torhs nationals 2024 - wesley chapel, fl 

Final Standings

1. Carshield - Champions

2. Tour Roadrunners - Runners Up

3. Unify Konixx Black Ice

4. Konixx Ragecats

5. Envious Wings

6. Kemistry

7. Rinkster Propel

8. Labeda Blood and Feathers

9. Black Ice 2.0

Player Stats

Watching TORHS from home this year gave me extreme FOMO, but also kept me engaged all weekend. I've attended the last 5 TORHS Nationals, so watching from afar was definitely a different experience for me. And by different, I mean... I HATED IT. Fortunately, every Pro Division game was live-streamed on Rollerhockey.tv. As a new Rollerdad, I found myself glued to my office, watching every single game with my son. It was easy because there were a ton of close games in Round-Robin and plenty worth re-watching. 

WATCH HERE

Special shoutout to Dan Dolan, who took over the Instagram for the weekend and helped the roller community feel like they were part of the tournament. This blog will be long, so buckle up and enjoy a full recap of the TORHS Pro Division.

THE TEAMS 

This year, TORHS Nationals hosted 9 Pro Division Teams: Carshield, Tour Roadrunners, Black Ice, Konixx Ragecats, Envious Wings, Kemistry, Black Ice 2.0, 3PIC Labeda Blood and Feathers, and Propel Rinkster. Right off the bat, you'll notice a big name in the roller scene not on the Pro team list: The Pama Labeda Golden Knights. Pama has been a mainstay in playoffs at this event, but their absence this year left the door wide open for some newer teams to earn a playoff berth. From an early look at the rosters, some teams came in absolutely stacked while others, despite fewer big names, played in many close games.

DAY 1 - A LOOK AT EVERY TEAM FROM THE OPENING DAY

Carshield vs 3PIC Labeda Blood and Feathers

The first game of the day featured Carshield against 3PIC Labeda Blood and Feathers. Many might have written off Blood and Feathers, but it was quite the opposite. Nicholas Wydock played brilliantly, stopping 23 of 24 shots (though it felt like more). Tyler Spezia was the only player from a deep Carshield roster to score against Wydock, while David Baldwin had a snipe to beat Troy Redmann on the other end. The game eventually went to a shootout where Garret Ross scored the only goal on the first shot. I sat back and thought, "that was only game one," and the next game was arguably one of the most important of Round-Robin: Kemistry vs Propel Rinkster.

Kemistry vs Propel Rinkster

As I mentioned, a new team was making playoffs this year based on sheer numbers. These two teams were my picks to challenge for that spot. Kemistry came out blazing with a 3-0 win over Propel, securing themselves a playoff spot. Kemistry has been playing in a few Pro tournaments over the past year, so it wasn't surprising that they won the game. What was surprising is that Propel couldn't seem to find the back of the net. They had a very good roster, but it might have woken up too little, too late. 

Ragecats vs Tour Roadrunners

Throughout the day, there were 4 more one-goal games. Ragecats vs Roadrunners was a back-and-forth affair at times, with the Roadrunners eventually edging out the Ragecats. Pat Maroon made his presence known in the 2nd period with back-to-back assists to give the Roadrunners the lead. A late goal from Jack O'Hanisain brought the Ragecats within one, but it wasn't enough. Again this was a very important game for playoff seeding. With the Roadrunners grabbing a win is eventually secured them a second seed. 

Envious vs Carshield

Envious had a significant win over Carshield in yet another shootout. This game had more at stake from the start due to connections across both rosters, notably George Brown, a Buffalo native, coaching against a primarily Buffalo team. This game had 5 lead changes, penalties, and ended in a shootout. This was my personal must-watch game of day 1. The shootout itself went 5 rounds (talk about catching up from those mercy rules).

Black Ice / Black Ice 2.0

Unify Konixx Black Ice dominated, winning their games 8-0 and 6-1. For me, this dominance may have backfired a bit, as I'll explain later in the blog. Black Ice 2.0 played close games against Envious Wings and Ragecats, despite finishing last in the division, they had a better goal difference than the 4 teams above them but couldn't secure a point. The future is bright for Black Ice 2.0. If this team can stay together I think you're looking at a future pro champion. As for Unify Konixx Black Ice, they seem to stay the most consistent when their defense leads the charge. Their ability to transition from defense to offense is unmatched. I would argue they are the hardest team to play against in the Pro Division. 

DAY 2 - THE GRIND CONTINUES

On the second day of Round-Robin games, the more veteran teams started to dominate. Black Ice continued their scoring spree with 6-0 and 6-1 wins, while the Ragecats scored 16 goals in two games, securing playoff spots for both teams. What was most interesting was Carshield's continued struggle, with a shootout win over Propel Rinkster and a 4-1 victory over Black Ice 2.0. You could tell they were not satisfied with their game, but that adversity in Round-Robin made them a better team in the playoffs. Another intriguing game was 3PIC Labeda Blood and Feathers vs Envious Wings. A win for Blood and Feathers would have secured them a playoff spot. They fought hard, with Jake Townsend contributing 3 points, but it was the Envious Wings who emerged victorious with goals from Westcott (2), Mayhew, Turnbull, and Nate Berke.

PLAYOFFS - Quarterfinals

What's unique about TORHS is that playoffs begin on Saturday night. We can't ignore that games ran hours behind schedule as the staff struggled with scheduling and logistics. This led to some social media chaos as fans messaged our account asking when the games would start. One benefit of the delays was that teams had more time to rest.

Ragecats vs Kemistry

In the first Quarterfinal, the Ragecats faced Kemistry. These teams had met earlier that day, with the Ragecats winning 8-3. Despite the lopsided score, Kemistry showed flashes in their round-robin game. In the playoff game, however, Kemistry simply didn't have the firepower to keep up. For the Ragecats, Jack O'Hanisian, Brandon Glover, and Cal Kiefuk stole the show, each contributing 3 points in their 5-2 victory and showcasing their dangerous offense. The Ragecats must have felt confident heading into their semifinal as the 3rd seed against the Tour Roadrunners.

Carshield vs Envious Wings

In the second Quarterfinal, Carshield, a team that struggled during Round-Robin, faced their rivals Envious Wings. This was another rematch from Round-Robin play. From the drop of the puck, the game was fast-paced and intense. Both teams exchanged chances, but it wasn't until halfway through the first period that playoff superstar Matt Berry broke the ice with an unassisted goal. Berry continued to score, finishing the game with 2 goals and 1 assist. Envious Wings couldn't get their offense going, despite depth players like Blake Bennett, Kyle Mayhew, Jared Westcott, and Nate Berke. The lone goal came from defenseman Nolan Sheeran in the 6-1 loss. This win advanced Carshield as a 4th seed to face a stacked Black Ice team.

DAY 3 - SUNDAY FUNDAY

Playoffs continued on Sunday with two semifinal games and eventually the Championship. The Semifinals featured the top 4 seeds from Round-Robin: Tour Roadrunners vs Konixx Ragecats and Carshield vs Unify Konixx Black Ice.

Carshield #5 vs Black Ice #1 - SEMI - FINAL

Black Ice entered this game as heavy favorites. Despite a lighter schedule, their roster and scoring prowess were undeniable. Carshield, however, had an unconventional Round-Robin with 3 shootouts and a close game against Black Ice 2.0. Carshield struck early with another goal from Matt Berry to take the lead. Black Ice struggled to find their rhythm thereafter. It's unusual for Black Ice to make mistakes, especially in playoff games, but they found themselves down by 3 goals in the first period. The game became possession-based, with both teams having moments of dominance. Goaltenders Troy Redmann and Mike Maczynski were outstanding in the second period, with no goals allowed until Alex Kile scored an empty-net goal from 200 feet with just a minute remaining. Carshield closed out the game 4-0, defeating the first-place team Unify Konixx Black Ice. In my opinion, Black Ice needed to face adversity in Round-Robin. They dominated everyone and faced a determined Carshield team that found their groove in the Quarterfinal matchup. Historically, Black Ice has struggled in Round-Robin play but has always turned it on in playoffs. Nonetheless, both teams kept viewers on the edge of their seats for this first game of the day.

Konixx Ragecats #4 vs Tour Roadrunners #2 - SEMI - FINAL

Let me start by saying, this game was unreal. It might have been one of the best playoff games you'll see in the Pro Division. Typically, playoff games can be slow, with teams making low-risk plays in hopes of capitalizing on defensive breakdowns. That wasn't the case here. Both teams went back and forth for nearly the entire game. The Konixx Ragecats took an early 2-0 lead, only for the Tour Roadrunners to come back with goals from Mike Colella and Jordan Mula. Brandon Glover then gave the Konixx Ragecats another lead, before Joey Dimartino and Mike Colella answered back for the Roadrunners. The "Roadies" went into the second period with a one-goal lead. In the second period, the Roadies picked up where they left off, with Nathan Durrans scoring after a turnover earlier in the game led to a goal. Then, Pat Maroon sealed the game with the Roadrunners' 6th goal. Just when it seemed the game was over, the Ragecats returned with Glover and O'Hanisain scoring two goals to narrow the gap. Charlie Robinson, the Roadrunners' goalie, shut down several Ragecats opportunities and led his team to a rematch of the TORHS 2023 Pro Final.

Tour Roadrunners vs Carshield - From My Perspective - CHAMPIONSHIP GAME

If you've made it this far, you're a true Rollerdad or Rollermom. The TORHS Pro Championship was a rematch from 2023, where the Roadrunners upset Carshield. To illustrate how watched this game was, I had it on the TV at my rink (NERC), and we had 20-plus people tuned in watching as players took the floor. It reminded me of why I love roller hockey so much—the community is unreal. Most of the guys were rooting for the Tour Roadrunners, considering Pat Maroon was a Philadelphia Flyers draft pick, and Frankie Jirak/Mike Colella play at NERC.

This game had everything. Three power-plays for both teams (including 1 each in OT), back-and-forth scoring, and incredible goaltending. It was also a game where the Pro Ice Hockey players shined. Alex Kile opened the scoring for Carshield, but Pat Maroon quickly equalized for the Roadrunners. Shortly after, Frankie Melton scored a power-play goal to end the first period. 

Going into the second period, Matt Berry wasted no time making his mark on the game with not one but two goals. Carshield held onto their lead as the Roadies tried to solve Troy Redmann. With five minutes left in regulation, Frankie Melton tied the game. It seemed destined for overtime. 

The game entered overtime, where Nick Dellamorte took a high-sticking penalty halfway through the period. Most would have put their money on Carshield, given their firepower, but it was the Roadrunners who had two great short-handed opportunities. Maroon and Halvorsen took advantage of Carshield's forwards stuck in the defensive zone on a rush. Maroon tried to score far side on Redmann and moments later created a 2-on-1 with Halvorsen, but Redmann made the save of the game, robbing Max on the backdoor with his glove. Shortly after, Carshield took a too-many-men penalty, sending the Roadrunners to the power-play. They had a prime opportunity, but Joey Dimartino couldn't bury the puck. Shortly after the power-play, Carshield gained possession and quickly executed a play where Corey Hodge fed a perfect pass to Tyler Spezia, sending him flying up the floor with Joey Dimartino chasing. Spezia got ahead, went to his forehand, and scored the overtime-winning goal between Charlie Robinson's legs. As Spezia celebrated the OT winner, you couldn't help but think back to Troy Redmann's incredible save just five minutes earlier. George Brown also deserves credit for transforming his team from ordinary to extraordinary in the playoffs. Congratulations to Carshield for another TORHS Pro Championship.

Closing Thoughts

Looking back at the weekend, I really missed being in Tampa. There were some tremendous Pro games that kept roller hockey fans engaged all weekend. Forget the delays, the smaller group of pro teams, and any other challenges the tournament presented. At the end of the day, the community is what matters most. I think we can all agree, there's no better place to be than a summer roller tournament.

Here are a couple of photos of all the different uniforms from this pass weekend in PRO!

Blog sponsored by Better Days co
Website