LLPHL - Lincoln Land Prep Hockey League

Thanks to Ross Forman and AHAI for the article!

Sacred Heart Griffin Dethrones Pekin For AHAI Downstate Championship Cyclones Cruise Past Dragons, Led By 3-Point State Championship Games from Kaesen Graff and Logan Heimlich

We’d also like to give a shout out to 217Twine for the great videos and recaps of last weekends games.

🔥🏆 CONGRATULATIONS TO OUR 2026 LLPHL AWARD WINNERS! 🏆🔥

A huge shoutout to all of this year’s award recipients for their hard work, dedication, and impact on the game:

👏AHAI Downstate Player of the Year: Branden Meszaros
🧤 LLPHL Goalie of the Year: Collin Rebbe
🧠 Gary Wells Coach of the Year: Brian Mendenhall
🙌 Larry Clark Volunteer of the Year: Tiffany Clark

Well deserved honors all around! 💙

We’d like to take a moment to thank all the volunteers who helped set up, run the score clock, sold shirts, ran sound, announced, and sang the anthem. You made the weekend a special one for our players.

SHG CYCLONES ARE THE 2026 AHAI DOWNSTATE STATE CHAMPIONS!!

The SHG Cyclones earned an 8–1 win over the Pekin Dragons, scoring twice in the first period, adding two more in the second, and pulling away with four goals in the third. Pekin opened the scoring with a first-period goal, but SHG responded quickly and controlled much of the play, finishing with a 47–22 advantage in shots on goal.

In net, Owen Geirnaeirt recorded the win for SHG while facing 22 shots, while Logan Flynn handled the majority of the workload for Pekin, facing 47 shots during the game.

Pekin Dragons are headed to face off against the SHG Cyclones in the AHAI Downstate State Tournament Championship!!

The Pekin Dragons defeated the Glenwood Titans 3–1 in a game where both goaltenders were tested throughout. Pekin opened the scoring early in the first period with an unassisted goal from Lakin Flynn and added another in the second when Wyatt Weidner found the net. Glenwood got on the board in the third period with a goal from Hunter Patterson, but Pekin responded later in the period with a power-play goal by Zachary Highland to extend the lead. In net, Logan Flynn made 24 saves on 25 shots for Pekin, while Collin Rebbe turned aside 36 of 39 shots for Glenwood.

The SHG Cyclones are headed to the Championship!!

SHG edged out the East River Icehawks 6–5 in a competitive matchup that featured momentum swings throughout the game. SHG jumped out to an early 3–0 lead in the first period, but East River responded with four goals in the second to briefly take the lead before the teams continued trading goals in the third. Both goalies saw time in net, with #88 Owen Smick and #29 Gunnar Zosel making key saves to keep their teams in the game. East River finished with a slight edge in shots, 25–21, in the tightly contested contest🏒

FINAL FOUR SET 🏒🔥

Pekin and the Suburban North Stars battled in a back-and-forth matchup that needed overtime to decide, with the Dragons coming out on top 6–5. Both teams generated plenty of offense, combining for 77 shots on goal. All three goalies saw time in the crease and made key saves throughout the game to keep their teams in it. The Dragons sealed the win with the overtime goal to cap off a competitive contest 🏒

The East River Icehawks edged the Decatur Flames 3–2 in a competitive matchup, outshooting Decatur 44–16. Owen Smick earned the win in net for the Icehawks with several key saves, while Sullivan Patton kept the Flames within reach with a strong performance despite heavy pressure. The game-winning goal came in the third period as both teams battled throughout all three frames.

The Icehawks advance to the Final Four against the SHG Cyclones!

PLAYOFF GAME UPDATE

Glenwood carried a 2–1 lead after the first and pulled away in the second, finishing with a 24–9 shots advantage. Collin Rebbe made 6 saves in net for the Titans, while Wyatt Czaplar recorded 18 saves for the Chiefs.

FRESH OFF THE LEAGUE PRESS

Let's head into playoff season! 🏒⬇🔥

Follow Along Here ⬇️
https://www.lincolnlandhockey.org/events/ahai-downstate-tournament/83012