Hometown: Philadelphia

 

NYCTHA 2006-07 Regular Season
Jerome Ellison participated in the 2006-07 season.

Jerome plays TH with passion and exuberence. Observers find themselves rooting for him.

It has been said and written that Jerome is an up and coming player. That his winning percentage does not match his capabilities. How is this proven?

Well, Jerome finished the regular season with a .383 winning percentage. His plus/minus differential was -58. Those two statistics are static. They do not provide a trend, a trajectory.

 

Each player on each league date played every other player in attendance. When each player had played all others once, this is called a round. Typically, two to three rounds were played each date. Graphing Jerome's winning percentage looks like a stairway leading upward, about a 35 degree angle.

 

.225%, rounds 1-3, 
.350%, rounds 4 & 5,
.400%, rounds 6 & 7,
.500%, round round 8,
.650%, round 10.

 

This demonstrates a steady upward progression in his skill to win games. But, let's look at his goals for and against, i.e. his goal differentials. Jerome starts out the first five rounds at -9, -13, -14, -10 and -7 for a combined total of -53 (an average of -10.6).

 

Then he really closes the gap. In the next four rounds he finishes -1, -9, -3 and finishes literally on a positive note at +8 for a combined total of -5 (an average of -1.25). This demonstrates a steady progression in narrowing the gap between his offensive goal scoring capabilities and his capability to prevent goals. Upon closer inspection, however, it is his ability to score goals that improves most. His winning percentage and goal differential progression factually supports the idea that Jerome literally is "an up and coming" TH player.

Player vs Player.
Though Jerome lost all of his games to Lou, as most players did, he demonstrated improvement against the second through fourth ranked players in each instance.

 

-Ellison vs Power.

In his first five games against John Power, Jerome was zero wins, five losses (0-5-0) and a combined 8 goals for and 25 goals against.

In Jerome's subsequent games, he was zero wins, two losses, two ties (0-2-2) for a combined 7 goals for and only 10 goals against. Earning points where he'd none before and cutting down on goals scored against.

-Ellison - Owens. 

In his first five games, Jerome was zero wins, four losses, one tie (0-4-1) for a combined 7 goals for and 17 against.

In Jerome's subsequent two games against Roger, he was zero wins, zero losses and two ties (0-0-2) for a combined 4 goals for and 4 goals against. Improving on points earned and cutting down on goals against.

 

-Ellison - Scoma.

In his first five games, Jerome was one win, four losses, zero ties (1-4-0) for a combined 9 goals for and 20 goals against.

In Jerome's subsequent four games against Greg, he was two wins, one loss and two ties (2-1-1) for a combined 10 goals for and 10 goals against.

 

A significent improvement. Where he'd earned only 2 points of 10 possible against Greg in their first five games, Jerome earned five of eight possible points in their next four games. Again, halving his goals scored against.

 

NYCTHA Playoffs.
Jerome missed the part of the January date and all of the last two dates of the regular season, February and March.

How would his steady improvement into January hold up against missing so much competitive practice before the playoffs?

He did attend the "Bring Your Own Game" tournament, in March, which uses a multi-game format. That gave him a small continuation of competitive practice.

 

The players who finished the regular season below fifth place were placed in a double-round robin. There were six players in that competition. The top three players from that competition would fill the remaining three positions (6-8) in the Elite Division Playoffs.

 

In the first round robin, Jerome finished second, W2-L1-T2, 11 GF, 12 GA. Not a bad start, but not a start befitting his previous trajectory. That said, however, while Jerome was absent from league competition in March, other players by virtue of attending, kept sharpening their skills. Players such as Bill Galatioto, who won that first round robin.

 

In the second round robin, Jerome slipped a point going W2-L2-T1 and again keeping his goals for and against even, 15 GF - 15 GA. Not bad, not good, but it was practice for the playoffs to come.

 

 

Finishing second in the combined round robin, Jerome was placed in #7 position for the playoffs, drawing John Power #2 as his opponent. Had Jerome finished 1st in the round robin robin, he would have squared off against Greg Scoma, a player he'd had more success against.

 

Against John Power, Jerome was swept in four games in their best of seven playoff. Jerome did take John into overtime in the first game, and kept it close in game two losing 4-2. But after that John Power took command.

 

Not all was lost, Jerome and others who lost in the Elite Division would drop down and form the 1st Division.

 

 

In a clerical error, Jerome #7 was pitted against #8, Adam Zawislak, rather than #6 Bill Galatioto. This error, however, pitted Jerome against a player finishing lower and thus might have been beneficial.

 

In their best of seven series, Jerome and Adam went six games. Jerome winning games two and three, losing in overtime in game four and losing game one and five both by the same score and a single goal each, 2-1. Here it was evident that Jerome was now back in playing shape.

 

Losing to Adam Zawislak, dropped Jerome into the battle for the 1st Division's Third Place Medal series, a best of three.

 

Now, Jerome #7 was paired up against Bill Galatioto #6. Bill had both a frustrating day and a rewarding day. And, Jerome was losing series' but getting better as the day wore on. So, which of these two players would earn the Inaugural Season's, 1st Division medal for Third Place?

 

For Bill Galatioto, it was a rewarding day in that he led in the score in his first two playoff games against the regular season's number three (#3) best player, Greg Scoma. And, he won his first two playoff games against the regular season's #5 best player and long-time table hockey veteran, Len Mecca.

 

But, it was a frustrating day, in that he lost those two games in the closing seconds in each game to Greg Scoma, which gave Greg a 2-0 series lead. It was frustrating that he was up 2-0 in his series to Len Mecca, but then lost four games straight. Obviously, Galatioto needed to find a way to put away his opponent's. Would he find that way now or later?

During the regular season, Bill and Jerome had not met, had not played a game against each other. In the day's double round robin, they split their games. Each winning by a goal.

For Jerome, the day was only getting better with each game played.

 

In Game One of their Best of Three, Jerome won handily, 5-2. Needing now to win two straight games, Bill put on a good fight in Game Two. Jerome however seemed one lesson ahead in the "How to" book on TH, holding on to  his lead in surely what was a tense game, winning 2-1.

 

For Jerome, winning the Third Place Medal, 1st Division, NYCTHA 2006-07 in what was a season marked by some frustration and yet promise, he was able to grab a tangible bit of proof that he is indeed a promising, up and coming player.