NY HOCKEY NY HOCKEY OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2017 Volume 7, Issue 1
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In This Issue... Alexi Peters.............................50 Amherst Ad............................... 4 Beauts Preview......................11 Beyer.........................................16 Buffalo Stars.................... 45-46 Cass Park Arena.....................20 Cazenovia................................54 Central......................................15 Central Outlaws.....................16 Coaching with Gridley.......... 5 East............................................31 Farabee....................................... 8 Freschi Signs...........................28 Ho Sang Skaes.......................14 NF Powerhawks.....................55 NHL Declaration...................... 6 North.........................................36 NWHL.......................................... 9 Rome Youth Ad.....................36 Syracuse Crunch...................29 UB, RIT Women............... 57-58 West...........................................43 WNY News........................44, 54 WNYGVIH.................................56
Dear Reader: With the October/November issue of NY Hockey OnLine Magazine we find the hockey season underway at all levels. We have decided to publish every other month, rather than monthly. To that end, we will be publishing news stories, photos and features on a daily basis on our website. So make sure you send us ALL your hockey news. Send to Janet@nyhockeyonline.com or Randy@nyhockeyonline.com In this issue Janet and Koz give their season previews for their respective college teams they cover. Janet will also preview the upcoming NWHL season as the Buffalo Beauts defend their Isobel Cup title. Koz also had a chance to chat with Cicero, NY native Joel Farabee, who has been targeted as a high draft pick in the upcoming 2018 NHL Entry Draft. I take a look at the not so new Niagara Falls Powerhawks junior hockey team. Not so new in the fact that they have played the past couple of seasons known as the Lockport Express. As always we continue to look for stories from around New York State. If you have any ideas, feel free to contact us. If you would like to submit a story for publication send that to us as well. We ask you again to please pass the magazine along to as many readers as you can. We are also looking for more advertising to help support the cause. As always, safe journey’s to all of you as you hit the road for this hockey season. Best Wishes, Randy Schultz Publisher/Managing Editor NY Hockey OnLine Magazine
NY Hockey On-Line (E-Magazine) 3663 Irish Road Wilson, New York 14172 716-751-6524 nyhockeyonline@ nyhockeyonline.com Publisher &Managing Editor Randy Schultz Randy@nyhockeyonline.com Designer/Photographer Janet Schultz Janet@nyhockeyonline.com
Columnists Warren Kozireski, Wkozires@brockport.edu Janet Schultz Randy Schultz Rob Sedia Chuck Gridley NY Hockey OnLine is an equal opportunity employer. Contents 2017-18 NY Hockey Online All rights reserved NY Hockey OnLine is published monthly at no charge and can be accessed via the publication’s website www.nyhockeyonline.com
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TOP GUN TOURNAMENT
January 12-14, 2018 Northtown Center at Amherst – Amherst, New York
Coaches and/or Managers, Amherst Youth Hockey invites your team to participate in our 38th annual Top Gun offering of our Annual Hockey Tournament to be held Friday, January 12th through Sunday, January 14th, 2018. This tournament will feature excellent competition from teams around the area. All games will be played at our first-class Northtown Center at Amherst (four pad) ice facility; which is conveniently located near our tournament hotels. Our tournament will host the following divisions: House Mite Mixed – 8U (players born 2009/2010) - $375 House Squirt – 10U (players born in 2007/2008) - $780 House Pee Wee – 12U (players born in 2005/2006) - $780 Travel Team Divisions 10U AA Squirt Division (players born in 2007/2008) - $800 12U AA Pee Wee Division (players born in 2005/2006) - $800 Top Gun Invitational Tournament Features § Minimum four (4) game guarantee. § All Mite games will be played cross-ice. § No gate fees. § Individual awards for all Champions. § Player gift for all teams. § Fine selection of tournament hotel accommodations offering discounted rates. § Tournament souvenirs available. § Fully Stocked Pro Shop located in the Northtown Center at Amherst. The application can be accessed on our website at www.amherstyouthhockey.org under the Top Gun Tab. Any questions please feel free to email our tournament director Joe DesRosiers at tourneydirectorofayh@gmail.com.
Coaching With Gridley
But the thing that bothers me the most about this change in our youth sport culture is the emphasis on winning. It’s not like our obsession with winning is new. After all, it’s the
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was at a rink for a meeting in late August and was reminded once again why we continue to lose kids from our sport. The rink was much busier than I expected it to be for late August. There were a number of teams practicing, and there was even a game going on. The hockey season had started for these kids, and the first college football game of the season had not been played yet. So if these kids on the ice are in high school, and want to play football, or soccer, or golf, they would need to juggle 2 sports in the same season…..for the entire fall season. That’s if their coaches would even allow them to play 2 sports in the same season. I remember when seasons used to overlap for a week or 2. Now the overlap could be 2 – 3 months. It’s part of the reason that “multi-sport athletes” are disappearing My question is, who is pushing for these changes to our youth sport culture; the kids who play the sports, or their parents? Youth sports have taken on a much different role in the lives of kids today than the role they served when I was a kid. The expectations of parents have changed dramatically when it comes to youth sports. When I was a kid, parents were happy to have us involved in something outside of school. They felt that it would keep us out of trouble if we had something to do. Today, many parents are investing time and money in their kid’s youth sports “careers”. They have expectations. They have dreams. I remember when we would tell our Aunts and Uncles that we were going to play in the NHL someday. Our parents thought it was cute. Now you have parents dreaming that dream, sometimes more than the kids. This leads to parents turning the “play” of youth sports into ”work”. It also gives rise to programs or clubs that cater to the expectations and dreams of these parents. This is what leads to 8-9 month seasons, kids playing one sport only (year round), and programs favoring competition over development.
Whose Dream Is It Anyway?
barometer by which we measure success in sport. But when the necessity to win starts to overwhelm our kid’s ability to have fun playing the game, we have a big problem. The ironic thing is, it’s almost impossible to get to the upper levels of any sport if a child is not having fun. This is certainly a problem in youth hockey. I had a conversation with a youth hockey coach who made the statement that USA Hockey is “professionalizing” youth hockey. I don’t disagree that youth sports are being “professionalized” to some degree, but I strongly disagree that the governing body in youth hockey is to blame. In fact, just the opposite. We in the Coaching Education Program are very much in favor of kids playing multiple sports, playing fewer games, taking the emphasis off of winning at all cost, and putting FUN at the center of every child’s youth hockey experience. Let’s let them “PLAY” the game, and find their passion for it just as many of us did as kids. Chuck Gridley New York District Coach in Chief Coaching Education Coordinator
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Hockey’s Declaration of Principles Unveiled
American Hockey League (NAHL); U SPORTS; United States Hockey League (USHL); and USA Hockey. Over the last two years, hockey’s leading governing bodies have gathered to discuss the state of the game and collaborate on cultural and structural changes to positively impact the sport. An important recommendation from the group was the formation of a Declaration of Principles – a set of commonly shared beliefs that articulate a vision of delivering the best possible hockey experience for participants and their families. The Principles are meant to serve as an internal compass to help guide decisions and shift behaviors of hockey organizations, as well as players, parents, coaches, fans, partners and all those who represent and care for the sport of hockey. Those who love hockey know that it requires teamwork and perseverance, instills integrity and a sense of humility, strengthens character and brings communities together. Earlier today, the Declaration of Principles was launched on the TODAY Show on NBC when NHL players Marc-Andre Fleury, Seth Jones, Connor McDavid and Ryan McDonagh appeared on set, along with Hockey Hall of Famer Pat LaFontaine. A media conference followed in New York with Jones, Erik Karlsson and Kevin Shattenkirk in attendance, along
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he National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) today unveiled hockey’s Declaration of Principles – developed by and for hockey stakeholders – to advance policies, programs and initiatives, while inspiring fans, players and communities to create the best possible experience for the entire hockey community. This joint statement advocates the game of hockey as a powerful platform for participants to build character, foster positive values and develop important life skills that transcend the game. Including the NHL and the NHLPA, 17 hockey organizations from around the world have joined together: American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA); American Hockey League (AHL); Canadian Hockey League (CHL); Canadian Junior Hockey League (CJHL); Canadian Women’s Hockey League (CWHL); College Hockey Inc.; ECHL; Hockey Canada; International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF); National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA); National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL); North
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with representatives from the 17 hockey organizations assembled. “The Declaration of Principles represents the hockey world speaking with one voice: our game teaches life lessons that can guide a meaningful future,” NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said. “While not everyone who plays the game will have an NHL career, every player at every level — and the family and friends of every player — can enjoy rewarding experiences and share a common commitment to respect, inclusiveness and sportsmanship.” “We believe it is important for the NHLPA to take a leadership role together with the NHL in the development of youth and grassroots hockey,” said Mathieu Schneider, NHLPA Special Assistant to the Executive Director. “Hockey is a fun game, which imparts important values, facilitates camaraderie among participants, and instills important life lessons that all Players can carry with them in their daily lives.” As part of the group’s reaffirmation to the game, the hockey organizations have collectively issued a set of eight key principles – the Declaration of Principles – aimed at rededicating the game at every level to the group’s core values and beliefs.
Declaration of Principles We believe every leader of the sport has the responsibility to inspire stakeholders in an effort to deliver a positive family hockey experience. Hockey participation offers families value beyond making an individual a better player or even a better athlete. The game of hockey is a powerful platform for participants to build character, foster positive values and develop important life skills. These benefits are available to all players, desirable to every family and transcend the game. Today, guided by our common values, we jointly pledge to the following Principles.
ence. 4. Physical activity is important for a healthy body, mind and spirit. 5. There are significant benefits of youth participation in multiple sports. 6. Hockey programs should be age-appropriate for all players, accounting for each individual’s physical, emotional and cognitive development. 7. There is great value in all forms of hockey, both on and off the ice. 8. All hockey programs should provide a safe, positive and inclusive environment for players and families regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, age, disability, sexual orientation and socio-economic status. Simply put, hockey is for everyone. We believe in our ability to improve lives and strengthen communities globally through hockey. We believe that living by these Principles will provide a healthy, balanced and enjoyable experience for all and inspire impactful service beyond the rink. Coinciding with the announcement of the Declaration of Principles, a new website was launched where hockey stakeholders, fans and anyone interested can learn more about the initiative at www.thisishockey. org. A new TV spot, ‘Thank You, Hockey’ – produced by The Vault, New York – was also released online and will be aired on NBCSN in the United States and on Sportsnet in Canada throughout the hockey season.
We Believe: 1. Hockey should be an enjoyable family experience; all stakeholders – organizations, players, parents, siblings, coaches, referees, volunteers and rink operators – play a role in this effort. 2. Hockey’s greatest value is the role it plays in the development of character and life skills. 3. All hockey organizations – regardless of size or level of competition – bring value to players and families in their ability to deliver a positive family experi7
CICERO’S FARABEE IN ALL-AMERICAN PROSPECTS GAME By Warren Kozireski
Photos by Bill Wippert, USA Hockey
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of the best American-born players eligible for the 2018 National Hockey League Draft in Dallas played in Buffalo Sept. 21 and Cicero native Joel Farabee was among the group. A member of the U.S. National Development Program in Plymouth, Michigan, the Boston University commit was able to showcase his talents to the many scouts on hand as well as have some fun with his age group and learn from NHL Hall of Famer Chris Chelios, who coached his team. “It was a lot of fun; good energy and a great group of guys,” Farabee said afterward. “Our game plan was to play fast. We haven’t played together, so our chemistry really wasn’t there but that’s normal. “I like to play fast—I like to be right on the ‘D’. You always want to have points, but you really want to be a team player. I wasn’t going to out there and play any other style than what I normally do, so I thought I played my style and it was a lot of fun.” Listed at 5’11” and 165 lb. the left wing combined with Development Program teammate Oliver Wahlstrom on a great give-and-go for a goal. He finished with two shots on goal—one on a breakaway late in the third period—and the assist. Farabee’s brother is a junior forward at Connecticut College where he has six points over 22 Division III games in the NESCAC while middle brother Jesse will join Oswego in the SUNYAC after playing junior hockey with the New Jersey Hitmen (USPHL) and Minnesota Wilderness (NAHL) the past two seasons.
The younger Farabee will become a Terrier next fall. “When I first committed there it was for 2019, but that has switched so I will be going in next season. Among his career accomplishments already: • Member of the U.S. National Under-17 Team that placed fifth at the 2016 World Under-17 Hockey Challenge in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. Registered four goals and two assists in five games. • Member of the U.S. National Under-17 Team that placed first at the 2016 Under-17 Four Nations Tournament in Monthey, Switzerland. Collected three goals and two assists in four games. • Member of the U.S. National Under-17 Team that placed second at the 2017 U17 Five Nations Tournament in Brno, Czech Republic. Tallied one assist in four games. • Has played one season (2016-17) with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program and split time between the U.S. National Under-17 and Under-18 Teams that competed in the United States Hockey League and against NCAA Division I and Division III opponents as well as international tournaments. Recorded 43 points (23-20-43) in 56 games. Farabee played youth hockey in the Syracuse area before moving to South Kent prep school for two years for his high school freshman year. In his second year there he netted 125 points in 66 games. Depending on how his 2017-18 season goes with the Development Program and even more international tournaments, he could hear his name called in the first round of the NHL draft June 22 in Dallas.
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Boston Pride Announce New Look
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NWHL
ans and many others around the Pride organization had requested a logo to replace the Pride wordmark of the club’s first two years, and the team, NWHL office and a highly-respected branding agency collaborated to deliver one in time for the 2017-18 season. The team is not just getting a new logo. New uniforms will be unveiled in the coming weeks. The new logo and brand identity for the Pride were created by M Style Marketing, a global strategy, marketing and branding agency specializing in sports, entertainment and consumer products. “ T h e feedback we were getting over the last two years was that the fans and everyone in the Boston Pride hockey community loved the uniform, but wanted something more than words,” said NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan. “The mission was to create a strong brand identity for the Pride, and we’re grateful to M Style for their outstanding work.” “We created a brand worthy of the players and fans of the Boston Pride,” said Rob Striar, founder of M Style. “A stoic and fierce lion was illustrated to present the tough image of the Pride, the NWHL’s first champions. The lioness is well known for its hunting prowess as well as ability to work within complex teamwork — perfectly summing up the Pride.” There are elements of Boston’s history throughout the brand and uniforms. For example, the paw prints of the lioness that adorn the logo pay homage to the style of the famed signs in Kenmore Square. M Style (mstylemarketing.com and on Twitter @MStyleMarketing) infuses strategic process with an award-winning creative team for international
leagues, federations and teams.
NWHL Update
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ani Rylan and Hayley Moore met with the media via a teleconference on September 25. It was a general discussion with media asking about the upcoming season. Now in its third season, Rylan’s biggest news was the expansion of Twitter’s coverage of games. Twitter will be live stream 16 regular season games globally, as well as two games of the pre-season NWHL/Team Russia Summit Series. “This will make a difference in giving coverage across the globe,” said Rylan. While she would not provide information on the terms of the agreement, it will provide a revenue stream for the NWHL, as well as with the data they collect give them more help with sponsorships and advertising in the future. The political climate in the world and the NWHL’s involvement was addressed with Rylan saying that the NWHL are pioneers with the transgender issue and they feel it is incredibly important that they put heir values to work and continue to be pioneers in diversity issues on and off the ice. The issue of collaboration with the CWHL is still something Rylan wants to do but up to this point has had no interest shown. With regard to the Olympics Moore feels that this is a year to showcase the depth of talent of the players, even with many gone off to play for their respective national teams. During an Olympic year, girls hockey interest has historically grown and with the NWHL in place for the first time in an Olympic year, the feeling is that there is even more room to showcase women’s hockey because now girls have a goal to aspire to in the professional ranks.
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“With the NHL not sending their players, it gives more attention to the women’s game,” said Moore. Rylan reminded the media that in 2014 even with the NHL men playing the women’s game was the topped viewed game on TV. Not surprisingly the issue of the National Anthem was brought to the forefront with Rylan stating that while they haven’t talked with the Players Association it is something on their agenda. Also discussed was the change in the management of the teams. Moore is the liason on player movement and she will be a resource for the players who need to make the transition from college to pro hockey; including assisting with employment. Rylan also outlined the priorities of the league moving forward including being the destination for players coming out of college and being able to pursue their hockey career. “We want talent on the ice and a fan base off ice,”said Rylan. “We want to be the place for the top female players in college to come to after college.” With regard to this season, NWHL management feels that all the teams are fairly equal . “Any team can win the Isobel Cup this year,” said Rylan.
...The Buffalo Beauts have signed Jess Jones. Jones played for the Bampton Thunder last season where she racked up a 17-20-37 in 24 games record.
Madison Packer Returns to Riveters
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adison Packer said at the conclusion of last season that she was done, but she has had a change of heart. The league and Riveters have welcomed Packer back with open arms, and the rugged and popular forward has signed a contract for the upcoming season. “I was a little banged up at the end of last year, but got patched up over the summer and I’m thrilled to be a Riveter for another season,” said Packer. “It will be great to be 100 percent again. Looking at the roster, we have a strong group. We have a lot of talent in the room, both returning and new players, and we have a real shot at winning the Cup this year. I’m anxious to get to work with this crew.” The 5-9 forward from Michigan, who was a member of the U19 Little Caesars hockey team in Detroit, scored 8 goals in 17 games last season. Over two years with the Riveters, Packer was 11-9-20. At Wisconsin from 2010-2014, Packer was 46-58104 in 146 games and won the NCAA championship with the Badgers in 2011. During her senior year, she was named to the All-WCHA Academic Team. She also won gold with Team USA at the 2008 and 2009 IIHF U18 World Championships.
Around the NWHL... ...Lindsay Berman has been named assistant coach for the Boston Pride. She is the Head Coach at UMASS Boston and played for Northeastern. In 2015-16 she was a practice player with Connecticut. ...Steve Silverthorn has been named goaltending coach for the Boston Pride. Silverthorn was a goalie at Colgate and then played in the AHL, ECHL and German Bundesliga. He was assistant coach at Bentley College. ...Tom Draper has been selected as a goaltending coach with the Buffalo Beauts. Draper played for the Buffalo Sabres, as well as Winnipeg and the New York Islanders. ...Madison Litchfield has signed on as a goaltender with the Boston Pride after playing for the University of Vermont. ...Kaycie Anderson has signed on as a forward with the Connecticut Whale after playing for Norwich College.
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NWHL Season Preview:
Buffalo Beauts by Janet Schultz
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ooking at the roster of the Beauts you can honestly say that for the first time in three years, you will have to relearn the roster. Lots of new names and faces, but many familiar to those who follow the collegiate women’s hockey scene. “Our biggest challenge this season is to get all the girls on the same page,”said Assistant Coach Craig Muni. “However, they know what it takes to win a Championship and the older players can feed the environment for the new players,” said Muni. With the new players Muni sees the Beauts with more depth at all points. One of the biggest additions to the team is what the NWHL news release calls Jess Jones, a “scoring machine.” Jones was the co-leader in scoring last season in the CWHL coming from the Bampton Thunder with a 17-20-37 record in 24 games. Raised in Picton, Ontario, Jones was the third overall selection in the 2013 CWHL Draft. Last season was her pro break-out season with the Thunder. At the international level Jones was a member of Team Canada’s U18 team where she had 2 goals and 4 assists in the 2008 IIHF World U18 Championship. Next in the line up is Rebecca Vint. Vint also comes from the Brampton Thinder in 43 games. A graduate of Robert Morris, she was their leading scorer in school history, a record broken just last season by Brittany Howard (selected by the Beauts in this year’s draft). Vint was named CHA Rookie of the year and named to the CHA All-Rookie Team and served as captain of the Colonials in her senior year. She was raised in Caledon, Ontario. The third CWHL player to come to the NWHL Beauts is Sarah Edney, a member of the Canadian National Team who in 2015 helped lead Harvard to the NCAA Championship Game. She also comes from the Brampton Thunder where the defender had 9 goals and 11 assists in 34 games. A native of MIssissauga, Ontario, Edney has a number of honors to her credit among them being the ECAC Tournament MVP and captaining the Team Canada U18 to a silver medal in the 2011 11
Jordan Ott with Plattsburgh last season (Photo by Janet Schultz)
Women’s World U18 Championship. Haley Scammura will be back in the lineup. She joined the Beauts late last season but made her mark i n the playoffs as the Beauts moved toward the Isobel Cup Championship. Scamurra had 2 goals and 3 assists over 3 games in the Buffalo run for the Isobel Cup. “Although she played last season, we still consider her a rookie with this season being her first official full-season,” said Muni. “She brings with her the pro experience of the playoffs.” Scamurra comes from Northeastern University. A familiar face to many of us in WNY is Lewiston’s Maddie Elia. “We expect good things from her,” said Muni. Elia played for Boston University and became the seventh player selected in the 2016 NWHL Draft. She had 12 goals and 24 assists in 32 games at Boston and was selected to the Hockey East All-Academic Team. Over her four-year career, the forward was 47-65-112 in 145 games. Elia entered Boston U has a talented offensive player with size, reach and evasive stick skills and left the program as a highly-competitive and wellrounded three-zone player, according to her former BU Coach Brian Durocher. Elia played for Nichols School and the Buffalo Bisons. Three Adrian College graduate join the Beauts and bring with them some scoring power. Kristin Lewicki, Sarah Shureb and Kaylyn Schroka put up enough numbers to be ranked 1-3-4 in scoring in the Nation. Another familiar face to WNY’ers is Jordon Ott. Ott signed as a rookie free agent and comes from Potsdam with 61 goals, 46 assists for 107 points, an
NCAA-era record at the school. Ott is a native of Hilton (NY). “Ott is tall, a power forward and has speed to burn,” said Coach Muni. “We want to be faster and taller and that is what we got in Elia, Scamurra and Vint, along with Ott.” The Beauts also took two players, Taylor Accursi and Kathy Donohue, out of Mercyhurst, the same program that produced two great players for the Beauts in Kelley Steadman and Emily Janiga, according to Head Coach Rick Seiling. Accursi had her finest season at Mercyhurst, tied for second in goals and points with 9 goals and 14 assists in 35 games. She developed in the Burlington Barracudas program as a native of Ancaster, Ontario. Donohue is another WNY’er from Rochester who went through the North American Hockey Academy and played 132 games in four years with Mercyhurst. In her best season she had 7-6-13 in 37 games. “Donohue has a light touch and is a very smart player,” said Muni. Another player from Mercyhurst added to the Beauts is Jessica Sibley. Sibley ws one of the captains of the Mercyhurst team in her senior year. She Amanda Leveille had 35 goals and 57 assists in 140 games. Along with Colleen Murphy (North(Photo by Janet Schultz) eastern) the coaching staff sees these two players as a steadying influence on the blue line. “Murphy has had a solid career both on and off ice,” said Muni. Murphy played four seasons with Northeastern and also played at the North American Hockey Academy. The Beauts also signed Julia DiTondo, a goalie out of Mercyhurst who was raised in Kenmore. She posted a 5-2-0 record with a 1.33 gaa and .937 save percentage. They also signed Williamsville native Kelly Seward who played four seasons at Penn State. She developed her game at Nichols School and the Buffalo Bisons. He as a 5 goals, 29 assists record in 142 games. With three goalies on the roster Muni says each will have to prove themselves. He sees Leveille playing the majority of the games but says that they are not committed to telling anyone they will play in a specific number of games. Before any decisions on who plays where and when are decided Muni and Seiling will be seeing who meshes with who and Muni sees that as taking a little time; which they won’t have a lot of before their first game. “We have high expectations,” said Muni. “If we don’t we won’t be successful. “There’s lots of pressure and we feel this team is better than last years,” continued Muni. Looking around the league Boston has lost several players to the Olympics, New York is solid in defense and Connecticut has made some good signings and will be competitive. Muni promises the fans that they will see the girls working hard and giving 110% each game. It will be a fast-paced game with more offense than last season. “For the cost of entertainment this is the best value in the City of Buffalo for professional sports,” concluded Muni. We at NY Hockey Online agree! The Beauts have also resigned Kourtney Kunichika and Lisa Chesson, as well as Jacquie Greco, Jordyn Bruns, Sarah Casorso and Kayla Parsons. The Beauts will be missing some fan-favorites in Harrison Brown, returning from retirement to play for the Riveters; Paige Harrington, now in Boston; Kelley Steadman, retired; Emily Pfalzer and Megan Bozek, with Team USA heading to the Olympics. Your Source For NYS Hockey News!
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E-Magazine
NWHL Twitter Game of the Week
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he NWHL will have global live streams of 16 games this season and two pre-season games. The pre-season games will be the NWHL/Team Russia Summit Series when Team Russia takes on Connecticut on October 15 at 1:30 p.m. and New York on October 22 at 7 p.m. The first regular season game on Twitter will be Boston at New York on October 28. The full scheduled can be found at NWHL.zone and the Twitter feed is #NWHL.
Trivigno Leaves CT for Pride
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ew York native Dana Trivigno has joined the Boston Pride for this season, after spending last season with the Whale. The NWHL All Star, USA Team Forward and former Boston College Star felt this was the right move for her. “I had an unbelievable experience with the Whale last year, but I live in Boston and am excited to start another season with the NWHL,” said Trivigno. Trivigno graduated from Boston College Carroll School of Management and is currently Director of Girls Hockey for hte Boston Junior Whalers Spring and Summer Elite Hockey Program. She will now pursue her career as a financial advisor in the city of Boston. Trivigno left her native Long Island at age 14 to play for Shattuck-St. Mary’s in Minnesota. As a member of the USNT she played in the 2015 and 2016 IIHF Women’s World Championships, winning gold medals in both, and two Four Nations Cup, winning in 2016 and finishing second in 2014.
NWHL Opens With Series Vs Russia
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he NWHL will open their third season with a twogame series against Team Russia. The Connecticut Whale will face the Russians on October 15 at 1:30 p.m. in Stamford’s Terry Connors arena and the New York Riveters will play at home on October 22 at 7 p.m. The first game of the 2017-18 regular season will be the Boston Pride at the New York Riveters on October 28 at 2 p.m. and the Buffalo Beauts at the Connecticut Whale at 2:30 p.m. The 2018 NWHL All Star Weekend will be held February 10 through 11 at a location to be announced. The complete schedule can be found at NWHL. zone. Season tickets are currently on sale at NWHLzone.
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By Cory Wright WrightsWay / New York Islanders
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t’s not often that a player’s skates captivate the hockey world. But that’s what happened when Josh Ho-Sang tweeted out his “New Wheels,” a pair of custom-painted hockey skates, complete with Pollock paint splatters and graffiti of his name and number. The skates are as one-of-a-kind as Ho-Sang. Over 300 retweets, 2,200 likes and 130 comments later, Ho-Sang’s new skates were the talk of hockey Twitter.
in humanitarian work. In a 2015 the Islanders’ winger painted a school in Jamaica. “As an athlete, especially a professional one you have the gift of a platform and with that platform you have the ability to touch a lot of lives and reach all over,” Ho-Sang said. This initiative blends the athletic and artistic sides of Ho-Sang. He uses painting as his creative outlet and while he didn’t physically put brush to blade, the idea of painted skates seemed to satisfy the two sides. He
Ho-Sang Designs Skates For Charity
But that’s just the start of the conversation for the Islanders’ winger. He’s using the spotlight on his skates to shine a light on a pair of issues he cares about – getting clothes for the homeless in New York and those affected by the hurricanes that recently ravaged the southern US. How exactly do the skates fit into this? Ho-Sang plans to raffle them off to fans who donate new or gently-used clothing. Bins will be set up at Northwell Health Ice Center from Sept. 17 to Oct. 4. “There’s a lot of people who want to do stuff for the Hurricane and homeless people, but they don’t know how to,” Ho-Sang said. “This is a good way to give people an avenue [to do so].” Each donation equals one raffle ticket – per person – for the skates because Ho-Sang wants everyone to get involved and for anyone to be able to win them, which is why they’re not being auctioned off. Second prize is two tickets to an Islanders home game and third prize is a piece of apparel from the team store. “We thought doing a clothing drive would be advantageous because it gives everyone an opportunity to win the skates,” Ho-Sang said. “But at the end of the day, the lives you get to touch, the people you get to help is much more important.” This isn’t the first time Ho-Sang has participated
says the theme of the skates is yin and yang. “I’m a big believer in yin and yang, good and bad. That’s what the contrast is in these skates if you see the ink blots. Black on white and the white on the black,” HoSang said. “I knew this may not tickle everybody’s fancy, but this is personal, this is for me. Whoever gets these skates, this is the artistic side of me.” Ho-Sang commissioned the design from a Toronto-based graffiti artist and friend known as WorkingSpy3000. The “Ho-Sang” and “66” are both drawn in graffiti and immediately jump out, but there are little details hidden in the design. His favorite detail of the skates he wore throughout Rookie Camp are the markings on the back. “I’m sure regular skates would get a buzz, but these are the first of their kind,” Ho-Sang said. “Whoever wins them, I’ll sign them, take a picture with you and just tell you how much I appreciate you participating in this event. For me, it’s important to try and help those who are less fortunate.” (Reprinted with permission of NHL.com)
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CENTRAL NEW YORK
F
inger Lakes Regional Hockey Association enters its third season with fielding two tournaments bound teams for the 2017-2018 Season in the Tier III division. Our 16U team already has six games under their belt against some tough Tier II teams. They are a young team but with significant talent and are led on the sideline by Head Coach Russ Johnson. The 16U team will be competing again Onondaga Thunder 16U for the right to travel to the state tournament. The Pee Wee (12U) team coached by Jay Sciarabba is also fielding a Tournament bound team for the first time. With only five 2005 skaters and eleven 2006/2007 skaters we are young but we also know we have significant talent and will put the kids to the test this season by playing the likes of the Utica Jr. Comets AAA, Syracuse Nationals Select and other Tier 11, AA teams. The 12U team will be competing with Auburn 12U and Corning 12U for the opportunity to move onto Amherst, NY in March. The FLRHA also provides a Free Learn to Play (IP) hockey program which will also offer the kids a chance to learn the sport of soccer as well
as getting free professional skating instructions (all for free). Our Mite program continues to build and organize and this year not only will they receive hockey instructions but they will also receive cross training in the sports of soccer and lacrosse (the soccer and lacrosse are at no extra cost). Our Squirt team is also young but powerful; we have three returning Squirt players and several new 2008 players joining this season. Two of those players were honored to represent USA by playing for Draft Day USA in Canada throughout the months of April and May 2017. To round out our teams we also have a Bantam 14U team who is looking to capitalize on last season’s success. The Outlaw Border Classic drops the puck October 20th-22nd for some Squirt and Pee Wee action. It will be a 6 team Pee Wee and 4 team Squirt tournament.
BEST OF LUCK TO ALL OUR CENTRAL OUTLAWS THIS COMING SEASON (Submitted by the Central Outlaws)
Beyer playing professionally in France
F
ormer Hobart College hockey defenseman Mitch Beyer ’17 (Clifton Park, N.Y.) is currently playing professionally for the Briancon Red Devils in Briancon, France. The Red Devils play in the Division I league and are a team the Statesmen played on their trip to Europe last December. “Hockey has been a life-long passion of mine and when our 2016-17 season ended, it wasn’t a passion I was willing to give up just yet,” said Beyer. “Traveling the world has always been an idea of mine and when the offer presented itself, it made it that much easier to decide. (continued on page 19) 16
Central Men’s College Ice Hockey Report by Warren Kozireski Wkozires@brockport.edu
COLGATE Former Colgate defenseman Joey Mormina ‘05 has been hired as the newest assistant coach with the AHL’s Hartford Wolf Pack. He spent the 2016-17 season as an assistant coach with the Mercyhurst Lakers after an 11-year playing career in the AHL.
CORTLAND Nine seasons have passed since the red Dragons last made the SUNYAC postseason, but finishing one point out of a playoff spot last season gives them hope that this—head coach Joe Cardarelli’s fourth behind the bench—will stop the skid as he has heled them to the program’s best three-year record since the 1990-93 seasons. Junior Mike Crowley (Buffalo) is the top scorer returning with 23 points and a team-leading 18 assists last season. Sophomore forwards Dougie Elgstam, Stefano Alonzi and Sean Perichak each had 15 or more points in their first year. “Expect a big jump in Doug Elgstam’s productivity this year in both goals and overall points,” Cardarelli said. “He was the best player in the Eastern Hockey League two years ago and learned last year from the team’s leading scorer, Darren McCormick. Added leadership duties to the team’s returning leading scorer Michael Crowley and sophomores Stefano Alonzi and Sean Perichak who are expected to play, and produce, in all situations this season.
“Expectations are high for defenseman Ryan Fritz (Rochester), who joined the team after last year’s Christmas break, to be a dominate force. Senior Cory Lauer, junior Andrew Gleason (Vestal) and sophomore Martin Lavallee join Fritz on a lean blueline corp. “Looking forward to a big push forward with the program as (we) welcome ten new players who will add value and depth to a lineup that returns nine skaters who recorded double-digit scoring last year. The team also has consistency in goaltending with three-year starter Drew Weigman returning for his senior season.” Weigman begins his final season needing 619 saves to become the program’s all-time leader and ten wins to eclipse the record of 33.
ELMIRA It’s now Year Two of the Soaring Eagles rebuild after carrying 16 freshmen on the roster last year, so hopefully experience brings results. They are now in the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. Leading scorers Connor Powell (27 points), Matthew Cuce (25) and Nick Ford (20) all return for their sophomore seasons along with classmates Spencer MacLean and Andrew Pucci. Junior Mitch Atkins also will bring almost 50 games of experience to the forward lines. “Our leadership and top defensemen are (junior) Blake O’Neill and (sophomore) Harry Kramer,” head coach Aaron Saul said. Junior Jonathan Grassie and sophomore Calvin Hughson will also likely play among the top-two pairs. Junior Charl Pretorius, who has played over 20 games internationally, is the only returner in net with only five starts and still looking for his first collegiate victory. “(We’re) excited to start. (We had a) tough season with a number of freshmen in the lineup last year. Some tough lessons last season and it will help us be better this year.”
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HAMILTON Now for the encore after a season of first’s. First NESCAC championship (in overtime fashion no less) in program history. First NCAA postseason appearance and first NCAA playoff victory. Defense will be the biggest question after they finished third in the nation in allowing only 1.86 goals per game last season. They enter 2017-18 after losing three primary blueliners to graduation, but Maine transfer Steve Cochrane will help. Junior Jonny Stimola and sophomores Bennett Morrison, Blayne Oliver and Sam Jones (Buffalo) will see increased minutes from the start. “We bring back a lot of top players from our 2017 regular season championship team, including Sid Watson award winner Evan Buitenhuis (in goal)”, head coach Rob Haberbusch said. “We hope to be in contention for another championship this season.” Junior Jason Brochu will be relied on to fill the roles of graduated forwards with senior and leading scorer Neil Conway and Brandon Willett as the primary offensive weapons, but the forward numbers are deep with six returners having scored ten or more points last season. And transfer Cam Radziwon (Colgate/East Aurora) adds depth at either forward or on the blueline.
HOBART The Statesmen lost just four times last season, but all four were in conference tilts. They did defeat regular season champ Utica for the last ECAC West title, but fell to Endicott in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Now they shift to the New England Hockey Conference with perennially strong Norwich and recent nationally ranked UMass-Boston. Captains Ben Greiner and Andrew Silard are back and “the line of Jonas Toupal, Zach Sternbach and Lawson MacDougall should be key again,” head coach Mark Taylor said. “Expect Tyler Wolf and Jordan Haskell to surprise, injury and off mark junior years but expect bounce back years.” The biggest question is
on the blueline where they lost two-thirds of the starters to graduation. But junior Tanner Shaw (who was fourth on the team in scoring) and Jack MacNee plus sophomore Julien Denicourt gives them some depth. Senior goaltender Frank Oplinger brings 35 victories in 49 starts to the table. “Expectations are same although 12 new faces; 11 freshmen and one transfer in sophomore forward Will Harrison from St. Lawrence will be impact. (We will) be a bit new up front, but like depth and it may be by committee.”
MORRISVILLE Points in five of their final seven games allowed the Mustangs to pull within three points of a playoff spot, so they will stress a better start despite losing their two top scorers and two defensemen to gradu-
ation. “Our staff is very excited about the upcoming year,” sixth year head coach Kevin Krogol said. “We feel we’ve added a great group of incoming guys to complement or returning group. We are excited to see what they can do and how they will help contribute to our success. “With the loss of key scorers Jordan Carvalho and Joseph Santino we will look to guys like senior Layne Martin and junior CJ Stubbs to continue their success as well as look for added production from guys like Stevie Ray Adams, Nick Devito (Averill Park) and Jim Philbin among others. “We have an extremely dedicated group of guys and, with the leadership group of senior Jon Lauer (Camillus) and juniors Ian Wood and Stubbs, we are looking forward to seeing where the season takes us.” Their defense features juniors Mike Giacometti, David Landau and Bradley Hefner with sophomore Dane Moore. Sophomore goaltender Jared Young started 19 of the team’s 25 games in his first year and earned all five wins.
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OSWEGO The Lakers season ended on a sour note after winning the SUNYAC regular season championship. They dropped the playoff final to rival Plattsburgh and lost in their 17th trip to the NCAA tournament to Hamilton in the first round. Now they rebuild a bit after saying good-bye to 13 seniors. Senior captain Mitch Herlihey “has been in the shadows of last year’s large senior class, (so I am) excited to see him take ownership of the team, head coach Ed Gosek said. With the limited playing time, no other returner netted ten points, but senior forward David Ferreira and sophomores Jody Sullivan, Joey Scorpio, Josh Zizek and Aaron Huffnagle will battle the newcomers for top line and special team’s time. Seniors Devon Campbell and Joey Rutkowski (Rome) with junior Kristoffer Brun and sophomore Chris MacMillan will anchor the blueline, but none scored more than two goals last season. “We will be a young inexperienced team; will rely on goaltending and defensive play while team and chemistry develops.” The Lakers welcome six new forwards to the team in Jesse Farabee (Cicero), Tommy Horn, A.J. D’Orazio, Tanner Spink, Niagara transfer Joey Molinaro and Ohio State transfer Mike Gillespie. The team has also added defensemen Max Novick, Carter Allen, and Adrian transfer Tyler Currie plus goalie David Richer, (Beyer Continued from Page 16)
I was also told that the Briancon Red Devils organization is a very professional team to play for and the team has been nothing but since I arrived.” Beyer was a four-year member of the Hobart hockey team. He played in 92 career games and posted 34 points on 11 goals and 23 assists. In his four years, the Statesmen had a 76-26-10 record, won three straight ECAC West tournament titles and advanced to the NCAA tournament three years in a row. “Hobart prepared me very well for an experience like this,” said Beyer. “During my four years at Hobart, the athletic department fostered commitment, integrity, loyalty, respect, teamwork, and fun. Along with many other training aspects, I believe that Hobart
who lost his freshman season after laying briefly in the Quebec Major Junior League
UTICA Its third regular season conference title in the last five years ended with a bad taste with an overtime loss to Hobart in the championship game and an NCAA snub. They now move with most of the former ECAC West to the United Collegiate Hockey Conference. “(The) Mikhail Bushinski, Roman Ammirato, Justin Derlago line should be strong, followed by the Anthony McVeigh, Kevin Valenti (Queensbury) line.” Sophomore Jarrod Fitzpatrick was second on the team last year with 11 goals. “D-core returns offensive output from Dalton Carter, Zach Borsoi and Vinny Stefan.” That defense does lose minute munchers Kevin Kirisits and Connor Schmidt to graduation, so the returners, led by co-captain Brett Szajner, will need to fill the gap. Sophomore Patrick Virtanen started 19 of the teams 27 games last year with senior Henry Dill looking for more than the eight games he played last year. “(We) return a strong nucleus; expectations are high after losing in the conference final at home in OT. Excited to see what the new league brings. The team got an early chance to get comfortable with each other with a nine-day, four-game trip to France in August. (College Previews continue on Pg 21)
did a great job instilling the ideals of strong work ethic and a professional attitude while teaching these concepts. For this, I am very appreciative.” “I think the best part of being in France so far has been the country itself,” added Beyer. “My teammates and I are surrounded by people who are friendly and welcoming, making the transition very easy. The geography is also something that makes each day better and better. Everywhere you go, you see beautiful buildings with the Alps in the background. It is crazy to think that anybody can take this place for granted.
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Cass Park Undergoes Rennovation
pleted in 2016. “It’s time for community involvement in support of the important facility improvements,” said Grainger. We need to improve Cass Park Arena conditions and ensure access for future generations and for today’s users.” Information on the capital project can be obtained at www.friendsiyb.org/cass as well as on Facebook as “Cass Park Campaign” and Twitter @CampaignforCass. Gifts of all sizes are appreciated to the Cass Park Campaign; donations to FIYB, an independent 501c corporation are tax deductible. Mail can be sent to Cass Park Campaign c/o Friends of the Ithaca Youth Bureau, PO Box 4198, Ithaca, NY 14852.
A
community-wide effort to raise funds needed to fully enclose the Cass Park Arena in Ithaca is in its second year. The drive is run under the auspices of the Friends of Ithaca Youth Bureau (FIYB), the nonprofit organization that exists to facilitate support for the Ithaca Youth Bureau, announced FIYB President Jeff Love and IYB Director Liz Klohmann. This fall two fundraising events are scheduled including Celebrate Cass, held September 30. Celebrate Cass was a festival celebrating the 45th anniversary of the arena. The second event will be held Saturday, November 4, the second annual Enclose Cass Extravaganze which will feature activities for the entire family. Activities include a Skate-a-thon, Silent Auction, Bake Sale, Broomball and refreshments. Ithaca area businesses are encouraged to become sponsors of the Cass Park Arena Enclosure and the upcoming fundraising events by the “Incodema Initiative.” Sean Whittaker of Incodemia wants to inspire the entire Ethaca business community to support the enclosure project by matching their gifts. Every dollar pledged in 2017 will be matched by Incodema’s generous multi-year commitment. The Cass Park Campaign goal of $1 million supports upgrades that retain the arena’s traditional charm while making the city-owned and managed facility more sustainable and successful, according to Mary Grainger, FIYB volunteer who is coordinating the fundraising event. “Cass Park is a four-season community resouce that was first opened in November 1972 as an openair ice rink,”said Grainger. Cass Park Arena is one of a few open-air rinks left in upstate New York. The enclosure will provide dehumidified “conditioned” air; ventilation, insulation and adaptations for climate change; longer season for ice surface; improved conditions for spectators and skaters and additional opportunities for rental income year-round. After the enclosure project is funded, there is a vision for an addition to the lobby and new locker rooms. The roof and ceiling renovation project was com-
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CORTLAND COLLEGE MEN’S PREVIEW The 2017-18 Cortland men’s hockey roster is comprised of 26 players. That includes just eight upperclassmen consisting of six seniors and two juniors. The rest of the team features eight sophomores and 10 freshmen, marking the second season in a row that fourth-year head coach Joe Cardarelli has brought double-digit newcomers into the program. Goaltender Drew Weigman is one of the six seniors and has continued to work his way toward the top of the career saves list at Cortland. Through three seasons, Weigman has turned aside 2,203 shots, which ranks second all-time as a Red Dragon. He also is tied for first in career shutouts and is closing in on the top spot in career wins. Last season, Weigman started and played in 22 games, posting an 8-13-1 record with 762 saves, an .893 save percentage, a 4.24 GAA and one shutout while facing some of the top programs in Div. III hockey throughout the season. Sophomore Nick Modica also returns this season. Modica saw the ice in one game off the bench as a freshman, playing 17 minutes, 17 seconds in goal against Geneseo. Freshman Salvatore Lauretta joins the team after last playing for a very successful Binghamton Jr. Senators of the NA3HL, where he went undefeated between the pipes during the 2016-17 regular season. Defensively, Cardarelli returns four players. Senior Cory Lauer skated in 72 games in his career, picking up 11 points on four goals and seven assists. Last season, Lauer scored three goals and added three assists in 24 games. Junior Andrew Gleason appeared in the third-most games as a defenseman last season, collecting three goals and six assists in 23 games. Sophomore Martin Lavallee contributed one goal and six assists in 17 games as a freshman, and sophomore Ryan Fritz, who joined the team in the second half of the season, picked up two assists in six conference games. Freshmen Logan Blaser, Louis DiMatteo and Justin Schebel join the program on the blue line in 201718. Blaser played more than 150 games in the OJHL and the CCHL, last skating for the Brockville Braves. DiMatteo brings a wealth of OJHL playing time that includes league and Dudley-Hewitt Cup champi21
onships. Schebel competed in more than 100 games in the CCHL and the NOJHL and also has a league title and a trip to the DudleyHewitt Cup on his resume. Ten forwards are back in 2017-18, including eight of the top-10 scorers from a season ago, making this the most-experienced group on the team. Seniors Dan Broderick, Andrew McCann, Tommy Nolan and Paul Fregeau combined to score 54 points on 26 goals and 28 assists last season. Broderick, the team’s active scoring leader with 74 points in 75 games, totaled 13 points on three goals and 10 assists in 25 games. McCann produced 14 points on nine goals and five assists in 24 games. Nolan scored 15 points on eight goals and seven assists in 24 games with all eight goals coming in conference play. Fregeau collected 12 points on six goals and six assists in 23 games in his first season with the team. Junior Mike Crowley is Cortland’s returning leading scorer having compiled 23 points on five goals and a team-high 18 assists in 25 games last season. Crowley also led the Red Dragons with 16 points in SUNYAC action. Sophomore Douglas Elgstam finished the 2016-17 season third in scoring, registering 19 points on five goals and 14 assists in 25 games. Sophomore Stefano Alonzi also skated in all 25 games, picking up 17 points on five goals and 12 assists. Sophomore Sean Perichak saw the ice in all 25 games as a freshman. Playing in all situations, Perichak tallied 15 points on five goals and 10 assists. Sophomore Nico Gonzalez totaled 11 points on four goals and 11 assists in 21 games last season, while sophomore Connor Beck contributed one goal and four assists in 19 games. Six freshmen round out the roster at forward. Scott Docherty was a proven goal scorer in the OJHL where he won a league championship with the Georgetown Raiders. Scott Donahue proved himself as one of the best players in the EHL for two seasons with the Boston Bandits. Michael Faliero, who last played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres of the OJHL, brings skill and grit to the program. Tom Ritchie is a versatile player who last skated for the New York PAL Islanders of the USPHL. Alex Storjohann led the NOJHL in assists last season as a member of Kirkland Lake. Conor Tierney brings speed to the lineup after helping lead the Philadelphia Flyers of the USPHL to the playoffs last season.
OSWEGO PREVIEW The Oswego State women’s ice hockey team is looking to build on last season’s success with strong returners and talented newcomers. Oswego had an overall record of 16-8-2 and a conference record of 10-6-2 in 2016-17. Last season, the Lakers started off hot, opening the season with a 6-2 win over New England College to spark a six-game win streak. The win streak included a 6-0 win over Chatham during Homecoming/Alumni Weekend and two wins over ECAC West foe Cortland. No. 1 Plattsburgh eventually gave the Lakers their first loss, but the Lakers handed the Cardinals a loss of their own the next day. The loss snapped the defending national champions’ 13-game winning streak and their 24-game win streak at home. Oswego ended the season with an appearance in the ECAC West Championship. It was the seventh-consecutive year that the team made the postseason, earning the fifth seed in the league’s tournament. Women’s hockey is returning some of their top talent from 2016-17. Olivia Ellis, who will be a senior during the 2017-18 season, led the team in both points (36) and assists (22) last year. Mariah Madrigal will be returning for her senior year as well. The goaltender had five shutouts during the season and a .925 save percentage. Oswego is also looking to build on its success with new talent. Leah Czerwinski, Emma Morisette, Jean-marie Padden, Philomena Teggart, Jordan Emerson and Katie Mlostek will be joining the Lakers for the 2017-18 season. Czerwinski, Morisette and Padden join the team as forwards. Czerwinski (pictured left) played last season for Williamsville High School, where she ended the season with 31 points, and for the Buffalo Bison U19 team. The women’s hockey coaching staff were particularly impressed by her work ethic and team-first attitude. Morisette, who is a two-way forward, competed last year with the Honeybaked Hockey Club (based in Mich.) She helped her team reach the 2017 Championships in April. Padden played last year as well, helping the NJ Rockets
Central New York Women’s College Hockey Report By Janet Schultz Janet@nyhockeyonline.com
U19 squad make a run towards the 2017 NEWJHL Championship. Her hard-nosed style of play helped her finish last season with 50 points (32 G, 18 A). The Lakers added Teggart, Emerson and Mlostek on defense. Teggart joins Oswego after playing a post-graduate year for the Durham West Jr. Lightning in the PWHL in 2016-17. She played 51 games for the Lightning last season, and will provide strength and size for the Lakers’ blueline in the upcoming campaign. Emerson played last season as a post-graduate in the PWHL as well. She played in 47 games for the Nepean Wildcats. The Oswego State coaching staff is looking forward to the experience and knowledge that she will bring to the team. Like Morisette, Mlostek comes to the Lakers from Mich. She played as a post-graduate with the Lansing Spartans U19 team during the 2016-17 season. During the season, she had one goal and 10 assists. Her long reach and defensive mindset will benefit the Lakers’ blueline. With a mix of returners and new talent, the Lakers will look to improve on last season’s success during the 2017-18 season. The team kicks off the season on Oct. 21 with an exhibition game against the Toronto Midget Aeros. Oswego’s Ale Armburu was selected #30 overall in the CWHL D 2017 Draft by the Toronto Furies.
ELMIRA The Elmira College women’s ice hockey team has released its 2017-18 schedule, which marks the beginning of a new chapter in the storied history of the Soaring Eagles, who are one of nine charter members in the newly-formed United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC). 22
The 2017-18 regular-season schedule is comprised of 25 games, 16 of which will pit head coach Tim Crowley’s squad against UCHC competition and 11 which will take place at the Murray Athletic Center Ice Arena in Pine Valley, New York. Ten of EC’s opponents on the docket this season qualified for their respective conference tournaments last year, including three of the teams that participated in the lastever ECAC West Tournament. In addition, four of this year’s non-conference opponents participated in the NCAA Division III Tournament, including four-time defending champion Plattsburgh State (Nov. 26/Jan. 8) and runner-up Adrian (Nov. 26/Jan. 7). Of the 11 games to be played during the 2017 portion of the schedule, only four will be hosted by the Soaring Eagles at the MAC. The season kicks off with three consecutive road games, starting with a non-conference tilt on Saturday, November 4, at Oswego State at 3:00 p.m. The following weekend, EC will open UCHC play against King’s (Pa.) (Nov. 11-12), a first-year program that will call the Revolution Ice Centre in Pittston, Pennsylvania, its home. On Friday, November 17, the Soaring Eagles will continue conference play with the first of a two-game set versus Stevenson in its home opener, with the puck drop slated for 7:00 p.m. It will mark only the third all-time meeting against the Mustangs, a 2017 CHC Tournament semifinalist, and the first since January of 2014. The weekend series against Stevenson will conclude the following afternoon at 3:00 p.m. at the MAC. After missing the annual Cardinal-Panther Classic last season for the first time since it was formed in 2005, the Soaring Eagles are returning to one of the nation’s most competitive tournaments in 2017. On Saturday, November 25, EC will head to Plattsburgh, New York, to square off against fellow NCAA Tournament quarterfinalist Middlebury in a neutral-site bout. The following day, the Purple and Gold will face Plattsburgh State, a long-time ECAC West opponent with which Elmira formed one of the fiercest rivalries in the nation, or Adrian, the 2017 national runner-up that knocked EC out of title contention in the opening round of the last year’s NCAA tournament. The Elmira women resume UCHC play with another trip to Pennsylvania, this time for a pair of contests against Chatham (Dec. 1-2) in the second-to-last series of the calendar year. The Soaring Eagles will migrate home to welcome the always-tough NESCAC affiliate Amherst (Dec. 9-10) to the MAC for a pair of non-league games to close the books on 2017. Amherst, which recently elected Mammoths as the official college mascot, capped off the 2016-17 23
campaign ranked 10th in the U.S. College Hockey Online (USCHO) Division III Poll. The New Year begins as the previous one ended, with another pair of important non-conference matchups against nationally-ranked competition. If the Soaring Eagles do not meet the Bulldogs of previously No. 2-ranked Adrian in November at the Cardinal-Panther Classic, they are guaranteed a re-match of last year’s NCAA Tournament quarterfinal on Sunday, January 7, in the first leg of the eighth annual EastWest Hockey Classic, in Northfield, Vermont. The following day, EC will look to flex its muscle when it takes on the host Norwich Cadets, who reached the NCAA Third-Place Game last season, or their long-time rivals from Plattsburgh State, who will be competing under the Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) banner this year. The second-half of the regular season is almost exclusively against UCHC opponents. Of the remaining 12 games on Elmira’s regular-season schedule, only two are against non-league foes. The first is a home contest versus Norwich on Saturday, January 20, at 3:00 p.m., which is followed by a road tilt in Hartford, Connecticut, against Trinity (Conn.) on Tuesday, January 23, at 7:30 p.m. Prior to the final non-conference games, the Soaring Eagles will skate opposite the Pioneers of Utica in a homeand-home UCHC series on Friday, January 12, and Saturday, January 13, with the latter being played at the MAC. Lebanon Valley, which will play its second varsity season this year, will then host the Purple and Gold for the firstever meetings between the two programs on Saturday, January 27, and Sunday, January 28. After returning from Hershey, Pennsylvania, the Soaring Eagles will leave only Elmira one more time, as five of the final six games will be on home ice. February begins with a home-and-home series against William Smith (Feb. 3-4), with the Herons traveling south from Geneva, New York, for the opener on Saturday, February 3, at 3:00 p.m., as part of EC’s annual Athletics Alumni Weekend. Over the next two weekends, Elmira will look to secure one of the top seeds in the UCHC, as it ends the 2017-18 regular season with home conference series against Manhattanville (Feb. 9-10) and Neumann (Feb. 16-17). Fans will recognize the Knights of Neumann from years of competition inside the ECAC West, but the Valiants should come as no strangers either; from 2002-2014, the Soaring Eagles met Manhattanville on an annual basis. Soaring Eagles alumn Ashley Ryan and Cassidy Delainey were selected in the 2017 CWHL Draft; with Ryan going to the Boston Blades and Delainey to the Toronto Fury.
SYRACUSE
COLGATE
With the start of the fall semester, the Syracuse ice hockey team announced the addition of seven newcomers to the 2017-18 roster. Forwards Taylor Curtis, Emma Polaski, Ronnie Callahan and Victoria Klimek, defensemen Jessica DiGirolamo and Kristen Siermachesky, and goaltender Edith D’Astous-Moreau will each suit up for the Orange in its tenth season. The freshman class includes a trio of forwards from across the United States in Callahan, Polaski and Curtis. Callahan and Curtis both played for the East Coast Wizards U19 team while Polaski suited up for the New Jersey Colonials U19 program. All three are US National Development camp attendees with Polaski and Curtis leading the way with four camp appearances. Klimek, the final forward in the freshman class, along with defensemen Siermachesky and DiGirolamo, hails from Ontario. All three Canada natives played in the Provincial Women’s Hockey League (PWHL). Siermachesky and DiGirolamo represented the Stoney Creek Junior Sabres and the Oakville Junior Hornets, respectively, while Klimek spent a season on each team. D’Astous-Moreau, the sole goaltender of the class, also played in the PWHL for the Nepean Junior Wildcats. She represented Team Canada at the 2016 World Championships and was named the top goaltender at the 2015 National Women’s U18 Championship, playing for Team Quebec. The seven newcomers will join 16 returners for the 2017-18 season. The Orange tied the program record for most conference wins with 14 CHA victories last season. The team battled its way through the CHA tournament before coming up short against Robert Morris in the Finals. Syracuse will host the University of Ottawa for an exhibition game on Sept. 24 before heading to Bemidji State for the season opener on Sept. 29. The Orange have been selected #2 in the CHA Presearson Coaches Poll.
Colgate women’s ice hockey head coach Greg Fargo has announced the team’s 34-game schedule for the 2017-18 season, highlighted by 19 home games. Colgate’s home slate marks the most games at home in the regular season since the 2010-11 season and second most in program history. “We are so excited to get the 2017-18 season underway,” Fargo said. “We have put together a non-conference portion of the schedule that we think will challenge and prepare us to compete for our first league championship this season.” “We are also fortunate that we will be able to play so many home games in the Class of 1965 Arena this season, there will be plenty of opportunities for the fans to come watch us play.” The Raiders’ schedule features two homestands of at least six games, including six straight home games to open up the season. Colgate also plays a seven-game stretch at home from Jan. 12 through Jan. 27. In addition to their consecutive home games, the Raiders also have a seven-game road trip that spans nearly a month from Nov. 10 through Dec. 1. Also of note on the schedule is the Raiders’ Tuesday, Jan. 16 matchup with the Syracuse Orange. Colgate and Syracuse will face off at 12 p.m. for their first Kid’s Day game where local schools will be invited for a fun day of hockey. Colgate will host Queen’s University from Kingston, Ontario, in an exhibition game on Sunday, Oct. 1 before opening up the season with a two-game series against the St. Cloud State Huskies on Oct. 6-7, their first trip to Hamilton in program history. A series with Northeastern will follow, just the second trip to Colgate for the Huskies and first since the 2012-13 season. Mercyhurst will close out the homestand on Oct. 2021. The Raiders open up ECAC Hockey play with a trip to the defending national champion Clarkson Golden Knights on Friday, Oct. 27 before finishing out the weekend against North Country travel partner St. Lawrence on Saturday. Colgate will then face the Princeton 24
Recruits Named Doug Derraugh, the head coach of women’s hockey, announced the team’s incoming Class of 2021. The seven additions will join a perennially strong Big Red program that will be looking to make its eighth trip to the ECAC Hockey Championship game in the last nine years and its seventh trip to the NCAA tournament over the same span.
Tigers and Quinnipiac Bobcats in the first home league weekend on Nov. 3-4. A non-conference trip to New Hampshire begins Colgate’s seven-game road trip on Nov. 10-11 before they face Yale and Brown on Nov. 17-18. This season, the Raiders were invited to the Windjammer Classic, hosted by Vermont, on Nov. 24-25. Colgate will face Minnesota Duluth in the first game of the tournament before they will take on either RIT or Vermont on the final day. Colgate closes out the first half of the season with three games, including their home-and-home series with Cornell on Dec. 1-2. The Raiders will host Robert Morris on Saturday, Dec. 9 for the final game of the 2017 calendar year. The Raiders play 14 conference games in the 2018 portion of the season, including eight at home before the ECAC Hockey quarterfinals will begin on Feb. 2325 with the league championship game scheduled for the following weekend. The Raiders garnered a #4 spot in the ECAC Hockey Preseason Coaches Poll.
Three forwards, three defensemen and a goaltender comprise the new class, with five hailing from the United States and two from Canada. They will add depth to a Cornell squad that lost two of its leading three scorers to graduation following last season, though every other goal-scorer returns — including reigning Ivy League Rookie of the Year Kristin O’Neill.
Class of 2021 Lindsay Browning — Goaltender — Penfield, N.Y. (Buffalo Bisons) Browning was a 2017 All-Greater Rochester Ice Hockey selection while competing with Penfield HS. She won a New York state championship with the U16 Buffalo Bisons in 2016, when she was also awarded the 2016 UnitCORNELL Four members of the women’s ice hockey team partici- ed States Marine Corps Scholastic Excellence Award for pated in Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Summer academic achievement and leadership as a high school Showcase at the Markin MacPhail Centre at Canada scholar. She was also a 2017 National Merit Scholarship finalist in 2017. Olympic Park. Junior goaltender Marlène Boissonnault, sophomore forward Kristin O’Neill and sophomore defen- Devon Facchinato — Defenseman — Windsor, Onseman Jaime Bourbonnais competed in the National tario (Team Ontario) Women’s Development Team camp. Cornell leads all Facchinato helped Team Ontario win a PWHL ChamECAC Hockey schools and NCAA institutions with its pionship, a provincial championship and a U18 nathree participants in the camp, which featured games tional championship in 2017. She also competed with against Japan and an all-star team comprised of players the Oakville Junior Hornets at the club level, earning bronze at the U18 national championship in 2016. She from Canadian universities. Hockey Canada’s National Women’s Under-18 also won a CISAA Championship in 2016 and 2017 Team also staged a Summer Showcase in Calgary, at Appleby College, where she was presented with which featured incoming freshman defenseman Wil- the Hugh C. Cayley Award in 2017, presented to the low Slobodzian. She has competed with Team Canada graduating student who honors the most outstanding before in IIHF U18 series against the achievement for both athletics and academics. United States in 2015-16 in Finland and Finley Frechette — Forward — Weston, Mass. (St. 2016-17 in Canada. Paul’s School) 25
Frechette was named to the All-New England Team in 2017 and was selected to the New Hampshire School All-State Team in 2016 and 2017. She was honored with the Loomis Medal, the highest athletic award for a female student who has made the greatest contribution to the St. Paul’s athletic program. Frechette attended the USA National Camp in 2013-15 and played in the USA National Camp All-Star Game in 2015.
all four seasons of her high school career. Willow Slobodzian — Defenseman — Clavet, Saskatchewan (Saskatoon Stars) Slobodzian is currently participating in the Team Canada National Women’s Under-18 Team selection camp. She has competed with Team Canada before in IIHF U18 series against the United States in 2015-16 in Finland and 2016-17 in Canada. With the Saskatoon Stars midget AAA team, she won a provincial and regional championship in 2015 and 2016. She was named rookie of the year in 2015, honored as the top defenseman in 2016 and 2017, and named MVP in 2017. Slobodzian also helped the Stars to a Mac’s International Tournament Championship in 2015, earning the Best Plus Minus Award. The women’s hockey team will kick off the 2017-18 season as the seventh-ranked team in the country, according to the USCHO.com Division I preseason poll. Cornell is coming off of a 20-9-5 season that saw the team make it to the ECAC Hockey Championship and the first round of the NCAA Tournament, both times falling to the Clarkson, the eventual NCAA Champion. Cornell will play an exibition game against the Vanke Rays of the CWHL. The team is from China and Cornell alumnus Hanna Burton was selected to play for them in their Inaugural Season Draft. The game will be October 13.
Madlynne Mills — Forward — Sewickley, Pa. (Shattuck-St. Mary’s) Mills won four consecutive USA Hockey national championships with Shattuck-St. Mary’s, where she was presented the school’s Best All-Around Girl Award in 2017. In 2016, she won the Cooley Award — presented to the best all-around student in the junior class — and she also received the Bausch + Lomb Honorary Science Award, granted to the junior with the highest standing in science subjects during the entire upper school course. Mills became a member of the Cum Laude Society in 2016-17. Kendra Nealey — Defenseman — Chicago, Ill. (Chicago Mission) Nealey won a national U19 national championship with the Chicago Mission in 2015, later helping the team reach the U19 national championship game again in 2017 and semifinals in 2016. She also competed for University of Chicago Laboratory Schools and was named the team’s most valuable player in 2016 and 2017. She earned all-state honors in all four of her years with the team, capturing a state title in 2015, and the league’s top defender award and a spot on the Blackhawk Alumni Association High School All-Star Team in 2017.
CORTLAND PREVIEW Last season, the Cortland women’s ice hockey team welcomed new head coach Rick Filighera to the bench. In 2017-18, the Red Dragons are preparing for another change as they embark on their first season in the newly formed Northeast Women’s Hockey League with the four other SUNYAC programs that offer the sport. This season, Filighera brings back 16 players from 2016-17 and has added six newcomers to the roster. The schedule features 16 conference games against Buffalo St., Oswego, Plattsburgh and Potsdam as
Joie Phelps — Forward — Eagan, Minn. (Visitation HS) Phelps was selected to the Minnesota all-state team in 2015-17, and she was also a semifinalist for Minnesota’s Ms. Hockey in 2017. She was selected to the Minnesota State High School Hockey All-Tournament Team in 2016 and 2017, and she also became a member of the Minnesota All-TriMetro Conference Team 26
well as nine non-conference matchups. Junior Victoria Gibson and sophomore Rachael Farmer return in goal this season. Gibson started five games in 2016-17, posting a 3.84 GAA with 154 saves and an .895 save percentage. Farmer saw the ice in seven games with six starts as a freshman. She registered a 3.36 GAA with 166 saves and an .892 save percentage. Freshman Chelsea Allain joins the program having last played at the Canterbury School where she was team MVP as a senior. Defensively, the Red Dragons bring back four players. Senior Nadine de Nijs skated in six conference games last season after appearing in 21 games as a sophomore. Junior Samantha Pippin played in 22 games in 2016-17 and registered five assists. Junior Katy Kenney collected one assist in four games, while sophomore Emily Rose chipped in with two assists in 23 games as a freshman. Freshmen Katelynn Cummings, Kirsten MacDowell and Olivia Wilburn join the team on the blue line this season. Cummings recently played at the Northwood School and also has international playing experience. MacDowell last skated with the New Jersey Rockets and competed at the USA Hockey Girls’ U18 National Player Development Camp. Wilburn most recently competed with the San Jose Sharks and was selected to attend the USA Hockey District Camp in Colorado. The majority of the team’s experience comes at the forward position with 10 returning players. Senior Kianna Gutenmann is one of five returning players who skated in all 25 games last season, netting four goals, including two game winners. Seniors Emily Busta and Jackie Richards saw action in 24 and 12 games, respectively, as juniors, combining for two goals and one assist. Junior Charlie Calamari made the switch to forward from defense midway through her sophomore season. Calamari played in all 25 games and tied for the team lead with six assists. Junior Eva Kristof collected two assists in 18 games last season. Sophomore Miranda Kolb led the team in scoring as a freshman, totaling 11 points on five goals and six assists in 25 games. Sophomores Carly Weigold and 27
Emily King each contributed seven points in 2016-17. Weigold tallied five goals and two assists in 24 games, while King registered four goals and three assists in 25 games. Sophomore Allyson Edwards chipped in the one goal and two assists in 25 games, and sophomore Claire McCarthy saw the ice in 10 games last season. Two freshmen join the program at forward in 2017-18. Abbey Paduano won a state title at Massena Central, and Katie DeVoe last skated for the Vaughan Flames.
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7th Cornell Senior From 17-18 Season Signs With Pro Team
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he ECHL’s Kansas City Mavericks announced the signing of forward Eric Freschi ’17 for the upcoming hockey season. With Freschi’s signing, seven graduating seniors from the 2016-17 Cornell men’s hockey team have signed their first professional contracts. Freschi wrapped up his collegiate career with 126 games— the most among his classmates on East Hill. He received the team’s Cornell Hockey Association Award after his senior season for a second straight year. The award is given annually to the player whose contributions to the team don’t show up in the box score, but rather are in the form of energy, heart and hustle. True to form, Freschi was a fixture on the Big Red’s penalty kill and led the team with a plus-14 rating last year. He accumulated 14 points on two goals and 12 assists while playing all 35 games, including a stretch of four games in which he posted six points during
the Big Red’s six-game winning streak during the latter part of the fall semester. He scored the winning goal Nov. 29 at Colgate before doling out a pair of assists three days later in the first of two victories over Miami. His final collegiate goal was the icing on the cake of the Big Red’s ECAC Hockey Championship semifinal victory over Union in Lake Placid, N.Y. “Speaking with Eric, he’s is looking to come in, compete and do whatever it takes to help his team win,” Mavericks head coach John-Scott Dickson said. “He’s a guy who is coming in to make an impression, and I know we’re all excited to see him at camp in October.” Among the other seniors from last year’s Cornell squad already under professional contract for this season are Holden Anderson with the Herlev Eagles (Denmark); Matt Buckles with the Springfield Thunderbirds; Jeff Kubiak with the Bridgeport Sound Tigers (AHL); Patrick McCarron with the Grand Rapids Griffins (AHL) and Jake Weidner with the Iserlohn Roosters (DEL). Alongside Kubiak, goaltender Mitch Gillam participated in an NHL rookie camp with the New York Islanders earlier this month and will now attend training camp in Bridgeport. Gillam made his professional debut last season with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears.
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rial Arena following home games. He will also host the one-hour “Crunch Weekly” show at Tully’s Good Times with special guests on select Thursday nights throughout the season. In addition to his broadcast responsibilities, Favale will serve as the team’s official statistician and prepare all game notes while selling ticket packages, single game tickets and booking groups. Prior to his time in Elmira, Favale called games for the Mississippi RiverKings of the SPHL as their director of broadcasting and media relations from 2014 to 2016. Originally from Allendale, New Jersey, Favale graduated from Syracuse University in 2014.
Crunch Hires Syracuse Natives
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he Syracuse Crunch announce the hiring of Lukas Favale as broadcaster. “Lukas is a strong talent with a passion for the game of hockey,” said Crunch COO Jim Sarosy. “We look forward to having him join our staff and continue the high standard set by his predecessors.” Favale, 25, joins the Crunch full time after interning with the team from 2012 to 2014. He most recently served as the director of broadcasting and media relations for the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL during the 2016-17 season before being hired as the director of broadcasting/account executive by the Adirondack Thunder. “I am thrilled to be returning to a city and an organization that have made major impacts on me both personally and professionally,” said Favale. “I am so excited to be joining a premier organization like the Crunch and to have the opportunity to connect with such a passionate fan base. I’ve seen firsthand how this staff, led by Howard Dolgon, Vance Lederman and Jim Sarosy, has formed a special bond within the community and I’m eager to be a part of this group.” As the voice of the Crunch, Favale will broadcast play-by-play for all Crunch games on the team’s official radio station, ESPN Radio Syracuse, along with hosting “The Shootout Show” live at the War Memo29
They also hired Matthew Thompson as an account executive. As an account executive, Thompson will be responsible for selling ticket packages and single game tickets along with booking groups. He will also work with local businesses and organizations to develop relationships through business pack sales and sponsorships. A native of Syracuse, New York, Thompson graduated from the State University of New York at Oneonta in 2017 after attending Mohawk Valley Community College.
The Rome Youth Hockey Association has a proud tradition of hosting great tournaments that are competitive, cost consensus and focus on all players having a great time. We are excited to announce 5 great tournament opportunities for the 2017/2018 season. You can register and find additional information on our webpage at www.romehockey.org
Grizzly Gal’s Fall Brawl 12u & 14u October 27th – 29th, 2017 $650 Registration Fee
Regional Silver Stick® Qualifying Tournament
December 1st – 3rd, 2017 Tier II (B) Squirt, Pee Wee, and Bantam Travel Divisions $900 Registration Fee
RYHA House Tournament Weekend
January 19th – 21st, 2018 Rick Lefevre Memorial Squirt House Division John Corr Pee Wee House Division Bobby Page Memorial Bantam House Division $650 Registration Fee
21st Annual Roy Austin III Memorial Mite Festival February 2nd-4th, 2018 $250 Registration Fee For more information on any of these great events email Alissa Sparace sasha71004@msn.com or Deanna Van Wie at dlvanwie@yahoo.com 30
East Hockey
East Women’s College Report by Janet Schultz Janet@nyhockeyonline.com
MANHATTANVILLE
ther Castleton or Salem State University the next day. A mid-week matchup with former NEHC rival Saint Anselm College at Playland on January 10 is followed by a home two-game series with Chatham on January 12-13, before the Valiants wrap up non-conference play at Trinity (Conn.) College on January 16 and Williams College at home the next night. The final 10 games of the regular season are all comprised of UCHC weekend series, three of which come on the road. Manhattanville is home for two games against Utica on February 2-3 before a potentially big series at Elmira the following weekend, and the squad finishes up the regular season on February 16-17 by hosting Stevenson. The first-ever UCHC Tournament gets underway on February 21 with the quarterfinal round, followed by the semifinals on February 24 and the championship game on March 3. Taryn Harris ‘17 was drafted by the Boston Blades of the CWHL. Senior Sara Sinning (Southold NY) earned a gold medal at the 2017 FIRS World Inline Hockey Championship with Team USA this summer. The USA beat Spain 1-0 in the Senior Women’s Division.
The Manhattanville College women’s hockey team released its 2017-18 schedule as head coach David Turco will use a challenging non-conference slate to complement the team’s first season in the new United Collegiate Hockey Conference. Manhattanville will be competing in its third conference in the last four years, and will need to get accustomed to seeing many new faces as a member of the UCHC. Five former ECAC West schools – Chatham University, Elmira College, Neumann University, Utica College and William Smith College – make up the majority of the new conference, as well as Stevenson University out of the Colonial Hockey Conference, former independent Lebanon Valley College and first-year program King’s (Pa.) College. Also for the first time, Manhattanville will be competing for a Middle Atlantic Conference championship in hockey as well. The Valiants will compete with fellow MAC schools King’s, Lebanon Valley and Stevenson in contests that also count as UCHC matchups, with the MAC title going to the school with the best regular-season record among the four MAC programs. The Valiants will play the first three games of the season away from home, beginning with a just-added non-conference game against Utica on November 5, followed by two UCHC games at Neumann on November 10-11. The good news is there are plenty of chances to see the Valiants on home ice after that, as nine of the next 12 games will come at Playland, including the final five games of 2017. The long homestand begins on November 17 against Wesleyan University, followed by a preThanksgiving matchup with Amherst College on November 21. The team returns to action on December 2-3 with a two-game series versus Lebanon Valley before ending the calendar year at home on December 9 against Connecticut College. The Valiants start 2018 at Castleton University’s Rutland Herald Invitational on January 5-6, facing off with SUNY Canton on the first day before battling ei-
UNION PREVIEW With the Union College women’s hockey team entering year two under the Josh Sciba coaching era, the Dutchwomen have much to look forward to for the future of the program. The focus for this season is going to be continuing to get better every day and to work to become a playoff team, according to Sciba. “We want to create a new ceiling for our team,” he said. Sciba’s main goal of the year will be to continue to build upon the culture and sisterhood that is developing throughout the program and his players. “We began to scratch the surface of our on-ice identity last year,” he said. “We really want to drive that home this year – play free, play fast, play tough and play hard on the puck. We want each player to be 32
confident and feel unique in their role on the team.” With 11 newcomers joining the Union roster this season, there will be plenty of new faces and youth skating around Messa Rink. With 11 first years and eight sophomores, the upperclassmen ranks are made up of just four Dutchwomen. Seniors Katie Laughlin, Caitlyn McLaren, Brandy Streeter and junior Arianna Kosakowski will represent the 2017-2018 upperclassmen. “We’re going to be a super young team,” Sciba said. “These athletes come from successful organizations and will provide immediate depth to our team and raise our compete level to much higher standards.” Sciba added that he wants the younger players to be “pioneers for the program,” and help establish long term success for Union women’s hockey. “Our youth allows us to build for the future,” he said. “We can lay a solid foundation for what we want our program to be.” Assistant Coaches Mitch Baker and Whitney Colbert return for the 2017-2018 season with the addition of Volunteer Assistant, Mike Venezia, who comes from Morrisville State College. “Mitch and Whitney have done a fantastic job so far,” Sciba said of his staff. “They’ve done a great job connecting with players and recruiting kids and people that we want for our team. I’ve seen so much development in them from just over the summer that I’m excited to continue to see how they grow.” The Dutchwomen will compete in the 1st Annual Mayor’s Cup this year against RPI, prior to the men’s 6th Annual Mayor’s Cup at the Times Union Center, on January 27, 2018. In addition, the team will be involved with several community events this season such as “Pink at the Rink,” “Do it for Daron,” and “Shutouts for Seizures.” Sciba will also be involved with the “Real Men Wear Pink” campaign in a fundraising effort for Breast Cancer Awareness through the American Cancer Society. “Overall, we’re excited to have such a young group and another opportunity to see them and the team grow,” Sciba said. “I’m eager to see how the freshmen will impact the team and how our returners will step up into leadership roles as the season progresses.”
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RPI Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) head women’s ice hockey interim head coach Bryan Vines has announced the addition of five student-athletes to the 2017-18 roster. Joining this year’s team will be three forwards, one defenseman and one goaltender. Three are from the United States, and two are from Canada. Below is an alphabetical list of Rensselaer’s recruits: Maddie Burnett Position: Defense Height: 5’8” Hometown: London, Ont. Previous Team: Bluewater Hawks Why RPI: “RPI gives me the opportunity to excel both academically and athletically and I felt at home on campus and in the rink. I plan on studying biomedical engineering.” Jenn Gregg Positon: Goaltender Height: 5’4” Hometown: Voorheesville, N.Y. Previous Team: Troy Albany Ice Cats Why RPI: “I am fortunate to have grown up in the Troy area and as you can imagine, attending RPI (like my father), with its nationally recognized academic and athletic programs, has always been a goal of mine. I plan on studying biology and am very excited to be given this opportunity to represent RPI both on and off the ice.” Morgan Ondrick Position: Forward Height: 5’8” Hometown: Shorewood, Ill. Northern Chicago Young Americans Why RPI: “I chose to go to RPI because I knew I wanted to go to a school where I could be challenged on the ice and in the classroom. I knew after my first visit that I wanted to spend my next four years at this school. I am really excited to start my college hockey career and begin studying biomedical engineering!” Aimee Raithby Position: Forward Height: 5’10”
Hometown: Burlington, Ont. Previous Team: Burlington Barracudas Why RPI: “I chose RPI for the opportunity to study engineering at a nationally recognized institution and to play Division I hockey on such a beautiful campus!”
Middletown, Conn. She was responsible for practice plans and managed the forward lines, power play units and goaltending. Also assisting in the team’s strength & condition program, she was tasked with designing and executing goaltender-train and skills programs, including goalie specific clinics and player skills sessions. Prior to her time at Wesleyan, Connolly was an Athletic Communications Assistant at the University of Connecticut, where she was the primary contact for the Huskies women’s soccer, track & field/cross country and softball teams, while also assisting with the coverage of the national champion women’s basketball team. A player skills instructor at IPH Hockey since 2015, Connolly has also worked at Pro Crease Goaltending since 2014, working with a variety of skill levels and age groups in on-ice training sessions. She has also been a goaltending consultant for organizations, assisting in their respective tryout processes. Connolly was an intern goaltending coach for the USA Hockey U15 and U18 National Camps in July of 2015 and 2016, respectively, working with her head coaches on lineup decisions and in-game feedback. At the camps, she attended workshops and lectures aimed to improve technical knowledge as well as overall coaching development. In 38 career games in goal at Bowdoin College, Connolly posted a 21-11-3 record with a 2.21 goals against average and a .914 save percentage. She graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in history and teaching in 2013, before earning her Master’s in Liberal Studies - Social Sciences from Wesleyan in 2016.
Lauren Severson Position: Forward Height: 5’5” Hometown: Rockford, Ill. Previous Team: Madison Capitals Why RPI: “In addition to an awesome engineering education, RPI provides unique dual major options including design, innovation, and society focuses. The co-terminal program option allows students to transition directly into graduate programs. My first visit to RPI was for an entire weekend and I loved it right away. The extra time gave me confidence in knowing RPI was perfect for me. The deeper I looked, the more I liked RPI and every day found new amazing things to love. Awesome academics, awesome hockey. I can hardly wait!” Rensselaer posted a 10-24-2 overall record in 201617, with a 7-14-1 ECAC Hockey mark, making the league tournament as the eighth seed. The Engineers will return four of their top five scorers from last year, as 10 forwards, seven defensemen and two goalies are expected back in the fall.
Connolly Named To Staff Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) Associate Vice President Director of Athletics Dr. Lee McElroy has announced the hiring of Tara Connolly as an assistant women’s ice hockey coach. Connolly joins Christie Cicero on the staff of first-year head coach Bryan Vines. “We could not be more excited to welcome Tara to the RPI women’s hockey family, said Vines. “She is a tireless recruiter, great teacher and even better person. Her ability to forge lasting relationships with studentathletes and help them develop to their full potential, on and off the ice, will be an asset to our program and we are excited to see the lasting impact she makes.” Connolly joins Rensselaer after spending the last three seasons as an assistant at Wesleyan College in
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MANHATTANVILLE The 2017-18 Manhattanville College men’s hockey schedule was unveiled as head coach Arlen Marshall has put together a very tough non-conference slate to complement the team’s first season in the new United Collegiate Hockey Conference. For the first time since starting the program in 1999, Manhattanville will not be playing as a part of the ECAC West Conference; however, the Valiants will face off with many of the same teams as part of the UCHC. Former ECAC West rivals Elmira College, Lebanon Valley College, Nazareth College, Neumann University, Stevenson University and Utica College all will make the move to the UCHC, and they will be joined by new programs King’s (Pa.) College and Chatham University to form a competitive 16-game conference slate. Also for the first time, Manhattanville will be competing for a Middle Atlantic Conference championship in hockey as well this year. The Valiants will compete with fellow MAC schools King’s, Lebanon Valley and Stevenson in contests that also count as UCHC matchups, with the MAC title going to the school with the best regular-season record among the four MAC programs. The new season will kick off on October 27, the Valiants’ earliest open to a season since 2010, when Manhattanville hosts Morrisville State College beginning at 7 p.m. at Playland Ice Casino. Following the UCHC opener on November 3 at Elmira, the Valiants return home for three straight UCHC contests against Neumann (11/10), Stevenson (11/11) and King’s (11/18). Manhattanville will again be facing off with perennial power St. Norbert College over Thanksgiving Break, with the Valiants making the trip to Wisconsin this time for two games against the 2017 national semifinalists on November 24-25. The Green Knights finished last season ranked third in Division III by USCHO.com and fourth according to D3hockey.com. Following four more UCHC contests in December, January begins with a home matchup against Connecticut College on January 2. The team then travels north to Oswego State for its first appearance at the Pathfinder Bank/Oswego Hockey Classic on January 5-6. The Valiants will face a familiar foe, former ECAC
East Men’s College Report by Warren Koziereski
West rival Hobart College, in the first round, before taking on either Oswego or Skidmore College the following day. After a home date with SUNY Cortland on January 9, only three of the regular season’s final 10 games are on home ice. The Valiants host Elmira on January 19 and then will take on Chatham and Lebanon Valley on the penultimate weekend of the regular season on February 9-10. The regular season finishes with potentially big games on the road at Nazareth (2/16) and Utica (2/17). The UCHC Tournament is set to begin on February 21 with the quarterfinal round, followed by the semifinals on February 24 and the championship game on March 3.
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North Hockey
Northern New York Men’s College Hockey Report › Warren Kozireski
Wkozires@brockport.edu
CANTON Playing an independent schedule again this season, the Roos expect to better their seven-win total from a year ago after losing only two seniors. That mission will be accomplished by shoring up a defense that allowed 29 more goals than the team scored. “This year we are really looking for our large group of seniors to really step up in productivity and leadership, both on and off the ice,” second year head coach Alex Boak said. “Last year we had some great scoring depth from our freshman class in Tyler Bullard and Vili Koivula. We return all of our leading scorers and look for guys like Josh Sova (Oswego/senior), Koivula (sophomore), Bullard (sophomore) and defenseman Ben Beasley (senior) to take a step up and lead the way. Sophomore Vili-Jesper Koivula led the squad in goals (14) and scoring (28) last season while juniors Joey Vocino and Joe Deveny joined Bullard and Sova scoring in double-figures. Juniors J.P. Langloisa and Dylan Rosen, senior Trenton Yule (Oswego) and sophomores David Hopfer (Tonawanda) and Stuart Fierheller played the most games among blueliners last season. “In between the pipes all three of our goalies (junior Josh Erickson with sophomores Austin Washkurak
and Michael Cerasuolo) saw playing time last season. We are looking to one of them to step up and grab that starting spot to give us an opportunity to win on any given night.” “Really excited about our freshman class this year in Reily McIntosh, Jake Mayette, Dakota Ford and Mike Hans after only losing two seniors from last season. “We return a great deal of experience from last year and look for guys to take a step from where they were at last year. Our schedule looks very promising as we play a wide variety of teams from different leagues. We had some good wins last year against some good teams so if we build off of that then we will have a successful season.”
CLARKSON Forward Jack Jacome and goaltender Chris Janzen have been added to the recruitment class joining fellow freshmen, forwards Kevin Charyszyn, Grant Cooper, Josh Dickinson and J.C. MacLean, defenseman Connor McCarthy and goaltender Nicholas Latinovich on the Clarkson roster this fall. This incoming group will be joined by defenseman Jere Astren, who attended the University last year.
PLATTSBURGH A great second half run and their 23rd SUNYAC championship has the Cardinals in the driver’s seat after losing just one starting senior. “(We) always try to be a balanced team,” 2016-17 SUNYAC Coach of the Year Bob Emery stated. “With that said we always need players to get better. Leader-
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ship is a very important part of our program…it will be interesting to see who steps up.” The Cardinals will likely continue their scoring by committee as sophomore Joe Drabin (Gates-Chili) led the squad with 12 goals and 22 points. Junior forwards Cam Owens and Cole Stallard plus senior defenseman Aryton Valente the returnees with 20 or more points last season. Junior Jakob Engvall with sophomores Philip Middleton, Charles Barber and Evan Lindquist join Valente on a solid blueline. Sophomore Joshua Davies has played in just eight collegiate games and is the only returning goaltender on the roster. The team will welcome 11 newcomers including Medina native Lawrence Fenton and Tonawanda’s Jimmy Poreda in goal. “(We) still have a young team with only two seniors…work in progress all season…will try to get better every day.”
Senior goaltender Bryce McMenimen and junior Nate Skidmore (Skidmore) will be in net. Robby Simpson has been added as an assistant coach for the upcoming season. Simpson will replace Patrick Borer who left to become the new head coach of the Nashville Jr Predators in the NA3HL. Simpson graduated from Elmira College in 2016 after competing in 100 career games as a defenseman and totaled 22 career points (2-20-22) over the course of four years. Simpson also spent one year in the Southern Professional Hockey League where he played in 55 regular season and four playoff games, totaling 15 points.
POTSDAM
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ST. LAWRENCE All-American goaltender Kyle Hayton transferred to the University of Wisconsin as a grad student. Per NCAA rules he will be eligible immediately.
“Our entire team needs to take a big step forward,” head coach Chris Bernard said after a season where the Bears managed just one conference victory and were outscored by 43 goals over 16 conference games. “We competed hard last season but did not execute well enough, on a consistent basis, to win games. Our whole group, including our staff, must be better and we are completely committed to that objective.” “We had five one goal losses last year (and a loss by two that included an empty netter) so we will have to find a way to avoid making the critical mistakes that lead to our poor outcomes last year. We are ready to prove that we learned our lessons, albeit the hard way...we will be prepared, we will compete hard and we will execute more consistently.” Leading scorer and senior Dylan Vander Esch with a trio of sophomores in Bryce Ferrell (Buffalo), Tyler Young (Massena) and Nick Keck are back to lead the offense. The blueline had experience in seniors Sean Kacerosky and Kyle Thatcher with juniors Trevor Dennis (Rochester) with Dom Horvath plus sophomore Vinny Guimond, but they combined for 17 total points last year, so that needs to improve.
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Northern New York Women’s College Hockey Report
Name: Abigail Brush Year: Fr. Position: Forward Previous Team: Chicago Young Americans U19
by Janet Schultz Janet@ nyhockeyonline.com
Name: Kaitlin Drew-Mead Year: Fr. Position: Forward Previous Team: Buffalo Bisons U19 Name: Emma Killeen Year: Fr. Position: Forward Previous Team: The Gunnery School
PLATTSBURGH
The Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team has announced its nine-person 2017-18 recruiting class, as released Wednesday by head coach Kevin Houle. Name: Brooke Wolejko Year: Sr. (Transfer) Position: Goalie Previous Team: St. Lawrence University Name: Kayla Goleniak Year: Fr. Position: Defense Previous Team: Detroit Little Caesars U19 Name: Erin McArdle Year: Fr. Position: Defense Previous Team: Detroit Belle Tire U19
Name: Annie Katonka Year: Fr. Position: Forward Previous Team: Pittsburgh Pens Elite U19 The Cardinals have won each of the past four NCAA Division III national titles and open up their 2017-18 schedule with an exhibition game on Saturday, Oct. 21, at 3 p.m. against Castleton University. The Women’s Hockey Team will hold a Golf Tournament on October 14 at Bluff Point Resort. Contact HC Houle for information. On Saturday, Aug. 26, members of the 2016-17 national champion Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team received their championship rings coinciding with the return of students for the upcoming academic year. The Cardinals won their fourth consecutive and sixth overall NCAA Division III championship last year, going 28-1-1 overall (16-1-1 ECAC West). Schedule
The Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey team will look to win its fifth straight and seventh overall NCAA Division III national title in 2017-18, as the Cardinals will compete in 25 regular-season contests in addition to two exhibition games. Plattsburgh State also begins competition under a new conference banner in 201718, as it is one of the five remaining Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) West schools that will
Name: Madison Walker Year: Fr. Position: Forward Previous Team: Lansing Spartans U19 Name: Kerri Corcoran Year: Fr. Position: Defense Previous Team: Washington Pride U19 39
compete under a new conference name: the Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL). The Cardinals won their fourth straight and sixth overall national championship in 2016-17, going 281-1 overall (16-1-1 ECAC West). Their most dramatic game of the year came when the lights were the brightest, as they erased a 3-2 deficit in the national championship game against Adrian College to win, 4-3, in overtime. Senior Julia Duquette scored a shorthanded goal with 20.8 seconds left in regulation to send the game into overtime, while senior Erin Brand netted the overtime game-winner midway through the first overtime period on the power play. Plattsburgh State kicks off the 2017-18 season on Saturday, Oct. 21, with an exhibition game against Castleton University at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, and on Sunday, Oct. 29, the Cardinals entertain Utica College in their first regular-season game of the year. From Friday-Saturday, Nov. 3-4, Plattsburgh State visits SUNY Cortland in its first-ever NEWHL games before returning to the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena for a seven-game home stand. That stretch of games at home begins with a contest on Wednesday, Nov. 8, against Norwich University, which serves as a rematch of last year’s national semifinal. The Cardinals then host the Toronto Junior Aeros in an exhibition game on Saturday, Nov. 11, before entertaining Oswego State from Saturday-Sunday, Nov. 18-19. After Thanksgiving, Cardinal women’s ice hockey fans will be treated to a highly-competitive UNO Classic at the Ronald B. Stafford Ice Arena, with a rematch of last year’s national championship game against Adrian College set for Saturday, Nov. 25, to open the tournament. On Sunday, Nov. 26, the Cardinals will play either Middlebury College or Elmira College in either the consolation or championship game. Finally, the home stand concludes with a game against SUNY Potsdam on Friday, Dec. 1. Plattsburgh State closes out its first of two series against Potsdam on the road on Saturday, Dec. 2, before hosting Trinity (Conn.) College on Saturday, Dec. 9. From Sunday-Monday, Jan. 7-8, the Cardinals compete at the East-West Hockey Classic hosted by Norwich University, facing Norwich on Jan. 7 before 40
taking on either Adrian or Elmira in the consolation or championship game. NEWHL play resumes from Friday-Saturday, Jan. 12-13, at Buffalo State before Cortland comes to town from Saturday-Sunday, Jan. 20-21. That precedes a stretch of five straight road games for the Cardinals, which includes contests against Amherst College (Wednesday, Jan. 24), Middlebury (Tuesday, Jan. 30), Oswego (Friday-Saturday, Feb. 2-3) and Potsdam (Feb. 10). Potsdam returns to Plattsburgh State on Sunday, Feb. 11, while the Cardinals will close out their regular season with home games against Buffalo State (Saturday-Sunday, Feb. 17-18). No official dates have yet been announced for the NEWHL Tournament, but the top four teams in the final regular-season NEWHL standings will qualify for the event. The NEWHL Tournament champion will earn the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA Division III Tournament. Head coach Kevin Houle enters his 15th season at the controls of the Plattsburgh State women’s ice hockey program in 2017-18, boasting an overall career record of 344-44-23. He enters the year with the secondbest winning percentage (.865) and the eighth-most wins (344) in the history of NCAA women’s ice hockey (all divisions). New Look Cardinal Country got a new look on Friday, Aug. 18, with SUNY Plattsburgh’s Department of Intercollegiate Athletics unveiling a new visual identity for “Burghy” that will be seen across all teams and the campus as a whole beginning this fall. “These updated marks create a consistent approach we can easily use across all of our branding channels – from uniforms and playing surfaces to social media,” said director of athletics Mike Howard. “We worked to preserve the historical aspects even as we added new set of tools that will serve us well in the years ahead.” The new primary Cardinal head provides a defined, sleek look that speaks to the competitive excellence of Plattsburgh State Athletics. The clean, simplified lines will maintain the appearance in large and small sizes, with the overall ratio essentially a square and a unique treatment of crown feathers setting it apart. “Burghy is an integral part of campus and means
a great deal to each of us,” said President John Ettling. “This design, and the accompanying new suite of materials, honors our tradition and spreads our wings a bit. I like it.” Additionally, a new “P” logo, with custom serifs that resemble bird feathers, and a tertiary logo that melds the primary cardinal head with the custom “P,” have been created.
at 7 p.m. on November 30, then host the Golden Knights at 3 p.m. on Saturday, December 2. After opening the season with an exhibition game at home against McGill, St. Lawrence goes on the road for two non-league series, facing Mercyhurt on October 6-7 and Merrimack on October 13-14. The Saints will begin the ECAC Hockey schedule by hosting Cornell and Colgate on October 27-28. After returning from California, St. Lawrence closes the regular season with 12 straight ECAC Hockey CLARKSON Cayley Mercer has been drafted by the CWHL Chi- contests. The Saints will host Dartmouth in their final regular season home game, with longtime men’s hockna Vankje Rays. ey coach Joe Marsh, now the interim women’s hockey coach for the Big Green, making his return to AppleST. LAWRENCE Kennedy Marchment was drafted second overall by ton Arena. the NWHL Buffalo Beauts. The St. Lawrence University women’s hockey team’s CANTON 2017-18 schedule will feature several exciting match- Mandy Montgomery has been named the assistant ups, including the program’s first trip to California and women’s hockey coach at SUNY Canton, announced a pair of games against last year’s NCAA Quarterfinal by Head Coach Dave LaBaff on Tuesday. Montgomery joins the Roos program after one seaopponent, Boston College, at Appleton Arena. BC will be making their first trip to Canton since son as a volunteer assistant coach with Division I ColOctober, 2014, with a 6 p.m. start on Friday, November gate University during the 2016-17 season. The Raiders finished the season 22-11-3 overall including a 13-8-1 10, and a 2 p.m. opening faceoff the following day. After a four-week break from games during the mark, good for sixth place in the highly competitive holidays, St. Lawrence will return to action with a pair ECAC Hockey standings. of games against Lindenwood in Anaheim, California. “Mandy keeps with the trend of hiring hard-work Justine Reyes ‘19 and Kayla Nielsen ‘19 are both ing assistant coaches that are great role models for the from California and played for the Anaheim Lady young ladies of our program,” LaBaff said. “She brings Ducks prior to coming to St. Lawrence. Lydia Grauer an enthusiasm and willingness to learn that has already ‘19, who is from Mukilteo, Washington, also played for had an immediate impact on our team. She is the kind of person that is going to give everything she has to the Ducks. “Every year we try to design a schedule that will make this program the best for our players.” give our players memorable experiences,” said head Montgomery has an extensive hockey background, coach Chris Wells ‘92. “Last year we had the opportu- as she served as the director of girl’s hockey at the Hocknity to play the first women’s college hockey games in ey Training Institute (HTI Stars) in Mulmur, Ontario D.C. This year, our trip to California will be a first for prior to her time at Colgate. Montgomery was responour program, and will also give some of our players a sible for recruiting players from all over the world for the girl’s winter hockey academy and summer training chance to play in front of friends and family.” This year’s schedule once again features four games camps. She also directed on-ice and off-ice practices, against Clarkson. The Saints will play the Golden focusing on skill development and strength and conKnights in their regular season home opener on Octo- ditioning. Montgomery managed the team’s academic ber 20 at 3:30 p.m., then face Clarkson at Cheel Arena progress, equipment orders, game schedules and social at 3 p.m. the next day. Six weeks later, the teams will media. face off once again, this time in ECAC Hockey games. Montgomery has also been involved with USA St. Lawrence will play a rare Thursday contest at Cheel Hockey at the Under-18 Camp as an intern coach in 41
2017, the Under-15 Camp as a team leader in 2015 and has her USA Hockey Level 3 Coaching Certification. “I am very excited to join the women’s hockey program at SUNY Canton,” Montgomery said. “My experiences coaching at Colgate University, Hockey Training Institute, and USA Hockey have taught me a great deal about recruiting quality student-athletes, developing elite players, and managing organizations at the highest levels. I admire Dave’s commitment to building up the program, and I look forward to assisting him and the team this season in preparation to compete on the national stage.” Prior to working at the Hockey Training Institute, Montgomery was an assistant coach at Sacred Heart. Montgomery designed and implemented practice plans for goaltender and defensive zone coverage as well as producing video analysis sessions. Montgomery played ice hockey throughout her four years of college, starting at St. Norbert College from 2010-12 before transferring to Sacred Heart for her junior and senior seasons from 2012-14. In her career, she was 8-11-3 with a 3.30 GAA and .906 save percentage. Montgomery graduated Summa Cum Laude from Sacred Heart with a Bachelors of Arts in English in 2014. “Mandy brings a ton of experience with her coming from an elite D-I program like Colgate,” LaBaff added. “Not only will our players benefit from those experiences, but so will I. Mandy’s worldwide connections in the recruiting world, especially from her time at HTI, will be a huge asset for us as we keep striving to become more and more successful.” Montgomery replaces former assistant Taylor Wasylk who accepted the head coaching position at Suffolk University and will lead the Rams in their inaugural season in 2017-18. All three assistant coaches in SUNY Canton women’s hockey history have gone on to either full-time head coaching positions at the Division III level or a full-time assistant at the Division I level. The Roos open the season on October 28th when they visit Plymouth State University. The team opens their home slate in Colonial Hockey Conference play
on November 17th v. Salem State University. Stay up to date with the latest news directly from the SUNY Canton Athletics department by “liking” us on Facebook and “following” our Twitter, Instagram and YouTube accounts. Schedule The SUNY Canton women’s hockey team will play a 25 game schedule that includes 11 home games and 12 conference contests during the 2017-18 season. The Roos open the slate on the road on October 28th at Plymouth State before opening Colonial Hockey Conference play at the conference’s newest institution, Nichols College, on November 3rd and 4th. This season marks the conference’s third season as the winner of the end-of-season tournament will earn an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. SUNY Canton opens its home portion of the schedule in CHC action when it welcomes Salem State University to the Roos House. The team then hits the road for eight straight road tilts from November 21st through January 11th. The Roos then return home for seven straight contests spanning nearly a month as they host SUNY Cortland (1/13) along with weekend series v. Salem State (1/19, 1/20), Morrisville State (1/26, 1/27) and Endicott College (2/2, 2/3). After a Tuesday trip up Route 11 to square off with SUNY Potsdam, the team will visit Becker College for its final CHC road series of the season before closing out the regular season on February 16th and 17th v. Johnson & Wales University. The CHC Quarterfinals will take place on February 24th with championship weekend set for March 3rd and 4th at the highest remaining seed. “I am excited for what the 2017-18 schedule has to offer,” Head Coach Dave LaBaff said. “Our league is just getting stronger, and our out of conference games give us a look at some great teams from some of the best leagues in the country. We will look to grow as a team on the road first semester, and try to mirror our home ice success from last year during a significant home stand second semester.”
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West Hockey
Buffalo Regals U14
Amerks Name Richardson Director of Ticket Sales
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our members of the Buffalo Regals U14 squad have made commitments to college. Jersey Phillips will head off to Mercyhurst (2020); Abby Ruggiero, Cornell/2020; Mia Wendell, Yale 2020; and Sydney Wegner, Mercyhurst/2021.
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he Rochester Americans announced the appointment of Nicole Richardson as the team’s Director of Ticket Sales. In her new role, Richardson (formerly Petix), who enters her eighth season with the Amerks in 2017-18, will be responsible for overseeing all sales, service and retention of all ticket-related activities, including suites for the organization. Additionally, Richardson will serve as the primary liaison between the organization and the team’s loyal fan base. A lifelong resident of Rochester, Richardson spent three seasons as the Amerks’ Ticket Sales Manager from 2008 to 2011, where she was responsible for managing the inside sale staff in addition to selling season and group tickets. After a two-year hiatus, Richardson returned to the Amerks in 2013, serving as Partnership Services Manager before being elevated to Director of Service and Development midway through the 2016-17 season.
Buffalo, NY Native Foligno Agrees To 4-Year Deal With Wild
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orward Marcus Foligno, a native of Buffalo, NY, agreed to terms on a four-year, $11.5 million contract with the Minnesota Wild. The contract has an average annual value of $2.875 million. “We are happy to officially have Marcus as a part of our club for the next four seasons,” general manager Chuck Fletcher told the Wild website. “Marcus is a big, physical forward (6-foot-3, 228 pounds) who is capable of playing a heavy game while also contributing offensively. We are excited to add his presence to our lineup and watch him continue his growth as a player.” The 26-year-old, who was a restricted free agent, was acquired June 30 by the Wild with forward Tyler Ennis and third-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft in a trade with the Buffalo Sabres for forward Jason Pominville, defenseman Marco Scandella and a fourthround pick in the 2018 draft. Foligno set an NHL career high with 13 goals and had 10 assists in 80 games last season for the Sabres. He has 116 points (49 goals, 67 assists) in 347 games the past six seasons with Buffalo, which selected him in the fourth round (No. 104) of the 2009 NHL Draft.
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BUFFALO STARS OPENER VS NJPE SQUIRT AA
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Photos by Janet Schultz; Janet@nyhockeyonline. com
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from the Buffalo Bison and Amherst/Sweet Home/Clarence will be a safe guard and huge aid to gain control in the D zone and begin the breakouts. She played in 19 games tallying 7 goals and 9 assists. “Her size and strength makes her hard to knock off the puck and you definitely will be seeing her in the lineup this season,” said Coach Wilson. Bri Gawronski (right) joins the Bengals after a success career in the WNYGVIH with Monsignor Martin. She saw 277 shots making 262 saves and creating an impressive 94% average. “Bri may be small in height but plays a big game,” said Coach Wilson. “Quick, agile and fantastic with rebound control, Gawronski will definitely but the pressure on Senior goaltender Justin Silva to maintain the top goalie spot she has held consistent over the past three years,” remarked Coach Wilson. Olivia Smith (left) is a forward who played on the U19 Buffalo Bison last season, a well as for Kenmore/ Grand Island in the WNGVIHL. She was named first team All Federation for the past three years and finished third in points playing in 22 games with 21 goals, 14 assists and 35 points for KGI. “Olivia has speed and play-making abilities to become a part of the line up as an impactful freshman,” said Coach Wilson. “I am excited to watch her develop as she settles into changes of college hockey.” Kayla Kopinski, a defenseman, is a transfer from Salem State who finished third in points overall last season tallying 5 points on 2 goals and 3 assists. Having a year of NCAA under her belt will make her a huge asset for the program, according to Coach Wilson. Another Buffalo girl, Anna Quattro is a goalie transfering from Franklin Pierce, where she played softball only. However she has maturity and height and stands at 5’11” , a major difference between her and Silva and Gawronski. Jordyn Buziak comes in as a Junior looking to gain some ice time for the Bengals. “Jordyn could make an argument for one of the best skaters on the team,” said Coach Wilson. “Her agility makes her puck handling skills at the blue line seamless. We are excited to watch her in some future
Western New York Women’s College Hockey Report by Janet Schultz Janet@nyhockeyonline.com JDSchultz3663@gmail.com
BUFFALO STATE The Bengals are coming off an extremely phenomenal 16-17 season after going 17-8-2 on the season and 127-1 in the ECAC West. With a heavy senior class including Captain and Buffalo local power Forward ERin Gehen, the Bengals only graduated three seniors making this experienced group of veterans able and rady to take on the challenge ofa national bid. As members of the newly-formed North Eastern Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) the Bengals will battle against four-time national champions Plattsburgh for the Number One spot. Oswego is not to be taken lightly as are other conference foes Cortland and Potsdam. “I think you will see a very different game than what we have in the past,” said first-year Head Coach Jennifer Wilson. “We are an extremely fast team so I am looking forward to harnessing that and using it to our advantage. Having the maturity and leadership of a powerful senior class, you are going to see a tremendous amount of confidence, patience with the puck and an overall tenacity as they play the last 25 games of their careers,” continued Wilson. “They have laid the foundation for the turn around that has happened over the past three years and they are fully invested in making this a memorable year,” said Wilson. A look at the recruits and we see a number of girls who played in the Western New York Girls Hockey League for the past four seasons. Courtney Cavarello (left)--coming 47
foot races,” said Wilson. Kira Herkley is a forward who played for the West Seneca Wings and a former teammate of Kayla Kopinski. She also played for the Buffalo Regals. “Kira will be an addition to the forward lineup and be able to use her asset of quick shooting and shot placement,” said Wilson. “We are excited to watch her develop and adjust to the college game.” Finally Theresa Chickles is a Defenseman from the Tier II National Champions San Jose Sharks AA program. At 5’9” Chickles has the size, reach and poke check to dismember active plays from the other team. With accurate passes and a hard low shot, they are excited to add her to the lineup. The biggest strengths of the Bengals this season will be their experience, speed and goaltending, according to Wilson. “We have a fantastic backbone to our team in our goalie department, as Silva has been the prime goaltender for the past several years” said Wilson. ““I believe we have great new talent to add making the net competitive.” “Being able to use our speed to our advantage, I think you will see a lot of organized chaos so to speak,” continued Wilson. “Designing and implementing systems that expose our oppositions weaknesses while we are able to put the petal to the floor so to speak, has been exciting. One area Wilson sees is a need to harness their discipline in both the defensive zone and overall physical play. “We are a strong team and history has shown we take a few too many penalties per game. “Regardless if they are intentional or not, making a few adjustments to keep us at even strength will be a challenge,” said Wilson. “On that regard, I am excited to implement a new powerplay with the girls which has also been a low-end spot for the program.” One of the major highlights of this years team is that so many families will be able to watch their girls play, as the Bengals have a great squad of local players. “It’s hometown motivation,” said Wilson. “Most of these girls have had the chance to either play on the same teams or against each other so the group chemistry is already great.” “We have some surprises to drive fans into the seats between giveaways and hidden tokens that can win prizes; however, that is in the works,” said Wilson. The girls will also take part in Making Strides Against Breast Cancer and Walk to End Alzheimer’s. They also are looking at a partnership with a local female youth team. “I’m excited to continue the development that has taken 48
place by Coach Moxley and incorporate my own style to make this a group of girls even more successful. “We are aiming for a first place finish in the NEWHL and a national bid. “I would also really enjoy watching a a few seniors get nominated for post-season awards,” said Wilson. “I am really excited to see what the girls are capable of,” said Wilson in closing. “I believe they have the drive and dedication to make this an impactful season and I am really excited to be a part of that.”
RIT PREVIEW After advancing to the College Hockey America Semifinals a year ago, the RIT women’s hockey team has high hopes in returning to the top of the league standings in 2017-18. The Tigers are looking for their third CHA Championship since joining in 2012-13. RIT opens the season with an exhibition contest against Ryerson University from the Gene Polisseni Center at 3:05 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 24. Despite having just two seniors on the roster, RIT returns 17 players from last season’s squad, while adding eight highly touted newcomers. The Tigers boast versatility and strong depth, which will be key during the grueling season. “We’re excited to get the season started and like the direction that we’re headed in,” said Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach Scott McDonald, who enters his 12th season. “The team is eager to get back to its winning ways and understand we have to work harder on and train harder off the ice.” The Tigers open the regular season at The College of Holy Cross on Oct. 6-7 before playing six straight games at the Gene Polisseni Center. On Oct. 13-14, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute of the ECAC invades Rochester for Brick City Homecoming & Family Weekend, while Yale University is in town on Oct. 20-21. RIT heads to Boston University for two games on Nov. 3-4 and goes to Vermont University on Nov. 24-25 for the Windjammer Classic. The Tigers close out non-conference play with consecutive road series at Bemidji State University of the WCHA on Dec. 8-9 and Union College on Dec. 15-16. RIT plays 20 games against conference foes, starting with two home games against Lindenwood University on Oct. 27-28 and ending with its final 12 regular season contests to begin 2018. With six teams in the league this season, the Tigers will play four games against Syracuse, Mer-
cyhurst, Penn State, Robert Morris and Lindenwood. The CHA Tournament First Round, Semifinals and Championship will be held on March 1-3 at the HARBORCENTER in downtown Buffalo. “We like to play a hard non-conference schedule, which will help prepare us for an even tougher CHA schedule,” said McDonald. “For many of our newcomers, it was nice to get their first postseason win last season. It was nice to make the CHA Semifinals (last season), but we now want to take the next step and not only make the CHA Championship game and win the title.” Four first-time captains will lead the squad on and off the ice in 2017-18. Senior Lauren Carroll (Carlisle, Ontario/ Oakville Hornets) and junior Kendall Cornine (Kinnelon, NJ/Morristown Beard) will serve as captains, while juniors Mallory Rushton (Amherst, Nova Scotia/New Hampton Prep) and Christa Vuglar (Crystal Lake, IL/Chicago Mission) are assistant captains. Carroll, a stay-at-home defenseman, is well respected in the locker room. Cornine led the way offensively last season for the Tigers with 12 goals and 20 points, 129 shots on goal, 332 face-off wins, four power-play goals and a pair of gamewinners. Rushton, who can play forward and defense, led the Tigers with 46 penalty minutes and blocked 38 shots in 2016-17. Vuglar, a defenseman, returned to the lineup in 2016-17 after missing all of the 2015-16 season due to injury, playing in 28 games and was third on the team with 49 blocked shots. “We like the leadership that our four new captains have brought to the team, on the ice, in the locker room and in the weight room,” said McDonald, who enters the 2017-18 season as RIT’s all-time leader with 201 wins. In addition to Cornine up front, senior Darcy Henderson (Burlington, Ontario/Burlington Barracudas), along with juniors Logan Land (Turkey Point, Ontario/Holy Trinity Catholic), Brooke Baker (Saline, MI/Saline), Kandice Sheriff (Brampton, Ontario/) and Kathryn Kennedy (Hamilton, Ontario/) will look to enjoy breakout seasons. Sophomores Claudia Black (Newmarket, Ontario/St. Maximilian Kobe), Tori Haywood (Pickering, Ontario/St. Mary’s Catholic), Madison Farrand (Potomac, MD/Winston Churchill) and Jade Mancini (Burlington, Ontario/Bishop Tonnos) earned valuable experience last season and will all be counted on to take on a greater role. McDonald has brought in a talented group of newcomers, as Brittney Gout (Caledon, Ontario/Brampton Canadettes), Stella Haberman (Golden Valley, MN/Minnesota Whitecaps), Kaleyn Johnson (Toronto, Ontario/ Mississauga Chiefs), Jordan Marchese (Mississauga,
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Ontario/Brampton Canadettes) and Baylee Trani (Huntington Beach, CA/New England Hockey Club) are a dynamic group who will look to compete for playing time right away. “From a forward standpoint, we have a lot of depth,” said McDonald. “There are a lot of new faces up front who can add scoring, which we have lacked over the last few years, which will be fun to watch. We expect Kendall (Cornine) to lead the way and improve off a very good sophomore year.” Carroll, Vuglar and Rushton, along with junior Brinna Dochniak (Marine on St. Croix, MN/Stillwater) and sophomore Taylor Baker (Toronto, Ontario/North Toronto Collegiate Institute), return to lead the defensive unit. All five played at least 30 contests last season, as Baker led the team with 60 blocked shots. First-year defenders Katie Carlson (Dalbo, MN/Minnesota Revolution) and Ellie Larson (Hutchinson, MN/ Hutchinson High School) will look to crack the lineup and help the experienced unit. Land and Haberman may also see time on the back end as well in various situations. “Overall, I like where we are defensively, but want to add more of an offensive component from our blueline, which we have gotten away from. We have some versatility that will allow for good competition.” In net, junior Jenna de Jonge (Abbotsford, British Columbia/George Elliot), sophomore Terra Lanteigne (Hatchet Lake, Nova Scotia/Charles P. Allen) and freshman Jessi O’Leary (Woodstock, New Brunswick/Athol Murray) will all battle for the starting nod. de Jonge showed flashes of brilliance during the 201617 season, leading the team with four wins, while recording a 2.88 goals against average and a .913 save percentage. Lanteigne was named to the College Hockey America AllRookie Team last season after leading all RIT goaltenders with 20 games played, a 2.72 goals against average and a .918 save percentage to go along with a pair of shutouts. She was strong in CHA play, finishing among the league leaders with a 2.29 goals against average and a .930 save percentage. O’Leary was a member of Team New Brunswick in Canada. “I am excited to see all three goalies compete for the starting nod,” said McDonald. “All three are capable of starting and regardless of class year, the goalie who gives us the best chance to win will earn the most playing time.” The places are in piece for the Tigers to make a run toward a CHA title and earn their second NCAA Division I Tournament berth. In coaching news Scott McDonald, Bruce B. Bates Women’s Hockey Coach at RIT, announced the elevation of Shane Madolora to top women’s hockey assistant coach. Madolora recently completed his first season as an assistant coach for the women’s program in 2016-17, helping
lead the squad to the College Hockey America Semifinals. He also played three seasons as a record-setting goaltender with the RIT men’s team. “As an alum, Shane knows the ins and outs of RIT hockey,” said McDonald. “He is very calm under pressure and as a young coach, certainly relates well to our players in a positive manner. Shane has a very bright future as a coach, so this was an easy decision.” Originally from Salinas, Calif, Madolora played three seasons for the Tigers from 2009-2012, recording a bevy of individual honors, while setting RIT records with a 1.98 goals against average, a .932 save percentage, and 13 shutouts. He is second among all goaltenders in RIT’s Division I era with 1,727 saves and recorded a microscopic 1.57 goals against average and .945 save percentage in the postseason. Madolora was a nine-time Atlantic Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week and back-to-back All-AHA first team selection.
UNIVERSITY OF BUFFALO Behind the Bulls bench is a familiar face to the girls of
the WNYGVIH league--it’s Mark Lauber, assistant coach with Monsignor Martin. The job came open and someone approached Lauber’s daughter to see if he might be interested. They called him, he interviewed and they hired him. What he’s walking into is a team that headed off to the Nationals for the past two years but have not been able to bring the Championship home. They have a core of players that are talented and four girls have come into the team this year, along with two transfers. “They all are talented and play at a high level of hockey,” said Coach Lauber. “We will continue to build on the success from the past year.” The Bulls have a well-rounded line up as well as good goaltending in Finley VanHouten and Theresa Meoski. Coach explained that they will split the duties based on how well they play. The strength in this year’s team is the speed and the puck handling. The players seem to be able to know each other moves and know where the puck will be even before it gets there. “I’m looking forward to see who we develop as a team as we go on,” said Lauber. “There is great camaraderie on and off the ice.” The Bulls beat RIT in their home opener at Northtowns
on Saturday (13-1) and Sunday (9-1). It should be noted that RIT has a number of newcomers, some that have very little hockey experience.
FROM VIDEO TO COLLEGE HOCKEY by Janet Schultz
S
everal years ago WNY Hockey Magazine/Janet Schultz covered the story of a young girl who felt that the NHL video game was a little out of tune with who was playing hockey. The avatars were all male and she thought with the growing number of female players, the company should incorporate a female avatar. This little girl, a freshman in high school, became the prototype for that avatar. Alexi Peters watched her brother play hockey and many of her cousins were involved so she decided to give it a try. When not on the ice they all would play hockey video games. The games gave players the opportunity to design their own team, put NHL players as well as themselves on the team. But when she went to put herself on the team, Lexi had to choose a male avatar. She wrote EA Sports and she found herself getting several photos taken at all angles and she became the “default” female that players could customize. That was in 2011. Now you can find her skating on the UB Bulls Girls Ice Hockey Team with moves that rival the guys. Peters is now in her junior year at UB and has played the past two seasons with the Bulls. She played freshman high school hockey with the JV team at Starpoint, boys that is! She also played for the Amherst Knights, Niagara Junior Purple Eagles and in her se-
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Left: Lexi poses with her avatar on EA Sports NHL Hockey and below Lexi as she appeared in a game recently for the UB Bulls. (Photos by Janet Schultz, NY Hockey OnLine Magazine)
nior year played with the Cazenovia Chiefs. On her travel teams she played girls hockey. What she remembers is a lot of hype for about a month after EA Sports came out with NHL Hockey. The funny part of all this is when talking to her current coach he had no idea. Lexi doesn’t tell anyone but they do have ways of finding out. “It cooled down after about a month,” said Lexi. “It’s made for a lot of nice college essays and when I look back it was cool!” The cool part for most of us is that a young girl saw what she felt was unfair, explained her position to a major corporation and they actually took it to heart and made a fix. Lexi sees women getting more recognition in hockey and she sees the women’s side growing. “It’s cool to see all the women’s hockey in the community,” said Lexi. With regards to UB’s upcoming season. “It’s our year for the Nationals,” she says. “Our goal is to win a game there because it was heartbreaking not to last year. We started out good and ended bumpy.” “We were undefeated last season and then lost the games at the nationals. “We can win it. We are capable of it.” she concluded. 51
“We will take it one game at a time!” Again we congratulate her and wish her well as she pursues a degree in exercise science and physical therapy... and continues her love of hockey with the UB Bulls.
Western New York Men’s College Hockey Report
“We will rely heavily on both Matt Schneider and Jake Moore between the pipes.” Seniors Brandon McMartin and Brian Hurlimann (Hilton) with juniors Bryan Carville and Connar Bass will provide plenty of experience on the blueline.
by Warren Kozireski
Wkozires@brockport.edu
BROCKPORT A sixth place regular season finish and first round exit in the SUNYAC playoffs were the bad news in 201617, but a sweep of the season series with Plattsburgh for the first time in program history provides some momentum heading into the new season. “Coming off a disappointing playoff loss for the second year in a row we’re hoping that a great start can put us in position to host a first round or even semi-final round matchup,” head coach Brian Dicksinson said as the program begins its 45th as a varsity entity. “We’re fortunate to return many key players after only losing 2 to graduation and we will rely on their experience to help the new players along. We’re excited for a successful season.” Sophomore and leading scorer Connor Hutchins was voted an assistant captain by his teammates and joins Third Team All-SUNYAC junior Tim Kielich (Buffalo) and senior co-captain Aidan Verbeke as those scoring 20 or more points last season. “With a veteran core returning we are hoping that a number of them will build off last season’s statistics. Doc Gentzler and Hunter Laslo are players that we think can add to their offensive output as sophomores and (senior) Ryan Kangas looks to rebound after being plagued with injuries all last season.
FREDONIA A second half push launched the Blue Devils into fifth place before a one-goal loss in the first round of the postseason gives the team hope that it will provide momentum heading into this season. “For the first time in a few years, we are much older and we think that will enhance our game and season,” head coach Jeff Meredith said. “Obviously it starts with your seniors in (defenseman) Jamie Young, Oskar Gerhardson and Sam Wilbur. (Leading scorer) Wilbur will be counted on to increase his offensive productivity after making the SUNYAC Third team last year. “We have a large junior class who pretty much every one of them has played a big role since their freshmen year. That group includes goaltender Eric Bogart, (defenseman) Jon Carlson, Todd Schauss, Kyle Jelinski, Max Ross, (defenseman) Mike Freeman, Luke Rivera, Bobby Polachek, Jimmy Morgan. Sophomore Jacob Haynes put up 25 points in just 21 games. “Our young team from the past few years has matured and is hungry to build on last year.” Forward production offensively is key as only 11 of them team’s 109 goals and 29 assists combined came from their entire defense last season—all of whom are back.
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GENESEO
“Michael Tilford returns in net for his sophomore year after a strong second half and will be pushed by classmate Andrew Lee and freshman Sean Kuhn. “As far as leadership goes, we have a small senior class but an exceptional leadership group in captains Janzen and Matt Manzella, as well as Ryan Walter and Power, who are leaders in the room even without letters on their jersey.” “We feel we are strong in net and on the back end defensively, but we will need guys to step up up front in order to fill the shoes of 2016-17 AHCA Second Team All-American Dom Gabaj. Hopefully we can once again compete for a home ice berth in playoffs.” Janzen registered a team-high 19 assists last season while Romzek stood third on the squad in goals and points. Juniors J.R. Wojciechowski and Jacob Paluch, senior Walter plus sophomores Owen Kuhns and Sean Halliace anchor the defense.
Two second-half losses to Plattsburgh cost the Knights home ice in the conference semi-finals and ultimately ended their season and now they try to find new contributors after losing 45 goals and seven seniors who played 20 or more games last season. The roster features only two seniors, but three Division I transfers. Penfield native Conlan Keenan led the team with 23 goals and was second with 35 points as a freshman. Classmate Andrew Romano also had a solid freshman campaign with 17 assists and 26 points. “Expect (goaltender) Devin McDonald and (forward) Anthony Marra to return to being top players this year, like they were as freshmen,” head coach Chris Schultz projected. “As freshmen, McDonald was All-SUNYAC and Marra had 36 points in 31 games; we expect them to return to that level of play. “David Szmyd had a good first year playing on our third line. He will get more of an opportunity offensively and has the talent to make a big jump in productivity. Pat Condon (Merrick) and Sotiri Athanasopoulos will be senior co-captains.” The Knights welcome ten new players with seven freshmen and D1 transfers Duggie Lagrone (Colorado College), Tanner Salsberry (Bentley) and Erik Pedersen (Michigan Tech).
NIAGARA The Purple Eagles added three freshmen and one transfer goaltender to their recruitment class in forwards Eric Cooley and Justin Kendall, defenseman Jack Zielinski, and goaltender David Krejcik giving the team 11 newcomers and 19 returning players this season.
NAZARETH
College SID’s.--Please put NY Hockey Online on your press release mailing list. We will use all releases on our website and also time-appropriate news in our magazine. Send to Janet@nyhockeyonline.com
The Golden Flyers will attempt a second consecutive winning season in conference player, albeit a new one in the nine-team United Collegiate Hockey Conference with former ECAC West foes except Hobart plus Chatham and King’s. “Some of the players we expect to take a jump this season in productivity include junior Austin Romzek, seniors John Power and Oliver Janzen,” head coach George Roll said.
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Congratulations Cazenovia Chiefs Pee Wee Team on your Early Bird Travel Tournament Championship! Team Coaches/Parents: Send your Championship photo and/or tournament news and we will use it! Janet@nyhockeyonline.com
Buffalo Regals Junior Hockey
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he Buffalo Regals Junior B team of the Greater Ontario Junior Hockey League will open the 2017-18 season at home on Tuesday, September 19th at Buffalo State Arena. Warm up is at 6:30 and the puck drops at 7pm. The GOJHL is an exciting league made up of players 20 and under who aspire to advance to the college and professional ranks of hockey. The Buffalo Regals Juniors will be conducting a $20,000 Lucky 7 Raffle to benefit their organizations Junior B team. The Grand Prize of $10,000 along with $10,000 in additional prizes will be drawn during the teams Meat Raffle on Saturday, November 11th at the Lancaster Moose Lodge. Tickets can be obtained from John Evoy 510-1784 or Pete Preteroti 491-0375. They will also be conducting several Youth Hockey Nights during the 2017-18 season. Area youth teams can create their own special night for their team by being a part of Youth Hockey Nights. Special pricing will apply for Youth Hockey Nights. For more information about the Buffalo Regals Juniors visit us on line at: www.buffaloregals.org
Buffalo Stars Opener Results
T
he Buffalo Stars opened their season with a tribute to our Military and a fundraiser to benefit Wounded Warriors. In game one the Squirt AA team took on the Niagara Junior Purple Eagles and lost 4-3. In other game that day: Pee Wee Major TB: Buffalo Bisons 5; Stars 7 Minor Bantam AA: Cheektowaga 5; Stars 8 Pee Wee Major NTB: Tonawanda 5; Stars 1 Bantam Major AA: Hamburg 1; Stars 7
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So what can fans expect coming to a Niagara Falls Powerhawks game? “They can expect fast paced hockey. We have a lot of activities going on during the game including chuck-a-puck, trivia questions, a 50/50 raffle, all sorts of giveaways. “It’s a great brand of hockey.” Most games are played on weekends. Friday night games begin at 7 p.m., Saturday nights at 6 p.m. and Sundays at 1 p.m. Vecchio also talked about some of the talent found on the Niagara Falls squad this season. “Forward Andrew Logar (Niagara Falls native) has returned for another season,” said the Powerhawks GM. “There is Justin King (Toronto, Ont.) back on defense, who has tremendous offensive skills but he has to work a little more on his defense. “Then there is Spencer Hrynczak at forward (Lancaster, NY), who has talent that is off the charts. This team should make for an exciting season of hockey.” The Powerhawks play in the NA3HL at the tier III level. The NA3HL’s tier III level of junior hockey consists of 48 teams and eight divisions. It spans across 21 different states. The Powerhawks will play in the Northeast Division, including New York State teams in Rochester, Oswego and Binghamton. “Our guys are playing to move up to the Level I or Level II brands of hockey,” concluded Vecchio. “Some will even look to move up to college hockey. “It’s a good brand of hockey and fans attending Powerhawks games should be entertained.”
By Randy Schultz
T
he Lockport Express Junior hockey team were on the move over the summer. And their move ended up taking them to Niagara Falls. The 2017-18 will see the new Powerhawks play in the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion. It was a move that was a year in the making. “We were in Lockport for three years,” recalled Express and Powerhawks general manager, Frank Vecchio. “We had a great fan base who really supported us. “But at the end of the day it came down to a basic business decision. We were paying top dollar for ice times, but getting the worst ice times. “Our relationship with the management team in Lockport wasn’t going anywhere. So we decided on the move to Niagara Falls. “The Carella’s (Gene and son Michael, who operate the Hyde Park Ice Pavilion) have been great so far. We are very happy.” With a new location and name, the Powerhawks named a new coach for this season. “We named Jason Hill as our new head coach,” said Vecchio. “John Cullen is our new assistant coach and goalie coach with Bret Gilmour rounding out the staff. “All three coaches have a lot of local connections. So they’ve been able to talk to players about playing for the Powerhawks.” But Vecchio warned that there is a flip side to all of those connections. “We have a relatively young team,” commented Vecchio, now in his 27th season of hockey. “We are earning our stripes, so to speak. “We have to learn how to win. We have to learn how to play defense. We have to learn how to handle adversity. “But I think with the coaching staff that we have, we will achieve success with these different areas.”
WELCOME NIAGARA FALLS POWERHAWKS
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WNYGVIH
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he Western New York Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League is opening its eighth season in November with 14 schools and 7 teams. Still hoping to expand, the League is looking to Niagara County Schools and even Rochester to join in. For seven years there has never been a clear Champion until the playoffs took place in February. This season will be no different as Frontier/Lakeshore/ Orchard Park look to defend both the Section VI and Federation Championships. They will also strive for the Sectional in order to return to the NYS High School Girls Championship, where last season they were upset by Skaneateles. The League has given girls the opportunity to show their talent and seek out collegiate opportunities. The Class of 2017 has done just that with Courtney Cavarell (CASH) Brianne Gawronski (Monsignor Martin) and Olivia Smith (Kenmore/Grand Island) heading to Buffalo State College; Kaitlyn Drew-Mead 56
to Plattsburgh and Hannah Gallivan to Queens College. However, Hannah has chosen to play soccer for Queens. Frangelica Bautz and Meghan Roche, both members of the Championship team, are headed to Mercyhurst and Leah Czerwinski will play for Oswego. These are certainly girls to watch as all of them (except Gallivan) will make their way into the area at some point to take on a WNY College. The WNYGVIH season opens on Monday, November 20 with a single game at Buffalo Riverworks. West Seneca/Hamburg/ Eden will take on Williamsville at 4:30 p.m. Up next on Tuesday are three games with Monsignor Martin at Lancaster/Iroquois/Depew at 4 p.m. at Holiday Twin Rinks; Williamsville at Amherst/Sweet Home/ Clarence, also at 4 p.m. but at Northtowns Arena and Orchard Park/Frontier/ Lakeshore at Kenmore/Grand Island at 7:40 p.m. at Lincoln Arena. The full schedule can be found at wnygirlshockey. com Admission to these games is free and it is a great way for younger girls to see the fastpace, skilled play of their high school girls.
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UB 13; RIT 1 Saturday, Sept. 23
Photos by Janet Schultz
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