The Charlotte Street Hockey League's Fall 2023 season is around the corner with our Co-ed Adult A & B Divisions kicking off Sunday, September 10th. It's an exciting time of year as this is CSHL's largest season ever with the A league expanding to five teams while the B division stays at four.
Expansion team Mighty Mullet Men will be captained by former CSHL A-League MVP and NBHL #FlowFriday recipient Jack Ingalls, previously of the Fridge Raiders. The most athletic of CSHL captains, let's see if his team will play that same wrecking ball style we've gotten to know Ingalls for the past few seasons.
Former Waymer Cowbell Star Tom Carriero will be leading the charge for CSHL's newest team, High Voltage, whom he previously captained in New York in the 80s*. High Voltage will be replacing controversial powerhouse CDI in the B division this season as previous captain Tom Ward moves into the league office as CSHL's Adult League Commissioner. Look for a future version of CDI as captains shuffle in upcoming seasons.
"Things are coming full circle for me as a Captain. In 1986, I was named Captain of my first ball hockey team High Voltage on Long Island. Over 5 seasons we won 4 Championships and I decided to retire the name. Now, in Charlotte 37 years later I have resurrected High Voltage and I am proud to be a Captain in the CSHL. I hold this team name near and dear to my heart and want to do it proud!" - Carriero, pictured below (back right) with his 1986 High Voltage teammates
Coach of the NBHL's Charlotte Rise, Mike Steckler will take over Waymer Cowbell's vacant captaincy as he and star prospect Karson Steckler look to take the B division by storm. At only 14, Karson led the Summer Slapper Adult Tournament in assists with 4. Many around the league believe the youngest Steckler has the highest potential out of all CSHL's youth prospects. "I love his grit," said a former CDI member who's competed with and against Karson for the past year. With Jayden moving up to the A division we're interested to see Karson handle the extra offensive responsibility.
The most exciting news of all is the ongoing construction of CSHL's (Huntersville's) very own Waymer Hockey Rink; which is being surfaced this week (9/6) and should be ready in the beginning portion of the CSHL season. This multipurpose rink is built atop Waymer's basketball courts, bringing some nostalgia to the OGs of the group. The rink is 111' x 80' and will surely see a shift in play style from the "Octagon", our beloved tennis court.
Insiders around the league were asked how the new rink will impact CSHL's style of play: "More room will be more advantageous to skill and actual playmaking. Passing, breakouts, dump and chase, 'real' hockey plays can be made as opposed to being able to shoot on net from everywhere. Physicality will still be there but the board battles that plagued the tennis court and escalated into penalties and sometimes suspensions will be fewer and further between." - Rules & Competition Committee Member
"It will open up the passing lanes for skill players and allow more room to roam for the fast guys. The boards will be helpful for experienced, crafty players. Something for everyone." - CSHL Veteran of 10+ Years
The nice thing is that guys are going to have more room to work and not necessarily have someone breathing down their neck as soon as they touch the ball. Speed will definitely be important but having time and space is going to be key." - CSHL Captain
"With the added space and boards, the players with speed will benefit the most from this change. The players with the hardest shots will see a decline moving from the smaller space. We will see less goals and more competitive play with all of the new space." - Tier 1 Defenseman, A-League
Newly appointed CSHL COO Bobby Arkus hosted the Fall 2023 CSHL Drafts Thursday 8/17 a long saucer from Waymer Park. This is a complete redraft of the Winter 2023 teams, abandoning the 3 keeper system from the previous season. Let's recap the first two rounds of each:
There were no surprises as notoriously shaky drafter & JJ's Bombers Captain Mike Campbell took the 2023 Winter League MVP Josh Greco first overall. Jack Ingalls selected elite defenseman Andrew Sernus with the 1.02, making Sernus the first draft choice in Mighty Mullet Men History. Many around the league projected Sernus to the Hooligans at the first-round swing, thinking Ingalls would go with a bit more firepower with the second pick. "Well that just messed me up", noted new Hooligans Captain James Forbes after the pick.
"Yes, he is arguably the best defenseman in the league, but Jack being paired with another high-scoring offenseman would have been lethal to see." - Top 10 Pick, A-League
"Once a game Sernus remembers he's better than everyone and goes off." - Summer league teammate
Sernus may not be the most offensive-minded defenseman in CSHL, but he can let it fly when given space. The combination of him with Jack Ingalls relentless pressure is a scary start to any franchise.
With new leadership comes changes, and this season saw the lift of the "Cale Rule", allowing Hooligans runner Cale Bowman to return to the net this season. Fridge Raiders captain Eric LeVigne wasted no time selecting his goalie, the 2022 NBHL Carolina Division MVP Cale Bowman, with the third overall pick. We typically see an aggressive, physical, defensive game from LeVigne's Fridge Raiders, and what better way to prevent goals than taking King Cale in the first round.
Many CSHL insiders had defending champion Waymer Wieners selecting offensive juggernaut Justin "JY" Young with the fourth pick, and they were spot on. "I'm gonna stick with the plan", said Head Wieners in Charge Jim Bateman, selecting close personal friend Young, solidifying not just a big, but girthy front line. The Hooligans James "Forbesy" Forbes jumped on the chance to take two elite offensive defensemen in Frank Lozzi and CSHL newcomer Zach McKenna (who, per sources, will move up to forward this season). Forbesy took advantage of the opposition's hesitancy to draft a somewhat unknown commodity, forming what may be the strongest top 3 of any A-League team. The second overall pick in the 2023 Summer Slapper helped lead the Mighty Waymer Power Rangers to Captain (GM) Chris Ward's third straight CSHL tournament trophy.
A high-level ball hockey player from the New Hampshire, Zach looks to bring some of the Granite-State grit to the CSHL. The Lozzi and Mckenna picks allow James Forbes to slide up to forward full-time this season, something he looks 'forward' too. The Wieners stayed on course selecting Jonathan Hotchner with the 2.02 pick. A long, athletic defenseman with great hands, he's a perfect complement to Bateman and JY. After taking a goalie in the first round, LeVigne snagged the sliding Bobby Arkus with the eighth overall pick. "The Fridge Raiders need goals," said LeVigne, and goals they will get from The Hitman. Ingalls kept the second round going with another strong pick in huge forward Kevin Helinski who recently let the Summer Slapper in points with 7 (4g, 3a). Helinski will look to keep his hot streak going and should clean up in front of the net with Captain Jack Ingalls firing shots from everywhere. The second round closed out with perhaps the best value of any top 10 selection by Mike Campbell as he grabbed another elite player for JJ's Bombers in Caleb Brownlow; CSHL's resident piece of sh..bad boy of the blue line. The selection of Brownlow gives the Bombers a bit of positional flexibility on where to play first-overall pick Josh Greco.
The B-League draft took place shortly after the conclusion of CSHL's A Division. With two new captains in Mike Steckler (Waymer Cowbell) and Tom Carriero (High Voltage) in place, we were bound to see a shift in draft strategy from last season, and boy did we..
While goalies were forgotten in the winter draft, Fall 2023 saw A-League quality goalies go with the first two picks with Chris "Nappy" Napierala heading to Waymer Cowbell first overall and John "Bergie" Bergner going second to the NorMonsters. Nappy led the Fridge Raiders to the finals last season in the A division while Bergie dominated B-League competition leading the now-defunct CDI to a championship: Bergie gave up only 18 goals in 14 games including playoffs. Mike Steckler's pro-hockey experience lets him pick corners with the best of them and with two inexperienced goalies in the league, we could see the Stecklers rack up goals this season. Speaking of goals, NorMonsters captain Brandon Brownlow pours them in. His 14 goals in 10 games led B-league last season. With an A-League shot and over a decade of Waymer experience, Brownlow knows how to take advantage of his best weapon.
With the top-tier goalies gone, the draft started at 3, and returning Charlottans Captain Joe Petrellese wasted no time taking a top talent in Jeff Kennedy. Easily an A-level player, Kennedy gives the Charlottans additional scoring they desperately missed last season. New Captain Tom Carriero launched his High Voltage franchise with two high-athleticism picks in Nick Severins and Brad McLane. Severins, a player many thought should be playing A this fall, broke out in the second half of last season while McLane, known for his signature red bucket, is a decent shot away from jumping up A-League draft boards.
Petrellese made a smart pick 6th overall taking Nick Petrini, a shutdown defenseman and elite passer to help feed Kennedy up front. Winter 2023 MVF Finalist Kendall Kerr went 2.03 to the NorMonsters, reuniting the dynamic combination of Kerr and Brownlow that terrorized the B division last season. Steckler closed the top of his draft with top youth prospect Cole Heslin and forward Tyler Brown. Brown can FLY, using his speed to win trophies with CDI and The Fellowship of the Rink his past two seasons. Heslin is an interesting pick here, he's spoken extremely highly of so many are curious to see how his game translates to the adult level. We asked insiders around the league their thoughts on the drafts and upcoming season: Outside of your own team, who had the strongest draft?
"Jim Bateman's team. Grabbing Knox in the 4th and Stock in the 6th were very solid picks." - Top Tier Defenseman, A-League
"Forbes & Carriero" - Rules & Competition Committee Member
"Forbesy’s team is going to be tough. There is a lot of speed on that squad." - A League Captain
"A Mullets, B NorMonsters" - League Office Member & B-League Forward
"I think the new team High Voltage had a really strong draft. Theyre going to be a team to beat this season for sure." - B-League Captain
Who’s a player you really wanted but didn’t end up on your team?
"Brandon Rios. Sneaky slick passer, grinds to the tough spots in front of the net, and has the perfect character and attitude you want from any teammate. Constantly working to improve." - B League Captain
"Jeff Kennedy" - B League Forward
"Jack Ingalls. With his speed up front and my speed on defense, we would have been very good together." - Top Tier Defenseman, A-League
"After playing a game of pickup for the first time with Connor Malmstrom, I wish I got to know him before the draft. He’s a good player." - A League Captain
Based on their draft, is there a certain team's play style you’re interested to see?
"I am interested to see how Campbell uses his roster for offense and defense. He does not have many stay at home defensemen outside of Caleb." - High draft pick, A-League
"Fridge Raiders, for sure. Drafting Cale will make for a tough team to score against and Eric already puts teams together that are tough to play against." - 2023 Winter League Champion
"Steck went youth movement, interested to see how he captains/ coaches up the group after NBHL." - B League Veteran
"Mullets" - League Office Member
"Team Campbell. Greco’s finesse up front with Caleb Brownlow’s intensity/defense? Buddy – a headache for whoever they play on Sunday’s." - B League Forward
What team had the steal of the draft?
"Dennis Dunworth going in the 7th Round to the Hooligans."
"Hooligans - Dennis Dunworth, 7th round? Insane" - People who love Dennis
"Forbes drafting Andy Zachowicz in the 5th round. He may be missing some games but is a game changer when there." - NBHL Defenseman
"Forbes: Zach McKenna, Carriero: Brian Russell" - Veteran CSHL Player
"Wieners with with Jake Cuomo. He’s a really good player and they got him late in the draft." - Top tier Forward, A League
*Editors note, Jake Cuomo won MVP of the Rec-B Division in the Frost Family Hockey 3v3 Tournament in Greensboro last month with the Sucio Boyz
Who was your favorite early round pick and why (1-3)?
A-League: "Connor Malmstrom in the 3rd. Kid is young but can go at it with anyone and
has more talent in one finger than some of us do in our entire body." - Someone much slower than Connor
"Hooligans getting Lozzi and McKenna" - CSHL Veteran
"Zach McKenna - this is a guy that could very well end up being the best player in the league and he was picked in the 2nd round, despite his performance in the Summer Slapper. I chalk it up to him still being a relative unknown compared to the rest of the league, which by this point has a certain tier of players that we all know will be picked early. None of the captains wanted to make a bold first round selection." - NBHL Experienced Player
"Zack Mckenna going 6th overall. He is arguably the best player in the league and can be a total game changer. I also like Peter Becht in the 3rd, as he is a top defender in our league." - Top Tier Defenseman
"I’m looking forward to seeing what Worters can do out there. He keeps getting better every year." - Queen City Crowns Forward
B-League: "Hill Hollowell. The more he gets comfortable playing ball hockey, the more dominant he is going to be." - B-League Defenseman
"Nick Petrini going 6th overall. His hockey IQ is insane for only a year of playing" - Charlotte Rise Player
Mid round pick (4-6)? A-League:
"Tommy Knox going to Bateman in the 4th round. He is a very solid defenseman and can slow players down as well as block shots." - Queen City Crowns Player
"Jayden Steckler - curious to see how he looks coming up from B league, could be argued he is the first in CSHL to come up through the youth ranks and make it to the "big leagues." - CSHL Committee Member
"Danny at 4, I see that as a steal" - Waymer Wiener
"Jeremy Hotchner" - Board Member "Andrew Mahoski. Roller hockey guy who ive only played pick up with once time, but I saw he has some slick passing and can get a mean shot off if he has space." - NorMonsters Teammate
B-League:
"John Lavella. Lifelong competitive ball hockey player will be an anchor on the blue line for High Voltage." - League Office
"Mark Kaltschnee. Mark used to come to pickups way back on the asphalt square before we ever even made it to the tennis court. I was excited to see him coming back to play, especially since we are moving back to the new surface where the asphalt used to be. Its symbolic, in a way. Hes going to be a big part of the NorMonsters this year and is going to have a big impact on B league." - CSHL OG
Late round pick (7+) you really like and why?
A-League:
"Mark Stock is such a great player with great hockey sense." - High-end Forward, A League
"Mark Stock going in the 7th round. He is a great player and can contribute more than players drafted above him." - Former teammate of Stock
"Sean Byrnes - a bit of a newcomer, but fits the mold of an A leaguer that should have gone higher." - Summer Slapper Runner
"Chetta & Dunworth of course" - B-League Defenseman
"Dennis Dunworth. You saw what he did in B-League, Summer League and the
Summer Slapper Tournament. Add him to a team full of snipers and passers? He’s gonna be a lot of fun to watch." - Teammate, Summer League
B-League:
"Nick Russell the marathon man is also going to be important for the NorMonsters this year. Teams need that stamina." - Top B-League Player
We saw 3 different strategies with goalies in the A league; the Fridge Raiders took Cale in the first, Hooligans chose to wait until the last round for PMart, and 3 teams spent middle picks on goalies. Which strategy as your favorite and why?
"I think in A league the level of goalie is at such a level that you could probably save your pick and build up the defense in front of them and be just as effective as anyone. B league is a little different, but i see that question coming up." - B League Captain
"Honestly, if you have your guy, go for your guy. I respect building around the
goalie so I like the earlier rounds." - CSHL Tournament Champion
"You can never argue with picking Cale Bowman. After Cale it's a pretty balanced group so I think waiting a bit is the strategy." - Experienced CSHL Player
"Goalie is the position with the most depth in CSHL. Cale is an outlier within the group as a goalie that can steal wins, but after him is a group that is solid and most importantly won't lose games in net. For that reason, once Cale is picked, I like the Hooligans strategy of loading up runner depth and waiting to see who was available at the end. Given the depth exceeds the number of A league teams, the Hooligans were guaranteed a solid goalie." - League Veteran
"Cale in the 1st round is my favorite. He is the best in the league and can completely shut down teams." - Previous Cale Teammate
"It’s a hard choice when to draft goalies in our league. We have such strong goalies in our league and limited spots to play. I think waiting to take P-Mart and loading your squad up is a great choice, but Cale is so hard to score on and it frustrates the hell out of you. Honestly, I really can’t pick the best strategy with this." - Captain who didn't use either of the strategies mentioned
What’s pick that surprised you the most?
"Cole Heslin was took by the Cowbell very early. Ive heard alot of big talk around him, so im interested to see how the kid shows up." - B League Defenseman
"Bobby Arkus in the 2nd round. Like McKenna, should have been a first rounder." - NBHL Member
"Drew Sernus as #2 pick. Serus is a great player, but most mocks had him late first, early second." - CSHL Board Member
"I think Jeremy Hotchner going as late as he did was a bit surprising, but outside of that I don’t think there was any particularly surprising picks." - NBHL Player
Which captain crushed the end of the draft?
"Forbes. He drafted Andy, Jayden and Dennis with his last 3 runner picks. All of these players are very solid." - High Pick, A-League
"Jack. He has a deep bench with the last picks." - A league Captain
"James Forbes getting Andy Zachowicz and Dennis Dunworth late. They may not be the fastest, but loads of skill." - Former CSHL Captain
"Forbes, and it's because he picked his goalie last that he was able to get solid runners as steals late." - NBHL Coach/Captain
"Forbes, Ingalls and Carriero" - CSHL Grinder
B League: We saw goalies go with the first two picks of the draft, thoughts on that strategy? "With the two later goalies being relative unknowns in our league it's not a surprise. Goalie can make more of a difference in B" - Former B-League Champion
"In B league, having a quality goalie is necessary. Theres only a handful of players that are going to be able to snipe it past them, and limiting the amount of "soft" goals is key to the morale, therefore work ethic, of the team." - Team Captain
"Any defensive minded team will have a shot so if you think a goalie in the earlier
rounds helps you get there, do it." - B-League Forward
"Goes back to the league goalie depth. Both goalies have A league experience, there just weren't enough A league teams for them." - Previous NBHL Coach
"Very bold moves. Chris (Nappy) can be a league winner." - Top player, A-League
There’s a lot of newcomers in the league this year, who are you most intrigued to see play?
"Tim Hickey, just because I have seen/played with the other newcomers at some point." - League Committee Member
"Zach McKenna. He has played high level ball hockey up north and I am interested to see him play in our league." - NBHL Player
"Zach McKenna, Tim Hickey and in B Hill Hollowell" - League Office Member
"Not a newcomer per say but always good to see Jeff Kennedy mucking it up with
the fellas again." - Returning B-Leaguer
"It has to be McKenna— I’ve played pickup with him and he’s a stud but I’m curious what it will look like out in league." - Crowns Player
"Will Sheridan. He was a late pick for NorMonsters, but stated that his goal was the come in and lead the (B) league in goals at the end of the season." - B-League Captain
Which player do you expect to see the biggest jump in improvement from last season?
"Erik May. Last winter season was his first time playing ball hockey, and he finished the season 5th in total points with 13 in 8 games played." - Former NorMonsters Teammate
"Nick Severins." - B-League Forward
"Jayden Steckler. He was really impressive in the NBHL on the bigger rink and I think having the additional room will really benefit him." - Top end Forward, A League
"Watch for Nick Severins, who should have moved up to A. Also, if Karson Steckler gets a growth spurt we're all in trouble." - Longtime CSHL Player
"Haley Gourdie" - Former Charlottans teammate
"Chris Ward" - CSHL Veteran
"Jayden Steckler. He was promoted from the B league and will flourish around the players he is with." - A-League Player
A League: With the new Waymer Rink player call ups are going to be more impactful than before. Which B league players (non-captain) are you intrigued to see in A league?
"I’ve been trying to call up Kendall Kerr the past 2 seasons and it just didn’t work out. He’s relentless when he plays." - Captain, A League
"Jeff Kennedy. He has played in the A league before and can still hold his own." - NBHL Player
"Any former CDI guys: Nick Petrini, Tyler Brown, Nick Severins, Brad McLane. Could be argued the top of B-league has as much A-quality talent as the back of the A league draft." - B-League Veteran
"Severins, McLane, Kaltschnee" - CSHL OG "Nick Petrini, Brad Mclane, Nick Severins" - Former CDI Player
" Im intrigued to see which A players are going to be coming down to B league. Last season B league had way more call ups than A league and i feel like its been overlooked this season." - B League Captain
Who leads CSHL in points fall 2023?
"A: Zack McKenna / B: Will Sheridan" - Award Finalist, Winter 2023
"Zach McKenna" - B Leaguer
"A: Josh Greco. B: Jeff Kennedy" - NBHL Leadership
"James Forbes" - Hooligans Teammate
"JY" - Teammate, Waymer Wieners
CSHL INSIDER'S PRESEASON PREDICTIONS:
A-League
MVF: Zach McKenna, Hooligans
MVD: Jonathon Hotchner, Waymer Wieners
MVG: Cale Bowman, Fridge Raiders
MVP: Josh Greco, JJ's Bombers
Top Seed, Regular Season: JJ's Bombers
Fall 2023 Champions: Mighty Mullet Men
Fall 2023 CSHL A-LEAGUE ALL STARS: First Team
F: Josh Greco, JJ's Bombers
F: Zach McKenna, Hooligans
F: Jack Ingalls, Mighty Mullet Men
D: Andrew Sernus, Mighty Mullet Men
D: Jonathan Hotchner, Waymer Wieners
G: Cale Bowman, Fridge Raiders
Fall 2023 CSHL A-LEAGUE ALL STARS: Second Team
F: James Forbes, Hooligans
F: Jim Bateman, Waymer Wieners
F: Bobby Arkus, Fridge Raiders
D: Frank Lozzi, Hooligans
D: Caleb Brownlow, JJ's Bombers
G: David Gonsalves, Mighty Mullet Men
B-League
MVF: Kendall Kerr, NorMonsters
MVD: Brandon Brownlow, NorMonsters
MVG: John Bergner, NorMonsters
MVP: Brandon Brownlow, NorMonsters
Top Seed, Regular Season: NorMonsters
Fall 2023 Champions: NorMonsters
Fall 2023 CSHL B-LEAGUE ALL STARS: First Team
F: Jeff Kennedy, Charlottans
F: Kendall Kerr, NorMonsters
F: Mike Steckler, Waymer Cowbell
D: Brandon Brownlow, NorMonsters
D: Nick Petrini, Charlottans
G: John Bergner, NorMonsters
Fall 2023 CSHL B-LEAGUE ALL STARS: Second Team
F: Tom Carriero, High Voltage
F: Mark Kaltschnee, NorMonsters
F: Karson Steckler, Waymer Cowbell
D: Hill Hollowell, NorMonsters
D: Nick Severins, High Voltage
G: Chris Napierala, Waymer Cowbell
That's all we have on the 2023 Fall Preview version of CSHLINSIDER, stay tuned for Newsletter #2 after this weekend's opening slate of games!
Bonus: CSHL's Jack Ingalls (Mighty Mullet Men), Joe Petrellese (Charlottans), and Josh Greco (JJ's Bombers) traveled to Nashville, TN to play in the Music City Bash, a tournament thrown by Cool Hockey Events September 18-20. They teamed up with the Salty Crabs from Eastern Shore, VA to compete in the Novice & Co-ed Divisions.
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