NCDC Weekend Preview: Unbeaten Teams Face New Tests As Conference Races Tighten | Oct. 23-25, 2026
Three undefeated teams will put their perfect records on the line, the Metropolitan Conference enters the weekend with five teams separated by one point, and several first-place races could change across the NCDC from Oct. 23-25.
Columbus and Toledo remain perfect in the Great Lakes Division, while Woodstock carries a 7-0 record into its Northeast series against Perth-Andover. Elsewhere, South Shore faces Atlantic contenders P.A.L. and Jersey, Springfield gets a direct opportunity to close the Colonial gap against New York, and the North Division’s five teams remain separated by only four points.
Atlantic Conference – Contenders Converge Around WBS
The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Knights begin the weekend atop the Atlantic with 17 points, but P.A.L. sits only one point back and Jersey is three behind the leader. All three face games capable of reshaping the race.
WBS visits the Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Saturday before meeting the Rockets Hockey Club on Sunday. P.A.L. draws two major cross-conference tests against the reigning Dineen Cup champion South Shore Kings on Saturday and Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Sunday.
Jersey’s weekend may carry the greatest degree of difficulty. The Hitmen face Northern Cyclones on Saturday before hosting South Shore on Sunday. Jersey enters with 14 points, level with South Shore and one point behind a four-team tie atop the Metropolitan Conference.
The Rockets and Mercer Chiefs also meet Saturday, with both teams looking to halt three-game slides and gain ground in the middle of the Atlantic.
Colonial Conference – Springfield Gets Its Shot At The Leader
New York Dynamo have created a four-point advantage atop the Colonial Conference after winning four straight, but that lead will be tested twice.
The Dynamo visit the Connecticut RoughRiders on Friday and Syracuse Lightning on Saturday before meeting third-place Springfield on Sunday. The Pics enter that matchup four points behind New York, making it the weekend’s clearest opportunity to change the shape of the Colonial race.
Red Bank and Utica meet on both Friday and Saturday. The Generals hold a one-point advantage over the Jr. Comets, creating a compact two-game series with immediate positioning implications.
Connecticut Chiefs, currently tied with Springfield at 12 points, face Boston Jr. Terriers on Friday and the Connecticut RoughRiders on Saturday.
Metropolitan Conference – One Point Separates Five Teams
No NCDC conference enters the weekend more compressed than the Metropolitan.
New England Wolves, Northern Cyclones, South Shore Kings and Worcester Railers JHC each have 13 points, while the Boston Jr. Rangers sit directly behind them with 12. Each result can change the order.
The Wolves put their four-game winning streak on the line Friday against the Boston Jr. Rangers before facing Lewiston on Saturday. Northern meets Connecticut Jr. Rangers on Friday, Jersey on Saturday and West Chester on Sunday.
South Shore’s two-game weekend could have implications in two conferences. The defending Dineen Cup champions face P.A.L. on Saturday and Jersey on Sunday—two Atlantic teams separated by only two points.
Springfield visits Boston Jr. Bruins on Friday, while the Bruins meet South Shore’s fellow Metro contender Northern Cyclones? No—the Bruins’ only listed Friday matchup is against Springfield, making every available point particularly important in such a crowded field.
Northeast Conference – Woodstock Puts 7-0 Start On The Line
Thunder Hockey Club holds first place with 16 points, but undefeated Woodstock has played six fewer games and sits only two points behind.
The Warriors bring a 7-0 record and a 36-13 goal differential into a home-and-home set with Perth-Andover on Friday and Sunday. Another sweep would give Woodstock a chance to take over the conference lead despite its lighter early-season schedule.
Thunder hosts Lewiston on Friday before visiting Montreal on Sunday. Lewiston also meets the New England Wolves on Saturday.
Northern Maine and St. Stephen County play Friday and reverse the matchup Saturday, giving both teams a chance to make meaningful progress in the middle of the conference. Vermont and Montreal meet Saturday in another cross-conference matchup worth following.
Midwest Conference
Great Lakes Division – Columbus And Toledo Still Perfect
Columbus and Toledo remain the NCDC’s two undefeated Great Lakes teams.
The Mavericks are 7-0 with a 48-10 goal differential after sweeping Chicago last weekend. Columbus visits Fort Wayne on Saturday, while the Spacemen first face Metro on Friday.
Toledo begins 5-0 and meets Red River twice. The Spartans host Friday’s game before the series shifts to Toledo on Saturday.
Chicago still shares first place with Columbus at 14 points, though it has played four more games. The Union step outside the division for consecutive games against Minnesota Blue Ox on Friday and Saturday.
North Division – Four Points Cover The Entire Field
Hudson enters the weekend on top with 10 points, followed by Minnesota Blue Ox with nine, Minnesota Squatch with eight, Wisconsin Rapids with seven and Northwest with six.
The Havoc and Riverkings meet Saturday and Sunday, giving Wisconsin Rapids a direct opportunity to close its three-point deficit against the leader.
Minnesota Squatch and Northwest also play twice, beginning Friday before meeting again Saturday. Blue Ox draws a cross-divisional test against Chicago on both nights.
With all five North teams in action against a divisional opponent or a Great Lakes leader, the standings could look substantially different by Sunday night.
South Conference
Florida Division — Two Streaks Lead The Race
Florida Cup champion Coral Springs has won five straight and holds first place with 14 points. Tampa Bay sits two points behind after six consecutive victories.
Tampa opens the weekend Friday against Florida Surge before facing Typhoon Hockey Club on Sunday. Coral Springs hosts the Florida Eels on Sunday in its first game since winning the Florida Cup.
Surge and Typhoon meet Saturday, giving Florida Surge two games in which to move closer to the division’s leading pair.
Southeast Division — First Place Faces Its Closest Pursuer
Charlotte leads the Southeast with 14 points, but Carolina Jr. Hurricanes and Hampton Roads are only two points back.
Charlotte visits Carolina on both Saturday and Sunday, creating the division’s most important head-to-head series. Carolina has won two straight and could take control of the race with a strong weekend.
Hampton Roads plays Potomac on Saturday and Sunday, while Charleston and Yorktown also meet on consecutive days. With the top four Southeast teams separated by only three points, every matchup carries standings weight.
West Conference
Mountain Division — Park City Defends The Lead
Park City has won four straight and holds a four-point advantage over Rock Springs. The Outliers meet Casper on Friday and Sunday, with a Saturday game against Vernal in between.
Rock Springs and Vernal begin the weekend against one another Friday before the Miners host Casper on Saturday. Vernal’s two games come against the division’s top two teams, giving the Oilers a direct opportunity to change the race.
Pacific Division — Fresno And Ventura Meet Three Times
Lake Tahoe remains first with 15 points but is idle this weekend, opening the door for the teams behind it to close the gap.
Fresno and Ventura play a three-game series beginning Friday and continuing Saturday and Sunday. Fresno enters six points behind Lake Tahoe, while Ventura is three points behind the Monsters.
Ontario also has three games against McCall, beginning Friday and continuing through Sunday. The Jr. Reign have won two straight and can move into the Pacific’s top two during Lake Tahoe’s weekend off.
Five Matchups That Could Define The Weekend
- South Shore Kings vs. P.A.L. Jr. Islanders — Saturday: The reigning Dineen Cup champions meet an Atlantic contender sitting one point out of first.
- Springfield Pics vs. New York Dynamo — Sunday: Springfield gets a direct opportunity to cut into New York’s four-point Colonial lead.
- Carolina Jr. Hurricanes vs. Charlotte Rush — Saturday and Sunday: The Southeast’s second-place team hosts the division leader twice with only two points separating them.
- Hudson Havoc vs. Wisconsin Rapids Riverkings — Saturday and Sunday: Two games between the North leader and a team only three points behind could reshape the division.
- South Shore Kings vs. Jersey Hitmen — Sunday: Two 14-point contenders from neighboring conferences meet in a game with implications on both sides.
By The Numbers
- Three NCDC teams remain undefeated: Columbus at 7-0, Woodstock at 7-0 and Toledo at 5-0.
- Four Metropolitan teams begin the weekend tied at 13 points.
- Five teams in the North Division are separated by four points.
- Coral Springs and Tampa Bay bring winning streaks of five and six games, respectively, into the weekend.
- Columbus has outscored its opponents 48-10 through seven games.
- Fresno and Ventura will play three times while Pacific leader Lake Tahoe is idle.