IceCats Battle IceDogs in Barnburner Preseason Thriller

The 10U Squirt IceCats Blue opened their preseason Sunday (9/7/25) at the Ice House with a spirited test against the NJ Icedogs, falling 7–5 in a game that featured plenty of swings, special teams, and standout moments. 

The Icedogs jumped on an early turnover just seconds in to take a 1–0 lead. For much of the onset, the IceCats found themselves constrained, struggling to register shots. Yet hockey's rhythms are never fixed, as a breakaway chance drew a cross-check, and a tripping call gave the Cats a two-man advantage, where  Liam Fruchter let a shot go from the hashmarks, and Charlie Gibber buried the rebound to even the score. In the waning seconds, Fruchter hustled back with a sliding block to steady the defense, and William Berg nearly stole the show with a buzzer-beater breakaway that pulsated through the rink, only to be snagged by the Dogs' glove, as the period closed level.

The middle stanza opened with tight checking before the IceCats broke through. After Elijah Tuvia won a puck battle deep in his own zone, Gibber carried the puck end-to-end, cut across the slot, and beat the netminder five-hole for a highlight-reel tally and a 2–1 lead. Just 34 seconds later, Fruchter found daylight through traffic and slipped one home to make it 3–1 IceCats.

The fun was short-lived. The Icedogs answered with two quick strikes, making things 3–3. However, Tuvia answered right back, breaking free from a defensive draw and sliding another five-hole finish, restoring the supremacy. The Icedogs again responded almost immediately,  4–4 after two.

The final period was all Icedogs. They broke the deadlock on a redirection to go up 5–4, only for the IceCats to meow back. Charlie Bazian raced in alone and sniped a shot into the top right corner,  5–5 with under five minutes to play. Still, the Icedogs submerging the Cats with relentless pace, scoring twice more to close out a 7–5 win.

However, for a preseason Sunday, there’s a copia for the IceCats to build on. Goalie Abraham Mosseri made 29 saves, and the offense overcame deficits, created chances in the offensive zone, and showed that even against a faster, tilted team, they can respond. With time to fine-tune plays before the September 28 opening day, the IceCats leave the Ice House with plenty of positives and some momentum heading into the HVHL season.