Young stars of the 18U division shine bright at 2024 AYHL All Star game

SEWELL, N.J. — The prodigiously talented players of the 18U division put on a show at the 2024 AYHL All Star game. The action was frantic from when the puck first dropped to the final buzzer.

The players were first divided into two teams, White and Blue. The action got off to a blistering start when the Blue Team’s Dean Carvalho scored less than two minutes into the first period. From there, things settled into a defensive groove with goalies from both sides making plays. Blue team goalie Dylan Bourque was locked in, as he made an impressive save on a Declan Quinn shot that drew applause from his All Star teammates. Not to be outdone, White team goalie Aidan Foley repelled a volley of shots by laying out, and capped off the impressive sequence with a snagging glove save. 

The game was still 1-0 heading into the second period, but it wouldn’t stay that way for long, as the Blue team continued to apply relentless pressure. White team goalie Daniel Lopez-Franco made an athletic twisting layout save and knocked aside a rocket that would’ve been Carvalho’s second goal of the game. The scoring drought was broken abruptly as the Blue team’s Nicholas Rockey received a pass from Carvalho, darted through the White team’s defenses and buried the puck in the back of the net to make the score 2-0. Just over a minute later, Trevor Dalton put the Blue team up 3-0 by shoveling in yet another goal off an assist from Christophe Lussier. 

Down by three heading into the third period, the White team was determined to get on the board — Kevin Walton scored less than a minute into the period off a pretty assist from Nikolas Reich. From there, the Blue team’s Thomas Fetterman took over the game with two consecutive goals. As time ticked down, White team’s Joe Mariotti and the Blue team’s Lussier both got in on the fun as they tacked on some nifty goals to bring the score to 6-2. Some impressive saves from the Blue team goalie Andrew Dubin in the game's final seconds ensured that it would remain the final score. 

The fun day of sportsmanship and friendly competition was clearly enjoyed by all the participants, and was a reward befitting of their incredible play thus far this season.