STATEN ISLAND, N.Y.— St. Joseph by-the-Sea continued its unbeaten-in-regulation start to the CHSHL A campaign (9-0-1) on Monday evening, earning a 7–5 victory over St. Peter’s in a night that carried significance far beyond the scoreline.
The matchup between the Vikings and the Lions served as the sixth annual Michael Manna Memorial Pancreatic Cancer Charity Hockey Game, held in honor of the Staten Island native who tragically passed away in 2023 after a courageous battle with pancreatic cancer. The game was renamed after Manna in 2024.
Before and after the game, the lobby of the Staten Island Skating Pavilion — where Manna played a key role in its creation — was filled with raffles, including a 55-inch Smart TV and Islanders–Rangers tickets, with all proceeds benefiting the Pancreatic Cancer Research Lab at Weill Cornell Medicine, adding a meaningful fundraising element to one of the Island’s premier rivalries.
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Staten Island HS hockey: St. Joseph by-the-Sea vs. St. Peters, on Monday Jan. 12, 2026
Despite the narrow loss for the Eagles, St. Peter’s head coach Ed Blackburn, a pancreatic cancer survivor, spoke about how much the annual game has meant to him over the years, noting, “It’s important what happens on the ice because it’s a league game, but to me, it’s more important what happens out there in the lobby with the raffles and the raising money.”
“My clinical trial that saved my life came out of a research lab. Research labs only go by funding and by research dollars, and that’s what we’re here for tonight,” he continued.
As for the game itself, Blackburn’s squad — viewed as the underdog with a 4–4 league record entering the contest —jumped out to 2–0 and 3–1 leads in the first and second periods, respectively, but Sea head coach Greg Perlman credited his team’s mental toughness for grinding out the win.
“The boys knew it wasn’t going to be easy, and that we’d have to keep pushing and pressing, and that’s what they did. They didn’t hang their heads; they kicked into another gear, which allowed us back into the game, and then we took it from there,” Perlman said.
After three straight Viking goals from Louis Arze (his second of the game), Leonard Velkin, and Eric Szebenyi gave Sea its first lead at 4–3, Perlman’s club raised its physical intensity, delivering several bone-crunching hits and asserting themselves as the more imposing team for the remainder of the contest.
“We have to do that with everyone — play clean hockey, not dirty, but play physical. It’s a tactic, it’s a strategy, and you have to wear teams down. They have good players, and they’re fast, so if you don’t do that, it could get ugly,” he explained.
The teams continued to trade blows, with the Vikings carrying a 5–4 lead into the third period before St. Peter’s capitalized on a power-play opportunity to tie the game at 5–5 with just 4:19 remaining, creating the sense that the electric contest was headed for overtime — until Vincent Gulotta entered the picture.
With just over three minutes remaining, the Vikings forced a turnover in the Eagles’ zone, and Gulotta collected the puck before snapping home a perfectly placed wrist shot to reclaim a 6–5 lead, which stood the rest of the way as Sea later added an empty-net goal.
“I can’t say that it wasn’t a little nerve wracking,” Perlman said with a laugh when asked about the late-game drama.
“These guys, they battled all night, so I was never really comfortable; but when Vin Gulotta, who’s only a freshman, scored that goal, it felt like an overtime winning goal, and we’re just lucky to have him,” he went on.
When asked who else stood out, Perlman highlighted Arze’s two goals, calling him “a key part of our offense,” and also praised goaltender Justin Marzullo, who made 25 saves in the win, for “playing well in net and only giving up goals on good shots.”
Despite the team’s hot start, Perlman stressed that complacency can’t set in, saying, “I still think we need to play better. We’ve got to keep going; 9-0-1 doesn’t mean anything until the end of the year. We have to keep pushing and pressing hard. I’ve told the boys to be confident, but not arrogant.”
Lastly, Perlman expressed his gratitude to Blackburn and St. Peter’s for letting his squad join in on the special event, saying, “I am appreciative because for Coach Blackburn and St. Peter’s, it’s special, near and dear to his heart, and we are very fortunate to be part of it.”
Staten Island HS hockey: St. Joseph by-the-Sea scores thrilling win over St. Peter’s in cancer awareness game, on Monday Jan. 12, 2026, at SI Skating Pavilion. (Kara Buzga for the Advance/SILive.com).
“It’s a beautiful evening, money being raised for a great cause like cancer research. We’re lucky to be part of it; the importance of the game certainly falls short of the research and getting a cure,” he concluded.
Up next, the Vikings will look to retain their perfect regulation record when they take on Monsignor McClancy on Tuesday, while St. Peter’s will aim to get back to .500 in their own matchup against McClancy on Jan. 23.