WNY Hockey Report January 2014

January 2014 VOLUME 3 • ISSUE 4

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Contents

In This Issue:

P.O.Box 302 East Aurora, NY 14052 716-830-0182 info@wnyhockeyreport.com Managing Partner Ian C. Woods icwoods@wnyhockeyreport.com Vice President, Business Development Ned McDonnell Commish@wnyhockeyreport.com Publisher & Managing Editor Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com Designer & Photographer Janet Schultz Janet@wnyhockeyreport.com Senior Columnists Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com Contributing Editor Jeff Kolcon Jeff@maksymum.com Communications & Marketing Director Val Andrews Val@wnyhockeyreport.com Columnists Janet Schultz Michael Mroziak michael@wnyhockeyreport.com Rob Sedia rob@newedgehockey.com Lars Lewis Lars@wnyhockeyreport.com Matt Ondesko Matt@wnyhockeyreport.com Tom Barnett Tombarnett@earthlink.net Anthony Fiorello anthony@wnyhockeyreport.com Skylar Vitko-Woods

High School Hockey – Section V & VI ............................................................. 4 Western New York Goalies.................................................................................. 7 Around the Associations...................................................................................... 8 College Hockey: Men..........................................................................................10 Rob Sedia New Edge Hockey...........................................................................11 Rochester Americans..........................................................................................14 Buffalo Junior Sabres..........................................................................................15 Women’s Hockey..................................................................................................16 Steve Ott Reads to Students ............................................................................17 Rochester Jr Americans......................................................................................18 Local Official Strikes Gold..................................................................................19 Juniors: Look East Young Man.........................................................................20 Rochester Youth Hockey News........................................................................21 Monroe County Youth Hockey........................................................................24 Lakeshore Arena...................................................................................................24 Janice Cavaretta....................................................................................................25 College Club Hockey...........................................................................................26 Senior Hockey........................................................................................................28 Red Bull Crushed Ice Wrap-up.........................................................................29 USA Sled Hockey..................................................................................................30 Insight Hockey.......................................................................................................35 Matt Roeder............................................................................................................37 WNY Legends of the Game: Tim Horton......................................................38 Buffalo Stars North...............................................................................................38 Mike Gilbert Olympic Bound............................................................................41

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High School Hockey

4

High School Section VI

by Matthew Ondesko Matt@wnyhockeyreport.com

St. Francis Red Raider Barber, brings toughness to his game St. Francis High School sophomore defenseman Jonathan Barber brings something to the Red Raiders that the team hasn’t see in a long time – toughness along the blue line.

sophomore could reach new heights.

“We like Barber, but he is a bucket of nerves in the games,” said Murphy. “He makes some mental mistakes.

He is my project. He should progress as the season goes on. If we can settle him down and make him believe in himself, he should be one of our best defenseman. I look forward to him being successful.”

DiChristopher carries hopes of the Redskins Justin DiChristopher had a tough choice to make.

After three years with the Lancaster High School hockey team, DiChristopher decided he wanted to try a new challenge.

He took his talents to the Junior B level where he saw limited action for coach Matty English’s team.

So, instead of riding the bench, the senior came back to the Redskin family to try and lead Lancaster its first Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation championship.

In the end, it wasn’t an easy decision for the senior, but one he is happy he made.

“It was definitely a great experience,” said DiChristopher after a recent practice. “It was a great level of hockey. I have been with Matty English for three years. But, things just didn’t work out. So, I came back here.”

The 5-foot-11, 205-pound transfer from Batavia doesn’t mind throwing his weight around and protecting his goaltender and teammates when need be.

“I am more of a hitter,” said Barber after a recent game.

“My job is to go out there and protect the team.”

It has been an interesting ride for the sophomore as he started his high school and hockey career with Batavia High School before transferring to Athol Springs and St. Francis.

That’s a pretty long car ride to and from school each day just to play hockey.

But, Barber wouldn’t have it any other way. He said St. Francis is a great for him, both academically and athletically.

“Actually, I like here at Frannies,” said Barber. “They are treating me nice up and here, and I am getting a lot more playing time. “ Obviously, the sophomore still has a lot to work on.

He knows that he isn’t perfect and looks to learn as each game goes on.

“One thing I need to work on it keeping my head on a swivel,” explained Barber. “Try to communicate with the guys better on the ice. Because, at times we are quite on the ice, And, I believe I can make a difference with that.”

The speed of the game is something the sophomore is trying to get used to. Barber and his teammates were blitzed the first game of the year against rival Timon, and that gave the Batavia native a wake up call that the league he is in now is a step up from what he has been playing.

“It is definitely a lot faster,” he said. “Down at my level [my old team], I remember it being a slower pace, and you didn’t have to move your feet as much. But, up here, you always have to have your feet moving. Have to have your head on a swivel, and also be more aware.”

Another things he needs to work on is his nerves. First year St. Francis coach Tom Murphy says Barber has all the tools he needs to be successful in the Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation and even the St. Francis Prep team if, and when, the time comes.

If he can get a hold of his early game jitters, the

The coaches are happy DiChristopher is back as well.

He gives this team the veteran presence needed in net.

He also gives Lancaster a chance to win every night, just like he did in an opening season win over Orchard Park; where he stood on his head until his teammates could get their legs going.

Playing at the high level that DiChristopher does night in and night out can where on a net minder at times.

DiChristopher, however, just keep it in stride.

“It’s a little tough at times,” said DiChristopher. “You just have to pull it together and be mentally strong, and just prepare for anything that is thrown at you.”

But, if you are looking for DiChristopher to take the credit, don’t. That isn’t his style. In fact, he deflects any credit he may have to his teammates.

“I think we are definitely progressing after every practice,” said DiChristopher. “We have to turn it up and pick up the intensity. And, hopefully, come together as a team.”

If the Redskins are to win that elusive WNY Federation title, DiChristopher knows he needs to improve his game.

And improved DiChristopher could only mean great things for the Redskins, and ever DiChristopher, who

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would like to take his game to the College level.

But, before he thinks he about college, the Redskin net minder needs to work on a few things.

“It’s really not just me, but the entire team,” he said.

“I don’t like to focus on myself too much. Just need to turn it up a notch. Hopefully, I will be able to play at the college level. But, first, I just need to keep improving and progressing.”

The Lancaster Redskins will rely heavily on Justin DiChristopher. If the senior can handle the pressure, then the Redskins could be hoisting their first WNY title.

West Seneca’s Gehen hits the century mark “For four years she has been our leader, our go to player out there,” West Seneca coach Brian Hillery.

Hockey is a team game. You win as a team and you lose as one. Along the way, there are individual records that could be achieved.

One major record was achieved in early December at West Seneca’s Erin Gehen scored her 100th goal of her varsity career.

Gehen is the first girls’ hockey player to score 100, and later surpass the 100-goal mark, in Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation action.

“All the hard work over the past four years have finally paid off,” Gehen said after a loss to the Monsignor Martin. “To reach 100 goals is pretty exciting. When that goal went in, I just wanted to win that game, honestly. I just wanted to get back out there and try and get some more.”

It has been a long road for the senior, who has seen her team some bumps and bruises over the past couple of season.

Even with the struggles of the team, Gehen has kept motoring along.

“It’s definitely been a struggle,” Gehen said of the young teams play this season. “But, we are getting better every game and we are hanging in there. We are just going to keep on trying and play hard every game.”

Her freshman year saw her score 22 goals and she came into this season with 92. While he goal scoring ability gets all the attention, what people may not know about Gehen is she is a deft playmaker.

In fact, Gehen takes more pride in her setting up her teammates then scoring goals.

“To be unselfish is what every player needs to have if they want to be good,” said Gehen. The goals are going to come if you are a playmaker.”

High School Hockey Added Hillery. “She is just a tremendous worker. She works hard in practice. She is the first one on the ice for practice and the last one off. She is really a joy to coach. She is like a coaches dream. Know matter what you tell her, or what you have her do, she is going to go out there and give you 110 percent. Without her, we wouldn’t have been able to have a season last year. Her leadership. Her effort is really a joy to watch.”

What a lot of people may not know is that Gehen is a tremendous soccer player. Gehen was named a first team All-Metro soccer player this season, and says playing soccer actually helps her with her hockey game.

“Soccer and hockey mesh with heart,” said Gehen.

“Like, how hard you play. If you play hard in anything, and work at it, then you are going to get better.”

While Gehen has scored a ton of goals in high school, she knows she still needs to improve if she wants to play at the next level.

“I need to work on being aggressive,” said Gehen. “A lot of the girls are a lot bigger than me. I need to keep my head up and just keep playing hard.”

Mount Mercy hockey players blazing a trail “This is a great group of girls that I am blessed to have for my first year as head coach, and here’s to many more years of being on the ice and on the MMHSAA bench.”

Linda Mroz.

When you think of high school hockey success in South Buffalo, your mind goes right to Bishop Timon High School.

After all, the Tigers have won a couple of Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation championships.

They also produced Timmy Kennedy, who plays for the Phoenix Coyotes and numerous Division I players, through the years.

But, just a couple blocks over at 88 Red Jacket Parkway, the young ladies at Mount Mercy Academy are showing people that good hockey isn’t just being played by the boys at Timon these days.

That’s because nine young ladies are putting on the purple, black and silver jersey of the Monsignor Martin of the Western New York Varsity Hockey Federation.

The Monsignor Martin is the two-time defending champions of the Federation and the Mount Mercy hockey players have been a big part of the success.

Last season, then freshman, Brigid Keane scored the game-winner to cap an undefeated season.

“She has unbelievable speed and passion for the game,” said Mroz. “She does not stop working until the final whistle of the game.”

To be able to have so many classmates on one team is a nice luxury to have.

“It’s kind of comforting, because you have an outlet at school,” said Mount Mercy Academy sophomore Catherine Radwan. “We have Madeline (Stoklosa) and (Katherine) Lauber as the two older girls. And, then, we have the captain Shannon Moran (senior). So, it’s nice, they have been able to show us the ropes.”

The older girls on the team have been doing a good job of showing the younger players the ropes. Moran and juniors Madeline Stoklosa and Lauber have already won two Federation titles, while Keane and Radwan each took home one.

Because of that kind of early success, schools like Mount Mercy have seen an uptick in the interest in the hockey program. They also see an uptick in enrollment because of the hockey program.

While some incoming freshmen picked the academy because of where they live, some did choose the school for the fact they have so many classmates on the team.

“I had a friend whose sisters went here,” stated Mount Mercy freshman goaltender Brianna Gawronski. “But, when I heard there was hockey here, I wanted to come here.”

With the word getting out more and more, there might be chance, down the road the academy at some point could field its own team.

While that may not happen for awhile, the young ladies that make up part of Monsignor Martin team believes it could be a reality.

“I could see when girls hockey takes off in the next few years,” stated Radwan. “Maybe not Mercy right away getting their own team, but maybe grouping schools together into a north and south. But, hopefully, Mercy will have its own hockey team.”

With all the success, however, the players are still trying to build a fan base at the school.

Women’s hockey doesn’t have the hitting and the same kind of speed like the men’s game does. So, it has been a tough sell to the rest of the student body to come see them play.

Another big reason for the lack of attendance by the student body is because the Monsignor Martin doesn’t play any games at Caz Ice Rink in South Buffalo.

Most games are played in North Buffalo, Kenmore, Northtowns Center, Nichols or East Aurora.

“There’s no boys there,” Radwan said laughingly.

“People just don’t know [about it],” added Stoklosa.

Then there is the thing about girls playing hockey.

While this is the year 2014, many still feel that girls shouldn’t be playing the sport.

Because of this, it is still hard trying to get acceptance at times.

“There is that superstition as well that girls shouldn’t be playing hockey,” said Stoklosa.

What people might not know from never going to a game is the girls’ game has a better pace to it.

It has a better flow. Yes, there are times when some teams are over matched. But, because you can’t body check in the girls’ game, there is more thinking and better control along the boards.

“It’s different because you just can’t body check someone to get the puck,” explained Radwan. “You have to think a little more out there. It’s nice to see the difference. You don’t always know what to expect.”

Added Gawronski. “I watched the Women’s Frozen Four a couple of years ago and that was really interesting. Everybody was skating and I thought it was almost better than the pros.”

The young ladies at Mount Mercy Academy may not look at themselves as pioneers for the sport of hockey.

But, what they are doing for a school, and a community that craves hockey, is something special.

And someday, they will be looked upon as the ones that started a hockey tradition at Mount Mercy Academy.

WNYHockeyReport.com

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Page gets the call to represent his country at the Paralympics in Sochi Adam Page has loved the sport hockey his entire life.

Growing up a Buffalo Sabres fan, Page could remember going to hockey games when he was just 3 years old.

Page’s love for the sport never stopped, even when he was diagnosed with spina bifida, a birth defect caused by the incomplete formation of the vertebrae.

“I grew up watching hockey and I just fell in love with the game,” said Page. “I started at age 7 and always wanted to play at the highest level. I always dreamt of playing for the USA.” While he couldn’t play hockey the conventional way, Page was able to pick up the sport of sled hockey.

“It’s just like regular hockey,” he explained. “Just that you are sitting down.”

Page became so good he was named the youngest (15 years old) youngest member of the U.S. National Sled Hockey team back in 2007-08.

That led him to being named to the 2010 Paralympic hockey team in Vancouver, where Team USA won gold.

Page, a Lancaster resident, can now add two-time Olympian to his resume and he was just named to the 2014 Team USA Paralympic team that will head to Sochi, Russia, to defend its gold medal in March.

“It’s my second time going,” said Page recently by phone. “This time I am a little bit more focused. I’m making the most of it.”

Making the most of his call up is something he did in Vancouver four years ago. Page played a steady game and even scored a goal during the tournament as the USA won gold.

That time in Vancouver is a time he still remembers fondly.

“Nothing like it,” said Page on his Olympic experience.

“I still remember Vancouver like it was yesterday.”

The USA comes in as the favorite after having a very good stretch of tournaments over the past year.

Page was a big factor in the USA success as he helped Team USA to a silver medal at the 2013 International Paralympic Committee Ice Sledge World Championship in Goyang City, South Korea; helped Team USA to a first-place finish at the December 2012 World Sledge Hockey Challenge in Calgary, Alta.; skated in all five games, scoring one goal; helped Team USA to a firstplace finish at the January 2013 USA Hockey Sled Cup in Indian Trail, N.C.; played in all four games, scoring two goals – one short-handed – and adding three assists; contributed to Team USA’s two wins in its three-game series vs. Canada February 2013 in Rockland, Ont. Even with all the success, Page knows Team USA needs to go in and take care of business.

“We just have to do what we do best,” stated Page.

“We need to have that attitude that no one can beat us, that we can only beat ourselves. We are more skilled than the team in 2010.”

Team USA’s biggest threat to back-to-back gold medals will be the Canadians.

High School Hockey

High School Section V

by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com Pittsford, Aquinas and Hilton sat atop Division I, II and III respectively, but with about four weeks remaining in the regular season, the races were far from over.

Tim Foster, Greg Weyl and Andrew Scruncio were pacing the Pittsford offense while goaltender Danny Kelly earned a pair of shutouts and was sporting an impressive 1.88 goals against average over his first ten games.

The Greece Thunder, Fairport and Webster-Schroeder were right on the Panthers heels four points back. The Thunder were getting plenty of offense from Cody Mazeau, Anthony Fedele and trio of others who had eclipsed the ten point mark while goaltender Quinton Rose registered nine wins over his first 11 games.

Fairport’s Alex Schoepfel had eight goals in nine games with teammate Quinn Wiedemer having the same number of assists. Joe Schuler and Matt Montgomery were leading the Warriors in scoring while the team had three different goaltenders see at least a few games of playing time and will need to find their go-to down the stretch.

In Division II, Anthony Depetres and Jimmy Diliberto stood 1-2 in the league in scoring with 35 and 33 points respectively to lead Aquinas to the top of the standings.

Irondequoit had seven players in double-figures led

by Anthony Thurston and Mitchell Culver while David Farrance and Kyle Pooler were the top scorers for Victor.

The Hilton Cadets had allowed the fewest goals in Division III with 17 over their first ten games with Curtis Acker and Patrick Dennehy splitting time in net. Frank Gaffney, Sean Robson and Austin Bull were all in double-figures for the Cadets. Churchville-Chili, Spencerport and Brockport were all just two points back as of January 9th. Connor Hyong and Ryan Cosgrove were pacing the Saints attack, Brandon Corey and Nick Charron were the Rangers top scorers and Brandon Henshaw, Matt Roe and Mitchell Henshaw— the top line for Brockport—was atop the Blue Devils scoring chart.

Ten high school games in all were played as part of the Frozen Frontier event held December 21-22. Each team paid $3,500 to participate, which marked the first high school hockey games played outdoors in New York State.

Victor, Irondequoit and McQuaid were the winners of the first three games Saturday in low scoring affairs before Webster Thomas and Webster Schroeder battled to a 1-1 tie. In the nightcap, Pittsford goaltender Danny Kelly registered the shutout in a 4-0 win over Fairport.

Churchville-Chili, Brockport and Spencerport all won their games on the final day at Rochester’s Frontier Field.

Junior Ryan Cosgrove netted a pair of shorthanded goals in the third period and senior defenseman Connor Hoyng had a goal with two assists to lead the Saints to a 5-0 victory over Batavia in the Sunday opener.

After a scoreless first period, Saints defenseman Michael Yehl roofed his shot over the glove of the goaltender at 5:33 for a 1-0 lead. Freshman Brian Nowicki assisted on the play.

In the final minute of the period, Hoyng walked in from his point position and rifled his shot into the net with assists from David Luciw and Tanner Metcalfe.

In the third while killing a penalty, Cosgrove outskated the Batavia defense on a dump-out and scored five-hole for a 3-0 Saints lead. Four minutes later he scored another shorthanded goal on a wraparound with an assist by Hoyng.

The Saints finished the scoring at 9:33 of the third when sophomore defenseman Nick Kuszlyk beat the Batavia goaltender with a wrist shot from the point.

Hoyng and Luciw assisted.

Kyle Wood and Tyler Phillips combined to make seven saves to earn the shutout.

“It was great,” said Cosgrove about the outdoor event.

“The atmosphere, the ice was alright; everything was crazy. Play was a little slow, but we came out in the third, regrouped and came out with some fire and picked up the ace a little bit.”

“We’ve been looking forward to this for so long that you worry that it’s hyped up that’s it’s too much for them and I think we saw a little of that in the first period,” said Saints head coach Brian Young.

Game two on Sunday pitted Brockport against Batavia Notre Dame with the Blue Devils emerging with a 4-1 win.

Junior forward Matt Roe came off the half-wall and scored short-side at 9:54 of the first period to stake Brockport to a 1-0 lead with assists from Brandon and Mitchell Henshaw.

“I saw the left side wide open,” said Roe. “It was a great experience playing outdoors in a big stadium.”

At 7:13 of the second period, Matt Rowell drew two defenders to him before centering a perfect pass which Dylan Sharpe slammed into the net for a 2-0 lead.

It became 3-0 at 12:42 on a wraparound shorthanded goal by Brandon Henshaw. In the third, after Notre Dame scored their only goal of the game, Kirby Trask netted his first goal of the season on a rebound with assists from Koby Dusett and Carlton Ekiyor.

Riley Emmerson and Anthony Begemann combined to make 24 saves in net for Brockport.

“It was a little different game because we tried to involve all 20 players and both goalies, but still help them understand that it was a division game that counted,” said Brockport head coach Greg Stahl.

The third Sunday contest featured Spencerport scoring six goals on only 20 shots and defeating Brighton 6-2.

Brandon Corey scored four goals and added an assist while Nicholas Charron and Jacob Cerretto each had four assists for the Rangers.

Corey scored on a wrist shot on Spencerport’s first shot-on-goal of the game at 6:08 of the first period.

Cerretto made it 2-0 at 11:16 and, after Brighton scored to pull within one, Corey redirected a shot for a 3-1 lead at the end of the first period.

Brighton again pulled to within a goal early in the second period, but the Rangers responded just 26 seconds later as Corey put in his wrister from the left faceoff circle. At 14:43 of the second, defenseman Mason Besser threw a head-man pass up the left wing boards where Corey chased it down and scored to make it 5-2 Rangers after two periods.

Jackson Charron netted the only goal of the final 12 minutes on a rebound from Aidan Conolly and Besser for the 6-2 final.

Ryan Schirano and Dan Nichols combined for the win in the Rangers net.

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Hat Tricks Louis Cup – Irondequoit Anthony Depetres – Aquinas (2) Joe Eddinger – Canandaigua Brandon Henshaw – Brockport (2) David Farrance – Victor (3) Mason Versage – Notre Dame Joe Gardner – Greece Lightning Anthony Fedele – Greece Thunder (2) Brandon Corey – Spencerport (2) Connor Rotenberg – Brighton Ernie Clement – Brighton Jack Flowerday – McQuaid Ethan Mordenga – Greece Thunder Greg Weyl – Pittsford Eric Haney – Victor Joe Schuler – Webster Schroeder

Shutouts Christian Portland – Victor Kyle Wood-Churchville – Chili (2) Colin Montesano – Webster Schroeder Argy/Jerzak – Webster Thomas Thomas Conroy – Aquinas Chayse Ierlan – Victor Acker/Lamparella – Hilton Danny Kelly – Pittsford (2) Philips/Wood-Churchville – Chili Miettinen/Luke/Rose/Bellavia – Thunder Sam Prior – Aquinas Connor Raemen – McQuaid James Krystofik – Penfield Rose/Bellavia – Greece Thunder Ryan Schirano – Spencerport C.J. Scroger – Brighton

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WNY Goalies

7

Western New York Goalies Leading College Programs

by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com Hockey fans have talked over the last few years how the state of New York produced three of the 30 current NHL captains in the New York Rangers Ryan Callahan (Hilton), Los Angeles’ Dustin Brown (Ithaca) and the Montreal Canadians Brian Gionta (Greece).

And three western New York natives were recently named to the U.S. Olympic hockey roster in Callahan, Brooks Orpik and Patrick Kane.

Not nearly at the same level, but the area has also produced the top goaltenders for four of the 59 Division I college hockey programs in the country.

Add Division I back-up goaltenders and Division III starters and the number jumps four more.

W i l l i a m s v i l l e ’s Braden Komm is a multi-year starter at Bentley in the Atlantic Hockey Association where he has an 8-61 record, a 2.43 goals against average and .928 save percentage while playing all but one period-plus for the second place Falcons.

He was named Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Month for November.

Bentley goaltender, Braden Komm of Williamsville.

Komm makes big save.

Rensselaer’s Scott Diebold is in his junior season with the Engineers and took over the top spot earlier this season when Jason Kasdorff was lost for the season to shoulder surgery.

All the Buffalo native has done for the 8-6-4 Engineers is register a 2.17 GAA (20th in nation) with a .922 save percentage (25th in nation) over 17 games.

Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh is off to a rough start with a relatively young roster. Part of that youth is Penfield native Terry Shafer, who had played in 12 of the team’s 14 games and earned both the Colonials wins while seeing 373 shots on goal—better than one every 120 seconds.

RIT’s freshman goaltender Mike Rotolo (Greece), who got his first collegiate start November 23rd against St. Lawrence and hasn’t been out of the lineup since. He racked up a five-game winning streak and a sixgame unbeaten run heading to 2014.

“We’ve put a few wins together, but it’s a team game and RPI goaltender, Scott Diebold. the guys have played very well in front of me over my first six starts,” said Rotolo.

RPI goaltender, Scott Diebold.

Photo by Mick Neal.

“It’s nice (getting so much playing time his freshman year) and hopefully I can keep contributing. The most important thing is the wins. To be able to play in my hometown, there is no better feeling than going out there in front of my friends and family and putting that jersey on most importantly.”

In addition to the four starters, Steve Racine (Williamsville) has split time this season with the Michigan Wolverines and Buffalo native Parker Gahagen is in his freshman season as the number two net-minder for Army. And, if you extend the reach to Division III, Geneseo, ranked 14th in the nation, is being backstopped by Hilton’s Bryan Haude’s 7-1-0 record and 2.64 GAA to second place in the SUNYAC standings. Plus Fairport’s Zach Sorensen is in his senior season with Western New England after playing junior with the Syracuse Stars.

“Maybe it’s just something in the water here, I don’t know,” said Haude. “Western New York has been a really good area for hockey and I feel like we’re really developing a lot of good players and not just goalies.

“I think it’s good coaching and having a good team around you.

“I really need to thank my goalie coach—Lou Perno.

We’ve really worked at coming out and challenging, controlling rebounds and keeping my feet a little bit calmer so I definitely have a lot of confidence this year.

WNYHockeyReport.com

Above: Rotolo in action.

“I played with (Schafer) in Triple A-Monroe County with him and against him in high school hockey when he was with Aquinas and I played for Hilton.”

After a few years of high school hockey, Haude left home to play junior hockey in the Eastern Junior League with Hartford before arriving at Geneseo, where he RIT goaltender, Mike Rotolo slit time in net last of Greece. season.

As a junior he played in nine of the Knights first 11 games this season.

“Everyone’s goal is to try to go to the best team possible, but I wouldn’t trade my time here (Geneseo) for anything. Really close to home and family gets to come see me play; I couldn’t be happier.”

It can’t be denied that New York has produced more than its share of on-ice leaders with three team captains.

But the next generation may make its mark in the blue paint.

Look for our February & March 2014 Try-out Issues

Around The Associations

8

Around The Associations Edited by Michael Mroziak

American Special Hockey Association Created in 2000 for players with a developmental disability, the American Special Hockey Association (ASHA) is a therapeutic program using the game of ice hockey to give people of all ages and abilities a chance to learn and grow by playing hockey. There are currently over 50 ASHA programs in more than 30 cities throughout the United States. Six of those national programs are in the New York area. If you are interested in finding out more about our very successful and inclusive programs, joining or beginning one in your area, contact one of the programs below, or our national office at www.americanspecialhockey.org

Buffalo Stars The biggest news from the Buffalo Stars organization in recent weeks is its announcement to expand its footprint into Niagara Falls. The Stars will expand that footprint in the 2014-2015 hockey season with the formation of the “Buffalo Stars North,” or Niagara Falls Stars. The team was scheduled to unveil a new logo in mid to late January that would use “Niagara Falls” prominently.

As part of the plan, the Stars will form Multiple Organization House League (MOHL) teams in the Squirt, Peewee, Bantam and Midget levels. In addition, the Stars will offer a Beginner/Learn to Skate Hockey Program.

“We are pleased to be able to offer Niagara County residents an opportunity to play for a team with the name of Niagara Falls in it,” said Buffalo Stars Vice President of House Hockey Dave Lynch. “It makes perfect sense since we already have so much ice available to us at the Hyde Park Ice Rink now.”

The Stars were in the process of opening the online registration process for their new House Program in mid January. The Stars will also start to accept resumes for coaches for some of these teams.

Interested players or coaches should contact Dave Lynch at 253-3157 or email President Pete Preteroti at sportsniag@aol.com.

This is not a full move from the team’s longtime base at Holiday Twin Rinks in Cheektowaga. The Stars will continue to offer Erie County residents a MOHL Program as well as continuing existing programs at Holiday Rinks.

Bantam Majors gear up for a playoff run: Fresh off their division championship season, the 99’ Bantam Major Buffalo Stars team started off the 2013-2014 season facing a challenging tournament-bound schedule. Much of the core from last year is back with several new faces creating strong depth at every position on the roster.

To kick off the season, the team took an eight-hour trip up to the beautiful Jay Peak Resort in Vermont to play in the Green Mountain Avalanche Tournament.

The team finished 1-2 but it was a great weekend for team bonding and family fun.

Buffalo Bisons The Buffalo Bisons Pee Wee Mixed team got into the spirit of the Holiday Season by collecting presents to share with young patients at Women and Children’s Hospital in Buffalo. The presents ranged from Hot Wheels to Barbies to large stuffed animals.

The organization wishes to extend its thanks to the event coordinators, Lynn Trites and Jenn Pastore.

The team also traveled to Hershey, Pennsylvania to participate in the Hershey Bear Holiday Classic.

The Bisons finished as runners up, losing in the championship game after competing against teams from Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York State, playing five games in two days.

East Aurora (Aurora Ice) The Learn to Skate program at the Healthy Zone Rink in East Aurora is now into its third and final session of the season. All sessions will conclude in early March.

The program is open to participants ages 4 through adult, beginner through advanced.

Classes are 30 minutes of instruction followed by 20 minutes of practice time. Parent participation is available if you would like to skate with your child for the last 20 minutes of each lesson.

For more information, visit thinkrink.org and follow the link in the “News and Events” section of the website.

Monroe County Youth Hockey What did the MCYH Edge 19U girls team get for Christmas? A Polar Bear.

No, not the actual big furry animal, but a championship in the 2013 Holiday Polar Bear Tournament in Cromwell, Connecticut.

The team traveled during the Christmas holiday to the tournament, which hosted competitors from throughout the USA and Canada.

Last year, the team advanced to the semifinals.

This year their goal was to go beyond that round. The tournament got off to a disappointing start, though, as the team dropped a 2-0 decision to the Minuteman Flames.

The team avenged that loss, one they blamed on coming out flat and lacking heart, with a much more inspired performance against the New England Pride.

The change in attitude resulted in a change of outcome, with NCYH winning, 2-1.

It also built momentum for the Edge, who later defeated the Lady Patriots, 3-2, followed by a 4-1 win over the Washington Wild.

Seeded first for the elimination round, the Edge opened against fellow New York team Brewster Lady Bulldogs. After falling behind, 2-1, Maggie Benson’s breakaway goal late in the third period evened the score. She struck again just 30 seconds later with the game-winning goal. The team finished the game shorthanded and successfully prevented a Brewster comeback.

Awaiting them in the tournament championship were the nation’s 7th-ranked Portland Pirates, who had not allowed a goal in the tournament and outscored their opponents 17-0 in five games.

Portland conceded its first goals of the tournament in the second period of the championship game, when Abby Corbett and Molly Maguire scored to put the Edge ahead, 2-0.

The determined Pirates scored in the third period to cut the lead to 2-1, then pulled their goalie late for an extra attacker. However, the Pirates then committed a penalty, creating a situation of five skaters against five skaters with the Portland net empty. The Edge’s Torey Gokey was tested in the late stages of the period but she held firm, and preserved the Edge’s 2-1 win.

While these young ladies had little time during the Christmas Holiday to enjoy their gifts and more relaxed times, their hard work and busy schedule were

WNYHockeyReport.com

rewarded with a Polar Bear title.

Northern Educate Sports Academies The Northern Educate Hockey Academy announced the hiring of Billy Sauer as its Director of the Goalie Academy for NEHA’s Rochester campus.

A Rochester native, Billy played for the Perinton Blades and attended McQuaid Jesuit High School.

As a sophomore, Billy helped win the 2004 Section V Championship with McQuaid and was named First Team all-state. In the same year, Billy won the USA Hockey National Championship with the Buffalo Saints.

Following his sophomore year, Billy played Juniors for the Chicago Steel in the United States Hockey League and went on to be a four-year starter for the University of Michigan. As a Wolverine, Sauer was voted College Hockey Player of the Month and set the Michigan Hockey Single Season Record with a 1.95 GAA, 92.4 save percentage while accumulating a 30-4 record.

Upon graduation from Michigan with a bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology, Sauer was Bachelor’s in Kinesiology, was drafted by the Colorado Avalanche 201st overall and played three seasons in the AHL and ECHL. He is currently a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (NSCA), and a Certified Personal Trainer (NSCA) who owns his own gym, the Parisi Speed School.

Northern Educate Sports Academies originated in Minnesota and recently expanded their operations to Rochester, NY. Northern Educate Sports Academy is designed for boys and girls grades K-12 and at this time has sports development programs for hockey and lacrosse.

Academically, Northern Educate Sports Academy offers individualized curriculum, challenging each student while working at their own.

With a student-to-teacher ratio of 6 to 1, instructors are able to provide one-on-one, personalized assistance in their studies. Instructors will provide 480 hours of professionally developed athletic curriculum based on decades of experience in a wide variety of individual skills. Every athlete will participate in the Athletic Performance Program and each day will work on their athleticism, agility and strength.

For additional information and inquiries please contact the Northern Educate office at Bill Gray’s Regional Iceplex (585) 672-3855, or contact Craig Woodcroft, Director of Sport Operations at (313) 610-2742.

West Seneca West Seneca’s Squirt Minor travel team spent its Christmas holiday break by competing in and winning the 2013 Vic Teal tournament in St. Catharines, Ontario.

The team endured a number of players feeling less than 100%, while facing a tough path to the championship game. On the tournament’s opening day, the Wings beat the Mississauga Braves 4-2, overcoming a 2-1 deficit in the third period.

In the second game, the Wings used three power play goals to skate to a 4-0 win over the London Jr. Knights.

The team then lost to the Flamborough Sabres, 6-3, setting up a game against Amherst that the Wings needed to win to qualify for the playoff rounds. The Wings rose to the challenge, blanking Amherst, 3-0.

In the semifinals, West Seneca faced the top seeded Wheatfield Blades, who jumped out to a 2-0 lead. The

Around The Associations

Wings rallied, though, and skated to a 4-3 win.

The title game saw a rematch with the Jr. Knights. West Seneca scored first and early and led 3-1 by the end of the second period. The third period saw an exchange of goals, but the Knights were never able to tie the Wings, who won the title game, 4-3.

The team is comprised of: Aidan Czechowicz, Gavin D’Amico, Blake Hearn, Jaden Helm, Peter Jantzi, Michael Kull, Brandon Licursi, Brady McGowan, Travis Odrobina, Connor O’Hara, Bryce Paige, Sam Renaud, Michael Robertson, Presley Schiltz, Garrett Walker, Alex Zakrzewski and Kyle Zelasko.

Squirt House goalies put on unique duel: Young Harry Dann found himself in a unique situation shortly after the start of the new year, being loaned to another team within the house league, then facing his usual team later that day.

Back on January 3, Penguins coach Lenny Damico discovered his son, Reece, had fallen ill and would not be able to start in goal for the team later that day against the Penguins.

The opponents, the Blackhawks, had two goalies, thus one would be available for a loan to the Penguins. After taking on the tough challenge of deciding which goalie would temporarily become a Penguin, Dann was given the assignment.

He and fellow Blackhawks goalie Sebastian Thome put on a goaltender’s duel.

Thome earned the shutout in the Blackhawks’ 1-0 win over the Penguins. Dann, although in a conflicting situation, played well for his temporary team, stopping 25 shots.

Bryce McCandless scored the only goal of the game, assisted by Owen Silliman.

The West Seneca Squirt House league has five teams made up of nine, ten, and eleven year old boys and girls. Players are divided into three lines of equal skill level and they play from October until March.

Join the ROC JUNIOR A HOCKEY TEAM

Informational meetings March 10 and 24, 2014 @ Lakeshore Hockey Arena @ 7:30 pm 123 Ling Road Rochester, NY

Tryouts

Saturday May 17 from 6:30 pm-9:30 pm and Sunday, May 18 from 1 pm to 4 pm.

Finals evaluations on Saturday May 24 at 7 pm.

Contact our Head Coaches: Todd Gruttadauria – TGRUTTA20@YAHOO.COM Tom Donnelly – tbdonn@gmail.com

www.roccityroyals.com

n o i t n e Att ! s l r i G & s y o B

Play Spring Hockey in 2014

Season will run March through May. Online registration will be available in January.

• Learn & play at NU’s Dwyer Arena – One of the newest, cleanest and best facilities in WNY! • Organizational Strengths: • Competitive Travel Teams that regularly make State and National Tournaments • Strong Instructional and House Youth Programs • Fun and Challenging House Select Teams • Excellent Girl’s Hockey Program • Affiliation with the Niagara University Division 1 College Men’s Team – skate and learn with Division 1 players.

• Two Features NO OTHER ASSOCIATION in WNY can match: • Minimal cost equipment loaner program for players new to hockey • Four weeks FREE Instructional Program • Lowest House Division playing fees than any other association!

Patriot’s Day Tournament Feb 15 – Feb 17, 2014 Divisions: Mites 2005 & 2006 (Half Ice), Full Ice 8U, Squirt Minor 2004, Pee Wee Minor 2002, Bantam Minor 2000, Girls 14U Classifications: A, AA, AAA

Visit www.jrpurpleeagles for more info and applications.

The Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles are home to over 800 boys and girls youth hockey players. Our travel & house programs are one of the largest in New York State!

www.jrpurpleeagles.com WNYHockeyReport.com

9

Men’s Collegiate

10

Men’s College Hockey Report

by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com

CANISIUS The Griffs rebounded from a pair of losses at Vermont’s Catamount Cup to sweep Holy Cross for the first time in 14 years and began a season-long five game home swing January 11-12 with a slit against Sacred Heart.

Junior Keegan Asmundson was named Atlantic Hockey Association Goaltender of the Week for the period ending January 5th after he posted his first collegiate shutout—a 3-0 win at Holy Cross.

Senior Tony Capobianco became the third goalie in Griffs history with 2,500 career saves during the first period January 11th versus Sacred Heart.

Senior forward Taylor Law returned to the Griffs lineup after missing 11 games (since November 1st) with a back injury and scored against UMass-Lowell in the opening round of the Catamount Cup in Vermont.

He missed the final 28 games last season with a shoulder injury.

Sophomore Ralph Cuddemi has already surpassed his first year totals (4-6-14) with five goals and seven assists in 18 games—good for second on the team.

“I don’t know if there is really any big secret, but last year I felt a little bit snakebit in the beginning and it kind of got to me and now it’s kind of coming to me and the puck is bouncing on my stick the right way and it’s feeling good,” said Cuddemi.

Chad Wiseman scored the first 3-on-5 shorthanded goal in program history December 6th at Army.

The home-and-home series with rival Niagara is February 6 & 8.

RIT The Tigers saw the six game unbeaten streak they took into the holiday break end in a big way as they allowed 20 goals over four games, including eight to Bentley.

The eight goals marks the first time they have allowed that many since the Frozen Four semi-finals against Wisconsin in 2010.

Not helping matters was RIT sitting fourth from last in the conference in scoring led by Michael Colavecchia’s 19 points. Local Garrett McMullen (Churchville-Chili) had played just seven games, but had three goals with two assists while sophomore Dan Schuler (Webster) had 13 points in 17 games.

Colavecchia became the sixth layer in the program’s Division I history to surpass the 100 career point mark when he assisted on two goals January 10th at Bentley.

The squad will need to take advantage of a seven game home stretch that starts January 25th with Niagara if they are to avoid being on the road for a first round playoff series for the first time in the program’s Division I history.

NIAGARA After a dreadful first two months, things appeared on the upswing for the Purple Eagles as they earned six of a possible ten points heading into the third weekend in January.

The team was home for the rest of January before hitting the road for their final five prior to the postseason.

BROCKPORT

Junior forward Isaac Kohls jumped into the team scoring lead with four goals and seven points over three games.

The Golden Eagles were on the outside of the playoff picture as the second half of the conference schedule begins January 24-25 with a trip to Morrisville for two games.

“I’m getting to the front of the net now,” said Kohl’s. “If you’re carrying the puck on the side and not getting to the areas, you’re not going to score. After going home for break and coming back, I realized that I needed to get to the hard areas more and shooting more. If I assert myself more I get more touches and that helps.”

Sophomore Chase Nieuwendyk was averaging a point per game to lead a group of seven underclassmen atop the team scoring list. Freshmen Nick Marinac and Jake Taylor along with sophomore James Ryan are right behind as is sophomore defenseman Chris Luker (Jr. Sabres).

Senior forward Ryan Murphy, suspended by the school for 18 games earlier this season, is no longer on the roster or with the team.

The team added freshman forward Nate Pelligra (Webster) as a transfer from Manhattanville at the break. He becomes the third Pelligra brother to lay for the Golden Eagles following Mark and Alex. It is the second time three brothers have worn the green and gold—Mike, Steve and Greg Raponi all played between 1972-79. Sixth other brother combinations have played in team history: Sean and at McCrossan, Brian and Mark Cavanaugh, Mike and Brian Tefft, Tom and Dan Galiani, Peter and Paul Stasko (Batavia) and Michael and Mark Cmunt.

GENESEO The Knights extended their season-high winning streak to six games before it was snapped at Elmira as play resumed following the break. The team scored three or more goals in every game during the run and seven goals three times. That had them in the top-seven in Division III in team scoring at 4.15 goals per game.

Included was a 3-2 squeaker over Nazareth at the Frozen Frontier event held just prior to the holiday.

“I knew we had a good team, but it all depended on how the chemistry was going to be in the room with ten first year players joining us,” said head coach Chris Schultz. “The two things that we’ve gotten are our first year guys are significant factors in the lineup and we have a very selfless room, which goes a long way.”

Tyler Brickler continued to lead the offense with 17 points—good for top-25 nationally—while freshman Stephen Collins was 169h in the nation in freshman scoring.

Senior Zachary Vit had ten goals over the first 12 contests and was just eight away from 50 career. He passed the 100-career point mark earlier this season.

The Knights host Nazareth January 25th before resuming conference action at home January 31stFebruary 1st against Plattsburgh and Potsdam.

BUFFALO STATE The Bengals needed to tighten up defensively after allowing 14 goals over the first three games of the second half of the season as they prep for conference action later in January. They were also next-to-last in the conference on the penalty kill.

MCC transfer Dan Turgeon was one of the top power play specialists with six goals, which tied him for third in Division III. Senior Mike Zanella and freshman Tyler Pryce were also in double figures through the first 16 games.

Eight of the team’s top 11 scorers are underclassmen including freshman Nick Berst (Depew), who had eight points over 12 games, and Cory Gurski (Hilton), who had scored three goals over the same period.

WNYHockeyReport.com

Only 21 of the team’s first 112 points came from the blueline.

FREDONIA The team was winless since November 16th and had just three non-conference games remaining in January to right the ship prior to the restart of SUNYAC play January 24-25 at home against Oswego and Cortland.

Jared Wynia and Stephen Castriota were leading the team in scoring, but neither had reached ten points as of mid-January and the recruits had not yet contributed as much offense as was hoped.

Freshman goaltender Chris Eiserman gave way to sophomore Jeff Flagler for the first two games of the second half and Flagler was a bit snakebit with a 1-0 loss to Neumann in the first of a two-game set despite making 43 saves.

Freshman Garrett Moore (Arcade) scored his first collegiate goal December 7th against Geneseo, junior defenseman Cory Melkert got his the prior day against Brockport and freshman Blake Forslund his initial tally November 22nd at Buffalo State.

NAZARETH Ben Blasko netted two goals to lead the Golden Flyers to their second victory of the season—4-3 over Stonehill January 11th on home ice. The freshman was leading the team with 15 points in 13 games; upperclassmen Tom Seravalli and Mark Zavorin were next.

Packy Jones has been a disappointment after his 10-10 season last year with just one goal and one assist through ten games. And the team had only gotten goal scoring from 11 of the 27 skaters on the roster.

ECAC West play resume January 24th when the team hosts nationally ranked Utica.

(Continued on page 15)

Cover Feature

11

Sedia Impacting Youth Hockey Development in Rochester

by Michael Mroziak Some make their mark in hockey player development as a team’s coach, others as an instructor at a camp or hockey training facility. Rob Sedia is doing both, and getting results.

He has made his mark with two projects, one of which he founded in Rochester, the NewEdge Hockey Training Company. The other is through his role as a coach with the Monroe County Youth Hockey squirt travel team, which was a squad he was brought in to help reassemble from scratch after the program found itself in need of rebooting the team.

NewEdge is in its second season and has successfully trained players at various levels, from beginners all the way to upper level juniors. Many of their clients have traveled from across New York State and even Canada to train with NewEdge.

The company’s slogan is “Train Better, Play Better.” In Sedia’s words: “Much like anything in life, you get out of something what you put into it and pushing our students to train outside of their comfort zones has been a key element in their development.”

NewEdge was first founded with the goal of bringing high-quality affordable hockey training to the west side of Rochester. It came to fruition when an approximately 1200 square foot space at Lakeshore Hockey Arena, previously used for storage, was converted into a training facility providing high-tech equipment and instruction to complement the training players could get on the ice under the same roof.

“Not only does NewEdge Hockey provide top level instruction, they instill in their students, work ethic and desire to develop,” said Sedia. “Although the sessions can be pretty intense, they know that their students have to enjoy the training or none of it matters. They make the sessions fun and at the same time structured for advancement. The students see themselves improving and that is contagious!”

The program prides itself on maintaining an experienced staff. According to Sedia, the instructors at NewEdge have been involved in hockey - as a player or a coach - for more than 20 years and played at advanced hockey levels including collegiate, juniors, and professionally. Every instructor is certified and the training center provides three senior instructors for every one junior instructor on staff.

NewEdge Hockey also offers camps and clinics, private instruction and, very importantly, training designed exclusively for goaltenders.

“In many team practices throughout the country, goalies are often forgotten about and are just there to stop the puck,” said Sedia. “If they are lucky they will get an assistant coach that will shoot on them while the team is doing other skill specific drills. Hockey practices are typically focused on conditioning, system play and flow drills that are geared towards forwards or defensemen. It’s not often that a team incorporates goaliespecific drills into their team’s agenda or practice plan.

“NewEdge Hockey has taken notice of this growing issue and is focused on creating a goaltending program that they can work with, and, or around a team’s schedule to deliver training and education that young goalies need to succeed.”

Sedia’s own resume includes working with coaching and training staff with the Buffalo Sabres and Rochester Americans. One of his biggest coaching success stories of late, though, has been with Monroe County Youth Hockey.

Nearly four years ago, he was asked to select and

coach a squirt travel team from a group of 2000 born house players who had no previous travel hockey experience. His approach? Running the team as an independent development team that would include a busier ice schedule.

Sedia writes in correspondence with WNY Hockey Report: “The message was clear, focus on ‘development’ while controlling your game schedule by playing House A teams as well as Travel AA teams as an independent (non league) team. These games were all ‘scrimmages’ and although they did not count in terms of league rankings, having hand selected the right level of competition was a key component in measuring the development of the team as the season progressed.”

The “independent” team finished with a .500 record, but the team players were, in Sedia’s opinion, rapidly developed. The same players returned as a Peewee Minor team the next season and trained under a similar busier schedule but this time in their first travel hockey season.

By now, Sedia’s coaching work impressed MYCH enough that he was offered a position on the association’s board of directors to focus on player development. He also continued coaching, and in his third season was in charge of the program’s Peewee Major AA team, which was declared ‘state bound.’

“I wanted to really challenge my players and expose them to a faster, more intense game,” said Sedia. “I knew it would be a long shot but I felt this was a great way to keep moving the kids forward.”

It paid off. By midseason they were in second place.

While they missed a playoff spot by just two points, the MCYH reputation was growing - and attracting new interest from hockey families.

Sedia’s team this year, the MCYH Bantam Minor AA squad, held first place in its division at press time. The team also enjoyed tournament success, winning the Cyclone Challenge Championship early in the season and then appearing as finalists at a tournament in Lake Placid, beating two AAA level teams along the way.

He launched NewEdge in the midst of his work with MCYH. Rather than divide his time between the two, he has actually brought them together.

“The partnership with a quality hockey training company such as NewEdge Hockey was very much needed in the MCYH program to continue our success,” said MCYH Vice President Tony Hettinger. “Our focus was on additional player development program and partnering with NewEdge Hockey has provided our players with a consistent, high level training process that furthers player development outside

WNYHockeyReport.com

of their regular team.”

Sedia credits the instructors at NewEdge with playing a significant role in the development of his youth players within MCYH. “The player’s development and team’s progression over the past few seasons would not have been possible without people like Terry Fisher, Chuck Dossier, Jeremy Rossignolo, and Dan Kuntz,” said Sedia. “Influences and friends like Chadd Cassidy (Rochester Americans Head Coach), Jon Christiano (Buffalo Sabres Director of Pro Scouting) and Mike Callahan, USA Hockey Scout and father of the New York Rangers Captain Ryan Callahan, would not have been possible. All of these people are amazing hockey people and I feed off of their knowledge and love of the game.”

What’s next for Sedia? He has already accepted the role of coaching MCYH’s 2014-15 Bantam Major ‘state bound’ team. He has ambitions to get his team to the state tournament and he’s already hinting that the training, on-ice and off of it, will be intensive and highquality.

“We treat the players like mini NHLers,” said Sedia.

“They don’t want to be anywhere else and that helps create team chemistry. Team dinners and bonding events bring them together even more. The players battle for one another, they are unselfish, and display a level of discipline usually reserved for the highest levels of the game. We expect our player’s very best no matter what the session is – we feel it’s only fair because we give them our very best and that is the way it should be.”

Thank You Western New York

The Nation’s Leading Hockey Development Company

585-426-8488 maksymum.com

Proud Supporters WNY Hockey

With over 40 hotels across Upstate NY, our team of Hospitality Professionals looks forward to providing your athletes a “Home Away from Home.�

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www.HotelsUpstateNY.com

1-800-HOLIDAY

Rochester Americans

14

Rochester Americans Report

by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com Ten months ago the Buffalo Sabres dealt team captain Jason Pominville to the Minnesota Wild and received forward Johan Larsson, a first and second round draft pick and goaltender Matt Hackett.

While Hackett is penciled in third on the Sabres depth chart, 2011 sixth round draft selection Nathan Lieuwen is quietly establishing himself as a challenge to that depth chart over the next few seasons.

Nathan Lieuwen makes a save during a recent Amerks game.

Lieuwen lost a 1-0 game at Syracuse after making 26 saves and a 1-0 shootout loss to Lake Erie with 24 saves in 65 minutes. Two great performances, but nothing in the win column.

“I’ve felt like I was really on my game, but it’s not quite good enough,” said the Abbottsford, British Columbia native. “That win is really what is most important, so I really need to find a way to win.

Even as the number two, Lieuwen still hasn’t had to go more than two weeks between appearances, but it is still an adjustment.

2011 Sixth round draft choice Nathan Lieuwen.

Over his first 13 appearance this season, Lieuwen is 5-5-1 with one shutout, but was sporting a better goals against average (2.78) and save percentage (.913) than Hackett albeit in 11 fewer contests.

With Hackett’s standing and the need for him to be ready for potential recall should an injury or trade happen in Buffalo, some would think it surprising that Lieuwen has played as much as he has through the first almost half of the season.

“When we looked at our schedule and playing as many games as we are, we knew we would have to play a second guy and we saw signs from Nathan last year,” said Rochester head coach Chadd Cassidy. “I would say he has probably played better than anticipated, but we expected him to lay this much.”

Lieuwen played in four games with the Amerks last season with most of the campaign spent with Greenville of the ECHL where he picked up 14 wins in 27 games. With Rochester this season, he earned a win in his first start this season and picked up back-to-back wins in late November on home ice against Hamilton and Lake Erie.

In his last two starts (as this is written January 10th),

“There have been longer layoffs (in his career), but I think they really taught me how to prepare and how to practice. I have to come to work every day ready to work and that’s the mentality I need. I can’t ever give credit to the shooter because when you do that you admit that you can be defeated and I need the mentality that I can stop everything so it’s back to practice.

Some might consider the 6’5”, 186 lb. Lieuwen a bit of a dark horse to advance to the next level as a sixth round selection (167th overall) in the 2011 NHL Entry Draft, but he has impressed over his first 17 games at the AHL level.

“Since I’ve turned pro it’s been if you earn it (playing time) you get it. I really worked hard this summer and the beginning of the year and I like to think I’m reaping the benefits of that hard work. I’m going to keep working and keep getting time and hopefully the coaching staff can trust my play and I can win for this team.”

NEWS & NOTES: • Defenseman Braydon McNabb was named to the AHL All-Star team, who will battle a team from Sweden February 12th in St. John’s. McNabb has been named an AHL All-Star in each of his three professional seasons. Former Amerks defenseman T. J. Brennan also was named as a member of the Toronto Marlies.

WNYHockeyReport.com

• There are nine former Amerks on 2014 Sochi Olympic teams this February. Thomas Vanek (Austria), Jiri Novotny and Alexander Salak (Czech Republic), Zemgus Girgensons and Janis Sprukts (Latvia), Milan Bartovic and Andrej Sekera (Slovakia), Henrik Tallinder (Sweden) and Ryan Miller (USA).

• F ormer defenseman Mike Hurlbutt was inducted into the Amerks Hall of Fame in ceremonies held January 10th. He was the longest tenured captain in team history serving for five seasons. “It’s a huge honor for me and a big surprise, but I am truly honored to be back here. To be inducted is very special and Rochester holds a special lace for me and my family.”

•D efenseman Nick Tuzzolino (Buffalo) scored his first goal as an Amerk December 21st at Lake Erie. He is happy to be playing closer to home with his pregnant wife in Buffalo (due in June). He was in the stands in 2000 when his older brother Tony won the Calder Cup with the Hartford Wolfpack.

•P hil Varone was top-15 in the AHL in scoring and tied for fifth in the league in assists through the first 33 games.

• L uke Adam had scored 14 goals in just 19 AHL games this season.

Buffalo Jr Sabres

15

Jr. Sabres: Call Them “Comeback Kids”

by Michael Mroziak Michael@wnyhockeyreport.com For most of the season, the Buffalo Junior Sabres have spent their time sitting atop the standings. This changed in mid-January, when the Milton Icehawks momentarily moved into first place in the Ontario Junior Hockey League West Division, overtaking Buffalo in total points.

However, it was with the Icehawks playing five more games than the Jr. Sabres, giving Buffalo the opportunity to rebound and climb back into the division’s top spot.

The Jr. Sabres demonstrated already that they are capable of mounting impressive comebacks. They did so twice so far in 2014.

The first big comeback occurred on the road in Pickering, Ontario on January 3, when the Jr. Sabres spotted the host Panthers a 4-1 lead that included a goal just 12 seconds into the third period. With the momentum apparently in Pickering’s favor, Buffalo mounted its rally just 1:43 into that final period.

Ryan Schmelzer scored the first of his two goals to begin the comeback. His second, which followed a goal

by Nolan Sheeran and one on the power play by Nick DeSimone, proved to be the game winner.

He also picked up four assists, including both third period goals by Max Mikowski. When the dust settled, Buffalo had utilized its power play to help cap off a 7-4 comeback win.

Pickering didn’t exactly make their situation better, with several trips to the penalty box, including a checking from behind major in the third that allowed Buffalo to work with an extra skater and mount its comeback. It got worse for the hosts after the game, with their head coach picking up additional penalties – and a suspension – for abuse of officials.

The Jr. Sabres’ second comeback was also completed on the road, a 5-4 shootout win at Stouffville, Ontario on January 12. The host Spirit jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the first period. They chased starting Jr. Sabres goaltender Brandon Mueller after less than 20 minutes.

Once again, what looked like a game of damage control for Buffalo was instead one of its more memorable moments.

Defenseman Wilson Vershay scored just under five minutes into the second period to put Buffalo on the scoreboard. A goal by Darren McCormick followed, and then late in the second period Pat Egan struck on the power play to get the Jr. Sabres within one goal.

Goalie Joseph Pianta celebrates after making the save that preserved Buffalo’s come-from-behind win in the shootout at Stouffville on January 12.

Courtesy OJHL Images It was not another skater but rather a goaltender, Buffalo’s Joseph Pianta, who kept the rally alive in the third period when he stopped the Spirit’s Peyton Backus on a penalty shot. Nolan Sheeran ties the game with just over five minutes remaining in regulation to force the tie.

Sheeran and Pianta would be the heroes in the shootout. After the Jr. Sabres and Spirit traded two successful shots, Pianta shut down the next four Stouffville shooters while Sheeran fired in the game winner.

Buffalo will face a test in late January when they host the Hamilton Red Wings at the Northtown Center at Amherst. While the Red Wings are not a contender to win the OJHL West, they have made significant improvements since the off-season and, being a longtime traditional rival of Buffalo, could be a serious challenge as the Jr. Sabres seek to cash in their games in hand and earn the standings points that would put them back in front of Milton and pull away in the division.

SNOWED OUT: Speaking of Hamilton, they were scheduled to be Buffalo’s first home opponent after the New Year but, along with just about every other sporting event in the Buffalo area scheduled for January 7, the game was postponed by the Blizzard of 2014. A makeup date was not yet finalized at press time.

FAMILIAR FACES RETURN: Two members of the 2012-13 roster who did not start this season with the Jr. Sabres were back with the blue and gold shortly before Thanksgiving and were seeing more regular action by Christmas.

Defenseman Dylan Howatt joined the team in midNovember while fellow blueliner Tony DeVito rejoined the Jr. Sabres on December 6. Both came back as Jr.

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Dylan Howatt - back with Jr. Sabres.

Courtesy OJHL Images Sabres general manager and head coach Michael Peca was shuffling his defensive corps.

The first to leave were Brandon Schaber and Tonawanda’s David Hopfer, the latter of which has since joined the Nepean Raiders of the Central Canada Hockey League. Hopfer settled in with his new team, recording two assist in his first ten games with the Junior-A club based in suburban Ottawa.

Peca also dealt defenseman Mason Evans, who is committed to Connecticut College next year, to the Pickering Panthers.

Men’s College Hockey Report

(Continued from page 10)

MCC The first place Tribunes will have a full month between games and more than a five week gap between conference games when they restart in mid-January.

The NJCCA national championships this year are at Hudson Valley CC February 22-23.

ECC The Kats are coming off a 1-2 conference December and have five of their seven remaining NJCCA games on home ice starting with MCC January 20th.

OTHER NOTES: Bentley goaltender Brandon Komm (williamsville) was named Athletic Hockey Association Goaltender of the Month for December. Komm and Bentley Falcons enjoyed a perfect 4-0 December with two wins over Robert Morris, one at Boston University and over Holy Cross at Frozen Fenway. The senior allowed just six goals in four starts.

Women’s Hockey

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Women’s Hockey The ECAC Quarterfinals are Saturday, March 1 at the high seed team’s home ice in the ECAC West. The finals are the following weekend.

by Janet Schultz Janet@wnyhockeyreport.com

Gehen Gets 100th WNYGVIH Career Goal

RIT Tiger Kolbee McCrea.

WNYGVIH Buffalo State Bangal Nikki Kirchberger.

Nikki Kirchberger (Buffalo) had 6 points on 5 goals and 1 assist as she came into the New Year; followed

by Kara Goodwin (4 goals/1 assist), Jeyna Minnick (Rochester) (2 goals/2assists) and Jackie Madison (1 goal/2 assists).

RIT Erin Gehen of the West Seneca Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Team had her 100th career goal in the league in December. She is the first player in the four year history of the League to post that record and did it in 63 games.

Gehen was also named WKBW TV7 Super Athlete of the Week for December 11.

Gehen, a forward, had the lone goal for her team in a 8-1 loss to Amherst/Sweethome. She scored on a breakaway and beating the goalie with a backhand deke.

This was the Senior’s eighth goal this season. Gehen put up significant numbers in her freshman year with 22; and in her sophomore and junior years led the League in scoring with 32 and 38 goals respectively.

Buffalo State College The Bengals returned to the ice January 10 and 11 against Adrian College (Michigan). They are winless in their 11 games of the 2013-14 season as they began that schedule.

As they come to a close to the season they will face ECAC West rivals Elmira (Feb. 1 & 2) , Potsdam (Feb. 7 & 8) and Neumann (Feb. 15 & 16) before closing out the season at home on February 21 and 22 against the University of New England.

After an exciting end to the first half of the season with an outdoor game during the Frozen Frontier in Rochester, the Tigers returned to the ice against Union College on January 3 and 4. They closed out that weekend with a loss and a tie, both in overtime.

Celeste Brown scored the Tigers only goal in the 2-1 overtime loss in game one with Ali Binnington making 20 saves on 22 total shots on the net.

In game two RIT’s Marissa Maugeri’s lone goal that took the game into overtime. Despite outshooting Union 49-25 RIT struggled in power play situations going 0-for-6 with the extra skater.

In overtime the Tiger’s offense stayed aggressive but as the final minutes ticked away the two teams skated to a 1-1 draw. This is the second tie of the season for the Tigers and their first all-time against Union.

RIT’s remaining games are against CHA foes leading up to the conference tournament in March. They face Penn State on February 1; Mercyhurst, Feb. 7 and 8; Robert Morris, February 14 and 15 and close out against Syracuse on February 21 and 22. They dropped two to Robert Morris and won one, lost one against Mercyhurst earlier this season.

Kolbee McCrea has 14 points (Jan. 10) with 10 goals and 4 assists. Kourtney Kunichika comes in second with 5 goals and 9 assists. Close behind is Marissa Maugeri with 5 goals and 8 assists and Erin Zach with 3 goals and 9 assists.

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Well the weather has been tough on the WNY Girl’s Varsity Ice Hockey Federation with numerous games being cancelled due to Blizzard 2014.

The following are games rescheduled due to the weather: Orchard Park/Frontier at West Seneca, Tuesday, January 14 at 3:20 p.m, Wets Seneca Twon Arena; Monsignor Martin at Orchard Park/Frontier, Wednesday, January 15 at 4:30 p.m., North Buffalo; Amherst/Sweet Home at Lancaster Iroquois, Wednesday, January 15 at 4:45 p.m. at East Aurora; Williamsville at Amherst/Sweet Home, Wednesday, January 22 at 4 p.m., Northtowns; Lancaster/Iroquois at Amherst/Sweet Home, Tuesday, January 28 at 4 p.m., Northtowns; Monsignor Martin at Kenmore, Tuesday, January 28 at 8:15 p.m., Lincoln; Lancaster/Iroquois at West Seneca, Friday, January 31 at 5:30 p.m., West Seneca Town; Nichols at Orchard Park/ Frontier, Friday, January 31 at 6 p.m., Nichols and West Seneca at Williamsville, Tuesday, February 4 at 4 p.m, Northtowns.

As of January 10, with games being rescheduled and not all the statistics in, Kenmore leads the league with 14 points; followed by Lancaster/Iroquois with 9 and Monsignor Martin and Williamsville tied at 6. (These are very unofficial as of Jan. 4).

Kenmore women help their team to a league leading 14 points.

Leading the scoring in the league are Olivia Smith (Kenmore) with 5 goals/4 assists; McKenna Rushford (Amherst/Sweet Home), 3G/5A; Meghan Fonfara (Lancaster/Iroquois) 7G/1A; and Brianna Mathias

Women’s Hockey (Kenmore) 3G/5A. The Section VI Championship game is scheduled for February 5 at 8 p.m. at Northtown Arena and the New York State Championship will be held that weekend in Clayton.

The League Quarterfinals will be held February 10 followed by the semi-finals on February 12 and the Championship Game on February 14 at 4:30 p.m. at Northtown.

Bisons Report The Buffalo Bisons 19U team won the East Coast Wizard Christmas Tournament.

They broke their tradition of competing in the Connecticut Polar Bear Tournament, which they won two years in a row, to head off to the East Coast tournament to expose their players nationally. The Wizard Tournament provides a field of teams that are ranked in the top 20 of the country.

The Bisons opened the tournament by defeating Team Pittsburgh 4-2. This is the team the Bisons have faced at the USA Hockey Nationals a number of times over the years.

Their second game found them facing off against the Chicago Fury who they handed a 5-1 defeat. They then closed out the preliminary round by beating the Massachusetts Spitfires 4-2. The undefeated Bisons then headed into the playoff round in the top position.

They played shorthanded due to injuries facing the Bay State Breakers in the Semi-final game. They had a 2-0 lead early on, but the Breakers quickly answered back with 2 goals sending the game into overtime. The Bisons successfully stopped an Overtime penalty shot to send the game to a Shootout where they scored the only goal to advance to the finals.

In their third game of the day they faced the Chicago Young Americans. They came out sluggish with only 90 minutes between the semi-final game and the final game. They fell behind 2-0 after the first but got their second wind and scored 2 third period goals to tie the game 2-2. Again the game goes into Overtime and in their second Shootout of the day, the scored the only goal.

The Bisons have returned to their high school season and will come together in March to begin to prepare to defend their state title and make another run at the Nationals.

The Bisons are 20-7-7 on the season and ranked 6th in the US according to MyHockeyRankings.

New York State The Empire State games will be held February 6 through 9 in Lake Placid and, for the women’s ice hockey team, in Tupper Lake, NY. Opening ceremonies will be held Thursday, February 5 at 6 p.m. in the Herb Brooks Arena, 1980 Rink. Guest speaker is former NY Ranger Mike Richter.

The women’s ice hockey schedule has the West meeting Long Island in the third game of the series on Friday, Feb. 6 at 1 p.m. The West will then meet Adirondack at 4:10 p.m., just an hour and half later.

West, coached by Scott Then, will take the ice at 9 a.m. on Saturday against New York City followed by Hudson Valley at 1:40 p.m. On Sunday the West will face off against Central at 9:35 a.m.

National The 2014 Olympics are just weeks away. For girls this is an opportunity to see the best in the US play against the best in the world.

One player to watch is NY’s Josephine Pucci. Pucci plays for Harvard and comes from Pearl River, NY. She is a 5”8” forward who shoots right and has played in the Four Nations Cup the past four years and in the IIHF Women’s Worlds twice. She has 4 goals and 14 assists as a member of the National Team after playing in 38 games. As a member of the Harvard squad she played in 88 games with 22 goals and 38 assists.

Team USA (women) opens Saturday, February 8 against Finland at 4 a.m. (EST).

Then it’s Switzerland on Monday, February 10 at 6 a.m.; Canada on Wednesday, February 12 at 8:30 a.m.

Quarterfinals will be held Saturday, February 15; Semifinals on Monday, February 17 and the Bronze and Gold Medal games will be played on Thursday, February 20 at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. respectively.

For complete rosters go to http://olympics. usahockey.com

Notes • Congratulations to the Monroe County 19U team who took the Connecticut Polar Pear Tournament Championship in their Division.

• The Buffalo Regals 12U finished second in their Division at the same tournament.

• Buffalo native Bernadette O’Connell, a member of the Canton Roos Ice Hockey Team, was named Roo of the

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Week after leading the women’s hockey team to a win and tie at Chatham University. She finished with two goals and one assist on the weekend tallying her first carer point in a 1-1 tie in game one and scoring 2 of 4 goals in game 2 giving Canton a 4-1 win.

• Jordan Ott and Alyssa Brockman play for the Potsdam Bears. Ott (Hilton) and Brockman (Fairport) both played for the Rochester Edge. Ott has played in 12 games and has recorded 9 goals and 3 assists.

• Colgate Goaltender Susan Allen (Rochester/Spencerport) has started four games as a Raider. In seven games played she has a .914 save % and 2.41 GAA. • Ashley Ryan (Rochester/Rochester Edge) has scored 8 goals and 4 assists in 12 games for Elmira. She also serves as Captain.

• Hamilton College’s Jillian Tokarczyk (North Tonawanda/ Buffalo Bisons) has 2 assists in seven games played.

• WNY native Coach Diane Dillion at Oswego has a number of WNY girls on her team. Bridget Hamilin (Hilton/Pittsburgh Penquins Elite) has played in 10 games and racked up 5 goals and 2 assists. Lockport’s Ashley Lyman (Buffalo Bisons) has 3 goals and 2 assists in 11 games played. Kendall Appelbaum (Eden/ Buffalo Bisons) played in 11 games and has 3 goals/2 assists.

• Rhea Coad (Wheatfield/Ontario Hockey Academy) has played in 6 games and scored a goal. Bernadette O’Connell (Buffalo/Buffalo Stars) has put in 4 goals/1 assist in 15 games played.

• Plattsburgh has three local girls on their team including Julia Duquette (North Tonawanda/Buffalo Bisons), Mel Ames (Rochester/Pittsburgh Penquins Elite) and Maggie Kolcon (Penfield/Pittsburgh Penquins Elite).

Duquette has a goal and 4 assists in 8 games played as a freshman. Ames has 3 goals/2 assists in 9 games as a freshman.

• Potsdam’s Jordan Ott (Hilton/Rochester Edge) has 9 goals/3 assists in 12 games played. Also on the team is Alyssa Brockman from Fairport/Rochester Edge.

Editor’s Note: I will be contacting each Girls Coach/ manager in the next few weeks. If you have information for our magazines, please let me know. I can be reached at 716-628-1966 (cell); 716-751-6524 (home) or by email Janet@nyhockeyonline.com The information in the notes I took from your websites. I wasn’t able to garner everything from every organization so I am looking for your help. I do thank those coaches/ managers/presidents/parents who have graciously sent me items over the years and urge you to continue doing so.

Steve Ott Partakes in Lancaster Central School District’s Bully Proof Partnership Sydney Radecki, a 3rd grade student is in Mrs. Amy Moberg’s class recently brought Buffalo Sabre, Steve Ott to school. She received the “Take a Player to School” gift from her Uncle Chris who purchased it at a recent Sabre’s “Bowl-a-rama” tournament.

Steve read a character education book that helped promote the Lancaster Central School District’s Bully Proof Partnership. The book he read was “Justin and the Bully”. It has an anti-bullying, kindness, teamwork and good sportsmanship theme.

After reading the book on stage (with Sydney sitting next to him acting as his assistant), one student from each class had the opportunity to ask a good character-focused question. Steve then headed to Mrs. Moberg’s classroom to sign autographs and take photos with Syndey and her classmates.

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Rochester Jr Americans

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Rochester Jr Americans Shatzer Commits to Colorado College

Derek Shatzer to attend Colorado College.

The Rochester Junior Americans are proud to announce that goaltender Derek Shatzer has committed to play collegiate hockey at Colorado College starting in the spring semester.

Shatzer, a native of Denver, Colorado, has a record of 6-0-1 with a goals against average of 2.84 and .911 save percentage for the Elite team this season.

“Colorado College is getting a good goaltender, but more importantly they’re getting a great kid,” said Elite head coach Craig Macdonald. “Derek is a great teammate, and our players are disappointed to see him go, but they’re excited for him to have this opportunity.”

Colorado College, which was founded in 1874 and has an enrollment of 2,011, is located in Colorado Springs, just an hour and a half from Shatzer’s hometown.

Moving back to his native state was a large selling point for Shatzer, who will major in economics.

“There is no other feeling like reaching your dream, and for me that meant playing for Colorado College,” said Shatzer. “I have dreamed of playing there my whole life.”

The Colorado College Tigers are members of the National Collegiate Hockey Conference playing at the NCAA Division One level. The Tigers have appeared in 10 NCAA Frozen Fours and have two NCAA Championships.

Shatzer has been a member of the Junior Americans program for two seasons. After two seasons in Rochester, Shatzer will miss all of the teammates and friends he has gained, as well as his coaches with the Junior Americans, Macdonald, Tony Maksymiu, and Director of Goalie Development Jared Blank.

“The coaches have all helped me improve as a player in my time here in Rochester. I can’t thank them enough for everything they’ve taught me on and off the ice,” said Shatzer.

Shatzer becomes the 16th member of the Junior Americans program in the last five seasons to commit to a Division One school and is the 61st Junior American player to advance to play either collegiate or professional hockey in the history of the program.

Seven Junior Americans Named USPHL Performers of the Week Four Rochester Junior Americans players were named Performers of the Week by the United States Premier Hockey League for the week ending December 22nd,

and three more earned the honor for the week ending January 5th.

Bryan Owen (Offense) and Tanner Woodruff (Defense) were honored in the Empire Division, while Austin Guyett (Defense) and Brandon Kasel (Goalie) were selected for the 18U Division for the week of December 22nd.

Owen finished with an eight point weekend for the Empire team, helping lead them to two victories over Bay State. In a 5-1 victory on Saturday, Owen tallied two assists. On Sunday Owen scored four times and added two more assists in a 10-3 victory.

Owen leads the Empire team with 22 goals and 48 points on the season. He is tied for seventh overall in the USPHL Empire Division in goals and fourth in points.

Woodruff finished the weekend against Bay State with seven assists, including five in Sunday’s victory.

Woodruff has registered at least one point in 13 straight games for the Junior Americans and leads the team with 30 assists on the season. His 32 points are the most for a defensemen in the Empire Division. This was the second time this season that Woodruff has received the weekly honor from the USPHL. Guyett played a big role in two victories for the 18U team over Bay State. Guyett provided a physical presence on the defensive end and added a powerplay goal in Sunday’s 4-2 victory, his second power play goal of the season and third goal overall.

Brandon Kasel ready to make a big save.

Kasel earned the victory on Saturday for the 18U team, stopping 22 shots in a 3-2 win. Kasel has a save percentage of .902, tied for ninth best in the USPHL 18U Division.

Austin Pieniaszek (Offense) and Shane Fuller (Goalie) were selected as USPHL Performers of the Week in the 18U Division for January 5th, while Matt Bloomer (Defense) was picked for the 16U Division.

Pieniaszek scored twice and added an assist for the 18U team in a 5-4 loss on Saturday against the New Hampshire Monarchs. On Sunday, Pieniaszek assisted on the game winning goal in a 5-2 victory over the Monarchs.

With 22 points in USPHL play, Pieniaszek now leads the Junior Americans squad. The Rochester, NY native now ranks tied for ninth in scoring throughout the USPHL 18U Division.

Fuller stopped 39 shots in a 5-2 victory over New Hampshire, his sixth win in his last nine starts in USPHL play. Fuller has a 2.56 goals against average on the season, seventh best in the 18U Division.

Bloomer continued his strong play this season with two multi-goal efforts against New Hampshire. Bloomer

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scored both Rochester goals in a 4-2 loss on Saturday.

Sunday saw Bloomer add a hat trick and score in the shootout in a 5-4 loss.

A native of Greece, NY, Bloomer now leads the 16U team in points (17) and goals (12) in USPHL play. He is fifth among all defensemen in scoring in the 16U Division and his 12 goals are second best for defensemen on the season. He has been named the Performer of the Week twice by the USPHL this season.

Empire Finishes 3-0 at USPHL Winter Showcase Weather tried to slow the Rochester Junior Americans Empire team. However, Mother Nature was sent home by an offensive storm that equaled the snow storm hitting Boston.

The Junior Americans week started with chaos that forced cancelled and optional practice. Friday departure was delayed several hours due to a frozen bus. Finally, numerous players were stranded when returning from holiday break in Europe or their home states. However, the Junior Americans found a way to battle both the elements and tough opponents.

“At one point this weekend we ran three defensemen and 7 forwards,” stated head coach Jeff Kolcon. “We held on until more troops arrived.”

Mike Munoz scores!

Rochester swept the USPHL Winter Showcase on January 3rd-5th, with three straight wins. The Junior Americans (26-2) started hot on Friday night with a convincing 5-2 win over the Boston Junior Bruins.

Saturday gave the Junior Americans their first look

Local Official Strikes Gold at Potomac. After falling behind 2-0 in the first period, Rochester battled back to claim a 6-3 win.

Sunday continued the theme of southern completion.

It also continued the theme of come from behind wins, as after giving up an early goal, Rochester controlled all aspects of play resulting in a 7-4 win over Tampa Bay. Mike Munoz and Tom Grammatico sparked the team, each posting four goal weekends. Lawson Fenton added two wins to his league leading 17-1 record. Tanner Woodruff has now contributed at least one assist in 16 straight games and leads all league defenseman in points.

The Junior Americans tallied another shorthanded goal as they continue to lead the league in that category.

Shafer Sets RMU Record with 59 Saves

Former Jr. Americans Goalie Terry Shafersets team record at Robert Morris.

Former Rochester Junior Americans goaltender Terry Shafer saved a school record 59 shots for Robert Morris University in a 3-2 loss to Penn State in the Three Rivers Classic held at the CONSOL Energy Center on December 27th.

Shafer, a sophomore, broke the single-game record of 58 saves that was held by Eric Levine since 2009.

Shafer had 45 saves in the first two periods, including 11 shorthanded stops.

“I thought Shafer gave an A-plus performance,” head coach Derek Schooley told the media after the game.

“Terry deserved better, we had a chance to steal the game because of our goaltending.”

A native of Penfield, NY, Shafer has a save percentage of .906 through 13 games this season, with a goals against average of 3.63. Shafer played two seasons for the Maksymum Empire junior team and one season with the Rochester Stars junior team.

BLOOMER CHOSEN FOR USPHL ALL-STAR EVENT

All-Star Matt Bloomer.

Rochester Junior Americans 16U defenseman Matt Bloomer has been selected to compete in the USPHL All-Star Classic. The inaugural event will take place on Monday January 20th at Merrimack College in North Andover, MA. Bloomer, who leads the Rochester Junior Americans 16U team with 12 goals in USPHL play, was of 12 defensemen chosen for the 16U Division All-Star Game.

Bloomer will compete on the American Team who will face off against the National Team. Bloomer is second among defensemen in the 16U Division in goals scored.

“The Rochester Junior Americans family is very proud of Matt for this accomplishment. His All-Star selection is just the start for him,” said Junior Americans 16U head coach Brian Guck. “Matt’s a hard worker on and off the ice and the improvement in his game since last April is incredible. He’s just starting to scratch the surface in terms of what he’s capable of.”

The 16U Division All-Star Game is part of a leaguewide event that also includes Premier Division and 18U Division All-Star Contests. The 16U game will begin at 4:20 PM and will be played at the Gallant Arena (Rink 2).

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Look for our February & March 2014 Try-out Issues

From left to right; Frasier McIntyre (USA), Daniel Stricker (SUI), Steve Papp (CAN), Peter Sefcik (SVK)

Local Official Strikes Gold!

NYSHOA official Frasier McIntyre, 29, of Amherst, NY was recently assigned to work the IIHF U20 Men’s World Championship in Malmo, Sweden.

After working some pivotal round-robin games and a relegation contest between Germany and Norway, Frasier was assigned to the Gold Medal game between Finland and host country Sweden.

The game was won in an exciting OT finish by Finland on a goal by young Sabre’s prospect, Rasmus Ristolainen.

This was Frasier’s third IIHF assignment, working the Men’s U18 D1/A Pool in Slovakia in 2012 and the Men’s U18 World Championship in Sochi, Russia earlier in 2013.

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Frasier began officiating with NYSHOA at the age of 11, making this his 18th season wearing the stripes! He has been working the AHL for 9 seasons, totaling almost 300 games in the ‘A’, including last season’s Calder Cup finals. Frasier has also worked the last two NCAA DIII National Championships and is thankful for the experience he’s gained at all levels!

As all officials working at a high level know, a solid supporting cast around them is invaluable.

Frasier would like to thank his wife Lauren, and stepdaughter Sienna for their unwavering love and support.

Junior Hockey Wisdom & Opinion

Look East Young Man!

by Jeff Kolcon Jeff@maksymum.com

Location, Location, Location.

When you start a business, it is extremely important to find the right location. Is it visible? Does it have traffic flow? Is it easy to visit? Even businesses with the best product can fail if they are not located in the right area. Players that move on to the junior ranks are now in the business world and have to start thinking differently.

Positioning themselves in the right location can make or break the ability to be exposed at the junior level.

If the end result is utilizing junior hockey to market yourself to college, understanding the marketplace is extremely important. We really need to examine two aspects. First, the location of colleges that offer Division I or Division III hockey.

Second, the location of the potential junior league. Let’s be clear on a few things. First, we are exploring junior options for college bound players. This eliminates the need to email me to remind me how good major junior hockey is in Canada. That is a given.

Second, the USHL and the USA Hockey National Development Program are both viable options and stand on their own merits.

Keep in mind that a large portion of the USHL is made up of players that received their college commitment prior to playing in the league. For example, my nephew is a senior at Ferris State University. After two back to back National Championships with Little Caesars, he received a commitment to Ferris. The next week he was the first pick in the USHL draft. He went into the league already having a commitment to play. This is not uncommon in the USHL and should be strongly considered when reviewing your options. Finally, there are more college options than just Division I and Division III. Now, more than ever, college club hockey is not only extremely competitive, it is also attached to schools that might have more appeal because of their non hockey attributes. We will explore all of those issue in

future columns.

Let’s look at the national picture of college hockey. If I were writing this column from Minnesota or Michigan, I would clearly have a different message. Hockey players in Western New York are extremely lucky. We often overlook the quantity of quality hockey right in our back yard. The bottom line is there is a distinct statistical advantage to looking east.

There are 59 Division I college programs. There are usually around 70 Division III programs. The nation can easily be divided into three categories; East, West and Distant. East consist of all college programs on the Eastern Seaboard with its western border being New York and Pennsylvania. West is Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin and Minnesota. Distant is Alaska, Colorado, Alabama, North Dakota and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

There are 12 schools in the distant category. In other words, they are difficult to visit from Western New York. They are also extremely difficult or impossible for your family to travel to watch you play. Many of these are very good or great programs. The Upper Peninsula of Michigan offers three very good Division I and one Division III schools. I would be thrilled to have any of our junior players play for Northern Michigan, Lake Superior State or Michigan Tech. The problem is the drive time. There is no easy way to get there. It is 16 hours in the car.

There are no major airports. Alabama, Alaska and Colorado are self-explanatory.

How lucky are we? The East Coast has almost 65 percent of the college options. Further, of those 76 options, twenty of them are in the Western New York vicinity. The vast majority of the schools that are not in our back yard are 2-6 hours from us Western New Yorkers. Location!

Why is the school location important to the where you should play junior hockey?

If I chose to play Tier III junior hockey in Utah or California, I have certainly limited my exposure to Eastern and Midwestern college programs. If by chance a school from the east has the budget to go out west to scout and recruit, you may get one shot, if any to impress that coach. Clearly, playing hockey on the

Athletic Republic Rochester is pleased to announce our Athlete of the Month for January.

Matt Bloomer

16U Rochester Junior Americans Matt, a defenseman for the 16U Rochester Junior Americans, leads his team in points (17) and goals (12) in USPHL play.

Has four multi-goal games this season and is second in goals for defensemen in USPHL 16U Division. Twice named USPHL Performer of the Week, Matt anchors an improved defensive unit that has reduced their goals against dramatically throughout the season. He has trained at Athletic Republic since last April, showing huge gains in his skating speed, endurance and strength.

Congratulation Matt!

www.athleticrepublicrochester.com 585-426-8488 AthleticRepublicRochester

ARRochester

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West Coast could be extremely fun. But as a business decision for a Western New Yorker, it may not give us the end result we are seeking.

If I choose to play Tier III junior hockey in the Midwest, I will clearly increase my exposure to the Midwestern Market. This means playing in Wisconsin, or Minnesota for the most part.

Before this sounds like a viable option, check the rosters of the Minnesota schools. They tend to choose players from their home state. Many years ago, I was recruited by Bemidji State. I went on a visit. Things were going well until they realized I was from North Branch, Michigan and not North Branch, Minnesota.

Recruiting is a bit more global nowadays. However, some regions are still territorial.

Junior Hockey on the East Coast makes sound business sense.

The ability to grow up in front of the potential college coaches is an advantage. Of the 20 programs in our backyard, most have youth organization ties. Either they allow youth teams to share their arena or the college coaches find ways to integrate themselves into the youth market. Several college programs share space with junior programs. These are all big advantages.

The junior programs based in the East also have the upper hand on showcase attendance. While other junior leagues have a good number of colleges attend, geography and economics dictate that the east coast has a larger and more diverse level of colleges in attendance.

Further, local college staffs have the drop in or drop by option. They can stop into a practice or a game on the way to or from work. They may not even stay for more than twenty or thirty minutes. However, they have the ability to do this several times a week.

A routine league game between two competitive Tier III junior A teams on the East Coast can attract a couple dozen colleges. This is impossible in any other market.

The bottom line is that purely from a business model, a Western New York hockey player should strongly consider staying closer to home.

Rochester Youth Hockey

21

Rochester Youth Hockey Frozen Frontier Experience A total of 11 Rochester Youth teams played at Frozen Frontier outdoor event at Frontier Stadium in Rochester.

For most, the event was be a once in a lifetime experience. The teams ranged from Mites to Midget, house to AAA. Some games were friendly scrimmages while others were fiercely contested battles with cross town rivals. One thing for certain, everyone loved the outdoor experience.

Photos courtesy of ŠDebMcGwinPhoto

WNYHockeyReport.com

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Monroe County Youth Hockey: Two Decades and Skating Onward

by Michael Mroziak For about 20 years, Monroe County Youth Hockey has been a familiar part of the fabric in Rochester-area youth hockey. They’ve enjoyed several success stories along the way, even serving as a stop along the way to the National Hockey league for two of the area’s most famous hockey playing native sons, Brian Gionta and Ryan Callahan.

But it’s the dedication of the coaches and staff, players and their families that has made these successes possible only after overcoming some challenges along the way.

“Our 2000-born group had to start from scratch in the 2010-2011 season,” recalled Rob Sedia, association hockey director for MCYH. “We lost the entire AA travel team due to coaching problems. Most parents got frustrated and went to other organizations.”

Association officials reached out to Sedia to see if he could field an AA Squirt Major Team, using House players he was working with. His response was to put forth a team that would utilize the travel ice schedule but not be a full-fledged member of the Western New York Amateur Hockey League. Rather, they would play as an independent squad, spending the season taking part in scrimmages. This was done with the idea to have an AA level team ready to compete the following season.

It worked.

“Long story short, this core group of players is now the number one Bantam Minor AA team in their division of the WNYAHL,” said Sedia. “They are an amazing group of kids who have come a long way in terms of development. More importantly, their love and passion for the game is at an all-time high. They are dedicated, hard-working players who made it to the top from the absolute bottom. They truly understand how hard work, dedication, commitment, and discipline make all the difference.”

It’s that same hard work, dedication and commitment that has kept MCYH on the local hockey map for about two decades, and counting.

“Monroe County Youth Hockey as an organization is in place to offer a place for those interested in playing

hockey at various levels, both house and travel, as an authorized USA hockey organization,” said Vice President Tony Hettinger. “Monroe County Youth Hockey has been in place for 20 years as a volunteer organization learning and adjusting each year as it offers the program to the customers of the greater Monroe County Area. The organization is strong and viable and will continue to offer the great game of hockey to the customers of the area.”

MCYH trains and plays primarily out of Lakeshore Hockey Arena but also has a presence at Scottsville Ice Arena, south of the city of Rochester, and is enjoying a growing working relationship with the NewEdge Training Company.

“Our alignment with NewEdge has taken us to the next level as a youth hockey organization,” said Hettinger. “Having this on-site resource has proven to be a major asset as we are now comparable to other youth programs in the market who have similar relationships with training companies. The fact that NewEdge is considered one of the area’s best, if not the best, makes it all the more appealing to both our customer base and outsiders.”

The services offered to MCYH participants by NewEdge include private instruction, camps, clinics, as well as “Eagles Nights,” free mini-clinics which association officials say are the only no-cost clinics of their kind available to local hockey families.

“We continue to focus on ways to improve the development at the mite and squirt ages as these are the key ages to maintaining a strong and competitive program in the following years,” said Hettinger. “We host ‘try hockey for free’ events along with learn-to-skate events to get kids to come try it before making the jump into to see if they enjoy it. For next season we are putting the final touches on additions to our coach development program to help further develop the coaches as well as the players.”

“Our focus is quality coaching,” added Sedia. “We know what kind of positive impact great coaching makes and, conversely, the negative effects poor coaching makes to our long-term goals. We are doing things much differently than we have in the recent past, we have a new attention to detail and we have focused on making quality internal changes that we feel will give us the best opportunity going forward to accomplish our mission. We are creating a new culture at MCYH, one that participants are excited to be part of.”

That changing culture is reaping rewards. In addition to the Bantam Minors’ rapid development after building from scratch, other teams within the association have also built MCYH’s reputation.

“As far as success in teams, this year it’s a various levels,” said Hettinger. “Our 18U Midget Major & 16U Midget Major teams qualified for the New York State tournament (coming up) in March. Our Bantam minor team heads into the last two weeks of the season in the running for first place in their WNYAHL division. Several of our house teams are in contention for first place in their division as well, so overall our focused efforts on player and coach development is paying off across the board.”

The association also fields several girls teams under the name Edge. One of their squads, the 19U team, spent their Christmas holiday winning the Polar Bear Tournament in Connecticut.

The successes are piling on, but Hettinger and the MCYH staff are hardly complacent.

“We still have a lot of work to do but we are headed in the right direction.”

Lakeshore Hockey Arena - New Owners And A New Future Lakeshore Hockey Arena, the home of Monroe County Youth Hockey and NewEdge Hockey, has new owners.

It didn’t take long for the new owners to make their mark. Since June of 2013, there have been plenty of improvements, like a ompletely remodeled snack bar and pub, new web site (www.lshaice.com), second Zamboni on site, parking lot resaeled / relined, brand new locker room digital board, all five high school teams and MCYH have a dedicated digital board to showcase their programs, digital jukebox for open skates and much more. Planned future imprvements include six additional locker rooms dedicated for high school and the new Jr. A team starting here next season (Roc City Royals), redoing all facility flooring (including all flooring and benches in the locker rooms), expansion of the pub and snack bar, more public skating sessions and skate and shoot sessions and having ice year round starting in the Summer of 2014.

Left to right: Robert Kerbs – Director of Operations Dave Nuccitelli – Partner Bob Nuccitelli – Managing Partner Jeff Nuccitelli – Partner Mark Loj – Director of Operations

WNYHockeyReport.com

Janice Cavaretta

25

Janice Cavaretta – J. Michael Duffett Memorial Award Recipient

by Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com Janice Cavaretta has been named the 2013 recipient of the J. Michael Duffett Memorial Award by the Buffalo Sabres. The award is presented each year to the coach or administrator whose contributions to amateur hockey in Western New York “best exemplify the knowledge, teaching, love of the game and gentle humanity of Mike.”

Cavaretta is the first woman to receive the award in its 30 years of existence. She has been heavily involved with various youth hockey programs in the WNY area, including serving as USA Hockey Associate Registrar and the Western Section Administrator, Qualifying Games Coordinator and Credential Review Chair for more than 10 years.

“It is tremendous to win this award,” commented Cavaretta, who is married to Louis and have six children including Andrew, Daniel, William, Rachel, Gregory and Robert. “I was very surprised that I was even considered for the award.

“I was told that I had won the award on my dad’s birthday. And with his passing, it was very special for me.

“I hope I can continue to live up to everyone’s expectations.”

Additionally, Cavaretta was the Executive Director of the Western New York Amateur Hockey League for 14 years. She is currently an assistant coach in the Buffalo Regals organization.

“Janice is probably one of the hardest working people that we have in hockey,” remarked Joe Baudo, President of the New York State Amateur Hockey Association. “She does anything we ask her to do and she works hard at it.

“Not too many people can do what she does at the administrative level of hockey and also be involved in coaching at the same time.

“She handles both very well. She’s very deserving of the honor.

“And being the first woman is even a bigger honor for her.”

“I think it’s very deserving,” said David Braunstein, West Section President. “She has done a great job for hockey here in Western New York and is a great representative.”

“She just never stops,” added Tom Branden, USA Hockey District Registrar for Adults. “Any task we ask her to do, she does well.

“She doesn’t miss a thing.”

A graduate of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program at Colorado College, Cavaretta achieved Master’s Level 5 Accreditation in the prestigious program.

Cavaretta admits that she was able to continue her hockey career through off-ice positions that became available to her once her playing days were over.

“It occurred during the 1983-84 hockey season,” recalled Cavaretta. “My skills as a player were slowing

down.

“I had gone from playing forward to playing defense.

I had been recruited by RIT and Yale for their women’s hockey programs.

“I decided to stay local. I got a statistician position with the Western New York Amateur Hockey League.”

As a player growing up, she captained numerous teams in addition to winning State and National titles at all age levels.

Cavarette is grateful for the magnitude of support that her father, Tony Rozek, Sr. provided over her hockey career both on and off the ice.

(Continued on page 39)

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Men’s Club Hockey Report

26

Men’s Club Hockey Report

by Lars Lewis lars@wnyhockeyreport.com

Shining Stars (North Stars that is): An Interview with Brockport Head Coach Rustin McNiff The Brockport North Stars of the CIHA (Collegiate Ice Hockey Association) and UNYCHL (Upstate New York Club Hockey League) have taken the West Division and league by storm since becoming a club team in the 2011-2012 season. With head coach Rustin McNiff at the controls, the North Stars are among the top contenders for the UNYCHL Championship.

The North Stars have cruised to an 8-0-1 record through the first nine games of the season and have clinched a spot in the UNYCHL playoffs. McNiff has spearheaded one of the top club programs in the state and have no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

1) Having only been a registered club team for three seasons, what has been the key components in putting such a successful team on the ice in such a short time?

McNiff – A lot of stuff goes into creating and making a successful team but first and foremost without the structure and help from the colleges Campus Recreation-Club sports department we wouldn’t be where we are today. They really help set us up with great opportunities to get the word out, to get out there and meet new students who are interested in playing.

In this league you need a deep roster to win consistently and we’ve been lucky enough to bring a lot of quality players through the system.

2) Who has helped you the most in putting together a team that so far has run roughshod over the West Division the last two years? (There can be multiple people involved if that’s the case) McNiff – First and foremost, Steve Popoloski was a great guy to learn under. Last year I was his defensive assistant and he really set the foundation of what we expect here at Brockport. I’ve been lucky enough to have some great student leaders this season who have really helped me out in my transition from assistant to head coach.

Additionally, Scott Stedman has helped me with practices and I’m very excited to announce that I’ve found a defensive assistant in AJ Kormanyos who will be joining us at the end of January. As we all know though, coaches can only do so much and our teams success rate is because of the guys on the ice every week. It starts and stops with them.

3) This season, name three players who have improved the most as the season wore on?

McNiff – Its really hard to pick out just three individual players because they’ve all put a lot of work in. But, I’ll give you a name or two from each position. At forward, Justus Nowak and Glen Toczek have really made the most of their opportunities. With injuries and penalty situations they were both tossed into roles they weren’t used to and they took it and ran with it.

On defense, Mason Hill and Cam Witthuhn. Mason came in as a new player and every game has continued to make strides in becoming a better and more solid defenseman. Cam is a returning defenseman and has really matured for this season. His decision making has

improved and he has taken advantage of the ice time he’s been given. Sadly, Cam will be leaving the team to join the Marine Corps and I wish him the best of luck, I know he’ll do great.

Lastly, we returned 3 goalies from last season but a new goalie, Mike Stevens, much like everybody else I’ve talked about has really blended well with the guys and he comes and puts work in and I see an improvement every time he gets between the pipes.

Photo: Matt Yeoman - Brockport Photo Services 4) What has senior Eric Perlowitz done for your club other than leading the UNYCHL in points with 17? What improvements have you seen out of him since his debut for the North Stars?

McNiff – Eric has always been a key player for us since he joined the team last year. The main improvement I have noticed in Eric is his leadership. Last season he was a bit quiet at first, but settled into his role as a top center for us. This season he has improved his play as well as his vocals. He’s real passionate about the sport and he makes sure everybody knows that before they step on the ice.

5) Your team is 8-0-1 and well on their way to another regular season UNYCHL West Division championship with two road games ahead against Geneseo and U.B in February. What three things does your team have to do in order to close out the division and any sort of comeback from the second place Bulls?

McNiff – The biggest thing that we’ve got to do heading into the playoffs is to come every week to practice, wanting to work, and wanting to work hard.

Much like a vending machine you only get something out of it if you put something into it.

Secondly, I think we need to spend some more time on our special team units. One of our key reasons for success early on was our ability to take advantage of power play opportunities. Our kill units are still working well but there’s always room for improvement.

Lastly, I think we need to get situated in roles. The last few weeks I jumbled around the lines to see what guys would look like in different spots and I think now I have a good idea of what our lines and units will look like heading into the playoffs. As far as us finishing out the season, we take our season on a game by game basis.

WNYHockeyReport.com

The Bulls are a good team and have a great coaching staff to support them so I look forward to the season finale against them.

6) Your North Stars failed to win the UNYCHL Championship last year despite winning the Western Division in the regular season, do you guys have a chip on your shoulder this year knowing there was/is unfinished business carried over from last season? Why or why not?

McNiff – I can’t speak for everybody but I can say from my viewpoint that I think that loss will help us this season. It’s a good lesson for us to learn from. We had home ice, a dominant season and went into the playoffs anticipating to win. It finally hit the team that no matter how good your season was, you’re only as good as the team that comes that day.

I’m hoping the guys that were here last year remember that and use that as motivation heading into this years playoffs.

7) The last team from the UNYCHL West Division that won the Championship was St. John Fisher in 2006-2007, what makes you believe that this year’s team in Brockport can finally end the six-year drought for the division?

McNiff – The one thing I really like about the UNYCHL is the level of competition. Andy Musto and Ed Draper have worked really hard to develop this league from just an affordable option to a league with a lot of great coaches, players and schools.

As for our team, I believe we have all the pieces necessary to be the champions. A lot of our guys are working hard so we can get an at large bid to the National tournament and it stars with winning our league. I think we have a great mix of veterans and young guys and the thing I really like about us this year is that we have contributions from everywhere.

Its not just our top 6 forwards putting the points up, all four of our lines have contributed as well as all three defensive pairings and that has me believing that these guys are a special unit and can do some great things.

NECHL 2013-14 Regular Season Team Records

UB Syracuse Oswego State Canisius College Niagara RIT Ithaca College Binghamton Cortland Cornell Saint Bonaventure

GP 23 16 18 28 17 18 16 15 15 11 13

W 16 11 10 10 10 6 6 4 4 3 1

OTW 0 1 1 2 0 1 0 1 0 1 1

L 5 3 4 15 6 10 10 9 9 7 10

T 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0

SOL 2 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 2 0 0

Division III CIHA UNYCHL West Division Standings 1) Brockport 8-0-1 2) U.B 3-2-1 3) Roc/Naz 3-3-0 4) Medaille 2-3-1 5) Geneseo 2-4-1 6) D’Youville 2-5-0 7) St. John Fisher 1-4-2 *Clinched Playoff Spot

(17 PTS)* (7 PTS) (6 PTS) (5 PTS) (5 PTS) (4 PTS) (3 PTS)

OTL 0 0 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 0 1

PTS 50 36 35 34 31 19 17 15 14 11 5

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Senior Hockey

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OTHLEA A-Line AllStar Game – Cold & Fun showcased the best players in the league in a skills competition and game. Afterwards, the players enjoyed a new local bar and restaurant, the Craft Tap House on Main Street in East Aurora, joined by the girls from Southern Comfort. The Certo Brothers Distributing Company Shoot-Out Competition was won by Joe Monnin, pictured here with an “arctic beard.”

Around The Associations With wind chills around -20 degrees, the Old Tyme Hockey League East Aurora (OTHLEA) enjoyed a cold and fun night. About thirty brave souls came out for the annual Molson OTHLEA A-Line AllStar Game, which

by Anthony Fiorello A new year has begun, and with it came multiple hockey tournaments and outdoor games across the nation. In addition to the Winter Classic and numerous alumni, college and junior games taking place in Detroit, Mich., there were also tournaments happening in Western New York.

Such was the case for the Labatt Blue Winter Classic Pond Hockey Tournament. An annual event that is played in honor of the first Winter Classic that took place in Buffalo in 2008, the tournament was held in East Aurora and featured four-on-four play with pond hockey nets and no goaltenders.

The tournament was open to all adult teams for a cost of $300, according to tournament organizer Ed Ellis.

The winners of the tournament were the Beavers in the advanced division and the Wolves in the intermediate division.

WNYHockeyReport.com

Top: Advanced Division Winners The Beavers.

Lower: Intermediate Division Winners The Wolves.

Red Bull Wrap-up

Red Bull Crashed-Ice Buffalo Qualifier Wrap-Up 23 athletes competed at the Red Bull Crashed-Ice Buffalo Qualifier on January 4th at Riverside Rink. From someone not on the east coast the number looks low but with the nasty weather situation, this was a good turnout. Team USA athlete Adam Green was in attendance to demonstrate the course as well as talk to media about the main event in St. Paul, MN. This was a great opportunity for prospected athletes to talk to a current USA athlete on how to prepare for St. Paul. Two athletes will advance onto St. Paul, for the Ice Cross Downhill World Championship to be held on February 20-22. The two top finishers were Jordan Michael Lalor of Needham, MA with a time of 22:46 and Christopher Clancy of Newington, CT, with a best time of 22:56. Good luck in St.Paul!

Left: Christopher Clancy skates in his fastest heat.

Center: Christopher Clancy.

Right: Top Finisher, Jordan Michael Lalor.

WNYHockeyReport.com

29

US Sled Hockey

Members of US Sled Hockey Team Compete in East Aurora The 2014 Paralympic Games will take place March 7 to 16 in Sochi, Russia. In an effort to raise awareness and funds for the USA Sled Hockey team’s trip to compete in the games, a pair of sled hockey teams sponsored by the Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins staged a rematch of the first NHL Winter Classic, which took place on Jan. 1, 2008 at Ralph Wilson Stadium. On Sunday, January 5th, the teams took the ice at East Aurora’ s outdoor Healthy Zone Rink, which features the original ice making equipment from the Winter Classic. Donations went to the USA Hockey Foundation to support the national sled hockey team.

WNYHockeyReport.com

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Insight Hockey

35

Insight Hockey

by Tom Barnett I’ve been around the rinks for years, as a player, parent, and coach. During these delightful but alas fast moving decades, a guy like me witnesses and experiences a lot of things around the arenas.

Although parents may argue on the contrary, it is not the parent who spends more time at the rink. It’s someone who stays under the radar, silent, stoic witness to a lot of stuff out there and is indispensable – the Zamboni driver.

Over the years, I’ve kept in touch with a few of those essential guys we rely on to make the ice smooth as glass, ready for the next practice or game. And, on the “condition of anonymity” as they say in the investigative journalism field, I recently sat down for coffee with one of these “resurfologists” and asked him some questions. Here is a snippet of my “Q&A” with him: Women sometimes ask guys “boxers or briefs.” But, let’s have it: long underwear or no?

(Laughs), Well, I’m sure it’s a personal option like everything else. For me, I always wore my long pajama bottoms under a pair of quilted dungarees.

Gave me five more minutes of sleep when I had the early morning shift. The earlier the shift, the colder it was.

Driving the Zamboni looks like a lot of fun. Is it?

My first few times were nerve-wracking. The ice cut, speed, the amount of water, all that stuff is manual and it’s harder than it looks. After a while it does get fun to drive once you get the hang of it. Hey, and by ending the previous ice time and preparing the sheet for the teams ready to take the ice next, heck, at least for a few minutes, I’m the most popular guy in the building! But, there’s always something about watching the Zamboni. Even to this day, when I go to Sabres’ games or my grandkids’ hockey games, I love watching that thing move around. Did I say that out loud?

Do you remember the first Zamboni you took out for a spin?

(More laughs) Spin? Zamboni? Push is more like it!

43 years ago, with our skates on, it was a barrel on wheels with a towel distributing water behind it, after we shoveled!

There have been tremendous changes in hockey in so many aspects. What’s the biggest change you’ve seen?

The biggest? The number of Tim Horton cups in the trash cans.

I can’t name just one. The first thing that comes to mind is the focus on winning and some end game which seems to be driven by the parents. And that brings out the worst in their kids. There’s always been that loud obnoxious minority of parents, and the equally insufferable and occasional cow bell, but it seems to start at the younger age groups these days.

It is nice to see girls playing hockey. I’m old school; I never thought to get my daughters involved and I wish I had thought to. But my granddaughter plays and she loves it. Girls’ hockey is growing and girls have so many opportunities to play. The nastiness seems to be getting to the younger kids, too. I’ve been to games where the teams run up the score, celebrate like they won the Olympics while the other kids try to make sense of it. The nastiness isn’t being addressed.

Sportsmanship is being ignored and forgotten. It’s gotten so bad that the teams shake hands before

they play; now that’s a change not only in hockey but and hot chocolate, though I see by all the french youth sports! What does that solve? fries on the ground that they may be the new most popular food group. I remember the old barn up in Oh, and the sweater numbers! Hockey has always Canada where I learned to skate, the saltiest, best been linked to and built on the traditions and values popcorn ever, you could smell it all the way out into of the past in a very worthwhile way, so I’m always the parking lot, oh, and I remember that oil painting taken by numbers like 49, 64 and 86, that seem better of Queen Victoria perched up in the rafters next to the suited to a linebacker, guard or tight end. flag. By the expression on her face and look in her The thing that hasn’t changed is the smile on kids’ eyes, I can tell you I wouldn’t have wanted to go into faces when you see them finally figure out how to the corners with her… stand on skates. Or get the puck on their stick and So, you did you play hockey? push it ahead. Or even play in a game. You can see the smile and pink cheeks through the younger kids’ A long time ago when the sticks were made of cages. wood, gear seemed to have a slightly more endearing odiferous quality and each skate weighed a hundred Recently a dad went after a coach following a game. pounds each. I played defense, left wing, and center.

I’ve heard and seen parents go at it against each Never wore a cage but never lost a tooth until last year other, but I don’t think I’ve seen a parent attack a when I bit into an olive. coach. How about you?

Tell me one of your favorite hockey memories.

Ugh, the sad thing is, as I’ve said before, there’s always been a loud obnoxious minority. It’s bad When I was working at the rinks, I didn’t mind the enough when you see a couple mites swing at each first shift, in-fact I loved it. That perfect sheet sitting other. I’ve seen parents push each other. Last year all night long for you to pounce on. To me, hockey has during a game here, a parent in the stands was always been ‘an early to rise’ sport, optimistic, positive, very vocal, very loud, and extremely negative and starting at the rink, the whole day out in front of you. just would not let up. The louder and more toxic he I’d open the rinks up, they would be dark, silent and became the quieter the rink became and eventually cold. A few minutes later, kids would come in, quiet he was the real focal point in the arena. Between at first, but then in a few minutes the locker rooms periods as the teams gathered at their benches and would be noisy, and the kids would be excited to the usual quiet that lull produces engulfed the rink, play. Even parents are in good moods even though that parent once again started up, breaking the it’s early in the morning. Secretly, I can also tell you silence, but was met with near immediate resistance, one of my absolute best moments at the rink is the from his son who looked up into the stands and said: wonder and amazement on the young kids faces as “Dad, stop it, you’re ruining everything!” That was a they stand mesmerized by the Zamboni. moment for the ages. I would have given anything to I have wonderful memories. I have memories of be a fly on the wall of that car on the ride home! being a kid, playing on an outside rink all day long. I You’ve been around the rinks longer than most of have memories as a dad, watching my kids learn how us. What would you like to see more of with hockey to skate, how excited they were to get an assist. It was around here? always fun discussing the games, the personalities, the teammates, the friendships.

Just let kids be kids. It must be kept safe and fun… for everyone involved including spectators. The kids What was your favorite position in hockey? just want to have fun playing hockey. I admit I get Zamboni driver. wrapped up in my grandkids’ games and get frustrated when a ref misses a call, but then you look around and Tom Barnett, a native Western New Yorker, participated as it’s a mite game. Some kids don’t even care about the a player from the youth through collegiate level, and has been score. They care more about being able to play and involved in coaching hockey and program development for more maybe going out with family after the game for lunch than 30 years.

As founder and president of The Buffalo Shamrocks WNYHockeyReport_Testimonial1.pdf 1 12/11/13 11:25 PM or a snow cone.

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Matt Roeder

37

Matt Roeder – Taking Nothing for Granted

by Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com

Matt Roeder stands behind the player’s bench watching the Victor High School boy’s hockey skating on the ice. He watches intently as the players go through hockey drills inside Thomas Creek Rink in Fairport.

Roeder is back where he is comfortable. Inside a hockey rink watching hockey.

Roeder is a volunteer coach with the team. His road to this point in his life has been a long and difficult one.

A year ago not many people would have ever imagined Roeder ever being associated with hockey again.

For Matt Roeder, it began as a simple stomachache and going to the doctor to see what was causing it.

Soon after it was discovered that it wasn’t his stomach that was causing the problem.

It was a brain tumor.

Upon that discovery Roeder’s life changed forever.

But through all of his trials and tribulations there has been one constant factor in his young life.

Hockey.

“This all began with a nine year-old having a stomach ache” recalled Matt’s father, Mike. “He would go through a routine almost everyday with the stomach ache, vomiting and then he would be fine.

“We took him to stomach specialists. Finally took a scan and found out what was wrong. Imagine going into the doctor’s office with a stomachache and coming out with a brain tumor.

“At that time his hockey team and families got behind us. Matt kept active and played through all of this.

“And, it’s true, Matt never missed a hockey practice during that first time. He would get chemo and head right to hockey practice. He just felt that he couldn’t miss hockey.

“It’s hard to believe that this began when I was nine years old,” recalled Matt, now 19. “That’s when I had my first brain surgery.

“I had a tumor that was located on the brain stem.

The doctors couldn’t get the whole thing out.

“I had the surgery in Boston’s Children Hospital. I more or less walked out of the hospital.

“The only reason I kept going was because of hockey. I played hockey through chemo and radiation.

“I made the varsity hockey team as a sophomore. I was on the practice squad in my freshman year.

“I also seemed like I was hurt every year. I had ankle problems in 10th grade. I had back problems in my junior year.

“My senior year everything seemed to be OK. Everything was going great.

“Then in November (2012) I began to lose my balance and my eyesight. Things weren’t going well on the ice.”

That’s when a return trip was made back to Boston to Children’s Hospital. That’s when it was discovered that cysts were growing around the part of the tumor that had been left from the first operation.

“I ended up having surgery in January of 2013,” continued Roeder, now a freshman as Finger Lakes Community College. “The day after the surgery was my birthday.

“I was in ICU for two weeks. I couldn’t really move or do anything.

“It was weird. It was scary.” Matt’s father explained.

“When Matt went through the second surgery,

we thought everything would be pretty good like it was the first time,” stated Mike. “In fact, when Matt came out of surgery we talked to the Neurosurgeon and he said everything went well and things couldn’t have been better.

“But as Matt was in ICU things began to deteriorate. He could move his hands and feet but he couldn’t feel anything.

“If he closed his eyes and you touched him, he couldn’t feel you touching him. So somewhere after surgery, some swelling may have cut off his nerves that went to his extremities.

“Matt couldn’t set up in bed. It was like he was paralyzed, but yet he could move everything. It was the strangest thing.

Matt remained in the Boston hospital for about two more weeks before being moved back to Rochester to a facility named St. Mary’s (described as an inpatient, brain injury, therapy hospital).

He remained there for six weeks. He went through Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy and Physical Therapy every day, two to three hours per day.

Matt went from being in a wheelchair to using a walker to using crutches during this time period. Matt’s goal was to be able to walk up and get his high school diploma in June.

“He accomplished that,” said Mike.

But hockey always seemed to be there for Matt. His team was there including coaches and players.

“They were so supportive,” continued Mike.“They would hang his jersey up when he wasn’t there. His number two was put on every players helmet as a reminder.

“Players and coaches visited him during his stay at St. Mary’s.”

Through all of this Matt stayed focused on his goal to walk across the stage and receive his high school diploma.

“While I was at St. Mary’s I had to get a tutor to help me finish up school,” said Matt.

And finish he did.

“When Matt graduated and walked across that stage last June, everyone in his class stood up and gave him a standing ovation,” remembered Mike. “It was a very emotional moment for all of us.”

Which leads Matt now to his next chapter in his life, that of being a hockey coach. He was offered a position as a volunteer coach on the Victor High School boy’s hockey team.

“We wanted him back on this team,” said Victor hockey coach, Mike Ferreri. “He’s great with the kids.

“Matt’s a tough kid, especially after everything he’s been through. He’s been an inspiration to others.

“Matt is very positive. He’s got the respect of the other kids on the team.

“Remember, he played with many of these kids for the past three years. They respect him a lot.

WNYHockeyReport.com

“It also puts things in perspective for me with life and hockey. I think Matt is going to be a great coach someday.”

Matt welcomed the opportunity.

“I think the coaches wanted Matt around,” said Mike.

“They felt that he was a big influence on the team and the players.

“The doctors believe they got most of the tumor out this time. He still has to go in for MRI’s every three to six months.”

“There is still some of the tumor there. We can’t be guaranteed that Matt is 100 percent cured at this time.

“We just move forward and keep things monitored.”

But Matt stays focused.

“My goal right now is to get back on skates,” concluded Matt. “I want to prove everybody wrong.

“Balance is still a problem for me. Feeling, or lack of, is still a problem.

“I’ve always known that my team and coaches were behind me. That has been my strength.

“I don’t take things for granted with hockey or life in general.

“I want to stay connected with hockey. It’s my favorite sport. I don’t care how I do it, but I want to stay involved.

“I live by the thought that you can do anything you put your mind to. I just keep trying every day.”

WNY Legends of the Game

38

WNY Legends In Hockey: Tim Horton

by Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com Mention that name to anyone under the age of 40 today and they will tell you about a donut and coffee establishment, better known as “Tim Hortons Café and Bake Shop.”

But to that more mature group of people (better known as over 40) and they will give you a much different answer. Anyone attending a Buffalo Sabres game at the First Niagara Center can look up into the rafters of the building and see a banner hanging there with the number “2” and the name Horton on it.

Yes, the Horton hanging from the rafters and the Horton with donuts and coffee are actually one in the same.

This February 21, 2014 will mark the 40th anniversary of Horton’s tragic death. Horton died in the early morning hours of February 21, 1974 in a single-car accident on the QEW near St. Catharines, Ont. The accident came just hours after the Sabres had played the Maple Leafs in Toronto. Horton, who was playing for Buffalo at the time, had been allowed to drive his own vehicle, a Pantera sportscar, to and from the game.

Horton was only 44 at the time of his death and left his wife and four daughters, ages 13 to 21, as survivors.

Horton’s death came as a shock to not only the Sabres but to the entire hockey world.

“Tim was such a rock,” recalled Joe Crozier, Sabres head coach at the time of Horton’s death. “He was in such great shape, so strong.

“You just figured that nothing could stop Tim.” So just who was Tim Horton?

Born in Cochrane, Ont., Horton played 24 seasons in the National Hockey League with the Sabres, Maple Leafs, New York Rangers and Pittsburgh Penguins. A defensive defenseman (although he scored 115 goals

and 403 assists), Horton was part of four Stanley Cup championship teams with the Leafs in the 1960s.

A first- or second- team All-Star during his NHL career, Horton was elected to the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1977.

The defenseman is remembered by many of his former Sabres teammates.

“Tim helped solidify that young Sabres defensive corps when he joined the team in the Fall of 1972,” remembered Mike Robitaille, now part of the Sabres broadcast team. “I was a part of the defensive group.

“We had a couple of rookies on that 72-73 team with Jim Schoenfeld and Larry Carriere Tim was a great mentor to them.

“He taught all of us a great deal when he was on the ice. He was like having a coach on the ice when we were out there with him.”

Carriere recalled his time spent with Horton.

“He was like a father to us,” stated Carriere. “After all he was twice our age.

“But he was so good. He taught us so much about defense as well as the game itself.

“He gave us confidence back there. Tim gave the whole team a boost of confidence.

“If we had a bad game or two, he wouldn’t get down.

He gave us the confidence to work our way out of slumps.

“We were a young team at that time that needed a shot in the arm. Punch Imlach (Sabres general manager at the time) got Tim and it was just what the team needed.

“Punch had coached Tim when the two were in Toronto together. He knew what he could do on defense as well as for the team.

“It was one of the best moves Punch ever made for the Sabres.”

Ironically the Sabres went from being an expansiontype team to the playoffs in 1972-73, in just their third year of existence.

Don Luce not only played with Horton, but played against him as well.

“He really wasn’t a big man (Horton was listed at 5-10, 180-pounds), but he was one of the most powerful players I ever played against,” said Luce. “He was all muscle and was solid.

“He played a very simple game. He actually had a good shot from back at the blue line.

“Tim was a tough player to play against because he could knock you off the puck so easily. When you went into the corners with him it was a real battle.

“He was so strong. I actually found myself on the losing end a couple of times when he would take those strong arms of his and simply throw me to the ice.”

Luce also talked about Horton’s secret of longevity in the NHL. “Tim kept himself in such good shape,” stated Luce.

“Although he may have been in his 40s, he had the body of a player half his age.

“He worked hard on the ice and he worked hard off of it as well. Tim also had a real great sense of humor and was a great addition to the Sabres on and off the ice.

“He loved to play the game. Tim never got down on himself or let anyone get down on themselves.

“When Timmy spoke everybody listened.”

Luce also recalled the day he found out Horton had died.

“Ironically, that last game Tim played was in Toronto,” recalled Luce. “He was the third star that night and was our best defenseman that night.

“Joe Crozier called us in the middle of the night and informed us that Timmy had been killed in a car accident.

It was a tough day for all of us.

“We had to play a home game that night against the Atlanta Flames. I don’t think there was a dry eye in the building that night.

“But those of us who played with or against Tim will never forget him. He had a lot of heart and soul.

“Tim Horton was a rock and a true Hall of Famer.”

Buffalo Stars North

by Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com

While many hockey organizations are focused on their 2013-14 season, the Buffalo Stars Hockey Organization are already looking ahead and planning for next season.

The Buffalo Stars will expand their footprint for the 2014-15 hockey season with the formation of the “Buffalo Stars North” or “Niagara Falls Stars.” The Stars will form Multiple Organization House League (MOHL) teams in the Squirt, Peewee, Bantam and Midget levels.

In addition, the Stars will offer a Beginner/Learn to Skate hockey program.

“It’s not really and expansion,” said Pete Preteroti, President of the Stars organization. “It’s more about establishing more of a footprint in the Niagara Falls area.

“We’re already up to 17 hours a week with ice time at the Hyde Park Ice Arena. Next year we will be up to around 22 to 23 hours.

“So it made sense to us to base a couple of teams out of there. We’re going to try and establish a MOHL team at every level.

“We’ll continue to have our presence up there with our travel team. We would like to have more ice time at Holiday (Twin Rinks), but that is not possible.

“If we tried to expand our House League at Holiday, that would hurt our travel team. So it makes sense to expand our House League in the Falls.”

Does Preteroti expect a growth in applicants from the Niagara County area or will the Erie County area continue to expand?

“I see both,” responded Preteroti. “There’s only so many kids playing hockey.

“I think we’re looking at kids coming in from Northern Erie County as well as the Niagara County region.”

“We are pleased to be able to offer Niagara County residents an opportunity to play for a team with the name of Niagara Falls in it,” added Stars Vice President of House, Dave Lynch. “It makes perfect sense since we already have so much ice available to us at Hyde Park Ice Rink now.”

A logo and the official naming of the team will be introduced in the near future.

The Stars will continue to offer Erie County residents

WNYHockeyReport.com

a MOHL Program as well with those teams continuing their base at Holiday Twin Rinks in Cheektowaga.

The Buffalo Stars are one of Western New York’s oldest hockey organizations.

They came into existence and are still officially known as the Buffalo Hornets in 1972.

Since then they have been rebranded as the Buffalo Stars and offer over 300 boys and girls, ages 4-19, the opportunity to compete in both competitive and recreational levels of hockey.

Interested players or coaches should contact Lynch at 716-253-3157 or email Preteroti at sportsniag@aol.com.

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Janice Cavaretta – J. Michael Duffett Memorial Award Recipient (Continued from page 25)

“He was with me for many of my early years and was very influential in my career playing, coaching and also on the administrative side,” said Cavaretta.

“I would have never continued if it was not for him.

“I began playing hockey when I was three. I loved it from the first time I had a stick put in my hand.

“I began as a goalie. I was a practice goalie for some of the Regals players.

“They were the ones who eventually said that I should get on a hockey team as a regular player because I was good.”

What had changed in the game since Cavaretta became involved?

“Hockey is almost a year ‘round sport now,” responded Cavaretta. “We’re already planning the 2014-15 season.

“I’m just glad to see that there are more opportunities for girls and women in this game today. It wasn’t that way when I began playing.”

Does Cavaretta consider herself a role model?

“Absolutely,” responded the Duffett Award winner. “My role models growing up were guys like Mike Bogdan, David Braustein, Joe Baudo and Tom Branden.

“I’ve already received messages from girls and women congratulating me on the award. One actually called me her hero.

“So I hope I can reach out to other girls and women and help them in some way, shape or form. That would be great.”

Michael Duffett was a student of the game and a coach with the Buffalo Bisons and the Amherst Hockey Association. He was a standout hockey player at Nichols School and Clarkson University.

Duffett was working in the Sabres hockey department under future Hockey Hall of Famers Scotty Bowman and Roger Neilson at the time of his death following a battle with cancer. In 1984 the Sabres established the J. Michael Duffett Award in his memory.

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40

Mike Gilbert Olympic Bound

41

Mike Gilbert Olympic Bound

by Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com Mike Gilbert is going to the Olympics as a member of the 2014 USA Men’s Olympic Hockey Team.

No, it won’t be as a player. Not as a coach either.

Gilbert, the Buffalo Sabres’ vice president of public and community relations, will serve on the pubic relations staff for the 2014 US Hockey Team.

So how did Gilbert get the job?

“I think it goes back to Buffalo’s involvement in the World Jr. Championships,” said Gilbert, now in his 17th season with the Sabres. “I had the opportunity to work with Dave Fisher (Sr. Director of Communications for USA Hockey) during that time.

“We worked together again with the Prospects Game a year ago. And we continually stayed in touch.

“He had told me last spring that USA Hockey was going to select somebody from the NHL to work with Team USA and he asked if I would be interested. I told him absolutely.

“Dave said that he would get back to me.”

Within a matter of weeks Fischer got in touch with the Ted Black, president of the Sabres, Black came to Gilbert.

The formal announcement was then made in June at the NHL Draft. From there it was on to Team USA’s orientation camp in Washington, D.C. at the end of August.

Next stop will be Sochi, Russia.

“It’s been very exciting so far,” commented Gilbert, a native of Tonawanda, NY. “My job will be to assist Dave.

“I will be interacting with the players and the coaches.

I will assist the media that will be over there covering Olympic hockey.”

Gilbert has never been to Russia.

“I’ve been to Europe a couple of times,” remarked Gilbert, who resides with his wife, Amy and three children, Mark, Jack and Grace in Amherst. “I will be leaving for Russia on February 1 and I will return to Western New York on February 26.

“I really don’t know what to expect since this is my first time being involved with something this big. It’s like a dream right now.

“I really didn’t think too much about it when I was originally asked back in April. Then the reality check came when I went to camp in August.

“Things were much more real at that time. “ So what will be the toughest adjustment Gilbert will have to make?

“I’m going to be out of my day job with the Sabres for a month,” stated Gilbert, a 1990 graduate of Canisius College. “So I have to plan ahead with that.

“I will be out of my house for a month so that is going to be a lot on my wife. I won’t see my kids for a month.

“That’s a lot on them with their schedules and all. But my wife has been very supportive.

“But with modern technology the way it is, I should be able to talk and/or see them during the time I’m in Russia.”

What other preparation is Gilbert doing?

“Memorizing information and photos of the players,” answered Gilbert. “You need to know who they are at a moments notice.”

When everything is said and done, Gilbert is ready to go.

“This is very exciting,” concluded Gilbert. “This is an event that is world-wide.

“It is an honor to be a small part of such a great event.

I’m looking forward to it.”

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