Dave Kraehling of Mississisagua, Ontario finished in third place in the Elite Division.

 

Len Mecca of Cherry Hill New Jersey defeated John Power in the First Division final.  Len is coming off of his NYCTHA Classic League First Division championship. 

 

The NYCTHA Classic league had three of its players, Lou Marinoff, Roger Owens and Greg Scoma finish in the top 10.  Congratulations to each of them. Lou Marinoff was especially impressive, defeating the top ranked player in Quebec, Patrick Cote, on this day.

 

 Some photos of the tournament, courtesy of CPTHL champ Steve Dowell, can be seen by clicking on "Photo Album" Then clicking on"NY City International Classic by Steve Dowell." 

I want to thank all 22 players who showed up and competed, especially those players who were able to stay on to the end and compete for their final ranking position.  While the day was not perfect, it was a special event that was the culmination of a lot of hard work and without your support would not have been possible. 

 

Special thanks to Martin Labelle for his work with the stats and format.  Adam Zawislak for his work--you have always been there for me and really went the extra mile yesterday.  Mike Caponetti for his computer work; The Applied Philosophical Practitioners Association for donating the $500 prize money; Greg Scoma for his all-around assistance and persistence; All of the Canadian players for their participation and support.  Dave Kraehling for his help setting up the scorers table and support.  The Aviator Sports and Recreation staff for their hard work and accommodating us. And of course the great Sal Capizzi for the terrific tournament website and his assistance.  Sal makes great websites and other table hockey stuff like logos and players; visit his site at Capizzi Web Designs at

 

 

 

Finally thanks to all of the players for making a dream/vision that Lou, Greg and I had about putting on a coleco tournament with the best players in the best city in the world, NY City, come true! 

 

 

 

 

On NYCTHA Classic League Opening day Five diehards rumbled for three round robins and
nothing was settled until the last second of OT of the final match.  Upsets in each round led to
a volatile shift in the standings at days end. 
The "Ferocious Five" are (from left) Lou Marinoff, Adam Zawislak, Anthony Sciacca and
Roger Owens; JP takes a knee.
Get in the Picture!  NYCTHA Classic League Date II is Saturday November 3rd.



New York City Table Hockey Association Classic League Opening day 2007-2008 was all about the quality of the players and the tight competition.  Nobody gave an inch all day long.  

For example, in the first round robin, the two Classic League rivals Lou Marinoff and Roger Owens faced off right away in game 1 and Roger shocked Lou 6-2--so you're thinking Roger is going to be unbeatable eh?  A little later in the first round Roger takes a loss as JP lucks out in the season's first overtime match 1-0 . . . and the upsets continued throughout the day.  Lou Marinoff, who suffered only 3 defeats in 100 matches last season suffered another loss--in OT no less--to third rate JP 4-5.  Roger took Lou again in round two, 4-3, to rebound from his upset to JP.

You want to know how tough opening day was?  A red hot Roger Owens entered the third round robin with a 7-1 record, only to lose three in a row to finish the day 8-4.  Lou Marinoff took Roger's spot as the top dog on this day, finishing at 9-3 despite his rocky start, and even though he lost 2 out 3 to his rival.

 

Other upsets on this day: Adam Zawislak took down Roger Owens 4-1 and Anthony "Was that an in-and-out?" Sciacca took down JP, fresh off the heels of his OT upset, 1-0.  Adam gutted out a 1-1 draw with JP, knocking him down to third place (rats!) to finish out one of the most intense days of competition in NYCTHA history.  Many rivalries were renewed and some were started on this day . . . . if you failed to show, well, it was really somethin'!

 

Thanks Adam, Lou, Roger Anthony .  It was a rough start, but we made into something special guys: Thanks A LOT!

 

Player	W	L	T	Points	Points%	GF	GA	Diff	GFPG	GAPG
Lou	9	3	0	18	.750	60	29	31	5.0	2.42
Roger	8	4	0	16	.667	50	29	21	4.16	2.42
JP	7	4	1	15	.625	37	32	5	3.08	2.67
Anthony	3	9	0	6	.250	20	59	-39	1.67	4.92
Adam	2	9	1	5	.208	29	47	-18	2.42	3.92

John-2.

  

 

 

These are the players who showed up on Saturday April 28th and made the Aviator Sports Complex in Brooklyn NY Rock! (James Friedl had to leave prior to photo; banner logo by Sal Capizzi of the WTHL: Thanks Sal!)

From Left:

Roger Owens (Joseph Owens in front), Anthony Sciacca, Len Mecca, Lou Marinoff, Jerome Ellison, JP, Adam Zawislak, Nicholas Galatitoto, Bill Galatioto, Greg Scoma.

 

Each of these players made the day a special one and I really appreciate their support.  Thanks Guys!

 

NYCTHA Classic Cup Champion Lou Marinoff has written an article on his first Championship victory in 24 years: read all about it at: http://www.loumarinoff.com/a tale of two trophies.htm

 

Thanks Lou for your great play and terrific article!

Seven lucky players banged out 42 matches over two round robins on a pair of old-time metal (circa 1964) munro games Saturday December 5th at Peggy O'Neill's in Coney Island NY.  Lou Marinoff won the day going undefeated, while JP finished 2nd and South Jersey Bubble Hockey League www.njbubblehockey.org impresario John Gaffney finished 6-6  for 3rd place.  All in all 379 goals were scored, an average of 9.02 per match--those five inch munro nets are tough to cover!

 

Lou picked up where he left off, coming off his NYCTHA Classic League Championship in May, scoring goals when needed and winning all the loose puck battles.  Sweeping JP (10-3, 6-4) and Tony Iommi Cup champ Edworld (4-1, 8-5) was most impressive and showed his munro muscles.  Lou was also the day's best referee, never complaining about taking on the chore, providing in-game analysis and play by play in addition to strict but fair rule enforcement.  Bravo Lou and thanks for everything!

 

JP was so happy to be back in Coney Island with the boys after a too-long layoff.  The rumble of the games--like only metal munro games can--was music to his ears and he got off to a good start winning five straight.  But then he ran into a geared-up Lou Marinoff and took a 3-10 beatdown; JP stumbled into the 2nd round robin winning three and tieing one, but that was good enough for 2nd overall.  Seeing the guys and getting back on the games is good enough for him . . . lets see who finishes 2nd on January 2nd. 

 

John Gaffney took the high road in more ways than one up to Brooklyn to get on a game  he's never played before against a group of guys he barely knows--and finishes in third place!  John had terrific wins over Tony Iommi Cup champ Edworld (6-2), NYCTHA vet Anthony (6-3, 10-3) and a whopper of a match versus NYCTHA  slugger  John F. (6-2).  What other player comes from a Chexx Bubble Hockey league to play on another game in another city??? None other than John Gaffney.  After John started his trip back to his bubble hockey complex in south jersey, the NYCTHA players were asking "where did this guy come from?" The real question IS "Will this guy come back?"  We hope so!  Thanks John.

 

John F. continues his unwavering support of all things NYCTHA, showing up this time for some heavy metal munro.  John was a tough opponent all day long with a better 2nd round robin than his first.  Winning four in a row with big wins over NYCTHA rival Edworld (6-5), a barnburner of a win over John Gaffney (8-7) and a dramatic come-from-behind (2-5 at one point) tie (6-6) versus JP.  If this player could get more consistency in his game, he would be a major threat to win a date.  As it is, JohnF. supported NYCTHA with his usual zest, taking great photos (like the one above--check out where the puck is!) and providing great atmosphere.  Thanks John!

 

Anthony Sciacca made his long awaited return to the NYCTHA, appearing for the 1st time since the Classic League Playoffs in May, and man were we glad to have him!  Mr. "Bodycheck" (formerly known as "Was that an in and out? Sciacca") utilized his famous box defense and set up his low tips to the tune of a 5-7 finish, sweeping Tony Iommi Cup Champ Edworld (3-2/5-2), then asking him "You're the munro champ here?" (a rare flash of braggadocio from this super -polite player--but then the metal munro game does get the juices flowing!).  Thanks Anthony for your support and we hope you can make it on January 2nd.

 

Edworld baffles the pundits . . . Coming off his Tony Iommi Cup Championship in September, and the only player to defeat John Medema in the Hegewisch Cup November 14th, you would think this player would be hell-bent for leather and collect some munro scalps . . . but it wasn't to be on this day.  Edward gets swept by Lou Marinoff (1-4/5-8) and loses a blood and guts match with his NYCTHA rival John F. (5-6).  It wasn't all bad for Ed though, he did knock down his pesky wise-ass of a brother in dramatic fashion (down 1-4 he wins 6-5).  Will the real Edworld please stand up?  January 2nd is a big date for this player . . . . .

 

Rollicking Ray Ruiz  showed his support for NYCTHA and we sure are happy for it!  This player was the 1st to arrive at the venue and was always the 1st to ref a game, or mark down a score.  OK, OK, he did not win a game: so what!  This is not real life, this is table hockey and table hockey is other people.  Ray had a great time and so made sure everyone else did too--cause that's the kind of folks he is.  Thanks Ray for showing up and allowing us to share in your good time!

 

Douglas Ljunkgvist was with us again for another NYCTHA Opening Day.  Last October, Douglas joined us for Vintage League Opening day and took some terrific photos as well as a brewskie or two.  He really added to the mix and we hope he can join us again this season.  Douglas is all about a great vibe and we can use that at the NYCTHA!

 

Thanks Sean, John and Maggie at Peggy O'Neill's in Coney Island.  The beer was cold, the food was great and the service perfect!

 

NYCTHA METAL MUNRO DATE II SATURDAY JANUARY 2ND.  join us!

 MORE PHOTOS IN PHOTO ALBUM UNDER METAL MUNRO OPENING DAY. (thanks John F.)

 

 

Player	GP	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	Points %	League Pts	GF	GA	Difference	GFPG	GAPG
Lou	12	12	0	0	24	.1000	7	76	30	46	6.33	2.50
JP	12	8	3	1	17	.708	6	72	50	22	6.00	4.16
John Gaffney	12	6	6	0	12	.500	5	69	57	12	5.75	4.75
JohnF.	12	5	6	1	11	.458	4	63	65	-2	5.25	5.41
Anthony*	12	5	7	0	10	.416	3	42	58	-16	3.50	4.83
Edworld	12	5	7	0	10	.416	2	52	53	-1	4.33	4.41
Rollickin' Ray	12	0	12	0	0	.000	1	5	66	-61	0.41	5.50

* Won head to head matchup.

 

 

 

 

* Won head to head matchup 2-1

# completed required 2 rounds, thus gets advantage.

 

 

Lou showed up and won 12 matches for the 2nd league date in a row, but it was not enough for 1st overall.  Lou's most impressive win was his 2nd match against JP where he went down 0-4 in the opening minutes, and stormed back for a 6-5 win.  But this came on the heels of super-hard losses , with one second left versus Edworld, and on a controversial "no goal" versus James (1-2).  Lou was the high scorer and had the best defense once again, and leads the overall Munro standings with 13 League Points.  A top three finish at our final regular season date Feb. 6th will assure this player a number one ranking going into Metal Munro Playoffs in March.  Before then, Lou has to defend his championship in Las Vegas on January 24th.  Good Luck Lou!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The "Scorchin' Septet" is (from left): John F., Edworld, The Duke, Anthony, JP, Lou, and James.  Check out that

 

 

 

Player	GP	W	L	T	%	LGPTS	GF	GA	Difference	GFPG	GAPG	RKG
Lou	28	24	3	1	.875	13	177	81	96	6.32	2.89	1
JP	28	18	7	3	.696	11	154	107	47	5.50	3.82	2
Edworld	28	17	10	1	.625	9	128	114	14	4.57	4.07	3
John F.	28	10	17	1	.375	8	128	138	-10	4.57	4.92	4
Anthony	28	9	19	0	.321	6	85	137	-52	3.03	4.89	5
John Gaffney	12	6	6	0	.500	4	69	57	12	5.75	4.75	6
James	16	3	13	0	.187	2	46	91	-45	2.87	5.68	7
The Duke	6	3	3	0	.500	1	25	26	-1	4.17	4.33	8
Ray	12	0	12	0	.000	1	5	66	-61	0.41	5.50	9

Final Regular Season Date Saturday February 6th. Regular Season League Points determine seeding positions and matchups

 

 

 

HEAVY METAL MUNRO, NYCTHA STYLE IN BEAUTIFUL CONEY ISLAND NY, THE HOME OF THE CYCLONES! 

 

 

 

NYCTHA Classic League Date II was our biggest regular season date thus far with 14 players coming

out to support us and play some top-notch table hockey.  Players traveled from as far as Las Vegas (John

Labianca) and New Bloomfield, Pennsylvania (Steve Dowell). The level of play in this league has grown

enormously, and while there were upsets, Lou Marinoff continued his winning streak and took first place

overall once again for the second straight league date.  Lou blew the doors off a hot  JP who entered his

match with Lou undefeated, only to fall 1-11 in the battle for first overall on the day.  Congrats Lou !

 

Making their NYCTHA Classic League debuts were CPTHL Champ Steve Dowell from New Bloomfield, Chexx champ John Gaffney from Burlington, NJ, and John Labianca of Las Vegas.  Each player added talent and class to the NYCTHA Classic league and we are so fortunate to have their company and support.  Please come again, Gents! 

 

The intense Bill Galatioto continued his hot play (first overall in the NYCTHA Playoff round robin last

April) defeating his fellow Buffalonian Greg Scoma and finishing 5th overall on the day.  Roger Owens

boards.  This player is on the cusp of a first place overall finish, and with a few bounces--especially against

league nemesis EdWorld Power (he is known to slick up the rod-tips with chicken grease prior to his

matches against Roger) --could very well unseat the Champ.  Greg Scoma was not expected to be at

NYCTHA date II but felt the urge to merge with his fellow players and traveled in on the red-eye flight

from Colorado to NY , rested up in his rental car across the street from the venue prior to surprising

us at Peggy O'Neill's on Saturday morning.  Greg did a great job on the stats and despite some wonky

scheduling due to no-shows and late arrivals, managed the day in his usual competent manner.  Thanks Greg

for going the extra mile for the NYCTHA!

NYCTHA prodigy Nicholas Galatioto continued his table hockey development playing outstanding

defense and displaying classy sportsmanship with a 2.69 goals against average and winning five matches;

of table hockey.  Each of the players are impressed with his terrific attitude and really enjoy his

company.  Now all he needs to do is knock off his dad--I guess he is waiting for playoffs for this!

Keep up the great work Nick and Bill--we love to see you at the NYCTHA!

 

Each player played roughly 13 matches ( there were some forfeits unfortunately for the first time in league

history) but overall the day was feisty and fun.  Edward Power made his return to NYCTHA and even

won four in a row at one point, including an upset over NYCTHA powerhouse Roger Owens.  I am so

grateful for all the support I received from every single one of the players and of course our beautiful,

kind and just plain sweet hostess Melissa from Peggy O'Neill's: thanks for making our players feel welcome!

Shutouts: Len, 4; Greg, 2; Lou, 2; Edward, 2; Nick, 1; Bill, 1.

 

11:30AM.  Contact me if you want to play! colecojohnny@yahoo.com

 

 

NEW YORK CITY TABLE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION CLASSIC LEAGUE RANKINGS AFTER

 

Player	GP	Won	Lost	Tied	Points%	GF	GA	Dif	GFPG	GAPG	Dates played	Rank
Lou	25	21	4	0	.840	156	52	104	6.24	2.08	I,II	1
JP	25	19	5	1	.780	88	63	25	3.52	2.52	I,II	2
Roger	25	19	6	0	.760	114	66	48	4.56	2.64	I, II	3
Greg	13	9	4	0	.692	42	30	12	3.23	2.31	II	4
Bill	13	8	5	0	.615	51	45	6	3.92	3.46	II	5
Len	13	7	5	1	.577	36	36	0	2.77	2.77	II	6
Anthony	25	7	18	0	.280	54	115	-61	2.16	4.60	I,II	7
Edward	13	5	6	2	.462	24	34	-10	1.85	2.62	II	8
Steve	13	5	7	1	.423	40	46	-6	3.08	3.54	II	9
Nicholas	13	5	8	0	.385	31	35	-4	2.38	2.69	II	10
John "Labs" Labianca	13	4	8	1	.346	31	64	-33	2.38	2.69	II	11
Adam	25	4	20	1	.180	51	85	-34	2.04	3.40	I, II	12
John Gaffney	13	3	9	1	.269	36	51	-15	2.77	3.92	II	13
James Friedl	13	1	12	0	.077	22	56	-34	1.69	2.92	II	14

Remember that the NYCTHA tiebreaking system ( love it or leave it, folks) is: WINS;

Lou 5; Len 4; Greg 2; Edward 2;  Roger 1; JP 1; Anthony 1; Nick 1; Bill 1.

OT Wins:

JP 3; Len 2;  Steve, Roger,  John Gaffney-1.

 

 

Player	GP	W	L	T	Points	Points%	GF	GA	Diff	GFpg	GApg	Tournament Points	Dates attended	Rank
Eric Nichols	19	1	18	0	2	.053	8	71	-63	0.42	3.73	10 &	1	15&
John Poulianos	16	0	14	2	2	.000	7	46	-39	0.44	2.90	10	1	16

&More wins; achieves higher ranking based on first tiebreaker

 

Player Rank and Playoff seed determined by Tournament Points.  First tiebreaker is Wins; 2nd is Head to Head; Third is Points Percentage.  NYCTHA Playoffs are Saturday April 28th.  All players who have participated are welcome to join us on this historic day.

* Indicates fewer wins

Players Gallagher, Elkans, Nichols have been taken off rankings due to retirement from league.

Tournament points awarded each week based upon player standing and number of players who have shown up and played.

 

James Friedl battles hard during NYCTHA League Date IV against league tough guy Greg Scoma.

James and Greg are two of our Original Members--otherwise known as the "Magnificent Seven."

 

The Wharf Bar and Grill was the Table Hockey Capitol of NYC on Saturday November 18th as 9 die-hard players met up and played a rock solid 3-1/2 hours of table hockey.  Two new players came out from "the Island" and got 2 round robins in (16 matches) while the "Silver Seven" of NYCTHA Date I played a third for a total of 22 matches. 

	Totals for the day, Nov 18, 2006
	Player	GP	wins	losses	ties	Points	goals for	goals against	diff	GF ave	GA ave	Shut Outs	Tournament Points
1	Marinoff	22	19	2	1	39	94	37	57	4.27	1.68	3	90
2	Scoma	22	18	4	0	36	92	36	56	4.18	1.64	3	80
3	Power, J.	22	13	5	4	30	72	46	26	3.27	2.09	4	70
4	Owens	22	12	7	3	27	69	47	22	3.14	2.14	3	60
5	Freidl	22	3	10	9	15	33	63	-30	1.50	2.86	2	50
6	Power, E.	22	6	14	2	14	31	57	-26	1.41	2.59	3	40
7	Ellison	22	5	14	3	13	42	73	-31	1.91	3.32	2	30
8*	Gallagher	16	2	11	3	7	16	55	-39	1.00	3.44	1	20
9*	Fitzpatrick	16	2	11	3	7	19	54	-35	1.19	3.38	0	10
	* Positions 8 & 9 ranked based on head-to-head results

It was a phenomenal turnout and an outstanding day of table hockey.  THANK YOU TO THE WHARF AND TO EACH OF THE PLAYERS WHO SHOWED UP AND PLAYED.  IT WAS A GREAT TIME!

 

More on NYCTHA Classic League Date II to come . . . check back for standings, photos, highlights and "rivalries." 
colecojohnny@yahoo.com

* tournament points determine seeding positions for NYCTHA playoffs 4/28/07

The New York City Table Hockey Association has gotten off to a roaring start.

 

At NYCTHA Classic League Date I, seven players stepped up and blazed a new table hockey trail in the Big Apple.  Two round robins were played, as the gauntlet was thrown at The Wharf Bar and Grill. Rivalries were born; games were won in the final seconds; great saves won many a game; each player left everything they had on the table. 

It was a sweet beginning.  But guess what: THE BEST IS YET TO COME!

 

NYCTHA Classic League Date II picked right  up where Date I left off: top-notch competition became even more ferocious with the addition of two more players, one of whom almost knocked off NYCTHA top-dog Lou Marinoff.  There is no fear in the NYCTHA: only desire.

What will Date III on Saturday December 16th bring?  Come and see for yourself.  You'll be glad you did. 

Here are the latest updated and corrected rankings from the NYCTHA. Tournament points are up to date.

colecojohnny@yahoo.com

NEW YORK CITY TABLE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION CLASSIC LEAGUE UPDATED RANKINGS 11/20/06

NYCTHA
	Totals - October and November
	Player	GP	Wins	Losses	Ties	Points	goals for	goals against	diff	GF ave	GA ave	Shut Outs	Tournament Points
1	Marinoff	34	30	2	2	62	161	56	105	4.74	1.65	6	160
2*	Scoma	34	24	9	1	49*	127	73	54	3.74	2.15	4	120*
3*	Owens	34	20	9	5	45*	114	74	40	3.35	2.18	5	120*
4*	Power, J.	34	19	8	7	45*	111	69	42	3.26	2.03	7	120*
5	Freidl	34	5	18	11	21	50	107	-57	1.47	3.15	2	70
6	Ellison	34	7	22	5	19	59	112	-53	1.74	3.29	3	60
7	Power, E.	34	7	22	5	19	44	101	-57	1.29	2.97	4	50
8	Gallagher	16	2	11	3	7	16	55	-39	1.00	3.44	1	20
9	Fitzpatrick	16	2	11	3	7	19	54	-35	1.19	3.38	0	10
	* Tournament Points tie broken was sorted first by Points earned, then second by wins.
	* This page's statistics have been carefully checked against the original game sheets for accuracy and errors found on this sheet were corrected and related to the Player -vs- Player, October and November sheets. ~gbs 11/23/06
NYCTHA

#Retired after second round robin on Date II

 

 January 3, 2007:

After reviewing each Date's standings and resulting Tournament Points, this chart needs some adjusting. 

JAMES FRIEDL had 30 Tournament Points after Date I; 50 points after Date II for a total of 80 Tournament Points.

All other totals on this chart are correct.

Here are the passionate players who made NYCTHA Classic League Date II a smashing success: some reviews:

"We had a blast!"

 

"The best league in the Northeast!"

ROGER OWENS

 

"You guys are great.  Keep it up!"

Wharf Bar and Grill Manager Maureen (thanks MO!)

 

From top left to right:

Lou Marinoff, Jerome Ellison, John Fitzpatrick, Edward Power, Sean Gallagher.

Seated from left:

James Friedl, JP, Roger Owens, Greg Scoma.

 

GET IN THE PICTURE: JOIN US FOR NYCTHA CLASSIC LEAGUE DATE IV SATURDAY JANUARY 2Oth!

(Mea Culpa. I fixed any errors, rankings and cross-referenced all of the original work to the spreadsheets and among the spreadsheets. I also added some statistical categories and automated some features to speed things up at future league-play dates and in entering and producting quality data more quickly. This is the best copy I've produced. ~gbs)

I like statistics for many reasons. One is they tell you where you are, where you've been and if you are trying to improve yourself, they give you an idea of what areas or against who you need to improve. If you look closely, statistics also tell stories.
 
If you are interested in statistics like I am, then click on "Statistics Galore" written and underlined up by title of this headline (possibly in blue on other pages), by the date and time, which will take you to Excel spreadsheets. Individual spreadsheets include a sheet for: the standings from October's play, standings from November's play, the combined results of October and November (Current Standings), and Player-vs-Player tallies.

There is an additional sheet, "All-Time," which includes games where NYCTHA players met in league and tournament play. I indicate which and provide the date and location. Tournaments include the "Montreal Classic 2" or the "Original Six." I will include the results from future tournaments such as the upcoming "Coleco Classic" to be held in Las Vegas on Tuesday, January 30, 2007.  If you are interested in going, contact us. I've included games against a few non-NYCTHA players, such as Ken Dubois or Vic Handel, because they might drop in to play some NYCTHA games, to do something interesting, and to provide some perspective. I also posted the date, location and whether the event was a tournament or league play.

I will continue to improve the statistics, maybe adding things like trendlines so you can have a picture of how you are doing over the season. If you find any errors, have comments or questions, please feel free to contact me (Sabre_in_Virginia@Yahoo.com). It took a lot of work over a few days. I hope you enjoy it!

Sincerely,
Greg Scoma
VP Classic Division, NYCTHA

 

Finish	Player	GP	Won	Lost	Tied	Points	GF	GA	Tournament Points
1	Lou	20	19	0	1	39	82	15	90
2	John Power	20	12	5	3	27	65	41	80
3	Kevin Struss	16#	11	4	1	23	49	29	70
4	Edward Power	16#	8	6	2	18	31	38	60
5	Greg Scoma*	20	8	11	1	17	44	53	50
6	Jerome Ellison	20	6	9	5	17	43	56	40
7	Adam Zawislak	16#	5	8	3	13	31	36	30
8	James Friedl	20	2	14	4	8	22	60	20
9	John Poulianos	16#	0	14	2	2	7	46	10

*Had more wins to achieve first tiebreaker, therefore gets higher standing and tournament points.

# Retired after two rounds.

 

10 Players showed up at the Wharf Bar and Grill on Saturday December 16th and played some terrific table hockey.  4 new players showed up, three of which played two round robins (one had to retire early) and a dedicated group of five players stayed on and battled for a third round as the sun set on a goregous December day.

 

Adam Zawislak, Atlantic Continental Table Hockey League founder, and his sidekick from Queens, Jerry Randell, supported us and played some great table hockey.  Kevin and John from the Ronkonkoma table hockey league joined us as well.  All four players challenged 6 of the Silver Seven (Roger couldn't make this week--we miss you man!) and the new competition was great!  The overall level of play in the NYCTHA Classic League has jumped up a level or two as every single player has improved tremendously. 

 

Adam Z stepped up and tied Lou Marinoff in one of the day's surprises.  Kevin S.  tied me and later beat me in his NYCTHA debut.  We want to thank the new players for showing up and playing hard. 

 

The Ronkonkoma league will be having a "get together" on Friday Night December 22nd at the Lake Ronkonkoma VFW (55 Lakeshore Road, Lake Ronkonkoma NY) at 7pm.  Contact "Killer" Kevin Struss at srkgolf1@aol.com for more information.  I'll be in attendance and look forward to seeing you there.

 

Players are awarded tournament points based up on their final standing.  Players who stayed for the third round were rewarded for staying and earned more points than the folks who left after two rounds.  Third rounds will be here to stay in the NYCTHA since we have players who travel great distances to support us and they want to play as much table hockey as they can.  Please remember this when you attend NYCTHA Classic League Date IV Saturday January 20th at 11:30 AM.

THE NEW YORK CITY TABLE HOCKEY ASSOCIATION WOULD LIKE TO THANK VIC HANDEL FOR THE LOAN OF HIS LABELLE GAME.  THANKS VIC, YOU'RE A GOOD MAN: HOPE TO SEE YOU HERE IN 2007!
 

Below are the final standings and tournament points.  They will be updated by Greg Scoma in the days to come.

 

Below photo:

9 of the ten players who showed up and supported the NYCTHA on Classic League Date III, 12/16/06.

From left;

James Friedl; John Poulianos; Kevin Struss; Jerome Ellison; Jerry Randell (retired early); Lou Marinoff.

kneeling from left; Greg Scoma; JP; Adam Zawislak.  (Edward Power had to leave before photo.)

Thanks guys for your support!

Player	GP	Won	Lost	Tied	%	Points	GF	GA	Diff	GFPG	GAPG	Tournament Points	Midseason Ranking
Lou Marinoff	54	49	2	3	.907	101	243	71	172	4.5	1.31	250 (70,90,90)	1
John Power	54	31	13	10	.574	72	176	110	66	3.26	2.04	200 (50,70,80)	2
Greg Scoma	54	32	20	2	.592	66	171	126	45	3.16	2.33	170 (40,80,50)	3
Roger Owens	34*	20	9	5	.588	45	114	74	40	3.35	2.17	120 (60,60)	4
Edward Power	50	14	29	7	.280	35	65	139	-74	1.30	2.78	110 (10,40,60)	5
James Friedl	54	7	32	15	.129	29	72	167	-95	1.33	3.09	100 (30,50,20)	6
Jerome Ellison	54	13	31	10	.240	36	102	168	-66	1.89	3.11	90 (20,30,40)	7
Kevin Struss	16#	11	4	1	.687	23	49	29	20	3.06	1.81	70 (70)	8
Adam Zawislak	16#	5	8	3	.312	13	31	36	-5	1.94	2.25	30 (30)	9
Sean Gallagher+	16@	2	11	3	.125	7	16	55	-39	1.00	3.44	20 (20)	10
John Fitzpatrick	16@	2	11	3	.125	7	19	54	-35	1.19	3.40	10 (10)	11
John Poulianos	16#	0	14	2	.000	2	7	46	-39	0.44	2.9	10 (10)	12

+ won head to head matchup

* did not play NYCTHA Date III
# did not play NYCTHA Dates I & II

@ did not play NYCTHA Dates I & III

Tournament Points determine playoff seeding for NYCTHA Classic League Playoffs April 28, 2007; Two round robins are mandatory for each league date; third round robin is optional although all results are counted in overall standings and determination of seeding points: Players are rewarded for showing up and playing.

TOURNAMENT POINTS DETERMINE RANKING POSITION; EACH DATE'S TOURNAMENT POINTS EARNED ARE IN PARENTHESES UNDER YOUR TOTAL.  TOURNAMENT POINTS HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND RE-CHECKED--TOURNAMENT POINTS UNDER NOVEMBER 18TH TOTALS ARE NOT ACCURATE: go to bulletin board and view Date I Final Standings; then go back to Welcome Page and view Date II Final Standings; Finally, view Date III Final Standings: add each Date's Tournament Points for your total: For example, Jerome Ellison earned 20 Tournament Points  for Date I; 30 Tournament Points for Date II; 40 Tournament Points for date III; 20+30+40=90 Tournament Points: good for 7th overall.

These are (most of!)  the players who showed up and played hard to make NYCTHA Classic League Date IV the most successful of the season so far!  We have grown from "The Magnificent Seven" back in October, to "The Mighty Eleven."

 

13 players actually showed up, 11 played, and we are expecting more growth for Date V.  The NYCTHA is growing and we are grateful for the players, and our Venue's support.

 

Not pictured above are Roger Owens, John Fitzpatrick (who gave up one goal or less in his last four matches!) and Bill Galatioto and his son.  We'll get you  SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17th at NYCTHA CLASSIC LEAGUE DATE V boys!

 

above, from top Left: James Friedl, Jerome Ellison, Raoul Elkans, Eric Nichols, Lou Marinoff, Greg Scoma.

bottom from left: Anthony Sciacca, JP, Len Mecca

Player	GP	W	L	T	Points	Points%	GF	GA	GD	GFPG	GAPG	Tournament Points
Lou Marinoff	19	18	1	0	36	.947	120	21	99	6.32	1.11	110
JP	19	14	4	1	29	.763	54	29	25	2.84	1.53	100
Roger Owens	19	13	3	3	29	.763	92	42	50	4.84	2.21	90
Greg Scoma	19	13	5	1	27	.710	65	42	23	3.42	2.21	80
Len Mecca	19	9	5	5	23	.605	44	41	3	2.32	2.16	70
Jerome Ellison *	10	4	1	5	13	.650	21	13	8	2.1	1.3	60
John Fitzpatrick	19	4	10	5	13	.342	25	55	-30	1.32	2.9	50
Anthony Sciacca	19	5	12	2	12	.316	36	57	-21	1.9	3.0	40
James Friedl	19	5	13	1	11	.289	32	65	-23	1.7	3.4	30
Raoul Elkans	19	2	16	1	5	.132	23	72	-49	1.21	3.8	20
Eric Nichols	19	1	18	0	2	.052	8	71	-63	0.42	3.74	10

* Had better goal differential in second round robin

 

13 players showed up and 11 players competed in NYCTHA Classic League matches.  Only two round robins were played this week but we had THREE NEW CUSTOM COLECOS AND FOUR NEW PLAYERS join us for a long day of the beautiful game as gale-force winds pounded the Wharf.

Greg Scoma's newest boards, made by Pascal Leclerc (contact carlobossio@hotmail.com ) made their NYCTHA League debut as did table hockey fanatics Raoul Elkans and Eric Nichols (they were the first to arrive!), Bill Galatioto and his son (who played exhibition matches only due to a now-altered league rule) as well as table hockey sages Len Mecca and Anthony Sciacca (who was the last to leave!) all supported us for the first time.  I hope they come back!

The "Man" on this day was Lou Marinoff, who almost ran the table if not for Roger Owens who took him down in the first round.  Lou was obliterating players left and right and took the time to conduct an impromptu "table hockey clinic" after the games were over.  Thanks Lou!  Greg Scoma and (hopefully) Lou Marinoff will be at the Wharf at 11AM on Saturday February 17th just prior to NYCTHA Classic League Date V league play holding a table hockey clinic for all you new players.
 

The NYCTHA had the run of the Wharf on this day and we played table hockey from @11AM to 4PM.  Jerome Ellison, driving in from Philadelphia right after he finished work, arrived late but still kicked-ass losing only 1 of 10 matches and setting notice that this player is ready to be counted among the league's elite.

Jerome would like to know if he can drive in from Philadelphia, and not miss a single NYCTHA Classic League date, then why can't players who say they play table hockey show up when they live much much closer?  Good question Jerome . .  

I want to thank all of the players who showed up and traveled great distances, braving cold weather and evil traffic to support us at the NYCTHA.  Your support means EVERYTHING.  I hope to see each of you for NYCTHA DATE V ON SATURDAY FEBRUARY 17th at THE WHARF BAR AND GRILL 11:30AM. 

Player	GP	W	L	T	Points	Points%	GF	GA	GD	GFpg	GApg	Tournament Points	Dates played	Rank
Lou Marinoff	73	67	3	3	137	.938	363	92	271	4.97	1.26	360(110,90,90,70)	4	1
JP	73	45	17	11	101	.692	230	139	91	3.15	1.90	300(100,80,70,50)	4	2
Greg Scoma	73	45	25	3	93	.637	236	168	68	3.23	2.30	250 (80,50,80,40)	4	3
Roger Owens	53	33	12	8	74	.698	206	116	90	3.89	2.19	210(90,60,60)	3	4
Jerome Ellison	64	17	32	15	49	.383	123	181	-58	1.92	2.83	150(60,40,30,20)	4	5
James Friedel	73	12	45	16	40	.274	104	222	minus118	1.42	3.04	130(30,30,50,20)	4	6
Edward Power	50	14	29	7	35	.350	65	139	-74	1.30	2.78	110(60,40,10)	3	7
Kevin Struss	16	11	4	1	23	.719	49	29	20	3.06	1.81	70# (70)	1	8#
Len Mecca	19	9	5	5	23	.605	44	41	3	2.32	2.16	70	1	9
John Fitzpatrick	35	6	21	8	20	.286	44	109	-65	1.26	3.11	60 (50,10)	2	10
Anthony Sciacca	19	5	12	2	12	.316	36	57	-21	1.89	3.00	40	1	11
Adam Zawislak	16	5	8	3	13	.406	31	36	-5	1.94	2.25	30	1	12
Sean Gallagher	16	2	11	3	7	.219	16	55	-39	1.00	3.44	20*	1	13
Raoul Elkans	19	2	16	1	5	.132	23	72	-49	1.21	3.80	20	1	14

These are the players who set the records, scored the goals, made the saves, fought the good fight and supported one another to create what was a really fun day of table hockey at The Wharf Bar and Grill on NYCTHA Classic League Date V.

Standing From Left:

Len Mecca, Edward Power, James Friedel, Bill Galatioto, Anthony Sciacca, Nick Galatioto, Lou Marinoff, Roger Owens.

Kneeling: JP, Greg Scoma

Thanks Guys and I hope to see you on March 24th!

Saturday February 17th was a record-setting day of of table hockey, camaraderie and just plain good times at The Wharf Bar and Grill in Rockway Park.  Ten players showed up and played extremely hard (one player cut his hands he was playing so hard) resulting in a record 135 matches played.  The Terrific Ten played three rounds of coleco 5380 after a table hockey clinic was given by Lou Marinoff prior to the first round robin.  Lou kept up his clinic winning 27 straight  (and I had tied him up 3-3 with less than 10 ticks on the clock in our third round match!) to set another NYCTHA Classic League record.  Bill and Nick Galatioto made their NYCTHA Classic League debuts and played a record 27 matches.  It was perhaps the greatest Date of our first season, and since each league date has been better than the last, I cannot wait to see what happens on NYCTHA CLASSIC LEAGUE DATE VI SATURDAY MARCH 24th!

 

We had FIVE CUSTOM COLECOS set up and were playing our first round robin by 12:15.  During the lunch break, as I tallied up the standings, I thought , well, maybe I'll just write down that we want to play a third round robin and see if half the players will stay.  EVERY SINGLE PLAYER STAYED TO PLAY FOR THE THIRD ROUND ROBIN, another NYCTHA-Classic- League- first.
 

Each of the players did their part to make this day happen.  From taking their own scores down, to encouraging each other after a  tough loss, and then staying for a third round. Everything fell into place on Saturday.  Thank you Lou and Greg for the Table Hockey Clinic, and each of the players for showing up and supporting the NYCTHA Classic League. 
above photo: Lou Marinoff  instructs his fellow players with some table hockey techniques and philosophies prior to the first round robin. 

Player	GP	W	L	T	Points	Points%	GF	GA	Diff	GFPG	GAPG	Shutouts	Tournament Points
Lou Marinoff	27	27	0	0	54	.100	151	24	127	5.59	0.89	10	100
Roger Owens	27	20	5	2	42	.778	95	52	43	3.52	1.93	5	90
Greg Scoma	27	18	8	1	37	.685	84	57	27	3.11	2.11	6	80
JP	27	16	10	1	33	.611	85	62	23	3.15	2.30	6	70
Len Mecca	27	14	11	2	30	.556	76	74	2	2.81	2.74	2	60
Bill Galatioto	27	8	15	4	20	.370	57	90	-33	2.11	3.33	2	50
Edward Power	27	8	17	2	18	.333	45	71	-26	1.67	2.63	3	40
Nick Galatioto	27	7	17	3	17	.315	37	79	-42	1.37	2.93	2	30
Anthony Sciacca	27	4	19	4	12	.222	29	96	-67	1.07	3.56	1	20
James Friedel	27	2	22	3	7	.130	30	82	-52	1.11	3.04	1	10

 

NYCTHA Records Set:

MOST WINS BY ONE PLAYER: 27, LOU MARINOFF
MOST GOALS SCORED ONE DATE: 151, LOU MARINOFF
MOST MATCHES PLAYED IN NYCTHA DEBUT: 27; NICK GALATIOTO, BILL GALATIOTO

 

Player	Dates Played	GP	W	L	T	Points	Pts%	GF	GA	Diff	GFPG	GAPG	Tournament Points	Rank
Lou Marinoff	5	100	94	3	3	191	.955	514	116	398	5.14	1.16	460 (100,110,90,90,70	1
JP	5	100	61	27	12	134	.670	315	201	114	3.15	2.01	370 (70,100,80,70,50)	2
Greg Scoma	5	100	63	33	4	130	.650	320	225	95	3.20	2.25	330 (80,80,50,80,40)	3
Roger Owens	4	80	53	17	10	116	.730	301	168	133	3.76	2.10	300 (90,90,60,60)	4
Edward Power	4	77	22	46	9	53	.344	110	209	-99	1.43	2.71	150 (40,60,40,10)	5*
Jerome Ellison	4	64	17	32	15	49	.383	123	181	-58	1.92	2.83	150 (60,40,30,20)	6
James	5	100	14	67	19	47	.235	134	304	minus170	1.34	3.04	140 (10,30,30,50,20)	7
Len Mecca	2	46	23	16	7	53	.580	120	115	5	2.61	2.50	130 (70,60)	8
Kevin Struss	1	16	11	4	1	23	.719	49	29	20	3.06	1.81	70 (70)	9
Anthony Sciacca	2	46	9	31	6	24	.261	65	153	-88	1.41	3.33	60 (20,40)	10*
John Fitzpatrick	2	35	6	21	8	20	.286	44	109	-65	1.26	3.11	60 (50,10)	11
Bill Galatioto	1	27	8	15	4	20	.370	57	90	-33	2.11	3.33	50 (50)	12
Nick Galatioto	1	27	7	17	3	17	.315	37	79	-42	1.37	2.93	30 (30)	13*
Adam Zawislak	1	16	5	8	3	13	.406	31	36	-5	1.94	2.25	30 (30)	14

Player	Dates Played	GP	W	L	T	Points	%	GF	GA	Diff	GFPG	GAPG	Tournament Points	Rank
Sean Gallagher	1	16	2	11	3	7	.219	16	55	-39	1.00	3.44	20 (20)	15
Raoul Elkans	1	19	2	16	1	5	.132	23	72	-49	1.21	3.80	20 (20)	16
Eric Nichols	1	19	1	18	0	2	.053	8	71	-63	0.42	3.73	10 (10)	17*
John Poulianos	1	16	0	14	2	2	.063	7	46	-39	0.44	2.90	10 (10)	18

PLAYERS RANK AND PLAYOFF SEEDING DETERMINED BY TOURNAMENT POINTS.

*More Wins; $ More points;

In cases of ranking ties, tiebreakers are: wins/points/head-to-head/points-percentage. 
Players are rewarded in the rankings if they show up and play games.  Due to fluctuations in attendance, the tournaments points system is utilized in the NYCTHA.

 

 

* Signifies Points tie broken by total wins

^ Signifies Points tie broken by goal differential

This was our final regular season date.  All tournament points will be added to determine final playoff rankings.

 

The New York City Table Hockey Association Classic League held its final regular season date of 2006-07, at The Wharf Bar and Grill in Rockaway Park NY.  Thirteen players (including two father and son groups) played rock-solid table hockey from noon to five pm on 5 custom colecos. Three players had undefeated first rounds on this date. Each player played 24 matches and we had a new Date Winner today, Greg Scoma of Mt. Vernon VA won 21 of 24 matches to take first place and the 130 tournament points.  Congratulations Greg! 

 

 

 

Roger Owens

was up to his old tricks; the last to arrive, he just stepped in and kicked ass winning 18 games and 120 tournament points and setting notice that he will have a say in who wins the New York City Classic Cup on Saturday April 28th.

 

 

JP had a terrific first round, but too many Sam Adams' and not enough skill resulted in a disastrous second round robin, but he still accumulated 110 tournament points.

 

Len "The Meccanisim" Mecca

 was extremely tough on this day, finishing 15-5-4 after an undefeated first round robin. 

 

New players Bob Cuozzo,

Victor and Dante Handel,

 

from left:

(Standing) Bill Galatioto, Anthony Sciacca, Kevin Struss, James Friedl, Bob Cuozzo, Len Mecca, Roger Owens, Victor Handel, Dante Handel

(kneeling) John Poulianos, Nicholas Galatioto, Greg Scoma, JP

 

 

 

Here are the updated statistics after VI NYCTHA Classic League Dates.

Player	Dates Played	GP	W	L	T	Pts	%	GF	GA	Dif	GFPG	GAPG	Tournament Points
JP	6	124	78	30	16	172	.693	409	243	166	3.3	1.34	480 (110,70,100,80,70,50)
Lou Marinoff	5	100	94	3	3	191	.955	514	116	398	5.14	1.16	460 (100,110,90,90,70)
Greg Scoma	6	124	84	34	6	174	.702	430	254	176	3.47	1.42	460* (130,80,80,50,80,40)
Roger Owens	5	104	71	21	6	148	.711	385	218	167	3.70	2.10	420 (120,90,90,60,60)
Len Mecca	3	70	38	21	11	87	.621	182	161	21	2.6	2.3	230 (100,70,60)
James Friedl	6	124	19	84	21	59	.238	169	380	-211	1.36	3.06	180 (40,10,30,30,50,20)
Kevin Struss	2	40	25	14	1	51	.634	138	84	54	3.45	1.35	160 (90,70)
Edward Power	4	77	22	46	9	53	.344	110	209	-99	1.43	2.77	150 (40,60,40,10)
Jerome Ellison	4	64	17	32	15	49	.383	123	181	-58	1.92	2.83	150* (60,40,30,20)
Bill Galatioto	2	51	18	27	6	42	.412	110	161	-51	2.16	3.16	110 (60,50)
Anthony Sciacca	3	70	13	49	8	34	.243	102	227	-125	1.46	3.24	90 (30,20,40)
Nicholas Galatioto	2	51	15	29	7	37	.363	68	152	-84	1.33	2.98	80 (50,30)
Bob Cuozzo	1	24	13	9	2	28	.583	74	58	16	3.08	2.42	80* (80)
Vic Handel	1	24	10	12	2	22	.458	60	64	-4	2.5	2.67	70 (70)

The Silver Seven from NYCTHA Classic League Opening day:

(from Left) Roger Owens; James Friedl, Lou Marinoff, Edward Power, Jerome Ellison, Greg Scoma; (kneeling) coleco Johnny

On Saturday October 14, 2006 seven players came together at the Wharf Bar & Grill, stepped up on 4 coleco games, played their asses off and made NY table hockey history.  Two round robins were played, rivalries were continued and begun, passion filled up the room overlooking Jamaica Bay, and the SPORT of Table Hockey was celebrated!

 

The enthusiasm of the players was remarkable.  I had founded this NYCTHA, but was the second to arrive at the venue! as Greg Scoma, NYCTHA VP and League Officer (who had traveled all the way from Mt. Vernon VA) was waiting for me in the parking lot of the Wharf. 

 

After setting up my games, James Friedl (never one to be punctual) arrived 15 minutes early!  I knew then that the players would be champing at the bit to play some top notch table hockey and that is exactly what we had.  The rest of the players trickled in, including top professionals Lou Marinoff and Roger Owens, as well as Jerome Ellison, who drove all the way from Philadelphia (over 100 miles) to play some table hockey.  Each player's passion was off the charts as we just drove through two round robins and a group meal in about 3 hours.  While there were some kinks to be worked out, things went so smoothly that Roger Owens, one of the most well-traveled and experienced players on the Planet commented that the day went "better than I had expected."  This was high praise indeed from a player I have not defeated since Februrary--but I'm getting closer! 

 

People were astonished to see us playing table hockey with such intensity.  The Venue hosts were impressed with the caliber of the players and they were grateful for our presence in their establishment.  It was a beautiful day of table hockey, camaraderie and fun.  I am expecting big things for our League Date Two on November 18th!  Hope to see you then! 

Stats and photos on the Bulletin Board.

 

Our big winner on the day was Lou Marinoff who went 11-0-1 ( I tied him and lost a tough one-goal game with 20 seconds left) while Roger Owens could not solve the DR but finished second with a record of 8-2-2.  Bravo gentlemen!

 

Player	Won	Lost	Tied	Pts	GF	GA	seeding pts.
Lou Marinoff	11	0	1	23	67	19	80 *$$ (70)
Roger Owens	8	2	2	18	45	27	60*
John Power	6	3	3	15	39	23	50*
Greg Scoma	6	5	1	13	35	37	40*
James Friedl^	2	8	2	6	15	38	30*
Jerome Ellison	2	8	2	6	17	39	20*
Edward Power	0	9	3	3	13	44	10*

 

 

* Seeding Points system still to be determined; players will keep all their seeding points if system is revamped, however.

^ Won head-to-head matchups,therefore gets higher number of seeding points.

$$: Tournament Points system adjusted 12/06: Lou finished first place in a field of 7 players: the adjustment made was that the first place finisher would win the most tournament points based upon the size of the field.  7 players X 10 points= 70 points for first place.  The "extra" ten points was deemed "un-necessary" by me after consultation with Greg Scoma, Lou Marinoff and Ron Chesick: Lou earns the most tournament points after Date I, but they have been adjusted to 70 in order to uphold the integrity of the tournament points system.
Two round robins of six matches per-player were played on Classic League Opening day (Date One); 
Players must attend 3 dates to qualify for playoffs; All seeding points will be used to determine playoff seedings; Seedings system has been adjusted as of 12/06. 
 
I want to thank each of the players for supporting the NYCTHA Classic League.  My brother and I really value our relationships with each of you.  Special thanks to Greg and Jerome for traveling great distances and for our post-league table hockey action!  The Benej is a great game and the "King Of The Mountain" Coleco Session was AWESOME.   

 

More to come on Classic League Opening day but now I must switch gears and prepare for STIGA LEAGUE OPENING DAY NOVEMBER 4TH !

    I have enhanced the statistics from our "Original Six" tournament this past September. You can now see who played who in the Introductory (preliminary/round 1). Before my recent work, the spreadsheet was just letters of the alphabet versus another letter, which took some work to figure out who's who. Now you know right away.

    By the way, I have incorporated those scores and scores from tournaments where NYCTHA players have faced off against one another and placed them in the "All Time" category tab of the current NYCTHA Statistics that you can find by clicking on "Statistics Galore."

Greg Scoma

~VP Classic Division, NYCTHA

 Here you will find the standings/stats/results/reviews of the celebration of the sport of Table Hockey that was the Original Six Classic Table Hockey Tournament, Saturday September 9, 2006. 

An extremely competitive field of 15 players played a  Preliminary Round of 14 matches on six tables (four Labelles); then the top six players got a bye while 7-14 played the Playoff Round Robin for the final two playoff seeds.

From there the top 8 played a best of five; the final four played a best of five; final four runners' up played a best of three series for third place; and the two finalists played a best of seven for the Dr. Lou Marinoff Cup.

Final tournament player rankings can be found at the bottom of the page.
All stats courtesy of Greg Scoma's hard work.  Thanks Greg!

 









PLAYOFF ROUND ROBIN (7-14) 

Rank	player	GP	W	L	T	Pts
7 *	Len Mecca	7	5	1	1	11
8*	Edward Power	7	4	1	2	10
9*	Steve Dowell	7	4	2	1	9
10	Vic Handel	7	3	2	2	8
11	Adam Zawislak	7	2	1	4	8
12	Craig Sierak	7	1	4	2	4
13	Joe Handel	7	1	4	2	4
14	James Friedl	7	0	5	2	2

* Len Mecca had to retire early from tournament; Edward Power takes over top spot and advances as 7th seed; Steve Dowell moves into second place and takes 8th seed.

A DIVISION BEST OF FIVE (PLAYOFFS SECOND ROUND)
1 DUBOIS v. 8 DOWELL
        5                    0
        9                    1
        4                    1
DUBOIS WINS 3-0

2 MARINOFF v. EDWARD POWER
          6                      0
          7                      2
          6                      3
MARINOFF WINS 3-0

3 OWENS v. 6 JOHN POWER
        7                     2
        4                     3 OT
        5                     3
OWENS WINS 3-0

4 CUOZZO v. SCOMA
         1                  3
         1                  4
         5                  4
         3                  2 OT
         3                  4 0T
SCOMA WINS SERIES 3-2

SEMI FINAL MATCHUPS: BEST OF FIVE.
1 DUBOIS v. 5 SCOMA
Kenny Dubois was on a roll, but so too was Greg Scoma.  Coming off his dramatic OT win in game 5 against coleco master Bob Cuozzo in a highly competitive and dramatic series which indicated the value of tournament experience to all who witnessed it,  Scoma was simply no match for the Champ. 

Game 1: Dubois 7 Scoma 2
Game 2: Dubois 7 Scoma 0
Game 3: Dubois 9 Scoma 1
Dubois advances to final, winning series 3 games to 0
Neither player had their final say on this day after this series was over.

2 MARINOFF v. 3 OWENS
This was a battle of the titans. Both players are old friends and have competed many times.  A very intense Lou Marinoff  took the lessons of a game 1 loss and applied them in game two for the victory; Roger Owens, being the consummate professional behind the rods (trust me, I lost to him four times on this day), dug a little deeper and pulled out a win in a game three Thriller.  But Dr. Marinoff's intensity was just too much for Owens who lost the last two matches as Lou seemed to just have a little bit more in the tank on this day.  Perhaps one player was fresher and dealt with the first round delays a little bit better. 
Game 1: Marinoff 3  Owens 5
Game 2: Marinoff 5  Owens 2
Game 3: Marinoff 2  Owens 3
Game 4: Marinoff 4  Owens 1
Game 5: Marinoff 4  Owens 1
 Marinoff advances to the final winning series 3 games to 2.

THIRD PLACE
With the finals set, the final award had yet to be determined.  #3 Roger Owens and #5 Greg Scoma would have to play a best-of-three for third place.
Game 1: Owens 2  Scoma 5
Game 2: Owens 4  Scoma 2
Game 3:  Scoma 8  Owens 3
Greg Scoma wins third place in the Original Six Classic.

CHAMPIONSHIP BEST OF SEVEN
1DUBOIS v. 2 MARINOFF
 The best table hockey players would now grace Breezy Point and The Original Six Classic would come to an exciting close with a highly anticipated Dubois/Marinoff matchup.  This was a dream final and the level of play was impressive, as was the passion of the two players. 
But on this day, Dubois would not be denied.  Marinoff fought the good fight like the top pro that he is, but was not ready for the powerhous that Kenny Dubois has become during his absence from the table hockey scene.
Game 1: DUBOIS 4    MARINOFF 2
Game 2:  DUBOIS 4   MARINOFF 2
Game 3: DUBOIS  6   MARINOFF 2
Game 4: DUBOIS 7    MARINOFF 2

The sheer specatacle of this matchup was enough to draw neighbors to come and check out the sport of table hockey played at a very high level.  They were not disappointed.  Kenny showed us all how this game can be played if we apply an attention to detail, a total game and a ton of will.  Congratulations Kenny.

FINAL TOURNAMENT RANKINGS/STANDINGS

Rank	Player	GP	W	L	T	Pts	geography
1	Ken Dubois	24	23	1	0	46	Worcester MA
2	Lou Marinoff	26	16	7	3	35	Hudson Valley area NY
3	Greg Scoma	25	13	11	1	27*	Mt. Vernon, VA
4	Roger Owens	25	15	9	1	31	Brooklyn, NY
5	Bob Cuozzo	19	9	6	4	22	West Haven, CT
6	Edward Power	24	9	9	6	24	West Islip, NY
7	John Power	17	7	8	2	16	Breezy Point, NY
8	Steve Dowell	24	7	13	4	18*	New Bloomfield, PA
9	Len Mecca^	21	12	7	2	26	Cherry Hill, NJ
10	Vic Handel	21	7	10	4	18	West Haven, CT
11	Adam Zawislak	21	6	9	6	18	Vernon, NJ
12	Craig Sierak	21	4	11	6	14	Marysville, PA
13	James Friedl	21	5	13	3	13	Long Island, NY
14	Joe Handel	21	3	15	3	9	West Haven, CT
15	Duke Pierce ?	14	2	9	3	7	Breezy Point, NY

* Ranked by the fact they made the Quarter Finals and then by winning percentage (games played X2/points earned)
^  Had to retire before end of tournament; did not appear in third round of playoffs.
? Had to   retire before end of tournament

Thanks Greg Scoma for the Stats/Rankings.
 

ORIGINAL SIX CLASSIC CHAMPION KENNY DUBOIS OF WORCESTER MASS.

The New York City Table Hockey Association was proud to hold it's inaugural event, The Original Six Classic on Saturday September 9th in Breezy Point, New York.

After phoning me Friday night around 9PM and asking me if I could "squeeze him in" into the Classic, I immediately blurted out YES PLEASE! Kenny came down to Breezy Point and showed a very talented and competitive field of classic table hockey players that he is the best all-around table hockey player in the World.

Kenny lost one game all day (to fourth place finisher Roger Owens, himself a champion) and swept a very, very intense Dr. Lou Marinoff 4-2/4-2/6-2/7-2 (another champion) to win the Original Six Classic.

A field of 15 players braved the temptations of a sunny beach day and played their asses off, tolerating some scheduling issues and format controversies, to kick off the 2006-07 New York City Table Hockey Association season.

One exciting feature of our tournament was the playoff round robin. The top six players after the preliminary round were given a bye into the second round of the playoffs; 7-14 (15 had to bow out) played a round robin to determine the final two playoff spots. This round was table hockey bliss for all the players involved. The games were dogfights and the round robin ended without a hitch. This was just the prelude to a smoothly run and skillfully played second, third and final rounds (including the 3rd place best of three) culminating in some of the finest table hockey playing I have ever witnessed (and all caught on tape) in the Grand Final between Kennny and a very intense Lou Marinoff.

While there were some bumps (only natural in an inaugural event) the players all agreed that the tournament was a success. More photos and video documentation to follow in the days and weeks ahead.

I want to thank Martin Labelle for his last-minute assistance and for his always being there for me (May God Bless you and your family Martin--you truly are a wonderful man with tremendous class) and for building these fantastic games that bring so much joy to so many people.

I want to also thank Greg Scoma for his leadership, initiative and for taking care of the standings/stats all day long. He did not have to do this. The man drove over 5 hours from Washington D.C. to play table hockey and instead had to take care of the schedule and stats in addition to playing. Greg has exhibited organizing acumen, great character, and is a hell of a player (third place!). Thanks so much Greg.

Thanks Kenny and Lou for taking the time to travel to our tournament and lending it additional panache. Both of these Gentlemen are champions off the table as well as on.

Thanks to Vic for bringing his table and for his enthusiastic support; Vic, you are a great friend; Roger Owens for attending and for stepping up and joining us in the NYCTHA: Roger, you are a great player and person and I am so fortunate to know you. Thanks man!

Thanks to my family, my brother Edward who did great! And my parents who treated the players like the special folks that they are.

Thanks to Steve Bernstein, Carlo Bossio, John Gaffney for their assistance during the days before the tournament and for their support.

Thanks finally to all the players and spectators, Cecy Friedl and Tom Mulrain, for their company and class.

Please visit the Bulletin Board and Photo album for stats/standings/photos/reviews.

NYCTHA CLASSIC TABLE HOCKEY LEAGUE OPENING DAY SATURDAY OCTOBER 14th.

NYCTHA STIGA LEAGUE OPENING DAY SATURDAY NOVEMBER 4th.

Contact me at COLECOJOHNNY@YAHOO.COM for registration and information. The first ten players to register will get a gift DVD of the table hockey champions.

Table Hockey is all about supporting your fellow players, so when table hockey legend Lou Marinoff invited me over to his house to get some games in as he prepares for the extremely difficult Montreal Classic tournament next weekend, I jumped at the opportunity to rub elbows with this table hockey giant.

Lou lives on the side of hill in a tiny hamlet along the Hudson River just north of New York City.   As I parked my car at the foot of the hill where Lou's house is located, I spotted wild deer roaming about.  This is a beautiful spot.

Lou greeted me warmly and after some conversation and snacks, we headed down into the game room where Lou had his Martin Labelle 5380 set up (see photo above).  We chose to play a best-of-seven series to start the day, and Lou just steamrolled me in five games:
Lou 5 JP 2; Lou 0 JP 3; Lou 5 JP 2; Lou 7 JP 4; Lou 3 JP 2.
 
The man had actually lifted his game since The Original Six Classic where he finished second against very tough competition, and was looking forward to competing in Montreal.   We took a break and chatted about the New York City  Table Hockey Association, of which he is the Honorary Commissioner.  Lou had some ideas about how the league format should be and was incredibly supportive of all my ideas concerning how we should run the NYCTHA. 

After putting on one of Lou's classical guitar albums (in addition to being a  top table hockey pro, he is an accomplished guitarist and an expert on music) we returned to the "belly of the beast" and played another best-of-seven.  Lou played even tougher than the first series, dropping only one of five games (and that in OT after he scored with 5 seconds left to tie it).
Lou 5 JP 2; Lou 4 JP 5 OT;  Lou 3 JP 1; Lou 2 JP 1; Lou 6 JP2.
So far I had not been able to mount any consistent offense against Lou whose wing-to-center pass was becoming tougher and tougher to stop as the day went on.  Lou proudly displays the poster from "Table Hockey: The Movie," a film which he was the star of, in his game room and when you play the man, you cannot help but be impressed with his intensity level.  Dr. Marinoff is a very, very competitive player who never gives an inch on the table.  I learned that my intensity level must be raised if I am going to compete with this table hockey champ. 

We then took an extended break as Lou showed me around his place and we took to discussing the current state of affairs  going on in the world.  Dr. Marinoff had just returned from Geneva where he had  given a speech at a Global Economic Forum.  It was quite a thrill to hear what such a learned, respected and passionate man had to say and I learned more than just how to improve my table hockey game, that's for sure.  Lou gave me a book for my mother and a novel he had written in the early 90's that is very, very controversial.  This is a man who takes no prisoners and does not suffer fools gladly, both on and off the table. 

Heading back down to the game room for a best of five, we sparred in what was the most intense series of the day. As Wayne Shorter played in the background, Dr. Marinoff  found his rhythm and I tried to match his intensity but could only win one of four games:
Lou 2 JP 0; Lou 4 JP 1; Lou 3 JP 4 OT; Lou 6 JP 3.

At this point, Lou graciously invited me out to dinner at his favorite Japanese restaurant.  We drove down to the villiage and ate some excellent Japanese cuisine.  I had never used chopsticks before, so Lou gave me some expert advice and in no time I was stuffing my face with bean curd, rice, beef teryaki, japanese soup and finally, red bean ice cream (excellent stuff!)  We had  an extremely interesting conversation over dinner (I think the hot sake loosened up the Dr.!) and once again I learned more about global politics  in one conversation with Lou than in one year of reading the New York Times and Wall Street Journal.  But now it was time to get down to what really matters in this life: TABLE HOCKEY.

Back at the Ranch, Lou and I decided to play a bon-voyage best of seven.  The Dr. picked up right where he left off.  He basically tore me a new orifice, whipping me 3-0; 5-1; 5-1.  I came close in the final game, but fell in OT, 2-1.  While we were developing a tremendous camaraderie off the table, Lou was all business on the table.  His game is ferocious, as he ended the day with a 15-3 record; 70 GF-35 GA.  And I had practiced 2 hours a day for the 7 days leading up to our meeting.  Oh well, you learn more when you lose;  and I discovered that
THERE IS NO FAILURE, ONLY FEEDBACK.

So, after a warm hand-shake with this Table Hockey Legend, I drove back to the Big Apple, cognizant of what I must do to improve my game and confident that I had one of the best mentors any person could have in Lou Marinoff.

Thanks Lou for your kindness in taking time from your busy schedule to play some top-level table hockey with me.  The Sport of Table Hockey is lucky to have you.

(Lou Marinoff will be attending the New York City Table Hockey Association Classic League Opening day, Saturday October 14th, 11:45 AM at THE WHARF BAR & GRILL in Rockaway Beach).