The Springfield Pics Elite squad came away with a huge win against the Bridgewater Bandits Saturday night, win a 5 - 4 overtime win with Dominick Balboni notching both the goal to bring the game to overtime (while on the penalty kill), and the game winning goal in overtime. Mike Penna also made his return to the lineup this season, and made it an event to remember.

After the Bandits got an early goal from Brian Dale, Mike Penna was able to tie the game up, while gathering his first goal of the season.

Just a few seconds into the first power play of the night for the Pics after a bench minor against the Bandits, Zach Shupe was able to start the punch up the ice. He got the puck knocked briefly away from him but Mike Penna was able to recover and continue down the ice, putting the puck between the legs of a Bandit's defensemen, then beating the goaltender glove side low to light the lamp.

Aaron Champagne put the Pics ahead at just before the 5 minute mark of the 1st when he deflected a shot from Alex Speckhart who got it from Dylan Taylor off the faceoff. Speckhart then took a shot, and Champagne deflected the shot on down which put the Pics ahead for the first time.

Cole Growhowski made it 3 - 1 just a couple minutes into the 2nd period when Shupe was able to successfully battle off a challenge from a Bandits player and was able to dish it off to Growhowski, who one-timed it into the back of the net.

After three unanswered goals, the Bandits looked like they would steal this win away from the Pics again, but Dominick Balboni would prove them different.

Shortly after a faceoff at center ice after the puck went out of play into the Bandits bench, Balboni took the faceoff and won it. He brought the puck on down and dish it off to Mike Penna, who brought it around the net to get Egan to chase after him. After Egan committed, two Bandit's players screened Egan of the ability to see Balboni who missed on his first attempt in which he hit the post. He got his own rebound on back and lifted it top shelf to make it tied up at 4.

After neither team could add a goal during the final minute of regulation, the Pics and Bandits went into overtime. After a blocker save by Woodruff, Balboni grabbed the loose puck and drove up the right wing. He dropped iff off the Paud O'Brien after he crossed the blue line into the Pics attacking zone, who gave it right on back in front of the net. Balboni then put it top shelf again, high glove side to seal the win for the Pics.

Woodruff stopped a staggering 47 out of 51 shots he faced for the win, while Jake Egan stopped 26 out of 31 for the loss.

​The Pics Elite dropped a close one Saturday afternoon against the Islanders 6 - 4. 

The Islanders struck first a little over 6 minutes into the game with a goal from Frank Jurgens. Jermey Olson got the assist.

Shu Inamura lit the lamp just a little over a minute later with a pass from Noah Jubb.

The Pics finally lit the lamp in the waining minutes of the 1st period when Aaron Champagne knocked the rebound in off an intial shot from Alex Speckhart. An Islanders player softly pushed the puck away and Champagne grabbed the loose puck and deposited it in the back of the net.

​Zach Shupe tied up the game early in the 2nd period when he received a tape to tape pass from Hunter Dodds when he passed it blue line to blue line. Dominick Balboni got the secondary assist.

​The Islanders got revenge and made it a one goal game just a minute later with a goal from Layne Brubaker-Egner. Jermey Olsen got the secondary assist.

Felix Appelt tied the game up again a minute and a half later when he was able to get a pass from the face off from Dominick Balboni. Appelt got the puck and spun around and was able to put it up in the upper left hand corner of the net after a slight deflection off a stick of an Islander. Seth Chernik got the secondary assist.

​Matthew Warrington made it a one goal again half way through the second period.

Shupe tied up the game again to make it 4 - 4 a little past 6 minutes into the 3rd period when Liam Andersen grabbed the puck after battling for it with an Islander player. He passed it over to Shupe who was crashing the net on the opposite side and was able to beat Varveris.

​The Islanders put two more on the board, the final one an empty net goal to make it 6 - 4.

Mike Varveris stopped 44 out of 48 goals for the win, and Elijah Rapaport stopped 26 out of 31 shots for the loss.

The Elite squad struck first, but fell to the Islanders Hockey Club 5 - 3 on Saturday night. Dylan Taylor was able to put the puck in the back of the net with just under 5 minutes remaining in the 1st period when the Islanders failed a clearing attempt and it was picked up by Liam Andersen, who fed it to Sean Ferus and it went off the skate of Dylan Taylor into the back of the net

Alex Speckhart was able to make it 2 - 1 when he was able to squeeze the puck between Islanders' goalie Mike Varveris' pads and the goal post. 

The Islanders then had three unanswered goals in the 2nd period which swung the momentum their way. Alex Speckhart put his second goal of the night between the pipes when he was able to beat Varveris stick side half way through the 3rd period, but just under a minute later, Jason Melanson of the Islanders made it 4 - 3. Conner Dalton put in the empty net goal with just 10 seconds remaning in regulation.

The Islanders move to 4 - 0 on the season, while the Pics move to 0 - 1 on the season. 
The Pics will face the Bridgewater Junior Bandits on Saturday at 4:40 pm at the Olympia. Eric Richardson will provide the play-by-play on HockeyTV.

The Springfield Pics open their league schedule this weekend with the Premier’s away from the friendly confines of the Olympia, while the Elite, U16, and U15 open up their home end of their season.

PREMIER

The Premier squad open their season with four games over an extended weekend. They will be facing the Jersey Hitmen and the Utica Jr Comets twice. They will be facing the Hitmen twice on Saturday, once on 3:50pm and again at 9:00pm. They will then face the Comets on Sunday at 10:40am, and again on Monday at 10:30am.
The last time these teams met, the Pics beat the Hitmen 4 – 1 on November 16th, and the Pics and the Comets split their series, with the Pics on the winning end 4 – 3 on September 21st, and on the opposite end with a 3 – 2 loss on February 14th.
The Pics then travel to the Hollydell Ice arena, home of the Skipjacks on October 9th, then back up to Bridgewater for another showcase against the Rockets Hockey Club, The New York Aviators, and the P.A.L. Junior Islanders.
Rob Bonneau, when asked about this coming series was quoted at saying “We are looking forward to getting back to league play. We had an excellent training camp and look to get off to a good start as the division will be extremely competitive all season, and every game will be important.”

ELITE

The Elite squad has a lone game against the Islanders Hockey Club on Saturday at 8:20pm, with Pics broadcaster Eric Richardson having the call. The Islanders elected not to field an Elite team last season. The Islanders have already played 3 games so far, being victorious in all of them.
“We are fortunate that the league is letting us move forward with the season. We are looking forward to our first league game Saturday against a new IHC team which I expect to be just as skilled as our upcoming opponents. We have a mix of veterans, players who have moved up in the organization, as well as newcomers. The Elite team this year is a skilled squad, and anticipates getting back to Nationals, and hope to begin the run on Saturday”, Elite Head Coach Chris Beaudoin was quoted saying when inquired about this upcoming game and season.

U16

The Pics begin the home end of their season on Saturday and Sunday against the visiting Utica Junior Comets at 8:45 pm on Saturday and 5:30pm on Sunday. The Pics and the Comets did not face each other last season.

U15

The Pics face the visiting Utica Comets, as they go to battle on Saturday and Sunday. 8:05pm on Saturday and 3:30pm on Sunday. The Comets were successful all three times last season they faced the Pics. When asked about this coming series against Utica, Head Coach Vern Smith was quoted saying “We’ve got a real challenge ahead of us with a skilled Utica team. We will be forced to up the tempo of our game. We have a number of new faces, so it will be a test for many of our players.”

The Springfield Pics, proud members of the USPHL, announce the hiring of Chris Beaudoin as Head Coach of their Elite squad.

​In a statement, Beaudoin was quoted as saying, “I’m excited to be joining the Springfield Pics Organization for the 2020-2021 season as it is where I got my junior hockey started.  The Pics helped me get to the next level and I’m looking forward to continuing that tradition with the players this year.”