February 23, 2026
2026 GMHL Playoff Series Recap: #1 Stars Vs. #8 Rampage
Northumberland Stars Sweep Richmond Hill Rampage
The top-seeded Northumberland Stars handled business with a two-game sweep of the eighth-seeded Richmond Hill Rampage, but it wasn’t the sleepy walkover many expected. Richmond Hill played feisty, pushed pace, and forced Northumberland to show they can win even when the game gets messy.
Northumberland’s star power ultimately proved overwhelming, led by Tristan Miron and Zennon Edwards (the South Division’s MVP and Best Forward award winners, respectively), as the Stars advanced while still leaving a few “cracks in the armor” for future opponents to note.
Game 1: Northumberland 9, Richmond Hill 5
What looked like it might be a comfortable night in Colborne turned into a track meet. The Stars outlasted a determined Rampage group behind a monster four-point night from Brayden Bowen and key contributions from their usual headliners.
Period 1
Northumberland exploded out of the gate with three goals in the first eight minutes, including two from Brayden Bowen and one from Tristan Miron. Richmond Hill refused to fold, answering with goals from Daniel Profyt and a power-play marker from Yianni Tsatzalis to make it 3-2. Ryan Boon restored breathing room late in the frame and the Stars carried a 4-2 lead into intermission.
Period 2
The Rampage kept coming. Lucas Codinera scored early, and Tsatzalis struck short-handed to keep the pressure on. But the Stars steadied themselves with a goal from Mitchell Quesnel, a key even-strength finish from Zennon Edwards, and a short-handed goal from Brendan Collins that swung momentum back in Northumberland’s direction.
Period 3
Michael L’Europa trimmed the gap again, but the Stars answered with another Edwards goal on the power play and Nolan Connolly added an insurance marker to seal a chaotic 9-5 win. Ivan Kremnev stopped 40 of 45 shots for Northumberland as Richmond Hill’s attack kept pushing right to the end.
Three Stars of the Game
1st Star: Brayden Bowen (Northumberland) – 2G, 2A
2nd Star: Ryan Boon (Northumberland) – 1G, 2A
3rd Star: Tristan Miron (Northumberland) – 1G, 2A
Game 2: Northumberland 7, Richmond Hill 3
If Game 1 was wide open, Game 2 was Northumberland putting their foot on the gas for 60 minutes. The Stars launched a staggering 76 shots, and only an incredible performance from William Whited kept the score from getting out of hand much earlier.
Period 1
Northumberland blitzed the Rampage with five goals in the opening 19:07. Jacob Russouw opened the scoring, Miron scored twice in less than a minute, Dario Alimonti cashed in on the power play, and Zennon Edwards added another late. Richmond Hill got one back near the end of the period with an unassisted Zackary Conforti goal, but the Stars were fully in control.
Period 2
The Stars’ power play stayed hot as Mitchell Quesnel scored at 12:16 to extend the lead. The middle frame also featured rising intensity and misconducts, with Northumberland still maintaining structure despite the extra-curricular stuff.
Period 3
Richmond Hill showed its fight again, with Christapor Gosdanian scoring twice (including a power-play goal). But every time the Rampage threatened to tilt momentum, the Stars answered - highlighted by Ryan Boon’s response goal just 14 seconds after Gosdanian’s power-play marker. Nick Mayne closed it out in goal for Northumberland with 20 saves on 23 shots.
Three Stars of the Game
1st Star: William Whited (Richmond Hill) – 69 SV, .908 SV%
2nd Star: Tristan Miron (Northumberland) – 2G, 2A
3rd Star: Zennon Edwards (Northumberland) – 1G, 3A
Goaltending Battle
Richmond Hill leaned on William Whited, and he delivered a performance that demanded respect - especially in Game 2, where he turned aside 69 shots and single-handedly kept the Rampage within shouting distance far longer than they had any right to be.
For Northumberland, it was a split by result: Ivan Kremnev got the Game 1 start and faced heavy volume (45 shots), while Nick Mayne started Game 2 and was calm in key moments as the Stars’ offense did the heavy lifting.
Key Performances
Tristan Miron (Northumberland): 3G, 4A in two games, constant driver of pace
Zennon Edwards (Northumberland): 3G, 3A, power-play impact and playmaking
Brayden Bowen (Northumberland): Game 1 engine (2G, 2A), big-series tone setter
Ryan Boon (Northumberland): 2G, 3A, timely responses every time Richmond Hill surged
William Whited (Richmond Hill): 106 saves across the series, including 69 in Game 2
Christapor Gosdanian (Richmond Hill): Produced offense in both games and never stopped battling
Implications
Northumberland moves on exactly as expected - but not without giving future opponents some film to study. Richmond Hill created real problems by pushing pace, capitalizing on special teams, and turning the series into a scrappier, higher-event style than the Stars usually prefer.
If Northumberland wants to keep rolling toward its bigger goals, tightening the details (especially when games get chaotic) will matter against stronger opponents.
What’s Next?
Northumberland advances to the South Division semifinals, where they’ll face the surging St. George Ravens after the fifth seed upset North York in three games. A full series preview will follow soon as the Stars prepare for a much tougher test.