Buckleys Tavern Crowned Champions
After Statement Win Over Zizza by a score of 8-3
Aston, PA. Buckleys Tavern Crowned Champions After Statement Win Over Zizza
BOXSCORE
The Buckleys Tavern squad didn’t just show up for the championship, they stormed in and made their presence known from the drop of the puck, delivering a relentless offensive onslaught and rock-solid goaltending en route to a dominant 8–3 victory over Zizza Landscape Services.
First Period – Buckleys Sets the Tone Early
Only 3:03 into the game, Nick Polsinelli opened the scoring with a gritty net-front finish. After Riley Mullen and Dalton Bew created chaos on the rush, the puck spilled into the slot — Polsinelli pounced and hammered it home. Early message sent: Buckleys came to win. Just over a minute later at 4:20, it was Dexton Mozell lighting the lamp. With Rece Bergeman threading a perfect pass and Nick Daluisio firing from the blue line, Mozell slipped into the soft spot of the defense and buried a clinical wrister past a screened Rice. 2–0. At 4:47, Then came the highlight reel. Nate Dunning picked up speed through the neutral zone, cut around a defender, circled back at the top of the dot, and rifled one glove side. Unassisted. Unstoppable. Zizza tried to stop the bleeding when Matt Tendler cleaning up a rebound from Anthony Pino and Mike Hedden at 7:25, but Buckleys struck again. At 11:01, Dalton Bew responded with a laser glove-side wrister off a slick setup from Anthony Sabitsky and Tim Makowski. The goal was textbook execution — Polsinelli’s middle-lane drive backed off the defense and opened the seam for Sabitsky to hit Bew in stride. That was the eventual game-winner, and it was a beauty.
Second Period – The Avalanche Continues
Buckleys opened the second just like the first — with a goal. At 1:43, Mozell netted his second, this time off a slick cross-slot dish from Bergeman and Dunning. At 6:45, Daluisio joined the party, capping off a give-and-go with Mozell and Bergeman and ripping a far-side snipe just over the glove. 6–1. Then came Yancy Whitaker at 10:17 with a sniper’s finish from the right circle, far side blocker, served on a platter by Antonio Baccari. That one sent a buzz through the bench and the bleachers. Zizza stopped the surge briefly at 12:31 on a power play rebound goal by Mike Cauley, assisted by Casey Rogers and Shayne Morrissey. But heading into the third, the mountain was looking mighty steep.
Third Period – Zizza Shows Life, Buckleys Seals It
Zizza showed heart in the third. Cauley netted his second at 10:10 off a feed from Jeremy Simpson to make it 7–3. But Buckleys had the last word. But any glimmer of a comeback was dashed when Baccari sealed it with a empty-netter cueing the celebration. With 12:44 left and the goalie pulled and a planned faceoff loss by Emerich, Baccari corralled the puck and fired a missile from his own zone.
Star Between the Pipes
While the offense stole the spotlight, Graham Burke stood tall all game. 41 saves on 44 shots — calm, confident, clutch. He was a brick wall when it counted. “Burke wasn’t just good — he was a brick wall with a pulse.”
Stat Leaders – Buckleys Tavern
Post-Game Reactions & One-Liner Highlights
Commissioner’s Closing Message
As Commissioner, I couldn’t be prouder of how this season turned out. We finished with one team at 8–6, three teams deadlocked at 7–7, and one at 6–8. That’s real parity and you just don’t find that in most men’s leagues. When we started the CCHL 12 years ago, the mission was simple: have fun, compete hard, and build a league where any team could win on any given night. This summer may have been our best yet. Most games were tight 4–3 grinders, and with hardly any blowouts, every matchup felt like a playoff game. Buckleys' big win was the exception, and a well-earned one.
Once again, I want to extend a huge thank you to our team captains: Mike Cauley, Kenny Trentowski, Antonio Baccari, and Jeremy Synder. Your leadership, player recruitment, and weekly coordination keep this league alive and thriving. To our officiating crew — Bill Crawford, your passion for the CCHL is unmatched. And Robbie Hennessey — thank you for keeping Wild Bill in check. Alex Clark, our Pointstreak wizard and scorekeeping boss — you’re the reason stats run smooth. Your behind-the-scenes work doesn’t go unnoticed. And of course, a special shoutout to Sean Monaghan of Shirt Talkin — the guy behind the legendary “you gotta win ’em to wear ’em” championship lids. Thanks again for always delivering the gear the boys love to wear.
Best of luck to all our Junior, College, and Pro players this fall — stay healthy and keep grinding. And to those of us in the "real world,” enjoy the rest of your summer. If we’re lucky enough to find ice, CCHL Winter will return in October. If not, we’ll see you next summer for CCHL 2026.
Thanks for another unforgettable season.
– Jeff Corey
CCHL Commissioner
BOXSCORE
The Buckleys Tavern squad didn’t just show up for the championship, they stormed in and made their presence known from the drop of the puck, delivering a relentless offensive onslaught and rock-solid goaltending en route to a dominant 8–3 victory over Zizza Landscape Services.
First Period – Buckleys Sets the Tone Early
Only 3:03 into the game, Nick Polsinelli opened the scoring with a gritty net-front finish. After Riley Mullen and Dalton Bew created chaos on the rush, the puck spilled into the slot — Polsinelli pounced and hammered it home. Early message sent: Buckleys came to win. Just over a minute later at 4:20, it was Dexton Mozell lighting the lamp. With Rece Bergeman threading a perfect pass and Nick Daluisio firing from the blue line, Mozell slipped into the soft spot of the defense and buried a clinical wrister past a screened Rice. 2–0. At 4:47, Then came the highlight reel. Nate Dunning picked up speed through the neutral zone, cut around a defender, circled back at the top of the dot, and rifled one glove side. Unassisted. Unstoppable. Zizza tried to stop the bleeding when Matt Tendler cleaning up a rebound from Anthony Pino and Mike Hedden at 7:25, but Buckleys struck again. At 11:01, Dalton Bew responded with a laser glove-side wrister off a slick setup from Anthony Sabitsky and Tim Makowski. The goal was textbook execution — Polsinelli’s middle-lane drive backed off the defense and opened the seam for Sabitsky to hit Bew in stride. That was the eventual game-winner, and it was a beauty.
Second Period – The Avalanche Continues
Buckleys opened the second just like the first — with a goal. At 1:43, Mozell netted his second, this time off a slick cross-slot dish from Bergeman and Dunning. At 6:45, Daluisio joined the party, capping off a give-and-go with Mozell and Bergeman and ripping a far-side snipe just over the glove. 6–1. Then came Yancy Whitaker at 10:17 with a sniper’s finish from the right circle, far side blocker, served on a platter by Antonio Baccari. That one sent a buzz through the bench and the bleachers. Zizza stopped the surge briefly at 12:31 on a power play rebound goal by Mike Cauley, assisted by Casey Rogers and Shayne Morrissey. But heading into the third, the mountain was looking mighty steep.
Third Period – Zizza Shows Life, Buckleys Seals It
Zizza showed heart in the third. Cauley netted his second at 10:10 off a feed from Jeremy Simpson to make it 7–3. But Buckleys had the last word. But any glimmer of a comeback was dashed when Baccari sealed it with a empty-netter cueing the celebration. With 12:44 left and the goalie pulled and a planned faceoff loss by Emerich, Baccari corralled the puck and fired a missile from his own zone.
Star Between the Pipes
While the offense stole the spotlight, Graham Burke stood tall all game. 41 saves on 44 shots — calm, confident, clutch. He was a brick wall when it counted. “Burke wasn’t just good — he was a brick wall with a pulse.”
Stat Leaders – Buckleys Tavern
- Dexton Mozell: 2 G, 1 A – Net-front menace.
- Rece Bergeman: 3 A – Set-up machine.
- Dalton Bew: 1 G, 1 A (GWG) – Snipe City.
- Nate Dunning: 1 G, 1 A – Goal of the Night.
- Antonio Baccari: 1 G, 1 A – Captain Clutch.
Post-Game Reactions & One-Liner Highlights
- “When all three lines are rolling like that, we’re hard to beat. We just believed in ourselves and stuck to our game plan,” said Captain Antonio Baccari.
- Polsinelli, whose goal started the floodgates: Drive the net, pepper shots, and the puck’s going to bounce your way.”
- Goalie Burke: “Watching the boys pile up goals like that makes my job easy, just keep the door shut.”
- Commissioner Jeff Corey: “From the opening faceoff, Buckleys played like a team that already had their name on the trophy.”
- Whitaker on the Bew goal: “Pure chemistry. Polsinelli’s middle-lane drive, Sabitsky’s dish, Bew’s low blocker finish — like they practiced it a thousand times.”
Commissioner’s Closing Message
As Commissioner, I couldn’t be prouder of how this season turned out. We finished with one team at 8–6, three teams deadlocked at 7–7, and one at 6–8. That’s real parity and you just don’t find that in most men’s leagues. When we started the CCHL 12 years ago, the mission was simple: have fun, compete hard, and build a league where any team could win on any given night. This summer may have been our best yet. Most games were tight 4–3 grinders, and with hardly any blowouts, every matchup felt like a playoff game. Buckleys' big win was the exception, and a well-earned one.
Once again, I want to extend a huge thank you to our team captains: Mike Cauley, Kenny Trentowski, Antonio Baccari, and Jeremy Synder. Your leadership, player recruitment, and weekly coordination keep this league alive and thriving. To our officiating crew — Bill Crawford, your passion for the CCHL is unmatched. And Robbie Hennessey — thank you for keeping Wild Bill in check. Alex Clark, our Pointstreak wizard and scorekeeping boss — you’re the reason stats run smooth. Your behind-the-scenes work doesn’t go unnoticed. And of course, a special shoutout to Sean Monaghan of Shirt Talkin — the guy behind the legendary “you gotta win ’em to wear ’em” championship lids. Thanks again for always delivering the gear the boys love to wear.
Best of luck to all our Junior, College, and Pro players this fall — stay healthy and keep grinding. And to those of us in the "real world,” enjoy the rest of your summer. If we’re lucky enough to find ice, CCHL Winter will return in October. If not, we’ll see you next summer for CCHL 2026.
Thanks for another unforgettable season.
– Jeff Corey
CCHL Commissioner
