THE VINNER TESTED MULTIPILE TIMES, BUT PREVAILS EN ROUTE TO LEAGUE DATE SEVEN TITLE

     The NYTHL’s seventh league date of its tenth anniversary season took place on Saturday April 12, 2025 at Rab’s on Staten Island.  The day featured seventeen competitors from five different states.  Those players battled in a sixteen game round robin.  Upon completion - they were then ranked according to the day’s standings.  The top eight players would qualify for the “A” playoffs.   Players nine thru sixteen would then compete in the “B” playoffs.  The seventeenth player Larry Lassiter only competed in the round robin.  At the conclusion of the round robin, League Champion Vinny Catania finished on top.  The Vinner posted a perfect 16-0-0 record.  George Slater took second with a 12-3-1 record.  Len Mecca landed in third at 11-3-2.  Chris D’Andrea and Steve “The Stein” Bernstein were each 11-4-1, with D’Andrea taking fourth because of his head to head win over The Stein.  Rob Brancucci had the same amount of points as both D’Andrea and Bernstein, but his one less win earned him the sixth spot.  Bob D’Addario was seventh with a solid 10-5-1 finish.  The last spot in the “A” playoffs was earned by Larry Durham who finished 9-5-2.  Anthony Sciacca’s 6-6-4 record earned him ninth place which was the highest seed in the “B’ playoff.  Brian Sullivan was a point behind in tenth at 6-7-3.  Tom Kearns who continues to improve was eleventh with a 5-9-2 mark.  Hank Librandi was twelfth at 5-10-1.  Derek Nisbett had a career high four wins as he was thirteenth.  Dan Henner who made his debut, making the trip all the way down from Syracuse earned his first three victories of his career as he finished fourteenth.  Mr. Henner is a serious competitor and is determined to make his mark in the NYTHL within a short time.  Mike Digiulio also had three wins and was fifteenth due to his head to head loss with Dan.  Dennis Simone had a win and two ties as he ended his day sixteenth.  Double L – Larry Lassiter managed only a tie in his final NYTHL appearance.  Larry announced his retirement, at the end of his round robin due to some health concerns.  Hopefully he experiences better health as we wish him all the best.  Let’s move on and review the “A” and “B” Playoffs.

     In the “A” Quarter-Finals the one seed Vinny Catania swept past eight seeded Larry Durham by scores of 6-3, 7-3, and 9-2.  The two seed George Slater took on seventh seed Bob D’Addario.  George took game one 6-3.  Bob tied the series with a 6-3 victory of his own.  The Bob O then jumped ahead when he took game three by a 5-1 washout.  George turned things around with a 5-2 win in game four to tie the series and force a deciding fifth game.  D’Addario and Slater battled back and forth and needed overtime to decide the series.  The Bob O utilizing his center tapped in the opening faceoff and ended the game and series instantly.  Bob won the game 5-4 and the series 3-2 thus pulling a small upset.  The third seed Len Mecca made short work of sixth seed Rob Brancucci.  Mecca swept the series by scores of 3-2, 3-2 and 8-3.  Four seed Chris D’Andrea was challenged by five seed Steve “The Stein” Bernstein.  The Stein took game one by a 3-2 score.  D’Andrea tied the series with a 5-2 victory in game two.  The Stein then forged ahead winning games three and four by identical 4-3 scores to win the series 3-1 games.  Let’s move on to the Semi-Finals.

     In the “A” Semi-Finals, the top seed Vinny Catania took on seven seed Bob “The BOB O” D’Addario.  Bob played stellar defense in game one which was tied 1-1 when the Bob O pumped in a rightwing to center goal with just thirteen seconds left to take game one 2-1.  D’Addario followed that up with another stellar defensive gem as his offense joined the party by scoring seven goals enroot to a 7-1 blowout game two victory.  The Vinner was on the ropes as The Bob O needed just one more win to pull the upset.  The Vinner got off the canvass and earned himself a 4-1 victory in game three.  He did not surrender a goal until the game’s last second.  Vinny then jumped out to a 5-0 lead and cruised to a 5-3 victory to even the series and force a deciding fifth game.  Catania played perhaps his best game of the series as he shutout D’Addario 4-0 to take the series in five.  There was no shame as it was a great effort by D’Addario in taking Catania the distance.  In the other Semi-Final series three seed Len Mecca took on five seed Steve Bernstein.  Len took games one and two by 6-2, and 3-1 scores respectively.  The Stein rallied for a 2-1 overtime victory in game three to temporarily stave off elimination.  Len went on to a 4-2 victory in game four to take the series 3-1 games and set up a League Date 7 Championship versus The Vinner.

     For a seventh straight month League Champion Vinny Catania was through to the Finals.  This was Len Mecca’s first trip this season.  Having just come back from a 2-0 deficit to win his Semi-Final the Vinner was able to play free and easy and it showed.  Vinny took games one and two by scores of 6-2 and 6-1.  Mecca struck back with a 5-4 game three victory to stay alive.  The Vinner then regained the momentum he had following games one and two.  The Vinner defeated Mecca 6-3 to take the League Date 7 “A” Championship.  For Catania it was his seventh league date victory in as many tries.   

     In the “B” Playoffs Number nine seed Anthony Sciacca swept past sixteen seed Dennis Simone 3-0 games.  Ten seed Brian Sullivan also swept past Mike Digiulio in three games.  Number eleven Tom Kearns swept past rookie new comer Dan Henner.  Tom won all three games by a single goal.  Number twelve Hank Librandi ended number thirteen seed Derek Nisbett’s attempt for a second straight “B” title.  Hank also swept his series in three.  In the Semi-Finals Nine seed Anthony Sciacca needed overtime in game one to defeat Hank Librandi 4-3.  Sciacca then took the next two games by identical scores of 3-1 to sweep the series and earn a spot in the “B” Final.  His opponent was determined when ten seed Brian Sullivan defeated eleven seed Tom Kearns in four games.  Brian won games one and two by scores of 2-0 and 3-1.  Kearns battled his way to a 5-3 game three victory.  Brian scored in overtime of game four to score a 2-1 victory and put the series away three games to one.  The “B” Final was set.  Number nine seed Anthony Sciacca took on ten seed Brian Sullivan.  Anthony opened the series with a 2-0 shutout.  He then followed it up with a 3-1 victory over Sullivan.  Brian earned a 2-0 shutout of his own to stay alive in the series.  Then - in game four Brian was a goal away from tying the series at two, but Anthony Sciacca had other plans.  The ageless Sciacca scored in overtime to win game four 3-2 and the series 3-1.  It was Anthony’s fourth “B” Championship title this season.

     Another exciting league date is now history.  The NYTHL’s tenth season continues to deliver.  Interest in both this great sport and league continues to grow.  I will once again ask - With great games to play and great people to compete on them – what are you waiting for?  Get behind the rods and Join the New York Table Hockey League.  Like so many others, you will be glad you did.  See you at League Date VIII on Saturday May 10, 2025.

See you next month - God Bless!