Chris D’Andrea Topples George Slater to Capture 2025-2026 NYTHL Championship

     The NYTHL’s Eleventh season came to a close with its League Date Nine Championship Playoffs on Sunday June 6, 2026.  As always the action took place at Rab’s on Staten Island.  It featured ten competitors from five different states.  When the action concluded – Chris D’Andrea avenged last season’s championship loss to George Slater by capturing the title with a four games to one series victory.  Chris became the league’s fourth ever champion.  

     Let’s review the exciting action.  Of the ten that participated, eight players were eligible for the league’s top prize in the “A” tournament.  To prepare for the playoffs all ten players competed in a single round robin.   The games did count toward the overall standings, but at the conclusion no positions changed in the standings.  Defending NYTHL Champion George Slater was nearly perfect as he finished atop the field at 8-1-0.  Slater’s only loss was to the league’s rising star and most improved player – Dan Henner by a 4-2 score in the final game of the round.  Last year’s runner up Chris D’Andrea finished second with a solid 6-2-1 mark.  Ventnor New Jersey native Larry Durham had one of his best round robins ever as he finished 5-1-3.  His one less win than D’Andrea landed him third via tie-break.  The aforementioned Dan Henner continued his much improved play as he finished 6-3-0, placing him fourth.  The Ageless Anthony Sciacca had another winning day; he finished with a 4-3-2 record which put him in fifth.  The Bob O – Bob D’Addario won his first four games then collapsed and managed only one tie in his last five games as he finished in sixth with a 4-4-1 tally.  Those losses put Bob two games under .500 for the season.  League veteran Len Mecca had a lackluster round as he finished 3-4-2 which placed him seventh.  The league’s best sportsman and improving Tom Kearns of Pittsburgh Pennsylvania compiled a 2-6-1 record good for eighth.  Christian Dubois made his season debut and finished 1-7-1, placing ninth.  Derek Nisbett finally made his return after missing six months.  Derek managed just one tie and finished tenth.  Derek and Christian were not eligible to play in the top “A” tournament and would go directly into the “B’ playoffs.  All records were tabulated and it was then time to determine a new Champion. 

     It was now time for the players to engage in battle in order to crown the league’s new champion.  All playoff series would be best of sevens.  The top eight players comprising the “A” group would do battle in a Quarter-Final round.  The four winners would move on to the Semi-Finals with the four who lost moving into a six player “B” tournament.  The top two overall seeds based on season record would receive byes in the “B’ Quarter-Finals.  Round one of the “A” tournament went pretty much as expected, with one exception.   Five seed the Bob O - Bob D’Addario upset four seed Len Mecca in five games.  D’Addario won games one and two by scores of 3-2 and 2-0 respectively.  Mecca won an exciting game three in overtime by a 3-2 score.  Bob then took control of the series with a 4-3 game four victory.  D’Addario closed out the series by drubbing Mecca 9-0 to close him out, taking the series four games to one.  The ageless third seed Anthony Sciacca who continues to play the best table hockey of his life made short work of upstart Dan Henner.  Sciacca swept the series by scores of 5-1, 6-1, 4-0, and 4-2.  The two seed and defending Champion George Slater defeated seven seed Larry Durham in five games.  George took the first three games by scores of 6-3, 3-1 and 5-3.  Larry earned his lone victory of the series in game four by a 5-3 win of his own.  George closed out the series by winning game five 4-1, thus taking the series by the same count.   One seed Chris D’Andrea swept past eight seed Tom Kearns with minimal trouble.  D’Andrea won by scores of 6-2, 3-0, 7-2 and 3-0 to earn a spot in the Semi-Finals.

     The Semis were set and in the first series one seed Chris D’Andrea took on the bitter rival Bob D’Addario.  Chris’s dominance this season over Bob continued.  Chris took game one via shutout 6-0.  He followed that up with a 3-1 game two victory.  The Bob O earned a 1-0 shutout in game three to cut the deficit to one game.  The games tightened, but D’Andrea took game four 4-2 and closed out the series in game five with a 4-3 victory, earning himself a trip to the championship for a third straight season.  Defending Champion George Slater took on the ageless Anthony Sciacca.  These two have a storied history and have engaged in a number of great series.  George jumped out in game one with a 3-2 win.  The ageless one then tied the series with a convincing 4-1 triumph.  George then retook the series lead with a 4-3 game three victory.  Sciacca took game four to overtime, before succumbing to Slater by a 3-2 margin.  George then closed out the series with another one goal victory 4-3.  Slater now had a chance to defend his title in a rematch of last year’s Championship versus Chris D’Andrea.

     Would top seed Chris D’Andrea finally exercise his demons and break through and win his first NYTHL title?  Defending Champion George Slater would have a say in his attempt to repeat as Champion.  Last year’s Final was a 4-2 victory for George with two victories coming in overtime.  Just two goals separated them in the series.  This time as expected game one did not disappoint.  D’Andrea prevailed in overtime by a 4-3 margin.  George tied the series with a 6-5 overtime victory of his own.  Chris regained the lead by defeating Slater in convincing fashion via a 7-3 score.  The two combatants went right back to playing tight games with Chris earning a 1-0 win in game four to put him in a 3-1 series lead, and just one win from the title.  George fought like the Champion he was, but D’Andrea earned his third one goal victory of the series 6-5.  The victory earned D’Andrea his first ever NYTHL Championship after numerous failed attempts in the Finals.  These two played another classic series and will be sure to resume their rivalry as soon as next season begins. 

     The third place consolation series was played between the third and fifth seeds.  Three Seed Anthony Sciacca and five seed Bob D’Addario agreed to play a shorter best of five series.  The series was expected to be low scoring because of each player’s attention to defense.  As expected it was.  Sciacca took game one by a 3-1 score.  The Bob O tied the series with an exciting 4-3 win in overtime.  Anthony then squeaked by D’Addario via a 3-2 margin.  Sciacca didn’t miss the opportunity to close out Bob in the fourth game.  The master of the box defense lived up to his reputation.  The ageless one triumphed over D’Addario in shutout fashion 3-0 to take the series three games to one.  The win earned Sciacca third place honors.  This was the second consecutive year The Bob O had to settle for fourth.

     In the “B” Tournament Christian Dubois, and Derek Nisbett were joined by the four “A” players who lost their Quarter-Final  round series.  Len Mecca, Larry Durham, Dan Henner and Tom Kearns joined the bracket with Len Mecca and Dan Henner receiving Quarter-Final round byes.   Of the four playing in the round – seven seed Larry Durham swept by Derek Nisbett by scores of  6-2, 4-3, 3-1 and 4-2.  Eight seed Tom Kearns and nine seed Christian Dubois played an incredible series.  Tom looked like he was going to make short work of Christian by winning the first three games by scores of 4-1, 6-5 and 2-1.  Facing elimination the young Dubois ripped off three victories of his own by tallies of 3-0, 5-3 and 5-3.  The series was now tied at three a piece.  The deciding game seven was a nail biter with Kearns getting off the deck to earn a hard fought 4-3 victory, taking the series by the same score.  In the “B’ Semi-Finals four seed Len Mecca  jumped out to a commanding three games to none lead over eight seed Tom Kearns by scores of 5-4, 7-6 OT, and 2-1.  Tom then rallied for a 3-1 win, before falling to Mecca in game five by a 2-1 score.  Mecca took the series four games to one to move on to the “B’ Championship.  Six seed Dan Henner regained solid form as he blew by seven seed Larry Durham.  Dan swept the series by scores of 7-1, 4-3, 6-3 and 5-3 to earn his first trip to the “B” Championship versus Mecca.   In the NYTHL “B” Finals there was no clear favorite.  Although record and experience was on the side of Mecca, recent play and a victory by Henner over Mecca in Chicago two months prior raised doubt about who would win.  Mecca started the series strong with a 6-3 game one win.  Len followed that up with a 5-3 victory to take a two games to none lead.  Henner then reversed fortune by winning game three 6-3, then tying series at two a piece with a 5-4 overtime victory in game four.  Mecca then regained the series lead with a5-3 victory in game five.  Len now up three games to two exacted revenge in a big way.   He played his best game of the day, blowing out Henner in game five 7-0 to take the NYTHL “B” title.  It was a nice way for Mecca to end his season by taking home some hardware.  For Henner it is just the beginning for the rapidly improving native of Syracuse.

     That brings to conclusion the NYTHLs eleventh season, as we close the history books on another great campaign.  Many players in the league this year unfortunately suffered from illness, injury or personal tragedy.   All are set to return this upcoming year.  Despite this, both table hockey and the NYTHL continue to garner interest, thrive and prosper as a whole.  With great people, a super venue, and the best games to play on - Dare I ask?  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.  Join us this October for our twelfth season.  Until then God Bless and be well.