HACKENSACK, N.J. - In a thrilling culmination to an action-packed hockey season, the best Tier-I and Tier-II youth and girls teams are set to compete in tournaments this weekend with national-bound championships, taking place at Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey, and affiliate championships taking place at IceWorks in Aston, Pennsylvania. Up north, the winning teams will advance to USA Hockey Nationals taking place at eight different sites across the country.

In the girls Tier-I tournament, the Philadelphia Junior Flyers have teams at all three age levels. They’ll face off against the New Jersey Colonials at the 14U and 16U levels, and the New Jersey Junior Titans at the 18U level. The winning teams will advance to Dallas, Texas. The girls Tier-II tournament will see multiple teams competing across the 14U, 16U and 19U levels, with the Junior Flyers and Philadelphia Little Flyers having the highest number of teams competing across the three levels. The winning teams will advance to Irvine, California.

The youth Tier-I segment will feature a best-of-three series, with the NJ Rockets placing teams in contention at the 14U, 15O and 18U levels. The North Jersey Avalanche and New York Saints will compete at the 16U level in what promises to be an exciting rematch from the AYHL championships as both teams fight for a ticket to San Jose, California. The 14U Nationals will take place in Plymouth, Michigan with the Valley Forge Minutemen taking on the Rockets; the 15O Nationals will be held in Wayne, New Jersey with the Avalanche facing off against the Rockets; and the 18U Nationals will take place in San Jose, California with the Junior Flyers squaring up against the Rockets.

In youth Tier-II action, the Delaware Ducks and Junior Blue Hens face off for the 14U bid to nationals. The Woodbridge Wolfpack take on the Hunterdon Bears in a thrilling matchup at the 16U level for the New Jersey honor. Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania each get one team per age level for representation at Nationals, which will be held in Denver, Colorado for the 14U teams, Amherst, New York for the 16U teams, and Maple Grove, Minnesota for the 18U teams.

The energy and intensity will be palpable as players leave it all on the ice, striving for the chance to represent their region on the national stage. Advancing teams will have a two week break before leaving for their respective tournaments that kick off March 29.