Reapers Roll in Season Opener: Hudson Valley Debuts with 6–0 Statement Win Over Salem

October 18, 2025 — McCann Ice Arena, Poughkeepsie, NY

The newest franchise in the Power Play Senior Hockey League wasted no time making history. In front of a sold-out home crowd, the Hudson Valley Reapers stormed onto the PPSHL scene with a dominant 6–0 shutout victory over the Salem Sasquatch on Saturday night.

Fans packed every seat to watch Hudson Valley’s inaugural game, and the Reapers gave them a debut to remember. Led by a hat trick from Brett Jackson, a three-assist night from Robert Clerc, and a flawless goaltending performance by Jack Messing.

The arena erupted just over five minutes in when Brett Jackson etched his name into Hudson Valley hockey history with the team’s first-ever goal. Jackson buried a rebound off a feed from Robert Clerc and Trevor Souza, giving the Reapers a 1–0 lead and sending the crowd into a frenzy.

That early spark set the tone for the night — speed, structure, and relentless puck pursuit. Salem struggled to generate offense, managing just a handful of shots in the opening frame.

If the first period was about emotion, the second was pure execution. Hudson Valley’s power play went to work midway through the frame, and the Reapers struck twice in under a minute.

At 8:40, Taylor Traenkle finished a slick passing play from Jackson and Clerc to double the lead. Then, just 40 seconds later, Justin Geigel joined the party, burying another power-play goal off a setup from Traenkle and Clerc to make it 3–0.

While the Reapers piled up penalties throughout the period, their special teams held strong. Salem couldn’t find an answer, even after several scrums and a spirited fight that sent both benches buzzing.

The third period was all Reapers — and all Brett Jackson.

Just seconds after the puck dropped, Kenny Garrett found twine short-handed, capitalizing on a turnover created by Justin Geigel and Jackson.

Then at 5:31, Jackson struck again, burying a feed from Geigel to make it 5–0. Less than a minute later, the Hudson Valley sniper completed his hat trick, firing a short-handed laser set up by Ronan McAllister to seal the deal.

As hats rained down from the sold-out stands, the Reapers’ bench rose in unison — the perfect ending to a debut that couldn’t have gone better.

Meanwhile, goaltender Jack Messing was lights out between the pipes, stopping all 19 shots he faced for a shutout in his PPSHL debut.

Postgame Breakdown

Shots on Goal: Hudson Valley 46, Salem 19
Power Plays: Hudson Valley 2-for-2, Salem 0-for-12
Penalty Minutes: Hudson Valley 63, Salem 31
 

Goaltender:

• Jack Messing – 19 saves on 19 shots, Shutout (Win)
• Keegan McLaughlin- 40 saves 46 shots (Loss)

Three Stars of the Game

1. Brett Jackson (Hudson Valley) – Hat trick + 2 assists
2. Robert Clerc (Hudson Valley) – 3 assists
3.  Keegan McLauglin (Salem)- 40 saves on 46 shots