CATANIA DEFEATS D”ANDREA TO TAKE NYTHL 2025-2026 LEAGUE DATE 2

The NYTHL’s eleventh season continued on Saturday November 15, 2025 at Rab’s on Staten Island.  It featured nine competitors from three different states.  The road warriors this time were Brian Sullivan from Needham, Massachusetts, Tom Kearns from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and Dan Henner from Syracuse, New York.  This month’s nine players competed in a sixteen game double round robin then were ranked according to the day’s standings.  The top eight players would qualify for the end of day League Date Two playoffs.  At the conclusion of the double round robin, Vinny “The Vinner” Catania once again finished on top.  Catania went through the two rounds unblemished at 16-0-0.  Last season’s league Finalist, Chris D’Andrea finished five points behind with a 13-2-1 mark.  The “Bob O” Bob D’Addario improved over his league date one performance, by finishing third at 10-5-1-.  The Gentleman Anthony Sciacca made his return and continues to defy father time.  Anthony finished in the fourth spot with a record of 8-5-3.  Sciacca surrendered just 1.88 goals per game.  The rapidly rising Dan Henner turned in his first winning league date performance.  Henner placed fifth with a 7-6-3 day.  Brian Sullivan who finished last season on a tear made his first appearance of the year and had some game rust to contend with.  Brian’s 5-9-2 recorded landed him in sixth.  Tom Kearns continues to get more and more competitive as he racked up five wins, finishing seventh.  Mike Digiulio and Derek Nisbett finished tied for eighth managing just three ties each.    Let’s move on and review the League Date two Playoffs.

     When Derek Nisbett decided not to compete in the playoffs, Mike Digiulio did not have to play into the Quarter-Finals.  Seeds were determined accordingly, as Digiulio was in as the eighth seed.  .  In the Quarter-Finals the one seed Vinny Catania stormed past the eight seeded aforementioned DiGiulio by scores of 8-1, 10-2, and 9-1.  The two seed Chris D’Andrea needed four games against a tough Tom Kearns in order to advance.  Chris took game one 3-1.  Tom tied the series with a 3-1 victory of his own.  That loss seemed to wake up D’Andrea as he rolled to a 7-2 win in game three, and then closed the series with a 6-1 victory in game four.  Third seed Bob D’Addario Swept six seed Brian Sullivan by scores of 4-3, 4-3 and 6-4.  In the last Quarter-Final series, four seed Anthony Sciacca swept five seed Dan Henner by scores of 3-2 OT, 4-1, and 7-2 to earn the last Semi-Final berth.  These were important learning steps for both Kearns and Henner.

          The Semi-Finals were underway.  The Vinner and Anthony Sciacca once again did battle.  The Vinner took a hard fought game one by 4-3 margin.  Catania scored with just twenty two seconds left to force an extra session then again in overtime to pick up the win.  Vinny took game two by a 5-2 margin, and then capped the series sweep with a 5-1 triumph.  Games two and three were much closer than the scores indicated, with the Vinner scoring numerous times in each game’s final minute.   Chris D’Andrea once again met the “BOB O” Bob D’Addario in a rematch of last season’s semi-final and last month’s Quarter-Final series.  Unfortunately for D’Addario, the result was the same.  Chris D’Andrea defeated the Bob O by scores of 4-1, and 4-1 in games one and two.  In game three, D’Addario came back from a four goals deficit to defeat Chris in overtime 6-5.  However - Bob’s momentum ended right there as Chris clinched the series with a tight 3-1 triumph to take the series three games to one.  D’Andrea’s victory earned him another shot at Catania in the League Date Two Championship.  

     The Vinner rolled into the finals on this day undefeated.  Catania continued to roll with a finals opening game victory of 5-2.  D’Andrea scored seven times in game two in an attempt to tie the series.  Vinny unfortunately had other plans as he scored nine times enroute to the 9-7 victory.   Game three was the closest contest of the series, but in the end, The Vinner edged Chris by a 4-3 score to sweep the series and earn another League Date Championship.  Catania has won both league dates so far this year.

The ageless Anthony Sciacca then battled the “Bob O” in a best of three consolation series.  Sciacca continued his masterful play by using his famous box defense to clamp down on D’Addario and sweep the series by scores of 2-0 and 7-4.  That capped off a tremendous day for the man that does not age. Sciacca placed third on the day. The Bob O after after succesive whippings from D'Andrea and Sciacca slid down to fourth.

     Another hard-fought league date is in the books.  As the holidays approach, the N.Y.T.H.L. marches on.  Be a part of our growing league by joining us.  The sport of table hockey continues to expand as more take interest in our great sport.  Dare I 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 NYTHL.  Like so many others, you will be glad you did.  See you at League Date III on Saturday December 13, 2025.

See you next month - God Bless!