Round of 16: 2025 Playoff Preview
12:00 PM Lbs vs Poutine Machine (West)
This year’s pre-season favorite has no shortage of offense, owning the top scorer in Sam Gelman, and two of the league’s top females in Karina Sirabian and Melanie Waller. And there’s no doubt that the Lbs have fallen off a little bit since last season’s top seeded finish, resulting in Poutine claiming victory in their only matchup this year. I’d venture to say that the Lbs drop off combined with Poutine’s rise will reward the Machines with an elite eight appearance, but the Lbs have never been an easy out, and this will surely be a game for the ages.
1:15 PM Corlears Hookers vs Fresh Kills (West)
I don’t know if the Fresh Kills team knows how to score any less than 4 goals on their opponent…they can for sure pile it on. Hence why they finished top 4 in GF/G! They are facing a familiar foe in the opening round of the playoffs- the Corlears Hookers. These teams met twice in 2025 with scores of 3-1 and 8-6; both games being taken by the Kills. The Hookers had their ups and downs this season but still showing some might & power, so this could be a matchup to watch for a surprise rally late in the year for an underdog team to usurp one of the top 5 teams in the league.
2:30 PM Gremlins vs Denim Demons (West)
After the year the Denim Demons of had who’s to say they can’t ride this momentum all the way to the end??? Division 4 champs this year and they finished 3rd overall…big strides for this team already, but you can bet their sights are set on the finals. Firstly, they face the D3 Gremlins who are coming off a narrow win in their play-in matchup with the Butchers. The Demons handed the Gremlins a grueling 10-0 loss back on June 22nd so the Gremlins are definitely coming with something to prove and maybe a little payback. Also quite possibly my favorite matchup just for the names…and yes I did google if Gremlins are technically “Demons”…they are not. So may the best grotesque creature win!
3:45 PM Fuzz vs Vertz (West)
This rivalry runs as deep as the cracks in the old Tompkins. The Fuzz look to defend their title while the #1 seed Vertz look to embark on a dynasty of their own. No doubt this isn’t the same team that won last year, or 4 of the last 6, but make no mistake- the Fuzz are a dangerous opponent, built around this season’s top scorer Jeff Laniado. But the Vertz are the one seed for a reason, with a young core, a deep bench, and league leading goalie in Tim K; and have beaten Fuzz already twice this season. I’m taking the Vertz, but it will be a close one.
12:00 PM Cobra Kai vs Gouging Anklebiters (East)
Another sure-to-be tightie, this is statistically primed to be the closest game as the 8 and 9 seeds will be hashing it out. Cobra Kai had a great year in the top-heavy division one, while the Biters finished seventh in their first season in division two (we predicated them to finish eighth). These are two all-around solid and gritty teams, with Cobra Kai edging the Biters 2-1 during these teams’ only meeting during the season. I anticipate it will be a similar outcome this time around.
1:15 PM Sky Fighters vs Renaissance (East)
Bitter D3 rivals, the Rens bested the Fighters twice this season and I except this one to be no exception. The Fighters struggled to replicate last seasons’ success in division three, while the sophomore Rens continued to cruise, missing promotion by just one point. Assuming the Rens can stop star rookie Shua Friedman, they should cruise to victory here too.
2:30 PM Filthier vs Instant Karma (East)
Karma has had quite the season, led by top scorer Sean Clarke and goaltender Steven Friedman, they finished atop their division three, whist Filther struggled and fell to the bottom of d-two. But is the one division divide enough to bridge the gap, or will the fourth seeded Karma make instant work of the play-in Filthier? My guess is a Karma victory, but an exciting matchup nonetheless.
3:45 PM Dark Rainbows vs Mega Touch (East)
Rainbows are coming off of a nail biter of a shootout in their play-in game against the Moby Dekes. Tia Lendo led the way on the scoresheet for their win. However they’ll need that momentum and much more as they face the juggernaut that is Mega Tough. Finished 2nd overall with a 15-3-0 record, a +46 goal differential and a 5.1 GPG average. They can score. These two teams didn’t play each other during the 2025 regular season but everyone knows what Mega is capable of. So can Rainbows bring on the upset and underdog story??
-Sky and Minsky, BTSH Media Team
All rankings and blurbs are the opinions of the writers and do not reflect the endorsement of the league’s leadership