Championship: Little Caesars 8, Myhro Hockey 0 

After a competitive 3-1 win over SDP on Thursday evening, the reigning USA Hockey national champions did not allow a goal over their next four contests, culminating in an 8-0 win over Myhro Hockey on Sunday afternoon. 

Powered by a lineup with virtually zero holes or soft spots, Little Caesars outscored its last four opponents by a combined 45-0. 

In Sunday’s win, Ryker Kesler and Colin Kennedy each scored twice, with single goals contributed by Griffin Carver, Jack Trupiano, and Ben Slavick. Goaltenders Troy Falbo and Dante Balch combined for the shutout.

After going 5-0-1 in Boston last month, Little Caesars ends its run in the USEL's 2010 Division with a record of 10-0-1. 

Little Caesars posted a USA Hockey record of 73-5-2 during the 2023-2024 season en route to the national title, and suffered zero losses after December 10. 

Third Place: NSHDA 4, SDP 3 (SO) 

After suffering a substantial loss against Little Caesars in Saturday night’s semifinals, NSHDA (North Shore Hockey Development Academy) rallied its troops and pulled off a 4-3 shootout victory over SDP (Select Development Program). 

The teams traded metaphorical punches during the first period, with Maverick McKinnon putting SDP ahead 1-0 before NSHDA’s Jett Zimont tied the game just over a minute later. Ethan Wise extended the lead to 2-1 for NSHDA, but SDP’s Philip Benjamin provided his own answer to tie the score at 2-2. 

After a scoreless second, McKinnon’s second goal put SDP ahead 3-2, but Xander Rojel scored with 7:38 remaining in regulation to force the shootout. 

Rojel and Patrick Taylor scored for NSHDA during the one-on-ones, and the SDP shooters were denied on both tries. 

Championship: SDP 3, Detroit Jr. Red Wings 2 

Up 3-0 early in the second period, an SDP parent described the game as a “nailbiter,” which the contest certainly turned into once the Jr. Red Wings scored with under three minutes to play in the second and then again with 1:20 left in regulation to force the game into a dramatic tug-of-war. 

Breck Schultz and Brayden Dean potted the first two goals of the game for SDP, scoring 10 minutes apart in the first period. Braylon Tousignant delivered the eventual clincher early in the third period. 

Mikey Scheele put the Jr. Red Wings on the board in the second, and Caden Michaels built on a strong two-goal effort last night with the team’s second goal late in the game before SDP battened the hatches and cemented the win.

The win gave SDP a 4-1 record for the Detroit stretch, with the lone loss coming against the Jr. Red Wings. SDP concluded USEL play with an 8-2 record, posting an identical 4-1 mark in Boston.

Third Place: Ice Exchange 6, Myhro Hockey 5 

SJ Lowry put on a show for Ice Exchange in Sunday’s third-place game, recording a hat trick and adding a pair of assists for a game-high five points. 

In what proved to be indicative of the close games that would abound on Sunday, the teams combined for seven goals in the opening period.

A two-goal second frame from Ice Exchange and a single tally from Myhro Hockey made the score 5-5 entering the third period, which featured Lowry’s third goal of the game and eventual game-winner just over two minutes into the period.