with Steve Wilde and Matt Hocking doing a lot of the heavy lifting to put the event together, so a huge thank you to both of them!

Ruzzo was also the Grill Master and provided all the goods while handling the majority of the cooking. Excellent chef as always and exactly what we expected out of him, so a big thanks to him as well!

Overall, it was a great event honoring an absolutely incredible human being who gave so much to us and our community over the years. Even Ronnie's family stopped by, which was incredible and meant a lot to everyone there.

And, of course, what kind of SSBHL season would it be without a tense, last-minute chance of rain hanging over our heads all Sunday morning? Lol. Classic SSBHL! Thankfully, we lucked out this time and the rain held off just enough for all three games to be played!

We also have a brand-new league website for stats, schedules, standings, and everything else! A huge thanks to Matt Leary, who helped build the website with the help of his brother-in-law. It's extremely clean, easy to use, and looks great!

Without further delay, though, it was great seeing everyone again, and let's dive into some of the high-performance players from Week 1!

All-Star Point Production
#1 Offensive Player of the Week — Bronson Zawaduk (Stick Figures)

5 Goals / 2 Assists / 7 Points

What can I say? This guy was an absolute unit of scoring production last Sunday against the Mothmen.

Turning the defense into Swiss cheese, Bronson cut through them like a hot knife through butter. Racking up an outrageous 5 goals and 2 assists for 7 total points, Bronson personally contributed to more than half of his team's offensive production!

Just an outstanding first game back for the star forward. Coming off back-to-back Prince Cup championships, Bronson is showing very quickly exactly why he was drafted in the top bracket this season.

His very first goal of the game — and the season — came on a completely unassisted breakaway. Bronson came in forehand, pulled the ball to his backhand just enough to get the goalie moving his pads, and tucked it perfectly through the five-hole.

His second goal wasn't a joke either. Bronson ripped a shot that rang off the post, but instead of giving up on the play, he stayed with it, collected his own rebound, and buried it low past the pad.

Things weren't always going smoothly for the Sticks, though. After jumping out to an early lead, the Stick Figures suddenly started to struggle and surrendered five unanswered goals, allowing the Mothmen to temporarily take a 5-4 lead.

That's when Bronson went right back to work.

He fed his captain, Jeff Beattie, a perfect pass into the slot for an easy tap-in goal, helping settle things down and get the Stick Figures rolling again. Shortly after that, Bronson struck again, scoring on yet another breakaway chance to help solidify a 7-5 lead before the end of the second period.

And apparently that still wasn't enough for him.

Bronson would go on to rack up another two goals and another assist before the final whistle, rounding out an absolutely ridiculous opening-week performance.

Overall, you really can't ask for much more out of your star forward. Bronson's future is already looking pretty damn bright as a Stick Figure.

Awesome work, man!

#2 Offensive Player of the Week — Brendan MacKenzie (Gators)

5 Goals / 0 Assists / 5 Points

Brendan MacKenzie, better known as B-Mack, was an absolute offensive powerhouse Sunday in his debut matchup with the newly reformed Gators against the Princes Guards.

Having racked up an incredible 5 goals out of the 6 goals his team scored, it really doesn't get much more dominant than that!

B-Mack was seemingly all over the rink from the opening faceoff until the final whistle.

You have the ball down in the attacking zone? You're getting backchecked by B-Mack.

You're stuck in your own zone and finally about to dump the ball out to kill some attacking-zone pressure? NOPE! B-Mack is already there hunting you down, stealing your lunch money, taking the ball, and probably scoring a goal at the same time.

No matter what the situation was, B-Mack seemed to be involved in the play from start to finish. There really wasn't a safe spot on the rink with this guy out there Sunday.

Ending the day with 5 goals and 5 total points is something to behold from the longtime power forward and assistant captain.

Hell of a way to start the season!

#3 Offensive Player of the Week — Ryan Doherty (Smokey Joes)

3 Goals / 2 Assists / 5 Points

The Joes' longtime trusty forward, Ryan Doherty, was unstoppable in the attacking zone during Week 1 and was absolutely pivotal in their opening matchup against the defending Prince Cup Champion Mustangs.

Ryan started off by assisting the offensive efforts of the Joes early in the first period. He slipped a sneaky backhand pass over to his defensive linemate, Swan, who came flying into the attacking zone and buried the opportunity to get the Joes on the board early with a 1-0 lead.

Ryan would help create another similar play shortly afterward. While on the attack, he fired a ball intentionally wide that found its way over to Swan again, who quickly wristed it home for another goal.

And Ryan wasn't done.

He was involved yet again on the third goal, this time taking matters into his own hands and absolutely smoking one past the goaltender from close range, giving himself his third point of the FIRST PERIOD alone.

Ryan continued rolling in the second period as well.

After the Mustangs battled their way back into the game, Swan fed Ryan a pass across the crease, and Ryan buried the go-ahead goal to make it 5-4 Joes.

Then, during the later stages of the second period, Ryan struck again, scoring what would eventually become the game-winning goal to increase the Smokey Joes' lead to 7-6, where it would ultimately stand.

Ryan finished the game with 3 goals, 2 assists, and 5 total points in a huge opening-week victory against the defending champs.

Great game!

Draining Defenders
#1 Defensive Player of the Week — Matt Swan (Smokey Joes Captain)

3 Goals / 3 Assists / 6 Points

Matt Swan, the tenured and longtime captain of the infamous Smokey Joes, was back to his usual self in the Week 1 debut matchup and put on an absolute clinic of offense while playing from the blue line.

Swan has always been an incredibly difficult opposing player to deal with. Between his blazing speed, precise shot, and ability to create plays on the fly, he's going to be an issue no matter what team he's playing against.

There really isn't an easy answer for dealing with this guy.

Swan started the scoring early after receiving a feed from Ryan Doherty, coming all the way up from his defensive zone and blasting home a wicked wrist shot to get the Joes going.

Then he basically decided to do it again.

On the second goal, Swan found a wide-shot rebound off another Ryan Doherty attempt and quickly wristed home a nasty sharp-angle shot from the faceoff circle.

Swan wasn't just scoring, either. He continued driving the offense throughout the game and went on to assist on three additional goals.

By the time the dust settled, Swan had racked up an outrageous 6 total points with 3 goals and 3 assists while playing defense.

Just an overall wildly offensive performance from the Joes' newest blue-line menace.

Great work!

#2 Defensive Player of the Week — Jeff Beattie (Stick Figures Captain)

3 Goals / 1 Assist / 4 Points

Jeffery, captain of the Stick Figures, was an absolute nightmare for the Mothmen in his debut matchup.

With a solid offensive showing of 4 total points with 3 goals and 1 assist, it seems Jeff's new strategy this season is pretty simple:

Shoot the damn ball more often.

And apparently, it works!

In the first period, Jeff managed to dish a perfect assist over to his linemate Shane McNamara to start things off. Jeff drew multiple defenders toward himself before quickly moving the ball over to Shane in the slot, who wristed it past the Mothmen goalie.

Things got a little sketchy for the Stick Figures during the second period, though, as they managed to blow what had been a pretty decisive early lead and suddenly found themselves trailing.

Jeff decided enough was enough.

Using his speed and agility, he bombed into the attacking zone, stole the ball, broke in alone, and deked past the goalie on a brilliant breakaway goal to tie the game back up and calm his team down in the process.

Jeff would then help reclaim the lead as well.

Breaking into the attacking zone alongside Bronson, Jeff found himself open in the slot. Bronson fed him a perfect pass, and Jeff tipped it home to put the Sticks back in control.

And Jeff's contributions weren't limited to the offensive end.

He was also imperative defensively, aggressively forechecking, breaking up plays, stopping scoring chances, and doing everything he could to keep the ball away from his own zone.

Overall, just a great start to the season for the young captain.

#3 Defensive Player of the Week — Josh Charmatz (Gators Captain)

0 Goals / 2 Assists / 2 Points

Joshua Charmatz, another captain and leader of the newly reformed Gators, was a fortress of defensive prowess in his opening matchup.

Josh was a steady, calm, and precise machine in his own defensive zone from start to finish.

Always in position to break up a play, block a shot, or feed a clean pass up to his forwards, Josh played about as close to a perfect defensive game as you could ask for.

Josh was also responsible for 2 assists, giving him 2 points in what was otherwise a pretty tight matchup.

He broke up numerous high-danger opportunities throughout the game, ranging from odd-man rushes to blocked shots and disrupted passes. Josh simply got it done defensively and helped keep the ball out of his zone for the majority of the game while limiting the Princes Guards' dangerous scoring opportunities.

His leadership on the rink was also noticeable during some crucial moments of the matchup.

Whenever things looked like they could start getting out of hand, Josh was there to calm everything down, keep his team organized, and get the situation back under control.

He was basically the definition of safety in this matchup, and I'm sure both his teammates and goaltender appreciated the hell out of it.

A great defensive performance that helped lead the Gators to a 6-2 victory to start the season.

Grand Goaltending
#1 Goalie of the Week — Brendan O'Brien (Gators)

GAA: 2.00 / Save %: .952 / 42 Shots Faced / 40 Saves

In a pretty unpredictable turn of events, the Gators' actual goaltender was unavailable for Week 1, so the team decided to turn to their rostered forward, Brendan O'Brien, and throw him between the pipes.

And somehow, this move turned out to be GOLDEN.

Brendan was an absolute wall in net!

He made multiple dangerous saves throughout the matchup and continuously killed any momentum the Princes Guards tried to build.

Facing a very high 42 shots on goal, Brendan allowed only 2 goals, stopping the remaining 40 shots and locking himself into a sexy .952 save percentage along with a terrific 2.00 GAA, the best numbers of any goalie in the league during Week 1.

Brendan looked sharp, composed, and solid all game long, handling just about everything fired in his direction.

For a guy who isn't even normally the goalie, that's a pretty damn impressive way to introduce yourself to the position.

An excellent game from an unexpected hero who locked things down when his team needed him most and helped the Gators start their season on a high note.

Nice work!

#2 Goalie of the Week — Dan Harding (Smokey Joes)

GAA: 6.00 / Save %: .864 / 44 Shots Faced / 38 Saves

Veteran goaltender Dan Harding had a decent opening game but definitely showed some visible rust in his first matchup of the season — ironically against the same team that had its way with him in the Prince Cup Finals last season.

Dan went up against the high-powered offense of the defending champion Mustangs and managed to play a respectable game despite being under fire for a good portion of it.

He faced a total of 44 shots, stopping 38 of them, finishing with a .864 save percentage and 6.00 GAA.

There were certainly a couple he probably wanted back, but when the Mustangs started building momentum and trying to complete their comeback, Dan made enough saves to keep the Joes in front and give the offense a chance to finish the job.

Overall?

Not a bad game. Not a great game.

But it was good enough, and sometimes that's all you need out of your goalie.

Dan gave the Joes just enough of an edge to get it done and lock in the Week 1 victory against the defending champs.

#3 Goalie of the Week — Igor Burdetskiy (Flex for Princes Guards)

GAA: 6.00 / Save %: .846 / 39 Shots Faced / 33 Saves

Igor, better known around the league as Iggy, was solid while filling in between the pipes for the Princes Guards.

Iggy faced a pretty heavy workload himself, seeing 39 shots on goal and stopping 33 of them, finishing the game with a .846 save percentage and 6.00 GAA.

More importantly, he gave his squad a chance to win, and that's really all you can ask out of a goalie, especially someone stepping in as a flex.

He stopped multiple high-danger scoring opportunities and held his ground whenever the Guards needed him.

Iggy was left without much help multiple times throughout the matchup, with Gators players finding themselves in dangerous scoring positions and getting quality opportunities on net.

But time and time again, Iggy held his ground and made enough key saves to keep the game within striking distance.

The final score doesn't necessarily tell the whole story here. There were plenty of opportunities where things could have gotten away from the Guards much earlier, but Iggy battled and continued giving his team a chance.

Solid work filling in!

Standings So Far…

1st Place — STICK FIGURES
1-0-0 / 2 Points / GF 13 / GA 6 / GD +7

2nd Place — GATORS
1-0-0 / 2 Points / GF 6 / GA 2 / GD +4

3rd Place — SMOKEY JOES
1-0-0 / 2 Points / GF 7 / GA 6 / GD +1

4th Place — MUSTANGS
0-1-0 / 0 Points / GF 6 / GA 7 / GD -1

5th Place — PRINCES GUARDS
0-1-0 / 0 Points / GF 2 / GA 6 / GD -4

6th Place — MOTHMEN
0-1-0 / 0 Points / GF 6 / GA 13 / GD -7

Upcoming Games…

8/30/26 — 9:00 AM
Gators at Mothmen

8/30/26 — 10:30 AM
Princes Guards at Mustangs

8/30/26 — 12:00 PM
Stick Figures at Smokey Joes

Thank you all!

Dan H

Good afternoon all! Hope everyone has been enjoying the off season! Just wanted to give the heads up that the teams have...
07/22/2026

Good afternoon all! Hope everyone has been enjoying the off season! Just wanted to give the heads up that the teams have been drafted, Schedule for the Fall 2026 Season is all set and ready and can be viewed with the new website we have. Because of the new website we did have to marginally increase the league fee from $85.00 to $90.00. So this season please keep that in mind when sending over your fee. If you are paying cash on game #1. Please give it to Matt Hocking or Brendan O'Brein as I typically have to much going on at week 1 passing out shirts, setting up the scoreboard, etc etc. Season is set to start Aug 23rd! see attached for the teams for this season. Link below for the leagues new website! Thank you Matt Leary for setting this up!

https://ssbhl-web.onrender.com/schedule/

12th Week Spring 2026 Final Write-Up, Prince Cup Awarded!Good afternoon, my beautiful SSBHL Community.We have finally ar...
06/17/2026

12th Week Spring 2026 Final Write-Up, Prince Cup Awarded!

Good afternoon, my beautiful SSBHL Community.

We have finally arrived at the end of the line for the SSBHL Spring 2026 season. It was a great ride to the finish line. We had so many great games and fun battles to watch and play through throughout the season.

I want to extend a thank you to all the players who sincerely make this such a special league to play in and manage. You made my job relatively easy this year with minimal behavioral issues, especially lol. I don’t think I had to send out a single email this season to scold bad attitudes or behavior, so I am genuinely happy to see everyone getting along and simply playing the game.

A very big thank you to every Captain this season for their hard work and sacrifice. Taking time to round up their players each week, acquiring flex players when needed, setting lineups, keeping their squads in check, and everything else that comes with the role. It isn’t always easy work, but without that effort, this league doesn’t exist.

A big thank you as well to Karri Cookson for supplying the award cookies this season and the Finals cake, which was incredible! If you're in Foxborough, please check out her bakery, Sweetness Honey & Bakery!

And last but certainly not least, thank you to our league admins who supply help whenever needed, provide insights in Discord, and get to the rink early to do chores like sweeping the rink and clearing sand off the playing surface to make it safer for everyone.

AKA Brendan O’Brien!

Please give him a thank you when you see him. He is an absolute angel of a person.

One final thank you goes out to our beloved and dearly departed Ronald Prince. He would be proud of everyone this season and all of their efforts.

Anyway, enough with the hearts and flowers. Let’s jump into the Prince Cup wrap-up.

PRINCE CUP FINALS
Spiders (1) vs Mustangs (2)

Mustangs Win Spring 2026 SSBHL Prince Cup
Final Score: 10-1

In a matchup featuring arguably the two best teams in the league all season long, it was a game many people had been looking forward to watching.

What was expected to be a battle of giants featured the number-one seeded Spiders, owners of the league’s best goal differential, taking on the number-two seeded Mustangs, a team loaded with multi-faceted scorers and relentless hustlers.

The Spiders, who finished in 6th place last season, had risen from those depths to become the best regular-season team in the league.

Standing opposite them were the Mustangs, whose Fall season ended in a brutally disappointing semifinal exit against the 4th-seeded Smokey Joes, who had barely scraped into a playoff spot. Ironically, the Mustangs had been the number-one seed with the best goal differential that season.

A tale of two teams battling for the ultimate prize.

Only one could take home the Prince Cup, while the other would leave with nothing but shattered dreams.

1st Period

The match started with both teams testing the waters, neither side really gaining an edge early.

There were a few low-danger shots from the point, plenty of missed attempts wide of the net, and both teams appeared to be feeling each other out.

However, the Mustangs would draw first blood.

Defenseman Gianni fed a pass over to Captain J-Mac, who entered the zone near the blue line and fired a quick wrist shot that caught goaltender Dan Harding off guard, giving the Mustangs a lead they would never relinquish.

Only a few minutes later, J-Mac would set up defenseman Cullen Crocker, who threw a wrist shot toward the net from the point. The shot deflected in front and found an opening to increase the lead to 2-0.

Trying to change the momentum of the game, the Spiders increased their forechecking pressure but accidentally got caught with a tripping penalty on forward Jordan Cookson.

The penalty gave the Mustangs another scoring opportunity and a chance to extend the lead even further.

And that's exactly what happened.

After a deflected shot created a loose ball in front, it landed directly on B-Mack’s stick in the slot, and he buried it to extend the lead to 3-0.

That would be the score heading into the 2nd period.

2nd Period

Going into the 2nd period, more of the same continued.

The Spiders missed several quality opportunities, while the Mustangs continued generating dangerous chances.

The Spiders even received two power-play opportunities and failed to convert on either one. In fact, the Mustangs generated several quality scoring chances while shorthanded.

The Mustangs were the best special-teams squad in the league this season, and it was on full display in this game.

Later in the period, the Spiders once again found themselves needing to kill a penalty and once again failed to do so.

J-Mac scored on the power play, assisted by Gianni yet again, to extend the lead to 4-0.

The Spiders would finally get on the board thanks to a wild deflection in front of the Mustangs net from Tim Aktas-Osburg, assisted by Brian McDermott, making the score 4-1 and potentially giving the Spiders some life.

Unfortunately for the Spiders, that momentum lasted only moments.

Once again, the Mustangs rushed into the offensive zone, and once again J-Mac found himself point-blank in front of the net. Off another feed from Gianni, he scored to make it 5-1 and immediately crush any momentum the Spiders had generated.

It simply seemed like goaltender Dan Harding couldn’t stop a beach ball in this matchup.

Easily one of the toughest outings of his season.

The Mustangs continued applying pressure throughout the period and never let up.

J-Mac would strike yet again, sneaking in on a breakaway and scoring off a feed from Bronson Zawaduk to close the period at 6-1.

A very difficult deficit to overcome.

3rd Period

The 3rd period offered no relief for the Spiders.

The onslaught continued.

On a 2-on-1 rush, J-Mac and B-Mack entered the zone together. Joey slid a cross-crease pass over to Brendan, who fired it toward the net.

In a desperate attempt to make the save, Harding dove across and got a piece of it with the glove, but the ball still found a way in.

7-1.

The Spiders would receive another power-play opportunity, but once again it was neutralized by the outstanding defensive awareness and structure of the Mustangs.

Later in the game, B-Mack threw a sharp-angle shot toward the net, and somehow it found a hole and slipped through to make it 8-1.

Apparently, the Mustangs still didn’t feel safe with a seven-goal lead.

With roughly four minutes remaining, they attacked once again.

B-Mack led the rush, with his defensive partner joining the play. A shot off the boards created a loose ball, and Cullen Crocker found it first and buried it to make the score 9-1.

With only three minutes remaining and an eight-goal lead, the Mustangs wanted to complete the double-digit dismantling of the Spiders.

And they did.

J-Mac found a wide-open Gianni late in the game, and Gianni blasted home one final goal to make it 10-1, which is where the score would remain.

Top Players of the Finals

Joe MacKenzie (J-Mac)
4 Goals / 3 Assists / 4 PIM / 1 Power-Play Goal
7 Points

The Prince Cup MVP and the driving force behind the Mustangs' championship victory.

Brendan MacKenzie (B-Mack)
3 Goals / 1 Assist / 2 PIM / 1 Power-Play Goal
4 Points

An absolute workhorse all game long and a constant threat every shift.

Gianni Sciola (G)
1 Goal / 3 Assists
4 Points

Outstanding from the back end and instrumental in driving offense while maintaining strong defensive play.

Cullen Crocker
2 Goals / 1 Assist
3 Points

Made the most of every opportunity and delivered a huge Finals performance.

Manny DeBettencourt
1.00 GAA / .963 Save Percentage
27 Shots Against / 26 Saves

A rock in net and a massive reason the Mustangs were able to slam the door on the Spiders.

That wraps up our Spring 2026 Finals!

A huge congratulations to the Mustangs on a dominant performance and a well-earned Prince Cup Championship.

Great work by the entire squad.

They were by far the best team throughout the playoffs and absolutely earned the right to lift the Prince Cup.

I’m looking forward to a little offseason rest, but prepare yourselves...

Next season is right around the corner.

Rest up, recharge, and I’ll see you all soon.

Signing off for Spring 2026,

Dan Harding

Thank you.

Good afternoon SSBHL Crew and Community!Sorry for the delay on the recaps and top performers. Between work and just life...
06/09/2026

Good afternoon SSBHL Crew and Community!

Sorry for the delay on the recaps and top performers. Between work and just life being busy, I’ve struggled to get to these write-ups in a timely manner this season.

As a result, I am going to tie Week 10’s doubleheader regular-season closeout and the 1st semi-final games into this one write-up.

This one will be slightly different, as instead of doing top performers for Week 10’s doubleheaders, I’ll just go over some quick game recaps and key moments within the matches. For the semi-final games, I will go over top performances and some game recap. I’ll also be going over our award winners within this write-up as well, which Karri Cookson was kind enough to make custom cookies for.

Normally, Ronnie Price would have made some kind of nice gifts for the winners as well, but due to his passing, we don’t have that this season. Come next Fall season, I’ll set aside some of the extra league fees for a little something for the award winners next season, so I apologize for the lack of trophies or sticks this season, which is what Ronnie did for us last season.

But, let's jump into the last games of the regular season, which determined who made the playoffs for some teams and who got knocked out!

Game 1 and 2 Doubleheaders – Smokey Joes vs Mustangs
8:30 AM and 9:25 AM

Game 1 – 8:30 AM: Mustangs Win 7-3 Final

In a must-win scenario where the Joes needed at least 1 victory out of the 2 games, they were looking to clinch yet another playoff spot. The Joes have never missed the playoffs since the introduction of 5 teams.

Yet with the Stick Figures climbing the standings and closing in on the Joes' spot, a win was desperately needed for Smokey Joes.

However, it would not come in the first matchup against the Mustangs, who came out with intensity and speed and absolutely blitzkrieged the Joes in the 1st period, taking a commanding lead and never looking back, scoring 5 goals in the opening period alone.

The Joes would add 2 more goals, but the Mustangs held firm and closed out the match with a 7-3 victory.

Some of the top players I noticed in the game were Thomas Schindler, who finished with 1 goal and 2 assists and played a great game from start to finish. On multiple occasions, Thomas would forecheck in the offensive zone, steal the ball away, and either dish it off for an easy assist or go on to score a goal himself.

Another top player was Brendan MacKenzie, aka B-Mack.

B-Mack was the definition of speed and attack all game long. He went into the dirty areas of the rink, grinding out hard plays and harassing opposing players nonstop with unrelenting pressure from the opening ball drop to the final buzzer.

B-Mack ended the game with 2 goals and 1 assist.

Game 2 – 9:25 AM: Mustangs Win 8-4 Final

In the second game of the day for the Joes and Mustangs doubleheader, the Joes looked to be the better team early and jumped out to a 2-0 lead heading into the 2nd period, feeling good about their chances.

However, it was in the 2nd period where the Mustangs would once again crush the Joes' momentum, exploding for 4 goals in the period alone.

And who else would be the facilitators of this offensive explosion?

That's right, the MacKenzie brothers duo of Joey and Brendan.

B-Mack contributed 1 goal and 1 assist, while J-Mac chipped in 1 goal and 2 assists in the period alone. They were also supported by Bronson and Gianni, who each scored as well.

Meanwhile, the Joes could only muster a single goal from Ryan Doherty and entered the 3rd period trailing 4-3.

Unfortunately for the Joes, things didn't get any better in the final frame.

Once again, the Mustangs erupted for 4 goals in the 3rd period while the Joes managed only 1.

The final score ended at 8-4, and the Mustangs closed out the regular season with 2 big wins to secure the 2nd seed in the playoffs.

Top players to mention in this game would be Joe MacKenzie, who finished with 2 goals and 3 assists for a total of 5 points.

The second player would be Brendan MacKenzie, who ended the game with a cool and collected 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points.

One final player worth mentioning would be Smokey Joes Captain Matt Swan, who did his best to keep his team in the game. Swan finished with 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 total points.

Now, the Joes would need the Stick Figures to lose at least 1 game in order to stay alive in playoff contention.

Game 3 and 4 Doubleheaders – Stick Figures vs Mothmen
10:20 AM and 11:15 AM

Game 3 – 10:20 AM: Stick Figures Win 4-3

In a very strange matchup against an extremely depleted Mothmen squad, a new captain would step up to run the show.

Karri Cookson, in her debut as team captain, was faced with the difficult challenge of running a team of her peers. However, those peers were almost exclusively flex players.

With only 2 roster players attending, the rest of the lineup was filled with 5 flex players. A difficult challenge to make work.

The Moths still put up a great fight in Game 1.

Statistically eliminated from playoff contention, they wanted to play spoiler for the Stick Figures, who needed both wins in order to knock the Joes out of a playoff spot and claim the position themselves.

In the 1st period, the Sticks claimed an early 2-1 lead. The 2nd period brought more of the same, as they stretched the lead to 4-2.

The Moths would get one back but ultimately fell just short in Game 1, losing 4-3.

Impactful players in that match included flex player Al Burbank, who posted 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 total points and was involved in virtually all of the Stick Figures' offense.

The other standout player was on the opposite side of the rink, Jordan W., who finished with 1 goal and 2 assists for 3 points.

Game 4 – 11:15 AM: Stick Figures Win 6-4

In a massive game for the Stick Figures, a victory would officially knock out the Smokey Joes and secure a playoff spot.

After starting the season at 0-4 and sitting dead last, the Stick Figures had a chance to do the impossible and steal a playoff berth.

They started off exactly how they needed to, taking a 3-1 lead into the 2nd period.

However, the Moths would claw their way back into the game, narrowing the score to 4-3 heading into the 3rd period.

In the late stages of the final frame, the Moths tied the game at 4-4 with only 4:32 remaining, and it looked like a nightmare scenario might unfold for the Sticks.

However, the captain of the Stick Figures would not let this opportunity slip away.

Jeff Beattie scored to reclaim the lead at 5-4 with just 2:44 remaining and later added an empty-net goal to secure the victory and playoff berth with a 6-4 final score.

The biggest player in the game was once again flex player Al Burbank, who repeated his Game 1 performance with 1 goal and 3 assists for 4 points.

Once again, he proved why he is one of the most reliable flex players available whenever you can pick him up.

Jeff Beattie also had a tremendous game despite battling a neck injury the entire time. He managed to score 1 goal and add 2 assists for 3 total points while helping lead his team to the playoffs for the second season in a row.

Games 5 and 6 Doubleheaders – Spiders vs Marshfield Gators
12:10 PM and 1:05 PM

Game 5 – 12:10 PM: Spiders Win 5-2

This game was only relevant in terms of playoff seeding.

With both teams already having clinched playoff spots, it was simply a matter of where they would finish and who they would face in the semi-finals.

The Spiders came out strong and jumped to an early 2-0 lead.

The Gators pushed back in the 2nd period, scoring twice while the Spiders managed one of their own, making it 3-2.

However, the Spiders would add 2 more goals in the 3rd period to close this one out by a final score of 5-2.

The top player in this game was Aiden Lovett, who had an unreal performance with 4 goals and 1 assist for 5 points.

Considering the Spiders only scored 5 goals, Aiden had a hand in every single one of them.

The other standout player was goaltender Dan Harding, who held his ground against a strong push from the Gators. Harding faced 39 shots and stopped 37 of them, finishing with a .949 save percentage and a 2.00 GAA.

Game 6 – 1:05 PM: Spiders Win 5-2

In the final regular-season game of Spring 2026 SSBHL, the Spiders once again defeated the Marshfield Gators by the exact same score as Game 5.

The Spiders jumped out to another 2-0 lead in the 1st period.

The teams traded goals in the 2nd period, and then the Spiders added 2 more goals in the 3rd while the Gators managed only 1.

Final score: 5-2.

The top player in this one was once again Aiden Lovett, who recorded 4 assists and finished the game with 4 points.

Ryan Gurley also had a fantastic outing, scoring 2 goals and adding 1 assist for 3 points.

This would wrap up the regular season and officially cement the playoff seeding.

FINAL STANDINGS FOR SSBHL SPRING 2026

SPIDERS: 8-2-0 / POINTS: 16 / GF: 59 / GA: 34 / GD: +25 (Seed 1)

MUSTANGS: 7-3-0 / POINTS: 14 / GF: 54 / GA: 48 / GD: +6 (Seed 2)

STICK FIGURES: 5-4-1 / POINTS: 11 / GF: 51 / GA: 45 / GD: +6 (Seed 3)

MARSHFIELD GATORS: 5-5-0 / POINTS: 10 / GF: 40 / GA: 46 / GD: -6 (Seed 4)

SMOKEY JOES: 4-5-1 / POINTS: 9 / GF: 42 / GA: 57 / GD: -15 (Out)

MOTHMEN: 1-8-1 / POINTS: 3 / GF: 38 / GA: 54 / GD: -16 (Out)

Playoff Matchup Semi-Finals…. (6/7/26)

Spiders vs Marshfield Gators – 9:30 AM
(Key Matchup: Aiden Lovett vs Matt Connolly)

Mustangs vs Stick Figures – 11:00 AM
(Key Matchup: Manny DeBettencourt vs Brad Wall)

Semi-Finals Matchup Game #1
Spiders (1) vs Marshfield Gators (4)

In a single-elimination matchup, the Gators would sadly be without one of their most trusted and best players, putting them at an immediate disadvantage. To make matters worse, one of their top offensive players, Matt Connolly, was playing through an injured hamstring.

A very difficult hill to climb against the statistically best team this season.

Early in the game, the Spiders wasted no time. In the 1st period, they exploded for 3 goals while simultaneously giving up none.

Starting off the scoring was Jordan Cookson off a great pass from Aiden Lovett to get things going at 1-0.

The Spiders would strike again in similar fashion. This time, Aiden Lovett would be the goal scorer off a great pass from linemate Ryan Gurley, increasing the lead to 2-0.

One more time, the Spiders would score, this time from Ryan Gurley off an assist from Jordan Cookson for the 3rd goal of the period.

Starting off the 2nd period, the Spiders would once again strike quickly off another goal from Ryan Gurley, assisted by Spiders Captain Matt Leary, making it 4-0.

Not much later, Gurley would once again show off his offensive skill this season by finishing another goal off an assist from Aiden Lovett, making it 5-0.

The Spiders would wrap up the 2nd period with yet another goal from Gurley, once again assisted by Lovett. In the 2nd period alone, Gurley recorded all 3 goals.

With a commanding 6-0 lead heading into the 3rd period, the Gators would need a miraculous comeback to pull off a major upset.

They would manage one goal from Matt Avenia, who was a staple of the Gators' offense all season long. The goal was assisted by the injured Matt Connolly, making it 6-1.

Unfortunately, that would be all they could manage.

The Spiders would score again from Aiden Lovett, assisted by (unknown as of now), making it 7-1.

One final time, Ryan Gurley would score from a sharp angle off an assist from Steve Swi, bringing the final score to 8-1.

With the victory, the Spiders advanced to the Prince Cup Finals while eliminating the Marshfield Gators from playoff contention.

Final Score:
Spiders 8
Marshfield Gators 1

Top Offensive Player of the Game:
Ryan Gurley

Gurley put together an absolutely insane performance, scoring 5 goals and adding 1 assist for a total of 6 points.

Top Defensive Player of the Game:
Jordan Cookson

Cookson shut down a multitude of opponents in his own end while also contributing offensively with 1 goal and 1 assist, finishing with 2 points.

Top Goalie of the Game:
Dan Harding

Though he didn't face a huge volume of shots, Harding was excellent when called upon. He stopped 28 of 29 shots faced and finished with a .966 save percentage and a 1.00 GAA.

Semi-Finals Matchup Game #2
Mustangs (2) vs Stick Figures (3)

In the second semi-final bout, we had one that many people were looking forward to witnessing.

The high-powered offensive unit known as the Mustangs, led by Joey MacKenzie, would be tested against the gritty underdog story that climbed back from the grave, led by the tenacious speedster Jeff Beattie.

Starting off in the 1st period, we witnessed exactly the strategy we expected from the Mustangs as they came out with speed and intensity.

The opening goal came from defenseman Cullen Crocker, who got in alone off a beautiful feed from Chris Novo and buried it to make the score 1-0.

With about 7 minutes left in the period, the Mustangs would strike again as B-Mack scored off an assist from his brother J-Mac to increase the lead to 2-0.

However, the Stick Figures would answer back with a goal from Shane McNamara, assisted by Matt Hocking, narrowing the gap to 2-1.

But the Mustangs wouldn't let that slide.

With only :48 remaining in the period, Gianni would score off an assist from B-Mack to extend the lead to 3-1 heading into the intermission.

In my opinion, the 2nd period was the defining stretch of the game.

The Stick Figures came out strong and opened the scoring with a goal from Jeff Beattie, assisted by Matt Holleran, narrowing the gap to 3-2.

About a minute later, a two-minute minor penalty was called on defenseman Gianni, giving the Stick Figures a massive opportunity to swing momentum in their favor and potentially tie the game.

Instead, the exact opposite happened.

While the Stick Figures attempted to push offensively on the power play, Mustangs Captain J-Mac broke into the offensive zone, found some open space, and buried a shorthanded goal to completely drain the life out of the Stick Figures.

The goal made it 4-2 and proved to be one of the biggest turning points of the entire game.

The Stick Figures would respond with another goal from Shane McNamara, assisted by Jeff Beattie, but the Mustangs would score twice more in the period, one from Bronson and another from J-Mac, extending the lead to 6-3 heading into the final frame.

Sadly for the Stick Figures, the scoring dried up completely in the 3rd period.

They were blanked by goaltender Manny DeBettencourt while the Mustangs added two more goals, one from Bronson and another from Gianni.

The Cinderella story of the Stick Figures had officially come to an end.

The Mustangs advanced to the Prince Cup Finals and earned themselves a date with the top-seeded Spiders.

Final Score:
Mustangs 8
Stick Figures 3

Top Offensive Players of the Game:
Brendan MacKenzie & Joe MacKenzie

B-Mack finished the day with 1 goal and 3 assists and was an absolute beast from the opening whistle.

He ran down every loose ball, jumped into every possible play, and consistently outworked the Stick Figures in all areas of the rink.

B-Mack ended the day with 4 points and was a major reason for the Mustangs' victory.

J-Mac also finished with 2 goals and 2 assists, one of which was the pivotal shorthanded goal that completely shifted momentum.

Personally, I believe that goal was the difference-maker in the game.

The Stick Figures were pushing back hard, and had that power play gone the other way, we may have had a completely different outcome.

Joey was also picture-perfect as a leader, guiding his team with passion and ferocity while keeping everyone focused and composed.

Top Defensive Player of the Game:
Gianni Sciola

Gianni was outstanding from start to finish and played a very smart, disciplined game.

He also managed to score 2 goals from the back end, which is always a huge contribution when your defensemen can provide offense while still locking things down defensively.

G has been through plenty of playoff battles and knows exactly what it takes when it comes to postseason hockey.

Top Goalie of the Game:
Manny DeBettencourt

Manny had an excellent game and was tested often throughout the matchup.

He faced 45 shots and stopped 42 of them, finishing with a .933 save percentage and a 3.00 GAA.

Manny's second half of the season since the trade has been a major improvement. He has looked increasingly confident with his new squad and will look to keep that momentum going against the high-octane offense of the Spiders in the Finals.

SSBHL SPRING 2026 AWARD WINNERS

MVP:
Aiden Lovett

Best Defensive Player:
Matt Leary

Best Goalie:
Dan Harding

Joe Godfrey Award:
Jeff Beattie

6th Man Award:
Ryan Jennette

Arty Reynolds Award:
Jeff Beattie

With all that, we are officially caught up!

We now have our Finals matchup determined.

The stage is set for an intense, high-octane battle between the 1st and 2nd seeded teams in the Spring 2026 Prince Cup Championship.

The Spiders vs the Mustangs.

These teams split their regular-season meetings.

Game 1 went to the Mustangs in a thrilling 7-6 victory.

Game 2 went to the Spiders by a score of 7-4.

The margin between these teams is razor-thin, and this matchup could truly go either way.

It's going to come down to who wants it more.

Who's willing to go the extra mile?

Which player is going to rise to the occasion?

And who's going to crumble under the pressure?

Prince Cup Championship Finals
6/14/26 – 10:00 AM

Spiders (1) vs Mustangs (2)

Key Matchup:
Aiden Lovett & Ryan Gurley vs J-Mac & B-Mack

Thank you!

-Dan Harding

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Hingham, MA

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