January 2016 VOLUME 4 • ISSUE 6
e n o g n i r o Sc ! t s Community fir . e v i r D d o o F h t r for the Kenilwo
Also Inside:
High School Hockey Knox Brothers History Amanda Hansen Foundation Follow All The WNY Hockey News @
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Contents
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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
Around the Associations...................................................................4 Women’s Hockey.................................................................................6 Section VI..............................................................................................8 Section V...............................................................................................9 Rochester Americans...................................................................... 10 In The Crease.................................................................................... 11 Precision Training............................................................................ 12 Mark Zarbo Training........................................................................ 14 Tonawanda Lightning..................................................................... 15 College Hockey: Men...................................................................... 18 Legends: The Knox Brothers.......................................................... 20 Top Shelf Training............................................................................ 21 College Club Hockey....................................................................... 22 NCHA.................................................................................................. 24 Amanda Hansen Foundation........................................................ 25 HPHD.................................................................................................. 26 Rochester Youth Hockey News...................................................... 27
Communications & Marketing Director Val Andrews Val@wnyhockeyreport.com Columnists Janet Schultz - janet@wnyhockeyreport.com Michael Mroziak - michael@wnyhockeyreport.com Steve Thomson - steve@hphd.us Mark Metzger - m.metzger@precisionhockey.net Mike Smietana - info@topshelfhockey.us Dave Ricci – dave@wnyhockeyreport.com Bob Janosz – www.bobjanosz.com Mark Zarbo – www.MarkZarboHockey.com Melissa Brawdy – melissa@wnyhockeyreport.com Skylar Vitko-Woods WNY HOCKEY REPORT No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical including photocopy and facsimile, without permission in writing from the publisher. WNY HOCKEY REPORT is an equal opportunity employer. Contents 2015 Western New York Hockey Report. All rights reserved. WNY HOCKEY REPORT (USPS 7650) is published monthly, except for May and July, by Ian C. Woods of WNY Hockey Report, 245 Lawrence Woods, Orchard Park, NY 14127. Periodicals Postage Paid at Orchard Park, NY and Additional Offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Western New York Hockey Report P.O. Box 302 East Aurora, N.Y. 14052
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Around the Associations
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Around the Associations:
Lockport Hockey Association makes Jamboree debut Submissions by the respective associations; Edited by Michael Mroziak Michael@wnyhockeyreport.com
In December, the Lockport 8U hockey team competed in its first-ever jamboree at Fredonia State College. The firstyear program is led by Head Coach John Bernardi, as well as Assistant Coaches Erik Bernardi, Jeremy Cabral and Dan Schmidt. The team was competitive in all six game in which they appeared. Jaxson Schmidt played goaltender for the entire jamboree, with support in front of him by Anthony Bernardi, Paloma Bernardi, Aidan Billman, Alex Cabral, Matt Carver, Roberto Cerrillo, Aiden Cronkhite, Dominic Faraci, Jakob Johengen, J.P. Rizzo, Ethan Sanchez and Joseph Skoumpris. Lockport’s Bantam team has also surprised quite a few opponents so far this season, carrying a record of more than .500 into the Christmas holiday while competing in MOHL play. Coach Mike Clifford and his daughter, Kiera, have worked well to develop the players on the ice as well as with some off-ice character lessons. Stopping pucks for the bantams are Nick Papia and Damien Knittle, while Jake Ruchala, Noah Moran and Jackson Connor lead the offensive charge. Braden Serth, Evan Wesolowski, James Marotta, Dillon Brundo, Chance Caccamise, Danny Ryan, Connor Bowers, Michael Grande, Jake Harris, D. J. Reinart and Carson Winquist round out the rest of this well-balanced, hard-working team. Lockport Hockey is scheduled to host a ‘Girls Only’ Try Hockey For Free Day on Saturday, January 23 at Cornerstone CFCU Ice Arena.
Amherst Knights The Knights’ Pee Wee Major AA team, coached by John Hammersmith, went undefeated in the recent Harborcenter Cup Tournament to win the championship.
Buffalo Bisons The Bisons Pee Wee MOHL Team D, coached by Joe Pelino, brought home a second-place trophy from the Pittsburgh Three Rivers Tournament, held shortly before Thanksgiving. The team swept its division with 5-1, 5-0 and 2-1 victories, the last of which was a comefrom-behind win.
“Unfortunately, we had a few bad breaks and lost in the championship game to place second,” said Pelino. “I am very proud of these boys. They acted like a team. I saw leaders step up and a lot of unselfish acts to help us out.”
Buffalo Regals Seventeen boys from the Buffalo Regals Pee Wee Minor AA suited up and skated in honor of the Amanda Hansen Foundation on January 3. “We want to raise more awareness for the foundation and help people understand how important it is to be protected against CO poisoning,” said Nicole Roberts, event organizer. The Amanda Hansen Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that supplies carbon monoxide detectors to those who cannot afford the devices. In January 2009, Amanda Hansen, a teenager from West Seneca, died from carbon monoxide poisoning caused by a defective furnace while attending a sleepover at a friend’s house. Since her death, Amanda’s parents, Ken and Kim Hansen, have made it their mission to see that no family ever loses a loved one again to this silent killer. “They’ve really gone above and beyond to help others in the community and now we are here to help them,” said Roberts. The Regals hosted the Buffalo Bisons at Holiday Twin Rinks. The hosts wore special purple jerseys to honor Amanda Hansen and encouraged fans to wear purple at the game as well. In addition to hockey, fundraisers were held in the lobby to support the foundation. More information on the cause can be found at www. amandahansenfoundation.org.
Buffalo Shamrocks The Shamrocks’ Pee Wee squad celebrated the holidays with a title win at the Buffalo Stars Christmas Tournament, edging the Buffalo Bisons.
Buffalo Stars The Stars organization played host during the Christmas break to several regional clubs at its Christmas Tournament. The tournament was open to teams in the Under-16, Bantam and Pee Wee divisions. As mentioned elsewhere in this column, the Buffalo Shamrocks claimed the Pee Wee title while the West Seneca Wings took the Bantam
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championship. Claiming the U16 title was Camillus (NY), who edged Wheatfield, 4-2, in the championship game held December 29. In a message forwarded to participating teams, Stars team president Pete Preteroti said: “On behalf of the Buffalo Stars Youth Hockey Organization I want to thank each and every one of you for participating in our Tournament. I hope your team had an enjoyable and positive experience. We will be running additional tournaments next season and would certainly welcome your input on how we can make our event better. We have really big plans for the Christmas Tournament for next season that we will unveil shortly.
Clarence Mustangs Back in November, 50 skaters – boys and girls - took to the ice for USA Hockey’s Try Hockey for Free event, sponsored by the Clarence Mustangs and Cornerstone Arena. Most skaters received a USA Hockey jersey and all received a Clarence Mustangs trading pin to start their hockey pin collection. Special thanks go out to Mustangs coaches Chuck Loubert and Todd Boci as well as several squirt major and 16U midget players for their assistance running stations. The Mustangs also wish to thank Lockport Lake Effect Hockey and the Cornerstone Arena rink staff for their continued support of the Clarence Mustangs Organization.
Niagara County (NCCYHA) The NCCYHA Steelers Midget 16U Travel team will play for the NYSAHA State Championship. The team secured its place in the state tournament by forcing a late tie with the division-leading Batavia Ramparts in the last game of Niagara County’s regular season. NCCYHA got the tie by netting a late power play goal, giving them a 4-4 draw. It was good enough, though, to get the Steelers into the March tournament. The Steelers and Ramparts will represent the West Section at the tournament, which will be held March 18-20 at the Northtown Center at Amherst and HarborCenter in downtown Buffalo.
Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles The NJPE Pee Wee III team finished second overall in the Gene Harrington Invitational Tournament, held in early December.
Around the Associations
The Jr. Purple Eagles won four consecutive games to earn their way into the championship game. The team’s second-place finish came among a field of 10 U.S. and Canadian teams.
Perinton Hockey Perinton’s Bantam 2 team traveled to Cleveland to take part in the Rock N Roll tournament. The team faced strong competition along the way, including a two-time challenge from a tough House Select team from Sylvania, Ohio. After defeating that team to earn a place in the title game, Perinton faced that very same Sylvania squad for the championship. Unfortunately, Sylvania successfully avenged their loss in the penultimate game, defeating Perinton in the championship game by a 2-1 score.
Rochester Youth Hockey The Americans Pee Wee Major Tier I tournament-bound team added a championship trophy to
their case, bringing it home from the HarborCenter Cup tournament in downtown Buffalo. The team skated to preliminary-round wins against the Orangeville Flyers (7-3), ElginMiddlesex Chiefs (2-1) and the Southern Tier Admirals (4-3, a come-from-behind win). The Americans finished the preliminary round as one of only two teams to go 3-0 in the round robin. Seeded number two in the semifinals, the team advanced to the final with a convincing 8-0 win over Team Carolina, which was coached by former Buffalo Sabres forward Jason Dawe, who is now a hockey instructor in Charlotte, NC. In the championship, Rochester faced a Pittsburgh Penguins Elite squad that upset topseeded North York Rangers in the other semifinal matchup. The Americans jumped to an early 2-0 lead then went up 3-0. Pittsburgh rallied to cut the lead to 3-2, but Rochester answered quickly and skated to a 5-2 win to claim the 12U AAA HarborCenter Cup championship.
Tonawanda
Bantam Minor boys hockey team spent its holiday season collaborating with the Kenilworth Fire Company for the team’s annual food drive. Throughout the month of November, the boys collected food donations at each of their home games. Opposing teams even chipped in, with members of the Monroe County Eagles, Rochester Americans and Perinton Blades contributing to the cause. Fellow Tonawanda Lightning teams (Pee Wee Minor, Pee Wee Major and Squirt Minor) collected food from their teams to add to the overall collection. Some of the boys even took time out during their tournament play during the Thanksgiving holiday to walk door-to-door, delivering fliers on behalf of the fire company. When it was done, the boys collected over 50 bags and boxes of food, donating them to Pat Talmon and Ryan Smith from the Kenilworth Fire Company at Brighton Arena on December 3.
West Seneca Wings
Tonawanda Lightning The
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Lightning
WHEATFIELD
The West Seneca Bantam Sharks won the Buffalo Stars Christmas Tournament, going 3-0-1 in their successful run.
BLADES
IMPORTANT
The article in WNY Hockey Report stating the Wheatfield Blades are joining the Empire West League is incorrect. Our teams will continue to playing WNYAHL or Independent as we have done in the past. We are currently accepting travel coaching applications. For more information visit:
www.wheatfieldblades.com WNYHockeyReport.com
Women’s Hockey
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Women’s Hockey by Janet Schultz
Janet@wnyhockeyreport.com
Around The NWHL Buffalo’s Devon Skeats and Hayley Williams were among the top vote getters as fans voted for the 2016 NWHL All-Star Team. The first-ever NWHL All-Star Game will be played in Buffalo at HarborCenter on January 24 at p.m. The other players receiving top votes were Madison Packer (New York) and Morgan Fritz-Ward (New York.
Emily Pfalzer of the Buffalo Beauts, she will serve as captain of one of the teams in the All Star Game.
Emily Pfalzer (Buffalo)_ and Hilary Knight (Boston) will serve as captains. Packer and Williams will go to Team Knight, while Fritz-Ward and Skeats join Team Pfalzer, a continuation of the original NWHL All-Star Draft order that took place on December 10. The final rosters are as follows: Team Pfalzer: Brianna Decker, Meghan Duggan, Kelley Stedman, Shiann Darkangelo, Zoe Hickel, Emily Field, Megan Bozek, Blake Bolden, Gigi Marvin, Nana Fujimoto, Brittany Ott, Morgan FritzWard, Devon Skeats. Team Knight: Kacey Bellamy, Kelli Stack, Alyssa Gagliardi, Shelby Bram, Kaleigh Fratkin, Janine Weber, Jordan Smelker, Jordan Brickner, Amanda Pelkey, Brianne McLaughlin, Jaimie Leonoff, Madison Packer, Hayley Williams. NWHL fans cast nearly 63,000 total ballots in making their decision. Packer was the top vote getter with 13,397. All-Star festivities begin Saturday, January 23
with a VIP Skate With The Stars featuring the players themselves. This ticketed event, limited to 80 people, allows fans to get on the ice with the NWHL’s All-Stars and runs from 8:45 PM - 10:30 PM. Fans should bring their ice skates, as rentals will not be provided. The 2016 NWHL All-Star game begins at 2:00 PM on Sunday, January 24. Tickets for both the NWHL All-Star Game ($25 each) and two-day packages including Skate With The Stars ($125 each) are available at www.nwhl. co/buy-tickets. Buffalo’s Megan Duggan has signed a personal services contract with Dunkin Donuts as that franchise becomes the first official sponsor of the NWHL. Through Dunkin’ Donuts’ partnership, the brand will coordinate youth hockey clinics with team representatives in each market throughout the league’s inaugural season. The Buffalo Beauts have had three players receiving NWHL Player of the Week honors including Kelley Steadman on November 23; Devon Skeats, December 1 and Megan Bozek on January 5. Bozek scored the winning goal 1:20 into the OT period in a 4-3 victory over Boston. On January 5 the Beauts beat Team USA 18U women in a scimmage at HarborCenter. The Inaugural NWHL season will close in February with the Beauts on the road February 7 and 14 at New York and Connecticut, respectively. They close out at home on February 21 against the Riveters and February 28 against Boston. Currently the Beauts are 2 wins, 9 losses (Jan 5)
WNYGVIH The WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League opened their sixth season on December 1 Amherst/Sweethome/Clarence facing off against Williamsville at Northtowns Center. Williamsville on with a 5-3 victory. This was Clarence’s first appearance as part of the WNYGVIH and the Katz.. It was then off to Lincoln for Orchard Park/ Frontier taking on Kenmore/Grand Island with Kenmore/Grand Island winning 5-0. This was Grand Island’s first appearance with WNYGVIH. Leading the scoreboard as of Dec. 22 are Katilyn Drew-Mead (Monsignor Martin,) with 7 goals and 4 assists and McKenna Rushford (Amherst/ Sweethome/Clarence) with 6 goals and 4 assists. In goal Monsignor Martin’s Brianne Gawronski (Monsignor Martin) has 3 wins and 2 shutouts in her 135 minutes of play. Mia Wendell (Williamsville), Rosie Quattro (Williamsville) and Cara Klopp (Kenmore) have all had a shut out this season. Sectionals will be held January 28 through February 3 with the champion heading to the NYS Championship in Albany on February 5-6. WNYGVIH Federation playoffs are February 8-12.
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Kaitlyn Drew Mead from Monsignor Martin of the WNYGVIH league and leading scorer in the league.
Nichols Girls The Nichols Girls Prep Hockey Team traveled to Deerfield, Massachusetts with the hopes of capturing their 3rd straight Holiday Showcase Title. In Nichols first game, Nichols took on Stanstead College and won a hard fought game by a score of 3-1. The game was a tight game with exceptional physical play and Nichols would seal the game with an empty net goal with a minute left in the game. In Nichols second game of the day, they would take on host Deerfield Academy, outshooting Deerfield by a margin of 36-8 and winning by a score of 4-0. On Saturday, Nichols would take on NAPHA rival RNS from Nova Scotia. Nichols has never lost to RNS in 10 games. Nichols would take control the second half of the game, but could not beat the RNS goalie, before RNS would seal the game late to win by a score of 2-0. To close out the tournament, Nichols would make a statement by playing Vermont Academy winning by a score of 2-0, and pouring 50 shots on goal. Nichols placed 2nd in the tournament. Nichols will now focus heading off to participate in the College Showcase Challenge Cup against the top teams from North America in February.
Around WNY… The Webster Lady Cyclones U19 team has introduced a Big Sister program to grow the sport
Women’s Hockey
WNY College Buffalo State Bengals
Webster Lady Cyclones have developed a mentoring program for girls hockey.
of women’s ice hockey. For a complete look at the program go to www.nyhockeyonline.com and check out the January issue of the magazine (West Section). Great Lakes Girls Hockey League will hold the NTB Gallagher Playoff Championship Tournament at Riverworks on February 26-18.
The Bengals fell to #1 Plattsburgh in the final game of 2015. They returned to the ice in the New Year against Canton on January 9 and 10. The Bengals 8-game win streak ended November 28 against Williams. February will see the end of the collegiate hockey season with Buffalo State playing their final home game on February 12 and 13 against ECACW rival, Cortland. The Bengals are 8-3 overall. Other games scheduled include Feb. 5 at home vs Elmira. They go on the road to Elmira the following day. Closing out the season on the road to the Utica Pioneers on February 20 and 21. Leading the scoreboard at the end of 2015 are two WNY girls. Erin Gehen has 9 goals and 3 assists for 12 points and Nikki Kirchberger has 6 goals and 3 assists for 9 points.
RIT The final game against Lindenwood found the Tigers going winless in CHA play until they tied the game 1-1. Mallory Rushton scored for the Tigers with 1:19 left in regulation. They ended 2015 4-15-1 overall. Reagan Rust was named November’s CHA Rookie of the Month as she led all the Tigers with 3 goals/3 assists in 9 November games. As the season comes to a close in February the Tigers take on Lindenwood on February 5 and 6. Their final home stand is against Mercyhurst on February 12 and 13 and they end the season on the road at Robert Morris February 19 and 20. The CHA playoffs begin February 26 with the CHA finals being held March 4 and 5 at HarborCenter. Leading the scoreboard are Carly Payerl with 6 goals/5 assists; Cassie Clayton, 4g/6a; Regan Rust, 4g/6a; Jess Paton, 3g/7a and Thurston Taylor 2g/8a. Send all your womens/girls hockey information to Janet Schultz at Janet@nyhockeyonline.com
Cazenovia Park Hockey Association
2016 Founders Tournament Red, White, Blue Mite Cross Ice February 28, 2016 Squirt House March 3 – March 6, 2016 Pee Wee House & Bantam Mixed/ MOHL/Select March 7 – March 13, 2016
Flyer/Applications available at www.cazhockey.com WANTED: HEAD COACHES For the 2016-2017 Season Applications available at: www.cazhockey.com WNYHockeyReport.com
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Section VI Hockey
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Section VI By Melissa Brawdy & Michael Mroziak The powers that be in Section VI hockey made the decision before the 2015-16 season to realign the divisions and place each team in one of four divisions based on strength of program instead of size of school. The result: four highly competitive divisions in which it seems that any team can win on any given night. And the coaches seem to be in general agreement that it's been a good thing for the league. "I think really what it comes down to is the league making the good decision to aligning divisions based on competitive balance, and I think it's what's right for all programs for all teams," said Niagara Falls coach Stan Wojton. His Wolverines are in Division 3 this season, which means that their league schedule consists of games against both Division 3 and 4 teams. But in Division 1, St. Joe's coach Rich Crozier agreed. "My hat goes off to the section for saying, 'Hey, we'll forget the size of the schools, and we'll put a league together that's based on strength of program,'" Crozier said. "Years ago, I used to have like four or five games where the clock would be running, and it'd be an opportunity to get some guys in that don't get their regular time. I mean, who is that against? Who's my off game? I couldn't tell you right now." "Anybody can beat anybody on any given night" is the story of this season in Section VI hockey. Sometimes it seems that it's said after every game by every coach, but it's the truth. Hamburg's first league win came against defending Section VI champion Niagara Wheatfield. Amherst's first win of the season came against Lewiston-Porter, a team that hadn't lost a league game yet. Even those teams that are considered the top teams know that they have to bring their best every single night. "I appreciate that people think we're one of the stronger teams because I've seen the rankings," Crozier said. "I appreciate people thinking we're a good team, but I will tell you, we have to play our best. We can't get away with not playing our best, so as far as I'm concerned, on any given night, anyone can beat anyone." Niagara Wheatfield coach Rick Wrazin spoke of the strength of every program within Section VI, and he doesn't think that the parity of the league is unique to this season. The style of play is a big part of it. "We've been saying it for years: anybody can beat anybody, and it's always been that way," Wrazin said. "And we've always said there's no easy games in this league, and I think the style of play in the league is very similar to the style of play in junior hockey. It's fairly physical, the ice is smaller than they're used to, and I think the way teams play is, you tend to take out the big offensive stars,
and teams with balance do well, and I think that everybody in the league plays a similar style, and I think it shows in the big cluster in the record." No team in any of the four divisions is running away with first place right now. There seem to constantly be teams tied for first place, and with games five days a week, those standings are constantly changing. Wrazin sees Section VI as possibly the strongest in the state. "It's a competitive league, and I think it's arguably the best section in New York State," Wrazin said. "And I think it's kinda always been that way. You might get a game here and there when you see a blowout, but I think for the last seven years, we've been telling our teams every night, 'You better come to play,' because in this league, nothing's a sure thing." Crozier spoke of the solid coaching in this league, and several of the coaches in Section VI have been around for years. And while that allows each team to have an idea of what to expect from its opponent, each coach seems to have found what works for his program, and when a team follows its game plan and plays its best, there's a good chance of winning on any given night. "This is my eighth season with St. Joe's, and sometimes I still feel like one of the rookies," Crozier said. "I think they're all really solid coaches, and they know the game well, and most of the time when we play each other, it's everybody like trying to flex their muscles. What I mean by that is like, everybody knows that Canisius likes to spread it out; everybody knows that I like to grind the puck and get it low; and everybody knows that [Williamsville North coach Bob Rosen] lets his guys run around and try and get under people's skin. Everybody knows Timon's scrappy. It's just kind of like, the personalities that the teams have taken on are a little bit similar to the styles that the coaches like to play. At this point, we know what everybody's trying to do, and so it comes down to just really solid coaching in the league, and there's definitely some parity." At press time, St. Joe's, West Seneca West (Division 3), and North Tonawanda (Division 4) each had six wins. But Kenmore West (Division 4) and Williamsville North were close behind with five wins, and several teams had four. There are teams like Williamsville North, which lost its first two games and hasn't lost since, and Lancaster, which won its last three league match ups before press time to improve to 4-4. But then there are the other teams that started off hot and have since cooled down. But those teams know as well as anyone that one win can be the spark they need to climb back up in the standings. Wojton believes that the more competitive schedules will also aid teams in rebuilding and improving for the future. When a team can say it was competitive in a loss rather than getting blown out, it can often be more of a learning experience than a discouragement.
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"There's teams that are growing, there's teams that are gonna have to restock and re-develop, and this gives those teams the appropriate competition to do that," Wojton said. "And I think it helps programs grow because they'll be playing more competitive games." When it comes to playoffs, the teams will return to large schools, small schools, and Catholic schools. Niagara Falls is playing in Division 3 for the regular season but will play against other large schools come playoff time. "That's what we need to make hopefully a playoff run against some of those Division 1 teams or Division 2 teams," Wojton said. "So I think overall, starting with the league making that good decision, and then teams being able to develop appropriately, has really been right for the Fed as a whole." St. Joe's led Division 1 by two points over Canisius and Williamsville North at press time. Crozier wants the division, but he knows that it won't be easy this season. "I'd like to win our division," Crozier said. "I think it says a lot about your rĂŠsumĂŠ when you can win your division. I think it builds a lot of confidence. If we win our division, it means we're playing well and going into the playoffs playing well. But it's gonna be difficult. If you said to me, 'Who's the favorite?' I couldn't even tell you." Crozier put it best when he said simply, "The days of a team going undefeated in our league are over. Over." Niagara Falls coach Stan Wojton wanted to showcase the talent of not just his own team, but each of the Niagara County teams. And so, the Cataract City Classic was born. The tournament took place December 26 and 27 and featured Niagara Falls, Grand Island, Lewiston-Porter, and North Tonawanda. "It was an opportunity to showcase our team's talents and to showcase the local talent," Wojton said. "I think it's something that really builds hockey in Niagara County, that these kids and these rivals get to grow and nurture, and being able to host a tournament with the local teams is something that's gonna benefit not just our program, but benefit all the programs around us." This year's tournament was the third annual Cataract Classic, and Wojton's team won the tournament for the first time with a 3-0 win over Grand Island after defeating Lew-Port in the first round. "Being able to host the tournament was something that was the appropriate steps for our program, and being the third year and last year going to the finals but unfortunately losing, and then this year, redeeming ourselves against a very good Grand Island team and a very well-coached Grand Island team, it was rewarding for our kids," Wojton explained.
Section V Hockey
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Section V by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com
Division I Webster-Thomas rode the goaltending of Dalton Jerzak to an 8-0-1 first half record and first place. Pierce Currie and Brayden Deming were tie for the team lead with four goals each, but the Titans were getting balanced scoring with 12 different players scoring goals and 18 earning assists. Webster-Schroeder and Victor were tied for second at 6-2. Warrior Matt Montgomery was tied for eighth in the entire league in scoring with Connor Ball tied for the team lead with eight goals. For Victor, Chayse Ierlan had two shutouts prior to the break with Max Lambert accounting for six of the team’s first 15 goals.
Pittsford sat at 4-1 with two fewer games played than the teams ahead of them. The Panthers were getting much of their offense from Connor Haims, Ryan Walpole, Quinn Doyle and John Mozrall.
and Phillip Barilla plus defenseman David Regan chipping in with 14 points over nine games.
Division II
Notre Dame, Geneseo and Rush-Henrietta were the cream of this grouping with the former off to a 9-0 start led by the powerful first line of Cameron Clark, Ryan Webster and Henrik Toiviainen, who combined for 38 goals and 53 assists.
Hilton was the early story of the division as Frank Gaffney led the entire league in scoring with 16 goals and 16 assists over the first ten contests. The Cadets were also getting plenty of offense from Jesse Edwards, Brenden and Hunter Howell, Jake Coon and Ted Cessna who all had five or more goals. Greece Thunder forward Colin O’Leary was one of only five players in the league to reach ten goals scored in the first half. Brockport and Irondequoit were also in the mix with fewer games played than the teams ahead of them. The Blue Devils had Mitchell Henshaw, Patrick Viscardi and Alec Rockow in double-figures in scoring with Andrew Harley and Koby Dusett tied for second on the t4eam with five goals each. Irondequoit was getting the bulk of their offense from the line of Gus Aldridge, Adam Sherwood
Division III
Geneseo goaltender Morgan Brown had four shutouts in eight games and had allowed only seven goals overall. Forwards Reid Mattle, Billy McDevitt and Timmy Lischer had accounted for more than half of the team’s first 89 points. Rush-Henrietta was also in the hunt led by Darrick Smith and Justin Varney while blueliners AJ Nestler and Keegan White combined for 15 points and four power play goals. Key games in January include the Greece Thunder against Hilton and Victor versus Thomas Jan. 19, Notre Dame against Geneseo Jan. 21 and the battle of Webster Jan. 30 at Webster Arena. Continued on page 14
Bud Bakewell Hockey The Bud Bakewell Bruins hockey association is currently accepting applications for 2016-17 youth hockey coaches at all levels! Please visit our web site to download your application!
Also accepting house/travel Squirt and Pee Wee players, entire teams welcome! www.budbakewellhockey.com
Bud Bakewell Arena (Riverside Park) 2607 Niagara St., Buffalo, NY 14207 WNYHockeyReport.com
Rochester Americans
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Amerks Report by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com
The goals and points have come in drips and drabs through the first 30 games of Justin Bailey’s professional hockey career, but while there is always doubt about how a young players’ scoring ability in junior hockey will translate to the pro game, there is little doubt that the Sabres can use his 6’4”, 206 lb. frame to create havoc in front of the net and win important board battles. Bailey scored his first professional goal Halloween night at Portland and entered the 2016 portion of the schedule with three goals and seven assists as one of only four Amerks to play in each of the first 30 games this season. “It’s definitely a little bit of an adjustment going from scoring every other game in junior to coming here and going through a bit of a cold spell, but I think I’m playing some of the best hockey of my career lately,” Bailey said. “I’m getting chances game in and game out and they haven’t been going in (as often).” The former second round draft choice in 2013 (52nd overall) and son of former Buffalo Bills linebacker Carlton Bailey was selected so high because of his size and skating ability, a combination coveted at the National Hockey League level. “Especially at this level I need to skate as one of my biggest assets, and I think when I’m not skating is when I’m not playing well. It’s imperative that I get my legs going every night and my skill will take over. “What’s been communicated to me for the last few years since I was drafted is that you can skate fast and have good skill and hopefully will score a few more goals, but I need to bring a little more grit and physicality so I can clear some space for some smaller guys up there. After scoring his first goal of the season and another the next night, Bailey went through 16 game goalless drought, but seemed to find another gear with his on-ice intensity shift-byshift. “Our assistant coach Chris Taylor does a really god job helping us with video showing not only what we do well, but clips where we didn’t move our feet and it’s a turnover. So little things like that you have to do at the pro level. “Every year you go from bantam it seems like just yesterday to 16-and-under to junior and now into pro and hopefully the next step is the NHL. Every time you take another step you take something with you, but at the end of the day it’s the same game just bigger, faster, quicker.” “They (the first year players) have turned up the tempo (lately)—the guys are playing hard and fast
and putting the opposition on their heels,” head coach Randy Cunneyworth said. “There is lots of improvement there, but even our fastest guys can get faster and we expect to see even more later in the season. “The guys with speed (like Bailey) have to put their “D” at risk and that’s how they’re going to be more effective. They may not score, but we’ll get a second opportunity because they’re carrying it to the crease.” Since the 30-game plateau, Bailey scored the shootout game-winner in front of several dozen family and friends against St. John’s at First Niagara Center and netted his first multi-goal game of his career January 2nd at Bridgeport. “It (the NHL) definitely doesn’t seem far away, but who goes up next I don’t know. For me it’s always in the back of my head that dream to play in the NHL and I don’t know how close I am or how far away I am. “But I know that I want to play well enough so that I can be that choice to go up, so when I’m producing and playing well every single night, I think that will be the time when they don’t have a choice.”
NEWS & NOTES: Head coach Randy Cunneyworth is now sixth on the American Hockey League’s all-time coaching wins list passing Terry Reardon in December. He is also sixth in games and entered 2016 17 wins shy of John Van Boxmeer’s team record of 333 wins. Jerome Leduc in December became only the 31st defenseman in team history to play 200 games. Phil Varone was only eight assists from entering the top-20 in team history. Number 20 is held by defenseman Rick Pagnutti with 149 over his four seasons (1972-73 through 197576).
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Justin Bailey
In the Crease
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Edgework for Goalies by Bob Janosz For years everyone has heard that goalies need to be good skaters, perhaps the best on the team. This is still true, but too often overlooked. Goalie specific crease movements should be quick and efficient. Unfortunately, many young goalies that haven’t been trained properly are sometimes the worst skaters on the team. Being a poor skater will greatly reduce the ability to get square, which leads to a number of problems. A goalie needs great balance, edge control, and the ability to stop and start quickly and efficiently. These skills are necessary to stay square to the puck, be able to use proper save selection, recover square to the puck, and handle any pucks outside of the crease area. Many young goalies have neglected the skating portion of their development by lack of knowledge or sometimes effort. They need to make a conscious effort to continue to improve all aspects of their skating to be able to “arrive early” to make more 1st and 2nd saves and to be able to help out their team by handling the puck proficiently. There are several aspects of skating goaltenders should be working on. Position specific crease movements should be quick and controlled in order for goalies to get to the best possible position to make the save. Therefore shuffles, T-pushes, and push-outs should be automatic without the goalies having to look down at the
crease to know where they are in relation to the net. Having good edgework also helps goalies to be able to move while down to be able to make 2nd saves. The recent use of the of the Reverse VH post play has also increased the importance of edgework. Another area that greatly affects skating ability is how deep the hollow should be when the skates are sharpened. The hollow should be as deep as possible as long as the goalie can still shuffle. As the goalie acquires more leg strength they can go deeper with the hollow so they can push hard and get set quick, trying to “arrive early” to make the difficult saves become routine. For more information on the Janosz School of Goaltending or Private Training go our new video website at www. bobjanosz.com or call (716) 308-9224.
TIC, TAC, Toe-Save Be There. Be Square.
bobjanosz.com (716) 308-9224
Register Today.
Benefit for Caitlin (Schaefer) Chesnes
On Monday, January 4, 2016, our world lost a young wife, mother and former local hockey volunteer suddenly, unexpectedly and far too soon. Caitlin Chesnes served two seasons in Game Operations for the Buffalo Junior Sabres’ Ontario Junior Hockey League team, assisting in various roles during the team’s home games at Northtown Center at Amherst from 2011 to 2013. She is survived be her husband Shane, who is enlisted in the United States Navy, by her toddler son, Charlie, and by her infant daughter, Norah. A benefit to support her family will be held on Saturday, February 6 at the Wings Meeting Place, 3964 California Road, Orchard Park. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at Premium Coffee, 2510 Hamburg Turnpike in Lackawanna. The benefit will include food, an open bar, a raffle, 50-50 split drawing, Chinese auction and live music. For more information, call Johnathan at 716-523-1864 or Nick at 716-430-7370.
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Precision Hockey Training
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Hockey Development… It’s A Process
by Mark Metzger
m.metzger@precisionhockey.net
You see so many coaches teaching systems at the lower levels. It is nearly impossible for a coach to predict game situations; even the best of the best cannot predict what will happen exactly. At the mite, squirt, pewee, bantam, midget, high school and junior levels it is our job as coaches to teach and implement skills. You can not win with systems if you do not have the proper skill set. An NHL Coach can coach and guide professional teams because they have a high level of experience since they have already obtained the ability to preform and demonstrate their skills. What level are you coaching at? Coaches can have a huge impact on players individually. If you are a bantam coach, is your end result to have the players stop at the bantam level? Or are you teaching and leading them to play at a higher level such as high school, junior and hopefully college? Coaches have to continue to work on the individual skills appropriate for the level they coach. Remember - as a coach you are a teacher. Along with the coaching staff, you have to think about they ways in which your players learn? You have to ask: what is the best approach to teach our team and how can we apply this approach? I recently worked with an NHL player this offseason and I asked him, “What did you do to become a professional player. What was the secret ingredient?” I thought he was going to say that his hometown in Europe provided a big academy with huge rinks and state of the art workout facilities that had systems to break down his development to a science. His answer was the exact opposite. He replied, “To be honest my coach worked on skating and skill development all the time at the youth levels and we played pick up hockey on the ponds when they froze over. I learned and developed a lot of my skills that way. That contributed to my skill set today.” I am convinced that a lot of coaches today just don’t understand what it takes to improve and develop skills to help youth become good hockey players. Now you are probably thinking, “What makes a good hockey player? What are the little things that players can do to get noticed?” 1. Compete, compete and compete again –
What is your players’ competition level? Do they battle for the puck, or give up? Are they relentless by going back and fighting for it? Do they go to the grey zones, fight to get shots off, and make good passes? It is important that they keep going as fast as they can go, like the energizer rabbit. When your team is losing by a large amount of goals, do your players stay engaged? Or do they back off because the game looks like it’s over? Make sure your players always compete and hustle. It is not always the goal scorers that make a difference. Do you play a complete game that doesn’t get you points on the stat sheet? Such as back checking and blocking shots? 2. Puck Possession and Game Skills - Players have to be able to handle and control the puck. Statistically, the team that has the puck longer wins the game. Can your players handle the puck in small areas by stickhandling on both sides of their body? Make sure they can get from point A to point B with puck control. Where do your players go when they have the puck? Do they anticipate where the puck is going and make good decisions when they have the puck? Coaches and players have to commit and believe in the development. It is important for coaches to polish the players skill sets. The main objective as a coach is to improve the players. When coaches get the players better, it benefits the team as a whole. Better teams equal more skills, and more skills equals more wins. It’s very rewarding as a coach when can you look back and see that you have helped a player get from A to Z, not just A to B. Small Area Games – I can’t tell you how much small area games help player’s development and creativity. Players have fun and the small areas make for a very competitive environment. Create a
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small area game – make a 3 on 3 in the zone, but do not allow players to shoot on net until they make two passes between their teammates. It’s all about being creative and seeing what works!
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Sponsors
Griffs vs Air Force: at HarborCenter / 7:35 pm Fri., Jan 29 – Military Appreciation Night (free ticket with military ID) Canisius Golden Griffins
Sat., Jan 30 – Uncle Bob’s Night (free t-shirts and pucks)
For tickets visit GoGriffs.com or call 716-888-TIXX GoGriffs.com
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AIR FORCE FALCONS
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Mark Zarbo Hockey
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Want to score more goals? by Mark Zarbo MarkZarbo@yahoo.com Who doesn’t want to score more goals; yet when I am at the rink I consistently see players taking for granted shooting in practice. They will get through the drill and take halfhearted shot at the net with their head down, not full weight transfer and most not even paying attention if there is a rebound because they are already skating back to line. This is the time when players should be working on variety of shooting skills such as shooting out of a crossover, shooting in stride, changing the angle of shots, taking quick shots out of a deke/move and/or practicing not telegraphing shots by using eyes and body language to give false information. One thing all these skills have in common is they are attempting to take away the goalies advantage of knowing when or where a player is going to shoot. Goalies read players body language. Stopping your feet, bringing your stick back to far, head down, staring your shot down are just a few things goalies look for to recognize when a shot is coming. If players are not taught these skills and how
to read a goalie at a young age then the chances of ever mastering these skills and making them second nature in games is close to never. If a skill and understanding is not made second nature then a player will most likely never use the skill in a game. The first step is correctly teaching the basics of weight transfer and follow through. Even though weight transfer and follow through are basic skills they are crucial for development into advanced skills. FULL weight transfer and follow through can be challenging for many young players due to lack of stability while on 1 foot, coordination or overall strength. Just like all skills the key is consistent and constant coaching of form combined with countless repetitions until the skill becomes second nature. As a coach you can always tell if skill has become second nature when you introduce a new drill to the team but never mention what you are actually looking for. For example I might introduce a new flow passing drill with a shot or 2 at the end. The reason being I want the players to be thinking about the new drill and not the shot. If I see good form and shooting skills being applied I know they are ready for higher skills. If not I would bring the team in and tell them the real reason of the drill and that they need to pay attention to every aspect of a drill and apply skills to drills on their own to get the most out of every practice. As coaches we need to hold
players accountable and teach them how to teach themselves! Once this base is developed (and that can take years), moving onto skills such as Front Fake Deke to quick shot, toe drag changing the angle shot and shooting out of a crossover can be addressed. Again FULL weight transfer, follow through, coordination and stability become the key coaching points to stress. Allowing players the chance to practice the skill by itself, drills specific to the skill and then drills not specific to the skill would be the planned coaching progression. Example of drills not specific to the skill would any drill where the shot is secondary to what the drills main goal is. This might mean adding an element to a drill right before a player shoots or adding an extra puck to a drill. For example I might add a secondary puck in the corner that requires a player to pick it up skate around the top of the circle for shot out of crossover. You can also add a shot to the beginning of a drill. Whatever works and does not mess up the flow of the drill and what you are trying to accomplish. It is this compounding of skills and drills that will allow players to get more out of each practice. It cannot be done until players have a solid base of basic skills, able to hold themselves accountable and have the ability to recognize how to get the most of every rep and drill. As coaches it is our job to develop these three key points. Once players possess those keys to their game and personality then their development will snow ball and the sky becomes the limit.
New Camps Section V Posted Continued from page 9
• February Break Camps • March Break Camps • Pre-Tryout Camps • Summer Forward/Defense Travel Camp • Summer Small Group Skill Sessions • 3 Day Checking Camps • 3 on 3 Cross Ice Summer League Visit our website for full schedule and details!
www.MarkZarboHockey.com
HAT TRICKS (Nov-Dec)
Lucien Rosedale – McQuaid Brendan Manning – Victor Ryan Webster – Notre Dame Aiden Hooper – Greece Lightning Alec Rockow – Brockport Cameron Clark – Notre Dame (3) Frank Gaffney – Hilton (3) Joe Gardner – Greece Lightning Patrick Viscardi – Brockport Henrik Toiviainen – Notre Dame (2) Reid Mattle – Geneseo Connor Ball – Schroeder Darrick Smith – Rush-Henrietta Adam Sherwood – Irondequoit Tyler Kelly – Aquinas Jon Roth – Brighton Mike Klim – Gates-Chili
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Elliott Clemons – Aquinas Billy McDevitt – Geneseo Koby Dusett – Brockport Jake Kasmarek – Batavia Justin Varney-Rush – Henrietta Colin Wall – Canandaigua
SHUTOUTS (Nov-Dec) Morgan Brown – Geneseo (4) Payton Hall – Schroeder Dalton Jerzak – Thomas (3) Luke Green – Greece Thunder Colin Perkins – Gates-Chili Chayse Ierlan – Victor (2) Ethan Conrad – Notre Dame (2) Nick Rockhill – Penfield Aidan Richardson – Pittsford Joshua Lupo – Irondequoit Patrick Dennehy – Hilton (2) Jason Ipolito – Brighton
Tonawanda Lightning
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Hockey Team Puts The Community First The Tonawanda Lightning Bantam Minor boys' hockey team gave back to the community by collaborating with the Kenilworth Fire Company with the annual food drive. The boys collected food donations at each of their home games in the month of November. Even their opponents (The Monroe County Eagles, The Rochester Americans, and The Perinton Blades) were happy to join in and help the boys with this project. Also, fellow Tonawanda Lightning teams (Pee Wee Minor, Pee Wee Major, and Squirt Minor) collected food from their teams to add to the donations. Some of the boys even took time out of their busy hockey tournament schedule on November 28th to walk door to door delivering flyers for the fire company. The boys collected over 50 bags/boxes of food and presented it to Pat Talmon and Ryan Smith from the Kenilworth Fire Company on December 3rd at Brighton Arena.
Begins March 2016
The mission of the 2016 DIPPIN’ DOTS SPRING HOCKEY LEAGUE is to provide players of all ages and skill levels an opportunity to compete versus other skaters of similar experience and ability.
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• The 41st Annual DIPPIN’ DOTS SPRING HOCKEY LEAGUE will begin with an Evaluation Session in March/April. All players must attend. • The league is open to Boys and Girls ages 4 – 15. • Beginner, Intermediate and Advanced levels – All divisions are NON-Checking • Every player guaranteed EQUAL OPPORTUNITY to play and EQUAL ICE TIME • Each player receives an official DIPPIN’ DOTS SPRING HOCKEY LEAGUE jersey.
For more Info or to register online visit: Holidayrinks.com WNYHockeyReport.com
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Rochester Jun USPHL Sc Premier:
Date Opponent Location Sat Jan 23 Sun Jan 24 Sat Jan 30 Sun Jan 31 Thu Feb 4 Sun Feb 14 Sun Feb 14 Sun Feb 14 Sat Feb 20 Sun Feb 21
Junior Bruins Junior Bruins @Philadelphia Flyers @Philadelphia Flyers @Syracuse Stars South Shore Kings @Okanagan European Eagles @Jr Pirates Hockey Club @South Shore Kings @South Shore Kings
Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex Voorhees Flyers Skate Zone Voorhees Flyers Skate Zone Cicero Twin Rinks Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center
U18:
Date Opponent Location Sat Jan 23 Sun Jan 24 Sun Jan 31 Sat Feb 6 Sun Feb 7 Sat Feb 13 Sun Feb 14 Tue Mar 1 Tue Mar 1
South Shore Kings South Shore Kings @Selects Academy @Junior Bruins @Junior Bruins @South Shore Kings @South Shore Kings @Jr Pirates Hockey Club @Jr Pirates Hockey Club
Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex #3 Scottsville Ice Arena Voorhees Flyers Skate Zone New England Sports Center Rink 3 New England Sports Center Rink 4 Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center OA Sports Center OA Sports Center
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nior Americans chedule Elite:
Date Opponent Sat Jan 23 Sun Jan 24 Wed Feb 3 Sat Feb 6 Sun Feb 7 Sun Feb 14 Sun Feb 14 Sun Feb 14 Sun Feb 14 Sat Feb 20 Sun Feb 21
Junior Bruins Junior Bruins Syracuse Stars @South Shore Kings @South Shore Kings @Islanders Hockey Club Jersey Hitmen Jersey Hitmen @Islanders Hockey Club @Jersey Hitmen @Jersey Hitmen
U16:
Date Opponent Sat Jan 23 Sun Jan 24 Sat Jan 30 Sun Jan 31 Sat Feb 6 Sun Feb 7 Sat Feb 13 Sun Feb 14
South Shore Kings South Shore Kings Springfield Pics @Selects Academy @Junior Bruins @Junior Bruins @South Shore Kings @South Shore Kings
Location
Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center Ice Vault Arena - Rink 2 Ice Vault Arena - Rink 1
Location
Bill Gray`s Regional Iceplex #3 Scottsville Ice Arena Flyers Skate Zone at Pennsauken Flyers Skate Zone at Pennsauken New England Sports Center Rink 2 New England Sports Center Rink 2 Foxboro Sports Center Foxboro Sports Center
- The Hockey Gods
585-424-4625
www.billgraysiceplex.com
Men’s Collegiate Hockey
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Men’s College Hockey Report or more points. Christian Nati (Lockport) was third on the team with eight goals while Jordyn Bellitto (Orchard Park) had seven. William Korczynski (West Seneca) took a 7-3 record into the break while freshmen net-minders Kyle Fallon (Orchard Park) and Jacob Bell (Buffalo) each picked up their first collegiate wins over the first 14 contests.
by Warren Kozireski Warren@wnyhockeyreport.com
BROCKPORT The Golden Eagles ended the first half on a bit of a high note tying then-#1 in the nation Plattsburgh 1-1 and tying nationally ranked Potsdam the next night 6-6 on home ice. That put them in the middle of the tight SUNYAC and in the fight for a top-six playoff spot. Freshman Tim Kielich (East Aurora) scored his second-on-the team fourth goal in the Plattsburgh game and continues to impress and earn more ice time. He, leading scorer Chase Nieuwendyk and sophomore Ryan Kangas have combined for 18 of the team’s 38 goals and 20 of 58 assists at the break.
BUFFALO STATE Junior Mike DeLaVergne made 33 saves to register his first collegiate shutout over Cortland in the final game prior to the holiday siesta. That gave the Bengals a standings boost into the middle of the SUNYAC race at 3-3-1. Junior forward Taylor Pryce has already set a career high with nine goals and led the squad with 16 points. Senior Brett Hope was second with ten points and only nine games away from the century mark in his career. He would become just the fifth Bengal to do so and, if he plays in every regular season game, would tie Trevor McKinney (2009-13) for the school record with 104 career games played. Drew Klin (2009-13), Nicholas Petriello (2007-11) and Mike DeMarco (2003-07) are the others to reach 100.
ERIE CC The defending champion Kats were acting like they wanted another ring running the table at 6-0 in the first half by a combined 32-10 margin. Aaron Wanat (Cheektowaga) and Trevor Evans (Newfane) ran 1-2 in the nation in scoring with 34 and 30 points respectively with eight other at ten
FREDONIA In the mix for a top-six playoff spot, the Blue Devils may have turned the corner on their season in December earning five of eight points and their only loss coming in overtime to traditional conference powerhouse Oswego on the road. Team was finding more offense than in past seasons led by Marcus Ortiz, Taylor Bourne and Luke Rivera. Defenseman Ryan Wilkinson was two assists from tying his career best season mark of 12. Freshman goaltender Eric Bogart was earning more playing time of late splitting the last three weekends with senior Jeff Flagler and evening his record to 2-2 with a .911 save percentage.
GENESEO One conference loss and two ties will relegate you to fourth in the ultra-competitive SUNYAC and that’s where the Knights will embark on the second half. Plus a five-game winning streak where they averaged five goals per game. Trevor Hills (Honeoye Falls) ended the first half with a hat trick Dec. 11 against Nazareth and was tied for fourth in the nation with 11 goals. Stephen Collins (Pittsford) stood fourth nationally in points per game and had 19 including 11 assists. Freshman Anthony Marra was making a solid bid for the SUNYAC All-Rookie team with three goals and 11 assists over his first 11 collegiate contests and classmate Devin McDonald was off to an 8-0-1 start and a 2.10 goals against average beginning to his career.
NAZARETH One point separated third from sixth in the packed ECAC West as the Golden Flyers, coming off two losses, head north to play in the Plattsburgh Tournament the first two days in the New Year with Fitchburg State and Colby. Finding more offense will be a goal in the second half. Dominik Gabaj had just five goals and
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12 points, but stood atop the team scoring chart at the mythical midway point. Freshmen David Powlowski and Brad Pizzy have both worked their way into more prominent roles of late with four power play goals combined. Senior goaltender Ed Zdolshek played every minute in the first half, so look for the coaching staff to work freshman Ty Hough into at least a few games in the second half. And maybe senior netminder Jordan Demo will see his first collegiate minutes before the end of the campaign if the situation allows.
NIAGARA Weekend splits in December still had the Purple Eagles in last place in Atlantic Hockey, but a weekend sweep from the middle of the pack The team’s 2-0 win at RIT Dec. 11 marked their first win in the twelfth month since the 2012 season. Junior goaltender Jackson Tiechroeb registered the shutout in his season debut—he missed the first two months-plus due to several injuries. “It felt great; I was excited to get out there and put on the jersey again with the boys and play, Tiechroeb said. “I got out there and felt confident; everything was going our way. A lot of speedbumps, but I’ve tried to stay positive through it all.” After the Purple Eagles parted ways in December with junior forwards Pat Conte (Niagara Falls) and Phillip Nasca (according to the Niagara Gazette), they signed Smiths Falls forward Johnny Curran to join them in January. The 5-foot-10, 175 lb. becomes the tenth freshman on the 28-man roster. In his first full season with Aurora in 2014-15, Curran posted 28 goals and 37 assists, giving him a team-leading 65 points in just 52 games played. This season, Curran played 22 games with Smiths Falls, posting 11 goals and 19 assists for 30 points. Derian Plouffe scored his first career hat trick Dec. 4 against Bentley—the first hat trick for a Niagara player since Nov. 15, 2013. Niagara had two players earn Atlantic Hockey Rookie of the Week honors in November. Nick Farmer recorded four assists in a 5-4 overtime win on Nov. 20--the first four-point game for a Purple Eagles skater since Hugo Turcotte scored three goals and an assist on Nov. 16, 2013. Goaltender Joe O’Brien was also named Rookie of the Week after posting 39 saves in a 1-1 tie against Penn State back on Nov. 6. The coaching staff announced two new 2016 recruits in forwards Derek Brown and Ben Sokay via Odessa (NAHL) and Wellington (OJHL) respectively. Brown is in his third season with the Jackalopes where he tallied 48 points on 21 goals and 27 assists in 59 games in 2014-15. Sokay this
Men’s Collegiate Hockey
season posted 18 goals and 14 assists for 32 points in his first 28 games. Throughout the start of the 2015-16 season, Niagara has been one of the best teams in the nation at blocking shots. As a team, Niagara is blocking 15.3 shots per game, which is among the top-20 in the nation. The team plays only one of the first eight January games on home ice and were 1-6 in away games during the first half, but the only win came in the last road tilt.
R.I.T. With only two wins since November 8th, the Tigers were still tied for fifth in the conference and just one point from third place but still more than disappointed in their start coming off last year’s playoff championship and NCAA playoff appearance. “I think it’s a mindset of we did this last year-we did that last year, but nothing matters anymore,” Greece native and junior goaltender Mike Rotolo said in December. “Nobody care that we made the NCAA tournament, nobody cares that we beat Minnesota State. Those are great accolades to put on walls and remember in your later life, but now is now and we don’t have the same team we had last year. We have a very good team in there, but we have to go on the ice and prove it.” Senior forward Josh Mitchell entered the break seven points shy of 100 career points. He was also tied for seventh in team Division I history with 66 assists and was only six away from the top-five Tigers. On Nov. 13-14, the Tigers dropped consecutive games in overtime to Bentley at the Polisseni Center—the first time RIT was swept in a weekend series at the Gene Polisseni Center. RIT also had not lost a home game in overtime since Nov. 9, 2007 and the first time at the Division I level they suffered losses in the extra session in consecutive games.
OTHER AREA NOTES: • Greece native Jordan Masters was leading new Division I program Arizona State in scoring. The freshman had six goals and 11 assists through the first 17 games. • Holy Cross sophomore Paul Berrafato (Williamsville) was named Atlantic Hockey Goaltender of the Month in November. He went 5-2-0 during the month, posting a 1.84 goals against average and a .927 save percentage.
Canisius Golden Griffins With one of the youngest teams in Division I, the Golden Griffins were in the hunt to host a first round Atlantic Conference playoff series as of early January. Head coach Dave Smith has the second most freshmen (12) in Division I behind first year program Arizona State and was the tenth youngest by age. “It is really hard to win and I do feel that we are progressing forward and I feel like we’re improving every game and I think we’re learning that the price for success is paid in advance,” head coach Dave Smith said. “We have freshmen in some key spots and I think they are performing very well, but we haven’t learned how to win yet. Last year we had it, but that was 12 seniors ago.” In a Jan. 8 game at RIT, every forward except top-line junior Shane Conacher and senior Ralph Cuddemi were freshmen or sophomores. And the blueline featured just one upper-classmen in junior Geoff Fortman. The bad news is they entered January with only five wins over the first 18 games. The good news is all five of those wins came against conference competition, which gives them some hope for home ice in the first round of the playoffs. Not to say that the freshmen haven’t had some early success. Dylan McLaughlin (Lancaster) led the first-year players with 10 points through 21 games and had his first three-point night at RIT Jan. 8. Defenseman
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Cameron Heath led all players on the team with a +9 plus/minus rating and led all blueliners with three goals. Freshman goaltender Simon Hopley was in goal for the team’s first multigame point streak of the season with a tie at AIC and the win at RIT. And Joshua Gabriel (Lancaster) scored his first collegiate goal—a shorthanded effort—also Jan. 8 at RIT. “Those guys (the top line of ConacherCuddemi-Schmelzer) come up huge for us every game, so it’s nice to take some pressure off of them,” McLaughlin said. Junior forward Shane Conacher was named the Atlantic Conference Player of the Month for December after he tallied five goals with four assists in just five games. He stood among the top-20 in the nation in points per game and had four game-winning goals of his first 12. He was also named Atlantic Hockey Player of the Week after the first week in December after totaling five points on two goals and three assists to help the Griffs split the weekend series with Air Force. He now has four gamewinning goals this season, which is just one shy of the single-season school record held by three players. “We know throughout the year it’s a process and we try to stick to that process,” Conacher said about integrating the freshmen into Division I hockey. “You can see starting to build. The first half of the season with the freshmen you can see the feeling-out process, getting used to the speed and how much time they have with the puck. You can see everyone starting to break out now in the second half and we need that down the stretch.” Senior Ralph Cuddemi recorded two points on a goal and an assist Dec. 13 against Robert Morris and in doing so, became the ninth Griff in program history to record 100 career points and the fourth to reach the 50-goal mark. “What we’ve been talking about is you have to learn to play with the lead and you’re seeing the growth of our team,” Smith said after the RIT win. Canisius entered the holiday break 5-1-0 this season when scoring on the power play and 0-10-1 when failing to score with the extra man. The Griffs play all five weekends in January with only their regional tilt with rival Niagara (Jan. 14 & 16) and the final weekend against Air Force on home ice.
Legends
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Knox Brothers History by Randy Schultz Randy@wnyhockeyreport.com
Over my 42 seasons of covering the Buffalo Sabres I’ve had the opportunity to interview many interesting people. Two of the more interesting people I had the pleasure of talking with were the Knox brothers, Seymour III and Norty, the original owners of the Sabres. Hockey fans today have to understand that had it not been for the Knox brother’s hard work and dedication to the sport, there would be no Sabres today. They took a chance, when others wouldn’t, to take the plunge and join the National Hockey League. One of the more memorable meetings I had with the Knox brothers took place late in 1995. The meeting took place on the 37th floor of the Marine Midland Center (as it was known as at that time) in downtown Buffalo. The view was breathtaking. One could look out the window and see the undeveloped waterfront. But on this day you could see a new structure going up in front of us. That structure today is known as the First Niagara Center. My original intention that day was an interview with the brothers regarding hockey matters. But as I entered the office the elder Knox took me to the window. He couldn’t resist the chance to provide me with a social studies lesson. “I have a great view of the past and the future of Buffalo,” commented Seymour III, looking down on Memorial Auditorium to our right and the Marine Midland Arena (as it was known as then) on the left. “There are plans to develop the waterfront once we complete the arena and I see our building as a catalyst for the whole project, one that will pull the rest of downtown Buffalo together. “It would be the realization of a dream.” Turning back to the office, he sighed the sig of the resigned and cautioned, “It won’t come easy. There are a lot of people waiting to see how well we do with our arena. “While there are many of us looking to Buffalo’s potential, unfortunately there are others who are skeptical. Hopefully, with planning, that will change.” Interestingly, the two brothers’ personalities were at opposite ends of the spectrum.
“Seymour is wonderful with people,” stated Norty. “I make quick decisions, which leads people to think I’m tougher.
Instead they signed a 1968 contract to invest in the NHL’s Oakland Seals. Originally the plan was to move the Seals to Buffalo.
“That may be the case. But Seymour has always been the one in front; I’m more behind the scenes.
Though the franchise shift never materialized, being the Seals owners kept the Knox brothers on the inside track to the NHL’s next expansion. They were rewarded for their efforts with an expansion franchise in 1969, with the Sabres taking the ice for the first time in October 1970.
“We think alike, have the same ideas and tastes, and we’ve never had an argument. I mean that. Never. “And I’m not taking this up. He’s the best friend I’ve got, and I’m his best friend. It’s an extraordinary relationship.” Norty talked about a couple of golf outings he had in the spring of 1965. Without them, there would be no history of the Sabres or the NHL in Buffalo. “I was golfing with a lawyer friend of mine from the Boston Bruins,” continued Norty. “He casually mentioned the NHL was considering expansion and wondered if we might be interested in a franchise.
The rest, as they say, is history. And right up until their deaths the Knox brothers always remained optimistic and positive. “I have great expectations for the future of this city,” concluded Seymour. “Just look out there. “There’s so much potential. The Marine Midland Arena is simply a new beginning.” The Knox’s would be very proud of what is happening in Buffalo today, especially knowing the part they played in it.
“I didn’t attach any importance to the conversation. “That same spring Seymour was golfing with Fred Hunt (then the GM of the Buffalo Bisons of the American Hockey League) and Fred voiced the same rumor to Seymour. Of course, my brother paid attention and called me. “That’s when I began to get interested.”
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Planning was a key to the Sabres saga and the reason the Knoxes began their quest of an NHL franchise in 1965, now over 50 years ago. They also went into the project with two other qualities they possessed: determination and resilience. “St. Louis knocked us out in ’67,” recalled Norty. “We were deeply disappointed because St. Louis didn’t have ownership in place and ready to go. “We did. Despite our disappointment, we never thought of turning back.”
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Top Shelf Training
21
The truth about getting to the next level:
By Mike Smietana info@topshelfhockey.us Currently, in the United States alone there are over 470,000 hockey players registered. Combined with a 143.22% growth since 1990, according to article “Raw Numbers: Hockey’s Growth in the United States.” Most players and parents are under the impression that if you are good enough you will be noticed or if you know someone with connections, you will advance. In some rare cases that does happen. However, for most of the players out there reality is that this does not happen. With so much competition in front of players these day’s players and parents need to take their own initiative getting noticed by junior and college coaches. I am myself a prime example of how promoting yourself as a player will help you advance and I can show you how to go about marketing yourself as a player. After being away from the game as a player for over five years I decided that I wanted to attempt playing professional hockey. So, at 26 years old in 2009 and way out of hockey shape, I hadn’t played a full season of hockey since my junior days in Fort Erie which was in 2003. I worked extremely hard training morning and night doing double sessions and sometimes triple training sessions for over a year. I suffered a few injuries, pulled groin, separated shoulder and half a tooth was knocked out but eventually, I was able to overcome and transform my body back into hockey playing shape. So, I was ready for a team to find. I started calling every coach I could, teams in the former International Hockey League, Central Hockey League, East Coast Hockey League and even NHL teams. I soon realized that even knowing people within certain organizations would still not warrant even a chance to play. Heck not even a chance to practice. I always remembered that old story about hearing how Chris Chelios the former Hall of Fame Defensemen showed up with his bag at the rink and that’s how he was able to get his start in the NHL. I tried everything that you could think of the get a chance but couldn’t get anyone to bite. But I was persistent! Eventually, I created a player resume to give to teams. Which seemed to get some notice as eventually this helped to get me my start in Europe as a player which unfortunately, was cut short by a torn Achilles tendon injury. On a good note this catapulted my start as a developmental coach. I remember early on in Top Shelf Hockey’s inception in 2010 and working with Ryan Wagner who was playing Jr. A in the North American Hockey League at the time and he did not have an
idea of where he was going to play. I suggested to Ryan to go the self-promoting route and he eventually found a place that wanted him in Cortland. He went on to become the Captain for their NCAA Division III team. He also worked extremely hard and was able to push himself to get into great shape and deserves all the credit in the world. The moral of the story here is that players need to market themselves to get noticed. Just being good enough does not cut it anymore and players need to create some type of player profile that they can deliver to teams, managers and coaches. Take a look at an example above and get working on yours today. As you can see Top Shelf Hockey cares about our athletes success and I encourage you to train with us in the future.
www.topshelfhockey.us
Our objective is to accelerate the process of development for each individual hockey player.We specialize in skating, handspeed and shot releasetechniques using Top Shelf Training Methods. We Emphasize: Stride Efficiency / Evading Defenders / Shooting Evaluation / Technical Analysis of All Skills We Offer: Private Ice / Team Training / Summer Camps / Winter Clinics Easter Clinics – March 21, 22, 23 Visit our website for more information.
(716) 381-4207 www.topshelfhockey.us
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Men’s Club Hockey
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College Club Hockey: From ‘finals crunch’ to playoff chases By Dave Ricci We are getting into crunch time, just past the start of the New Year when teams start thinking about the stretch run of the regular season and positioning themselves for the playoffs. A time when, perhaps more than ever in the season, coaches are stressing the importance of rest, good nutrition and playing like there is no tomorrow.
ACHA
outstanding between the pipes. His 1.88 goalsagainst average is among the best in the country. But its far from a one-man show in the crease, as sophomore Tyler Stark has a very impressive 6-1 record. Even freshman Ian Shorthouse (3-1) and Max Battistoni (2-0) have stepped up when called upon. “We’re really happy with our goaltending right up and down the line,” Valvo said. Valvo and Lang said defense has been up to the challenge as well, yielding just 58 goals against in the first 20 games. The senior-heavy defense led by Sean Dungan, who leads the team with 19 assists - has been huge for UB. “When it comes to the defense, Dungan has been a rock back there,” Lang said. “He logs the most ice time on the team. With him and (Dimitrios) Koutsomitis back there, too. When those two are on the ice together it makes a big difference.” Along with a very competitive schedule through the rest of the season, the Bulls will also have to deal with the injury bug sidling two of their best players in forwards Willie Sanchez and Cole Schiffman, who are both expected to be out the rest of the season.
University at Buffalo The month’s trip through the American Collegiate Hockey Association starts off with the University at Buffalo Bulls, who are getting it done with that perfect mix of a balanced offense, strong defense and consistent goal tending. UB, at press time, was sporting a 16-4 record, 13-3 at home and 3-1 on the road. The Bulls offense has been key as they currently have 16 players in double-digit point totals, with Robert “Bang-Bang” Lang leading the way with 26 points (12 goals). “I think he’s definitely been a surprise for us,” UB head coach Sal Valvo said. “He’s always worked hard through his years, but this year the puck just seems to be going in for him. He’s a big body and he uses it to his advantage and has scored some big goals for us.” The balanced scoring is a plus because it doesn’t put the onus of scoring on just one or two guys and it makes it much more of a challenge for opponents to stop UB. “Exactly. We’ve got a spread out offense,” Lang said. “With our team it’s important that we get all four lines going every single game. We don’t stack. We roll all four lines each game and we have a nice balance. It’s been going well. Everyone has been finding opportunities to put the puck in the net.” Senior goalie Dylan Arnold (6-2) has been
Niagara University There has been no quit or slowing down the Purple Eagles’ top line of Dalton Bew (43 points), Josh Pietrantonio (41 points) and Andrew Mitch (38 points) as the trio has combined for six of their team’s game-winning goals. Mitch, who leads the team with 30 assists, has two of those GWGs, while Bew, with 19 goals and 24 helpers, leads the team with three. “Those guys are like tic-tac-toe,” NU head coach Larry Brzeczkowski said. “It’s really fun to watch.” But scoring is just one aspect of the game. As coach Brzeczkowski said, “you can’t win any kind of championship without good goaltending.” And NU has someone they can count on in Mike Parda, who is 12-6 with a 2.77 GAA and .914 save percentage. “He’s one of the best in the country,” said Brzeczkowski. Healthy as a team for the first time all season, Brzeczkowski said the next two months will be about reminding the players of what they need
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to do to stay in top physical condition so they can keep winning. “I told them you’ve got to take care of your body,” Brzeczkowski said. “Work hard, especially for the seniors because before you know it, it’s gonna be over. And not many guys get a chance to play pro after (college). So they need to take it seriously.”
Canisius College The Golden Griffins are getting plenty of offense as Andrew Ferrentino and Jess Hackett are tied for the team lead with 37 points. Brandon Bork is using every bit of his 6-foot-3, 205-pound frame in front of the net. Bork has four game-winners among his 17 goals. Goaltending needs to be shored up. Hiroyasu Takahashi, at 6-6, is getting some wins. But as a whole, the team GAA is well above 4.00 and save percentage is well below .900. Both need to improve.
NCHA University at Buffalo Over in the National Collegiate Hockey Association, the UB Bulls have title aspirations of their own. At press time, the Bulls were in first place in the North Eastern Conference West with an 8-2 overall record and 4-0 in league. The Bulls have also been getting it done with balanced scoring as forwards James Faran (17 points) and Zach LaMaccia (13 points) along with top defensive pairing, Adam Oetinger (11) and Brandon Gonzalez (11) are all lighting the lamp. “Adam and Brandon are our top pairing on defense,” UB head coach Jim Doersom said. “When they’re on the ice we try to get the puck high-low, high-low behind the goalie and back up to the point. They both have incredible shots. Not only accurate, but if there are a bunch of bodies in front of the net they can put it on someones stick, bang it off the goal post and into the net.”
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NCHA
24
NCHA Report By: NCHA Hockey Reporter, Bill Kellett As the calendar flips to yet another year, the second half of the NCHA season is to get underway. The first half of the season provided some great hockey and some even greater storylines. As of the Christmas break the NCHA has been lead by the CLU Knights who have compiled a 7-1 record and have compiled a goal differential of 6120 goals for/against. Maybe the most interesting aspect of this is the team is lead by Eliot Cutbill who has recorded 24 points in those games. Cutbill hails from Essex England. On the other end of the spectrum are the Western University Mountaineers who have yet to taste victory and have only scored 2 goals this season so far. For those unfamiliar with the NCHA the league is made up of 4 conferences. The South Western conference which consists of the schools from California (CLU Knights, Chapman Panthers, UCSB Gauchos, USCD Tritons and Ventura College Corsairs), the North Eastern Conference made up of teams from the New York area (Le Moynes Dolphins, Union Dutchmen, University of Buffalo Bulls, St. Johns Fisher Cardinals, D’Youville Spartans and Brockton Golden Eagles), the South East conference which is teams from the Pennsylvania area (Penn State Altoona Nittany Lions, California University of PA Vulcans, SVC Polar Bearcats, UPG Bobcats, CCAC and Western Virgina University Mountaineers) and one conference of independent schools made up of Otterbein Cardinals, Washington and Jefferson Presidents, Denison University Big Red and the Wittenberg Tigers. There are often games played outside of the league from different colleges not associated with the NCHA. Although CLU leads the NCHA in the standings the team that boasts the most impressive stats is the Penn State Altoona Nittany Lions who possess 4 of the top 7 scorers in the league. Nico Gricco has an eye popping 42 points in just 15 games while Mike Lassik is second in league scoring with 36 points in the same amount of games. Michael Ludwig and Michael Pila round out the top 7 and goaltender Stephen Gilchrist is 3rd in the league with a very respectable GAA of 2.73 and .929 save percentage. The NCHA plays games every Friday, Saturday and Sunday with the occasional mid week game thrown in, usually Monday, and offers a great deal of entertainment as many games can see lots of goal scoring and shots taken. Not only is the league very fan friendly but it is also a valuable avenue for players who wish to play the sport while also gaining a great education. Almost to a man, every
player brags about the opportunity this league presents with the different education options and the camaraderie that comes with it. Although the NCHA is not a stepping stone to Pro hockey as many other College and University programs are, the NCHA offers its own unique pathway to success, much of it scholastically driven. In the vast scheme of things hockey is the hobby not the goal here, but allows players to keep their passion going while bettering themselves for the future. For many suiting up for your school team is more than just about scoring goals and defending against them, it’s about teamwork and a sense of pride that comes with that. Unlike many other programs across the country the pressure to win in the NCHA is minimal, it’s more about participating and having fun doing something you love to do, a completely different mindset then can be offered at most other institutions. Not that winning isn’t important to these kids, it is but it is secondary to the career path that any of these schools can take you down, to prepare the students for real life. Some have expressed an interest in continuing on with the game post graduation either through the coaching ranks or through attempting to further their career in other leagues but the ones who are not in that boat are quite content to take their respective degrees and put them to good use while never forgetting what the NCHA meant to them while there. Hockey has a way of bringing people together and every one of these players is connected through the on ice battles they experienced. The NCHA is not without its pro connections either though. The coach of the Chapman Panthers is none other than former NHLer Kyle Calder. Calder spent 590 games in the NHL playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings LA Kings and Anaheim Ducks and compiled just under 300 points in his playing career. Now
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stepping into the coaching ranks, Calder is guiding these kids on the ice and imparting his knowledge of the game to his style. H a v i n g someone who has been through the pro ranks and had some measure of success while doing it brings credibility to the league, but also earns a level of respect in turn giving the players a reason to play. As we tiptoe towards the playoffs and the second half of the season it will be fun to look forward to the great storylines that will come from the games. Who will finish atop the standings, who will take away the scoring title, but mostly who will take away the greatest stat of all……a great education and an experience that will last a lifetime. To get up to date NCHA action check out our website at www.ncha.us.
Amanda Hansen Foundation
Youth hockey game benefits Amanda Hansen Foundation On Sunday, January 3, the Buffalo Regals Pee Wee Minor AA team wore purple. The visiting Buffalo Bisons wrapped their sticks in purple tape. Purple pom-poms could be found around the rink. Purple lollipops were sold for 10 cents apiece, and purple flowers were handed out after the game. Purple was Amanda Hansen's favorite color.
In January of 2009, Amanda passed away from carbon monoxide poisoning while spending the night at a friend's house. Since then, Amanda's parents, Kim and Ken Hansen, have devoted their time to spreading awareness of the dangers of carbon monoxide poisoning and raising money to provide carbon monoxide detectors to those who cannot afford them through the Amanda Hansen Foundation. "Amanda was our 16-year-old daughter," Ken Hansen said. "She had passed away on January 17 of 2009 at a friend's sleepover from carbon monoxide poisoning, so we made it our goal to keep the awareness out there and to make sure that we never lose another child, and so we just keep going every day, trying to do what we can to get the awareness out." "This is all done for our daughter: just to educate the public and get the awareness out there so we don't lose another child," Kim added. Buffalo is known as a hockey town, but it's also known as the City of Good Neighbors. Nicole Roberts, whose sons Jack and Jeff play for the Buffalo Regals, saw a way to use hockey as a means to help the Hansens while also educating another generation on not just being good neighbors but also on carbon monoxide safety. "I met Ken at another function, at another fundraiser for his daughter, and we were just trying to promote awareness," Roberts explained. "So we just wanted to make the young kids know how important it is to make sure there's CO detectors, and safety first. And we saw, in the news, all the work that [Ken] does for the community, so we
wanted to do something to give back. Hockey's really popular in Western New York, so we wanted to dedicate a game in honor of his daughter. We have everything purple, his daughter's favorite color. We're trying to keep Amanda's memory alive." Roberts watched as her sons and their teammates did an incredible amount of work to prepare for the benefit game, which included a basket raffle. The boys went door-to-door asking for donations and also asked family and friends. "Everybody helped out," Roberts said. "It wasn't just one person. This was a way to teach these boys -- there's 17 kids from all different parts of Western New York -- how to come together and work as a team, and they did. There wasn't one kid or one family that stood out; everyone worked together for this." The Hansens were asked only to attend and enjoy the game. They weren't even aware of how much preparation went into the day. "Nicole had actually just stepped up with this project and she wanted us just to come to it and she wanted us to enjoy it," Ken Hansen said. "So she's the one that really put all the work into this, and she did a lot, and it's just am amazing feeling for us to know that people like Nicole step up and are just there to help support our foundation and keep Amanda's memory alive, so it's very overwhelming for us." Kim Hansen was thrilled that a younger generation had put so much work in for the cause; it's exactly what she and Ken have worked for all along. "Having all the kids involved is huge because it helps another generation be aware of the dangers of carbon monoxide and educate them
WNYHockeyReport.com
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on it, so it's just wonderful to see them all come together," she said. The Hansens are continually surprised and grateful by how much the community has done to help their cause. In addition to wrapping their sticks in purple, the Buffalo Bisons "gave a very generous donation to the foundation," Roberts said. "All I can say is thank you to all the community again just for constantly supporting us and helping us keep Amanda's name alive," Ken Hansen said. Kim smiled and added, "I second that."
HPHD
26
Body Checking - Do’s and Don’ts: Body Checking is an important skill not only to master for game play, but to also protect yourself. This article will cover the general principles and being aware of the dangers so that as a player, coach or parent you can better understand the little things that make an effective hitter and a safe player.
General Principles Of Body Checking 1. Once you have committed yourself to deliver a check, complete it. DO NOT CHANGE YOUR MIND PART WAY THROUGH THE CHECK. 2. Keep your primary vision on your opponent at all times. 3. Never attempt a body check if you are off balance. It will prove to be most ineffective. 4. Attempt to place your opponent off balance, while maintaining your balance. 5. For better balance, assume a wide stance, bending at the knees in order to ensure leg extension, when driving through your opponent.
6. When along the boards, you must neutralize the arms and stick of your opponent to avoid the possibility of a pass. 7. During the body check, be sure to momentarily control your opponent by completing the check by taking the player completely out of the play (knocking them down), or by pinning them. 8. To avoid penalties and injuries always keep your stick low and never check from behind.
Being aware of the DANGERS The added element of body checking to the game of hockey is exciting to watch and do, but it can also hurt. Like any other job or sport there are do's and don'ts and danger areas. 1. The DANGER AREA on the ice surface is approximately three to six feet from the boards. From this area you can get checked into the boards, slide head first into the boards, and hit your head or chin off the lip of the boards. So, when in this area keep your head up and be aware of what is around you. 2. Being aware of what is around you means knowing where the play is, where the play is going, and most important who's around you. To do this you must be constantly scanning the play, "head on a swivel". This action will best protect you, more than the top of the line equipment on the market, but, by seeing where trouble could be and avoiding it. 3. A big don't is, don't stand still when the play is on. A moving target is harder to hit, plus, in case of a hit, the force of the hit is directed into different areas, rather than being hit straight on and taking the full force of the hit. 4. When picking up the puck from the boards or in the corner, look to see what is coming behind you, then pick the puck up
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on an angle. Never go straight in. You're leaving yourself wide open for a potential injury. 5. Never turn your back to the play nor face the boards (especially stationary). This is not good for play purposes, by not seeing where your players are, e.g., blind pass, but, again you would be setting yourself up for potential injury. 6. If you ever have the misfortune of being checked from behind or find yourself sliding head first into the boards, get your hands and arms up. Most important of all is to get your head up. Don't place your head down. The downward force and having your head caught in the corner where the ice meets the boards will almost certainly end in a serious injury. These principles and danger awareness are part of the full HPHD Checking curriculum. This comprehensive checking program includes all checking techniques. Private and small group lessons are available and check web for upcoming clinics. www.HPHD.us Steve Thomson HPHD Player Development Coach has coached, trained, and mentored players at all levels and is a regular professional contributor to WNY Hockey Report.
Rochester Youth Hockey
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Rochester Youth Wins 12U AAA HarborCenter Cup “Over the weekend of December 4th – 6th the Rochester Americans Pee Wee Major 12U Tier I T/B team participated in the 12U AAA HarborCenter Cup in Buffalo, NY. With preliminary round victories over the Orangeville Flyers (7-3), Elgin-Middlesex Chiefs (2-1) and a come-from-behind victory over the Southern Tier Admirals (4-3), the Americans found themselves one of just two teams from the 14-team field with a spotless 3-0 record. Advancing to the semifinals as the #2 seed, the team played their best hockey of the weekend on Sunday. First up was a match-up with Jason Dawe’s Team Carolina club. An early barrage from the Amerks helped them take an 8-0 win over the team from the south. That would bring a 4PM match-up for the championship against the Pittsburgh Penguins Elite (Black), who knocked off top-seed North York Rangers in the day’s other semifinal game. Once again a quick start had the Amerks up 2-0 early in the 1st and the lead would eventually become 3-0. After two goals by Pittsburgh, a quick answer from Rochester took back momentum and the team finished off the 5-0 weekend with a 5-2 victory and the 12U AAA HarborCenter Cup championship.”
The team, as pictured: 1st Row: Carter Tochelli (Goalie) and Nicholas Anderson (Goalie). 2nd Row: Haley Winn, Ethan Knauf, Owen Kopacz, Jacob Kraft, Conor Humphrey, Garrett Krieger, Brady Knauf. 3rd Row: Jeremy Nau (head coach), Terry Nau (assistant coach), Andrew Haugh, Anthony Agostinelli, Austin Ennis, Giuseppe Fiorillo, Alex Parton, Tyler Procious, Christopher Hammerle, Ben Pearson. 4th Row: Mark Pearson (assistant coach), Nick Tochelli (assistant coach)
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West Seneca Youth Hockey Association
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Mon. March 14 – Sun. March 20, 2016 @ the West Seneca Town Rink Proceeds will go to “Lukey’s Legacy Foundation” supporting Myocarditis awareness.
• Squirt House (or MOHL) teams only, • Change on the fly, no horn for shift no Select or “Travel Tryout” teams changes • Guaranteed 3 Games, 10-10-12 min- • Medals for 1st and 2nd place ute periods with no curfew • Free for spectators • Flexible scheduling • $500 per team Contact Tournament Director Jim Bowen at 716-777-1396 or jbowen@sahlen.com
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HOCKEY: • Beginner Hockey classes • Hockey Skills classes • Powerskating • Private & Semi-Private Lessons • Endorsed by USA Hockey
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2016-17 Full Season Midget Features of the Buffalo Stars Full Season Midget for 2016-17
• We are members of USA Hockey and the Western New York Hockey League • We are members of the NJPHL and the EJEPL Showcase Leagues
The Hockey Program
• This is for the players of the 2001 to 1998 Birth Year • Players are allowed to play High School • Season that runs August through early March • Approximate 70 Game Schedule
• 7 high exposure League Showcase Events • August Training Camp • Lake Placid Camp at Olympic Training Center • Practice average 3 times per week • Monthly Player Evaluation with Player and Parent • Weekly off ice training all season long • Usage of the Buffalo Stars Training Facility • 8 Week Spring Training Program • Team travels by Coach Bus and stays together at Hotels on road
• REAL Player exposure to the Junior network • We do not fill the roster with players just to pay the bills • Fundraising Options available to reduce costs
Contact Pete Preteroti 716-491-0375 or Mark Mendel 716-523-6936 Visit our website at: www.buffalostars.com or email at: sportsniag@aol.com
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infinite equipment drive. Hasek’s Heroes will kindly accept equipment at Cazenovia Rink or Riverside Rink from 9am-9pm – any day of the week. We especially need hockey bags.
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Saints Hockey 2016-2017 House Registration Dates
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Interested in Coaching? Visit our website. Applications due February 1, 2016.
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