January 2012

January 2012 Volume 1 Issue 4

Ithaca’s Iles: Nationally Ranked Goalie!They Call Central Park Home!

Kaleta and LEGOS: The Connection!Legends of NYS: Jack Brownschidle

P.O.Box 354North Tonawanda, NY 14120

(716) 909-2961

[email protected]

Managing EditorRandy Schultz

Designer & PhotographerJanet Schultz

ColumnistsWarren Kozierski

Janet SchultzRandy Schultz

Hockey New York StateNo part of this publication may be

reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechani-cal including photocopy and facsimile,

without permission in writing from the publisher.

Hockey New York State is an equal opportunity employer.

Contents 2012Hockey New York State

All rights reserved

Hockey New York State is published monthly at no charge and can be accessed via the publication’s website www.Hockeynys.com

Braunstein Family BenefitSaturday, January 21

4 to 9 p.m.The Tonawanda Police Club

25 Roswell Avenue, Tonawanda NY

Dianne and David Braunstein have been involved in youth hockey and the community for many years. Dianne has been diagnosed with Lung Cancer and the long road of treatment has begun.

The extensive treatments are very costly and not entirely covered by insurance. So the Hockey community has joined together to arrange a benefit to help defray some of the costs to the family.

The event will include food, beverages, musical entertainment, a silent auction and raffle.

They are seeking not only people to attend the event, but donations for the basket raffle and silent auction items which can include event or game tickets, restaurant or local services gift certificates, sports memo-rabilia, collectibles and cash!

Contact Joe Baudo, [email protected], 716-694-0182 or Kevin Kerr, [email protected], 866-6364 for information or to donate.

Hockey NYS E Magazine January 2012 Page 3

In This Issue!Columns Central News............................................................... 7 East News.................................................................. 13 North News............................................................... 17 West News................................................................. 22 From the Bench...................................................... 30 From the NYSAHA President................................. 4 USA Hockey News................................................... 30 Around the State...................................................... 29 Kids Page..................................................................32-33

Features Kaleta and LEGOS................................................. 20 Jack Brownschidle.................................................. 15 FiveNineGroup Marketing..................................... 11 Iles: Ithaca’s Big Man............................................. 5 ESPN’s Steve Levy.................................................. 24

New York State Amateur Hockey Association is an Affiliate Member of USA Hockey Inc.

www.usahockey.com/new_york

J o e B a u d o NYSAHA President

USA Hockey District Director 57 Countrygate Lane Tonawanda, NY 14150-6200

Phone & Fax 716-694-0182 email: [email protected]

TO: All members of NYSAHA I want to wish everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year. As you read this letter I along with the other District Directors from New York will be attending the USA Hockey Mid Winter Meeting. At this meeting the National Directors will be reviewing the Legislative Proposals that have been submitted for the Annual Congress that is held in June. At this time there will be discussion and amendments made to the proposals. It gives us time to bring them back to our membership for their comments. This allows us to better represent the membership in New York. If you are interested in seeing the proposals you can get them from the USA Hockey web site. I want to remind all coaches, you need to complete your online age specific coaching module. USA Hockey has extended the time frame to complete your module from December 31 to January 31, 2012. Please complete the appropriate module as failure to do so may result in your not being able to continue coaching for the balance of the year. In closing I hope everyone has had a great first half of the season and the second half will be even better. I look forward the upcoming State Tournaments and the Nationals that will be held in March. As always if you have any questions please feel free to contact me or your Section President. Very Truly Yours New York State Amateur Hockey Association, Inc.

Joe Baudo By: Joe Baudo President USA Hockey District Dirctor

Hockey New York State E-Magazine January 2012 Page 4

Standing 5’9”, Cornell University sophomore goaltender and Ithaca native Andy Iles wouldn’t be your first choice

if you were in the market for a basketball forward or an outside hitter in volleyball. Or even a power forward on skates. But he quickly is becoming the top choice among college goaltenders this season. As of the holiday break, Iles stood second in the nation in goals against average (1.62) and 11th in save percentage (.930) as his Big Red stood atop the ECAC with a 6-1-1 record. Even more impressive was his string of allowing just two goals (both in a 2-1 loss against Boston University at a sold-out Madison Square Garden) over a six game span. Included in the stretch was the second-longest shutout string in Cornell history at 213 minutes, 35 seconds and five consecutive home games without allowing a goal. Current Toronto Maple Leaf Ben Scrivens holds the shutout record, but the feat is incredible considering a long string of Big Red netminders including NHL Hall of Famer Ken Dryden and former Hobey Baker finalist David LeNeveau along with former NHLers Jean-Marc Pelletier and Darren Eliot. “It comes back to our philosophy that defense is our main staple and keeping the puck out of your own net can still produce wins and points,” said 17 year Cornell head coach Mike Schafer. “Getting good goaltending allows us to be aggressive through the neutral zone and do some things offensively. It’s hard for goaltenders to go long stretches without any action around you, but I’ve never seen anything like these five shutouts in a row at home. Andy is on an unbelievable roll right now and we’re also playing very well defensively.” Iles played one season with Ithaca High School taking them to their fifth state championship as a freshman in 2006-07. He earned second-team all-state honors and was

named the Section III Player of the Year after posting a .960 save percentage, a 0.93 goals-against average

and nine shutouts. He left for two seasons with Salisbury Prep earning the New England Prep School title in year two and being named the US Hockey Report’s Goaltender of the Year. Then came the U.S. National Development Program in Ann

Arbor, Michigan and he was a member of the squad that won the IIHF U18 World Championship in Belarus. In all competitions, Iles posted a 20-6-1 record with three shutouts, a 2.16 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. Last season he was the back-up to Jack Campbell for the bronze medal winning U.S. Under-20 squad at the World Junior tournament held in Buffalo. This year he was chosen as the emergency goaltender behind Campbell and Anaheim prospect John Gibson for the 2012 games in Calgary-Edmonton. “All I try to do is stay focused, not try to do too much and let the game come to me,” said Iles after a 0-0 with Clarkson in the final game before the break. “It’s (the streak) is a great feeling and it’s a

ITHACA’S ILES AMONG

THE BIG MEN

By Warren Kozireski


team effort. I’m feeling real good about my game right now, but I’ve never had a team defensively play so strong in front of me and making it so easy on me. “I always tell myself going into every game that I need to make all of the saves I’m supposed to make and come up with a few of the big ones.” As for whether he was especially aware of any superstitions during the streak, Iles said, “I’m not really a superstitious guy but I do have my routine that I go through every single day. But I don’t have to do that—it’s just the best way to prepare my body and feel the sharpest heading out onto the ice. “But I don’t want to play mind games with myself. I’m feeling confident and the guys are playing great in front of me, so if I show up prepared I feel I will have success.”*

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Women’s Hockey in Central New Yorkby Janet [email protected]

Section III Standings In Section III Upstate Girls Hockey Alexan-dria Bay leads with Ithaca, Skaneateles and Oswego following.

Clifton Park Wins Tourney Clifton Park Girls 14UA team had victory at Christmas in the City. The Clifton Park Girls 14UA team traveled to New York Cityover the holidays to play on an outdoor rink in Central Park. Hockey is always fun, but what can be more fun than hockey in De-cember in an outdoor rink in Manhattan. While the girls pulled out a 5-4 victory in the 3rd period, we’re still not sure what the shopping damage was from the trip. Thanks to Coach Cavert and scheduler Gary Pellitier for making the trip hap-pen.

The Syracuse Nationals 10U Girls hockey team wins at Mississagua The Syracuse Nationals 10 U Girls hockey team won the 31st Annual Mississagua Christmas tournament this past week. Miranda Bookman broke a 0-0 tie with just over 2 minutes left in the champi-onship game to defeat the Stoney Creek Sabres. Syracuse took a 2-1 record into the final game, having defeated Brampton and a tough Waterloo team

the day before to seal their trip to the Champi-onship game. Coach Dan DiChristi-na’s Nats had a 1-1 record vs Stoney Creek going into the final game and won their rubber match with great defensive play and an intense team ef-fort.

Ithaca Stars The Annual Ithaca Shooting Stars Tourna-

ment Champions included 19U-Lady Patriots; 14U-Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles and 12U-Guelph.

We’d like to hear from the Central Section boys and girls, as well as adult hockey teams.

Send your stories or story ideas to [email protected]


BROOME CCC Ithaca native Connor Lofgren stood among the top 25 in the NJCCA in scoring with Tommy Missert (Syracuse) and RJ Fitzpatrick (Vestal) right behind him. Mark Balkwill was seeing number one min-utes in net and had a 2.60 GAA heading into the second half of the campaign. The 10-3 Hornets will have two tests this month when they travel to Erie CC and Monroe CC on the 21st and 28th respectively.

COLGATE The Raid-ers were 6-2-2 and one point out of first as the second half began and were enjoying a seven-game unbeaten streak. Austin Smith was leading the country in scoring with 31 points in 18 games while New Yorkers Matt Firman (Fayetteville) and Joe Wilson (North Syracuse) had each netted three goals. Former Colgate forward David McIntyre made his NHL debut on Nov. 29 for the Minnesota Wild. A home-and-home with first place Cornell highlights January’s slate on the 27th and 28th.

CORNELL Freshman Brian Ferlin was

named November’s National College Hockey Rookie of the Month. He had

five goals and six assists for 11 points, all during a seven-game point streak. The Boston Bruins selection was also invited to try out for Team USA, but was a final day cut. He was one of just five freshmen across the country to average bet-ter than a point per game through Christmas. The men’s hockey team contin-ued its run of home shutouts with a scoreless tie against Clarkson. It marked the fifth consecutive home game in which the Big Red has not surrendered a goal -- a program first. Sophomore goalie Andy Iles made 23 saves for the shutout. His five shutouts on the season are halfway to the program record of 10, set during the 2004-05 season by David McKee -- who was a sophomore at the time. “When you have good goal-tending, it allows you to be more aggressive in the neutral zone,” Cornell head coach Mike Scha-fer said. The last time the Big Red yield-ed a goal on home ice was Oct. 29 against Mercyhurst, covering a span of 312 minutes, 11 seconds.

CORTLAND The Red Dragons stood two

points out of a playoff spot with eight confer-ence games remaining including their first four on the road. Adam Bevilacqua and Joey Christiano (Roches-ter) were still leading the way offensively with Ryan

Markell second on the team in goals. Chris Kaleta (Hamburg) and Ryan Durocher (Canton) each had a goal.

ELMIRA The Soaring Eagles had a siz-able six point lead with seven conference games remaining in the regular season. Senior Kevin Willar leads the ECAC West in scoring with team-mates Jesper Strale and Brendan Sanders right behind. Sophomore defenseman Matt Owczarczak had played in all but two games this season after a 22 game freshman campaign. Elmira will travel to Utica on the 20th and have a pair at Manhat-tanville the last weekend of the month.

HAMILTON With only one-third

of their schedule in the books, the Continentals will look to turn around

a 1-4 NESCAC start right away with home games at Colby and Bowdoin January 6-7. Michael DiMare led the team in scoring while Anthony Scarpino was the top goal scorer with eight

NYS HOCKEY MEN’S COLLEGE

REPORT CENTRAL SECTION By Warren Kozireski


in nine games.

HOBART Since winning their conference opener 4-0, the Statesmen have dropped three straight but have eight ECAC West games remain-ing starting with a home-and-home with Utica at the end of the month Yorktown Heights native Greg Ciciola led the team in scoring while Frank Salituro led with five goals in 11 games.

MORRISVILLE The Mustangs were struggling one season away from the first playoff appearance with just three conference points, but were just four points out of a playoff spot with eight games left. Todd Hosmer and freshman Patrick Stillar were among the top-12 in the league in scoring while Curtis Renaud was tied for second on the team with five goals. Fresh-

man forward Eric Geertz (Penn Yan) had one goal and two assists in his first 12 games played. A stretch of four consecu-tive road games starting January 21st with Potsdam, Plattsburgh, Fredonia and Buffalo State will go a long way to determining their February chances.

OSWEGO Ranked sec-

ond in the country and undefeated in confer-ence play, the Lakers are looking strong for a

potential return trip to the NCAA final four. A trio of juniors stood atop the scoring charts with Paul Rodrigues and John Whitelaw with 19 and 17 points respectively and Luke

Moodie leading the team with seven goals. Senior Ian Boots (Akwesane), Zack Josepher (Want-augh) and Chris Brown were also scoring in double figures. In SUNYAC action this month the Lakers will host Cortland before road games at Geneseo and Brockport.

UTICA After starting their league schedule 1-3, the Pioneers are hoping a re-cent 4-1 run will launch them into a productive second half. A return to ECAC West action on the 20th against first place Elmira will be a good measuring stick. Trevor Hertz, Tim Coffman (El-verson) and Evan Chlanda (Islip) are providing plenty of offense with 20, 20 and 18 points respec-tively over the first 13 games.*

Pond Hockey Tourney Set for AuburnBy Randy SchultzPhotos Provided by Auburn Hockey of 2010 Tournament.

AUBURN - The Auburn Hockey Club will host its Third Annual Pucks on the Pond Hockey Tournament. The outdoor tour-ney will be held on Saturday, Jan. 28 beginning at 8 a.m. at Hoopes Park. Auburn Hockey Club secretary, Tracey Walsh, remarked that it should be a tournament filled with fun and excitement for the whole family. “Last year we had 30 teams participating,” said Walsh. “This year we’re expecting a few more teams to be added. “Most of the teams are kids teams. Last year we had 10 adult teams. Again, we’re expecting a few more adult teams this year. “We are adding a Girls/Womens Division this year. We’ve had some interest from them so we decided to add them and see what happens. “In addition there will be food sold at the event as well as T-shirts. So the whole family can come and have a good time.” Fee for teams made up of six players will be as follows: Kids: $60, Adults: $90. All teams will be guaranteed three games. “All proceeds from the Tournament will go to the Auburn Hockey Club,” concluded Walsh. For further information contact the Auburn Hockey Club.u

Hamilton College is

2-4-0 overall and facing Cortland, first

away and then at home, on January 6 and 7. Hamilton is coming off a 2-3 loss to Oswego State.

The Big Red of Cornell started the New Year missing six players as they

play in the Meco Cup in Finland with the Canadian U22 Team. That said, the Big Red took a 2-5 loss to #5 ranked Mercyhurst on January 2. They now face Union College at

Union on January 6.

Cortland’s Red Dragons are home to Hamilton College January 6 and

7 after a 0-5 loss to Utica in their last game before the holidays. Cortland is 2-5-1 overall and 0-5-1 in the ECACW.

Elmira’s Soaring Eagles visit Manhattanville January 6 as they move into the second half of the

semester. Coming off a 5-1 win over Williams College they are 9-1-1 overall and 6-0-0 in the ECACW. Buffalo’s Haley Welch took Elmira to 3-1 in the Williams victory.

The Syracuse Orange face #5 ranked Mercyhurst at home on January 6

and 7. Games begin at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively. The Orange began the New Year with a 0-5 loss to Colgate on January 2.

Oswego Freshman Bridget Smith (Hamburg NY/Mississaugua Chiefs AA) replaced Oswego

Goalie Catherine Cote at the 2:17 mark of the first period after Amherst College moved ahead 3-0. Amherst had four power-play goals in the eventual 6-0 win over the Lakers. Oswego now faces Chatham on January 13 and 14 in Pennsylvania. The Lakers are 5-5-2 overall and 4-2-2 in the ECAC West coming into the final part of the year.

The Utica Pioneers,

who carry a number of New York State girls, are 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the ECAC West as they enter 2012. Coming off a 5-0 win over Cortland, the Pioneers are home to

Manhattanville on January 7. Sophomore Goalie Jennifer Hamel (Ithaca/Northwood School) had her second shut-out of the season facing 13 shots on goal in the win over Cortland. Rome’s Nicole Kieffer had a goal and an assist in that game. Kieffer played for the Lysander Lightning.

Colgate--East Amherst (NY)/Buffalo Bison’s Kimberly Sass

brought the New Year in with style by making 33 saves in her 8th career shutout to take the Colgate Raiders to a 5-0 win over Syracuse. With that being

the final non-conference game of the season for the Raiders they now take on Rensselaer January 6. The Raiders are now 7-10-1 overall and 2-4-1 in the Patriot League.*

NYS Women’s College Hockey Report-- Central Section

by Janet Schultz

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Four young professionals from New York State have proven that there are ways to fulfill your hockey dreams besides being a player. There is

a hockey life off the ice. FiveNineGroup Inc. is a new sports marketing company based in Buffalo that is paving the way pro-fessional athletes operate in the digital marketplace. That includes how they interact with fans and raise money for charity. The company began 10 months ago by four young profes-sionals from the Western New York area, each with unique experience in marketing and sports communica-tions. They include co-founders Chris Howard, Scott Goergen, Ryan Brennan and Rob Hopkins. All four individuals grew up in the Western New York area and all attended Fredonia State College. Ironically their hock-ey playing careers didn’t end when they got to Fredonia, as all four played some form of college hockey (D-III or Club) for the Blue Devils. FiveNineGroup Inc. provides past and present professional athletes from around the world with the tools to build their personal brands, enhance their charitable portfolio, increase their involvement within their com-munities, and engage more with their fans. So how did this group get organized? “About five years after we finished college it got to the point where we all had different professional experiences,” recalled Goergen. “We thought it would be great to do something that we really care about and would leverage our professional experiences. “We wanted to be able to enjoy the work, and be able to provide our clients with value. FiveNine-Group allows us to do all of that. “We noticed that the one thing the contin-ued growth of social media, internet activity and the need for professional players to manage, maintain or promote their on-line brands. So with our connections

and backgrounds, we decided to develop our com-pany. “And our first client was Hockey Hall of Famer, Denis Savard. He has been amazing to work with. Goergen continued. “FiveNineGroup offers a unique one-stop-shop for athletes. Not only do we build and maintain their websites, but we also work closely with them to develop and establish their charitable foundation,

generate additional revenue streams, and create unique content that fans will enjoy.” The group has just recently added

another client in Chicago Blackhawks All-Star defen-seman, Duncan Keith. “One other thing we noticed at the time we organized is that the NHL began to embrace the use of social media with their players,” stated Howard. “They list a lot of the players with their social media outlet on NHL.com. “We wanted to build sites that are interactive and give hockey fans an inside look into the lives of these players that they won’t be able to find any place else. And basically we want these people and others to keep coming back to the sites to get more updated

Media Group Helps Professional Athletes

By Randy Schultz

Denis Savard Golf Tournament in Buffalo organized by FiveNine-Group, Inc. (Photo submitted by FiveNineGroup, Inc.)


information. “We want the players to be able to share their stories and what is important to them. We also have ways to generate revenue for the players and their charities and to help promote their events.” That revenue is generated through speaking engagements, sales from merchandise or auto-graphed memorabilia, or advertise-ment spots on the athlete’s website. The company also assists professional athletes in starting and building their own foundation, as well as manage players’ charitable events. Fans even have the op-portunity to donate to an athlete’s charity directly on their website. “Most professional athletes want to give back to specific chari-ties or become more involved in giving back to their own communi-ties,” said Goergen. “We wanted to develop a platform that encouraged such participation and contribu-tions for both the athlete and their fans.” Beyond providing the mar-keting tools necessary for athletes to promote their philanthropic activities, FiveNine-Group also makes direct contributions to clients’ foundations and other charities that support life and sport. “There are other groups like ours out there,” explained Howard. “But we’ve noticed that some of them don’t exactly follow through with their clients. “We’ve looked at some players’ sites and noticed that they may not have been updated in a year or more. With the FiveNineGroup we stay with the client all the way. “We will be with them from the beginning until their decide not to have a site anymore. We are with them all the time. “We believe that our passion for sports and hockey are desirable to any professional athlete that may be in need of digital marketing. Most web com-

panies don’t have an exclusive focus on sports like we do.” So it comes as no surprise that as natives of Western New York, who have a passion for Buffalo’s professional sports teams, FiveNineGroup is actively pursuing working with players from the Buffalo Sa-bres and Buffalo Bills. “We would like to better showcase these athletes on a worldwide platform, as well as directly connect those players with the Western New York community and their fans,” concluded Howard. “We would love to work with the Sabres because of our love of hockey. “But we will work with any sport and any athlete. We just want to create a home for them on the web that people can go to immediately. “We want that home to be the first stop for any fan.”*

Player Website developed by FiveNineGroup, Inc. (Photo submitted by FiveNineGroup)


Islanders, Rebels, Royals Buddy Skate Giving back to their community is one of the main thrusts for the Lady Islanders. This year they partici-pated in a truly special event, Buddy Skate 2011. Players from the Lady Islanders, along with Long Island Rebels and Long Island Junior Royals, assisted students from the Genesis School for Autistic Chil-dren and special needs students from the Half Hollow Hills School District at a night of ice skating and a holiday party at the Dix Hills Ice Rink.

They Call Central Park Home!

The Central Park Lady Hawks are New York City’s only all-girl’s hockey program. Their home is Lasker Rink in beautiful, historical Central Park. The Lady Hawks participate in the GAL League and currently ice U8, U10, U12a and 14 teams. The original players came from a neighboring organiza-

tion that no longer wanted to support a girls program in 2008-09. During their first year the girls trained and began to shed the recreational attitude for a more structured team approach. Dur-ing the 2009-10 season the program doubled in size and regular season games were scheduled and the Lady Hawks were inflight. The program has now tripled in numbers and con-tinue to expand in a fun, nurturing atmosphere where effort, learning and competing all come together. “The girls thrive in this environment rather than merely surviving on the boy’s teams,” said Alan Stra-chan, director of Central Park Hockey. For more information on the Lady Hawks go to www.laskerrink.com or contact Strachan at 917-492-3857. (Photos supplied by Alan Strachan).

Long Island Amateur Hockey The Breswter Lady Bulldogs include a 16U team which is 15-12-0 overall; 14U B Team which is 3-1-0 overall and the 14U team which is 21-4-5. The 10U team won the Thanksgiving Tournament at Quarry Cats.

EAST SECTION

Please forward your team’s news to

hockeynys.gmailPhotos and Stories Wanted!


NYS HOCKEY MEN’S COLLEGE REPORT-

EASTBy Warren Kozireski

ARMY The Cadets began the second half five points out of hosting a first round playoff game, so the need for a quick turnaround is impera-tive. The second half

begins with two against Canisius, two at Niagara and hosting first place Air Force for two. Andy Starzcewski (Whitesboro) continues to lead the lead in goals and, with senior Mike Hull, is tied for the team lead in points with ten.

HUDSON VALLEY CC Storm Knight, Roman Malyshev and Luis Gallego were leading the offense for the Vikings while Paul Nicsevic (Colonie) was sporting a 3.86 GAA through the break. The team was forced to forfeit six games, but has a key tilt upcoming January 15th with County College of Morris and host defending national champ Erie CC on the 28th.

MANHATTANVILLE The Valiants start the New Year with seven of their first eight games on home ice. The team is in a pack trailing first place Elmira in the ECAC West—a team they will play on the road the last weekend of the month.

Brendan Turner, Scott Hudson, Brian Elser (Hopewell Junction) and Luc Van Natter all had five or more goals through the first nine games of the sea-son.

MOHAWK VALLEY CC The team resumes their schedule on the 18th when they travel to Broome CC still looking for their first conference victory of the season.

R.P.I. The Engineers need to regroup after

finishing the first half in the basement of the ECAC and six points away from hosting a first round playoff series

Fredonia native Nick Bailen and Brock Higgs pace the offense with Higgs having missed five games due to injury. Freshman Ryan Haggerty leads the team in goals with four. Games against teams directly above them in the standings (Brown and Dartmouth) this month will go a long way to dictating a turnaround.

UNION The second half begins with the Dutchmen 3-2-2 in confer-ence action with must-have games against lower standing opponents Dartmouth and RPI in the first half of the month. Fairport grad and freshman forward Trevor Mingoia netted his first collegiate goal December 3rd against Prince-ton and later in the same game followed with his first assist.*

NYS Women’s College Hockey Report/East

Rensselaer, is 4-12-4 overall and 1-5-2 in the ECAC and now look forward to a

game against Colgate on January 6.

The Manhattanville Valiants are 4-5-2 as they enter the

New Year and face Elmira, ranked #3 in the ECACW, on January 6 and Utica on January 7. They are coming off a 0-4 loss to Plattsburgh.*


“When I played on the U.S. Hockey Team in the World and

European Championships in 1979, we really got our clocks cleaned. But I did learn one thing from the experience. “When the United States won the Olympics the following year with the ‘Miracle On Ice,” I really understood what kind of a miracle it really was.And it made me appreciate the ‘80 team that much more. “What they did was truly a team effort and a great moment in sports.” That is how former National Hockey Leaguer Jack Brownschidle felt about playing for Team USA in the 1979 WEC. It was one of three times that Brownschi-dle wore the red, white and blue for Team USA. Besides 1979, Brownschidle also played for the U.S. in the 1975 WEC as well as playing for the U.S. National Team in 1974. The Buffalo native also played in all or parts of nine seasons in the NHL (1977-86) with the St. Louis Blues and Hartford Whalers. At 56 Brownschidle is a pioneer in New York State hockey history. Not only was Brownschidle one of the first WNY natives to play in the NHL, he was also one of the first players nationally to come out of col-lege and play professionally. “I grew up in Amherst (NY) and played for the

Amherst Youth Hockey Association,” recalled Brownschidle, a lefthanded shooting defenseman. “When I was younger, we were able to get our team from Amherst into the Ontario Minor Hockey Asso-ciation. “We had a chance to play against some good competition with that opportunity. That opportunity came for me in my senior year in high school when I jumped to play for the Niagara Falls Flyers in Niaga-ra Falls, Ont. “From there I jumped at the opportunity to play major college hockey at Notre Dame University, where I ended up playing for four seasons.” With all of his college and pro experience, Brown-schidle always enjoyed getting the call to represent

his country in hockey competition. “You always want to represent your country when they call,” stated Brown-schidle. “I was fortunate to play under two great coaches in those world cham-pionships. “In 75 Badger Bob Johnson was my coach and in 79 it was Herb Brooks. They were two of the greatest coaches to ever coach the game. “Bob was a lot of fun to play for, as was Herb. But they each had their own style of coaching. “Both were ahead of their time with

their styles of coaching. And they were both success-ful in their own right.” Brownschidle also recalled the championships. “In 75 we played on a much bigger ice surface than what we played on over here in the US,” said the former defenseman. “In the game we played against the Russians, we couldn’t get the puck from them. “They completely controlled the game on the ice with their outstanding skating and passing techniques. They were truly amazing.” Today, Brownschidle still resides in the WNY area where he is involved in property management. He has even been involved with the amateur hockey scene there as well. “The game has changed so much since I played,” concluded Brownschidle, who played a total of 10 seasons of pro hockey. “There are more rinks to play

HOME GROWN NYS:JACK

BROWNSCHIDLE

By Randy Schultz


in and hockey organizations to play for. “There are a lot more Americans playing the game today. And the US game has improved at the interna-tional level. “I’m just glad that I could play a part in US hockey history, especially at the international level. To have played just a year before the Miracle On ice still means a lot to me. “And not only is hockey growing in the Western New York area, but it is growing all over New York State. I’ve watched where some of the players have come from over the past few years and New York State has been represented very well. “Of course, hockey continually grows all over the United States. And just like New York, players are popping up all over the pro hockey map from differ-ent parts of the country.

“It was part of a great building process for USA Hockey that continues to grow today.”*

Attention:

North Section Coaches/Players/

ParentsSend your game, player, event

and tournament news to

[email protected]


NYS Women’s College Report/ North SectionBy Janet Schultz

Potsdam Bears are 4-6-1 overall coming into

the New Year. They face off against Plattsburgh on January 6 following a two game win over St. Michaels in December. Jessica Silveira was named ECAC West Player of the Week for December 11 after 5 goals and an assist in that weekend stance against St. Michaels.

Plattsburgh is coming off a 4-0 win over

Manhattanville when they take on the Potsdam Bears. Plattsburgh is currently 8-3-1

overall and 6-0-1 in the ECACW.

The St. Lawrence Saints are back in action on January 5

against Boston College and January 6 vs Northeastern. They are coming off a 6-3 win over Rensselaer and are 8-7-3 overall.

The Clarkson Golden Knights are coming

off a two-game win over Niagara University in non-conference play. They beat Rensselaer 10-0 and Union

College 6-2 prior to the holiday break. The Golden Knights come into 2012 with a 12-4-4 overall record and 6-3-1 in the ECAC. They face Northeastern on January 5.*

Women’s Hockey in the NorthBy Janet Schultz

Northwood Announces

TournamentThe Annual Northwood Invita-tional will be held January 20-22 in Lake Placid. Sixteen girls teams have been invited from all over the Northeastern United States and Canada. In addition a Boys tournament will also be held at the Olympic Center in Lake Placid.

Shannon Shines at Polar Bear Tournament

Goalie Zoe Shan-

non (Saratoga Springs/Al-bany Acad-emies) played in goal for the Vermont Shamrocks in the prestigious Connecticut Polar Bear

Tournament. Not only did she play, but at 13 years old she played on on a 14U team that had to play in the 17U Division. Zoe faced over 100 shots in 6 games and let in only 3—two were short-handed goals and the third was a rebound she missed by a millisecond. The Sham-rocks were undefeated in their Division when they went to face the Buffalo Regals in the championship. On the losing end of a 0-1 game, the Shamrocks scored with 19 seconds left and then went into double overtime. Just before the team scored the winning goal, Zoe gloved a third rebound like a sniper, everyone thought the puck was in the net when Zoe held up her glove with the little, black disc in it!


Clifton Park Clifton Park will host a 19U Girl’s Sectional Tourna-ment in February. The 12U A Team came away with a 2 wins, 1 loss and 2 ties in December after facing the Lake Placid Bombers and Syracuse Nationals. They beat the Bombers 6-0 and 8-0 before tying them 2-2 and then lost 6-1 to Syracuse with a final game tying at 1-1. The 19U team will take part in the Glens Falls and Lake Placid Tournaments this month.

Upstate New York Girls Hockey League StandingsIn Section X Upstate NY Girls Hockey it’s Potsdam in first place followed by St. Lawrence Central, Massena, Canton and Salmon River.

Beekmantown leads Section VII with Albany Academies, Lake Placid and Saranac Lake following.

Saranac Lake took the championship in the 2011 Saranac Lake Invitational over the holidays. They beat St. Law-rence Central 5-2 in the championship round. In the conso-lation match, Massena beat Lake Placid 4-0.

In the St. Albans VT. Tournament Beekmantown won in a 2-1 shootout over St.Albans (VT). They also beat Essex (VT) 1-0 in overtime in the first match-up.

Albany Academies Tournament In a pre-holiday Albany Academies Bears Tourna-ment Alexandria Bay captured the tournament title after defeating the host 2-0 in the championship match-up. In the consolation match, Ithaca defeated Williamville 7-1. The tournament opened Friday, December 16 with Alexandria Bay beating Williamsville 2-1 in a shootout. Mikayla Kolb won the game for Alex Bay in the shootout. Jessica Prance scored the other goal. Purple Ghosts Goalie Kayla Rois stopped 25 of 26 shots. Albany Academies beat Ithaca 3-1.

Winter Classic to Raise Money for Sick Child The Adirondack Northstars will be hosting their Winter Classic XVIII January 13-26. With 50 teams registered in four divisions, three rinks and a skills competition in beau-tiful Lake Placid it should be a very successful weekend. The Northstars will be raising money for two-year-old Jake Hanlon, the cousin of one of the Northstars who is suffering from Tuberous Sclerosis. This is a genetic dis-order that causes the formation of tumors on vital organs such as the brain, heart, kidneys and lungs. Jake began having seizures before being diagnosed with TSC when he was just 15 months old. All proceeds raised will be given to the Tuberous Sclerosis Alliance, dedicated to finding a cure for the disease and at the same time, helping improve the lives of those who are affected. This isn’t the first time the Northstars have fundraised to help others. Last year they raised $3,000 for 10-year-old Cole Nowak, a squirt hockey player who suffers from x-linked Retinitis Pigmentosis (XLRP). The proceed went to the organization which is dedicated to finding a cure. Cole, who has lost 35% of his vision because of the disease, is part of a clinical study with the group. In 2010 the group raised $3,000 for Abbie Landon, a former player who was diagnosed in 2007 with Glioblas-toma, the most common type of malignant brain tumor in adults. In addition the team took part in Operation Santa Claus which raises funds to provide warm clothing and food for over 2,500 needy children in the North Country. They have also raised funds to find a cure for Fried-reich’s Ataxia, which struck Coach Dave McDonnell’s son; the Albany Cougars Special Hockey Club; Operation Adopt a Soldier; for a child from Essex, Vermont, who suffered an inoperable brain tumor; for the Gulf Coast Youth Hockey Association in Biloxi, Mississippi, who lost all of their equipment during Hurricane Katrina and to help the family of Emilie Joinette, a member of the Kanata Rangers Ontario Hockey Organization who had Cystic Fibrosis. This is an organization with a big heart who dedicates their time and resources to help others in the community.

Adirondack Northstars The 16U Northstars captured the title at the Brockville Angels Competitive Tournament. The 12U team went 3-0 in pool play and finished a as runner-up in the Plattsburgh Girls Tournament.


CLARKSON The Knights will wrap up the longest road trip in 71 years when they return to home ice January 13th against Yale after nine consecutive in dark sweaters St. Louis Blues draft prospect

Paul Karpowich entered New Year’s weekend sixth in the na-tion with a 1.93 GAA and second in save percentage at .938. He was also tied for second with five shut-outs.

Freshman Sam Labrecque stood fourth among rookie blueliners in points per game at .62. Junior defenseman An-drew Himelson (Monroe) scored his first goal of the season against Holy Cross Thanksgiving weekend. After an early January game against North Dakota at Winnipeg, the Knights play their final 13 games of the season against ECAC competition with rival St. Lawrence at home on January 21st. They were in a five-way tie for fourth just one point behind third place Quinnipiac with a game in hand at the break.

PLATTSBURGH A four-game conference unbeaten streak to end the first half has the Cardinals one point behind first place Oswego at the break. The team was averaging al-most four goals per game, but the offense was spread out among three lines; just two players (Nick Jensen and Kyle Kudroch) were scoring in double figures and six players with four or more goals through 12 games. In an odd scheduling quirk, the Cardinals will play their final four SUNYAC games on the road after four previous on home ice with February 17th at Oswego for the rematch possibly deciding the regular season crown.

POTSDAM A surprising 4-4 conference start

had the Bears sitting tied for fourth and in a position to host a first-round playoff game one season removed from missing the

postseason as they head into the second half. Sy Nutkevitch, Trevor Cope, Adam Place and defenseman Eric Ware were all at or above the ten point mark with Nutkevitch tied for first in the nation

in points per game and in first all alone in assists per game with 15 helpers in ten games. Like Plattsburgh, the Bears will need to take advantage of home games against Morrisville (1/20), Buffalo State (2/3) and Fredonia (2/4) before finishing the regular season with four consecu-tive road games.

ST. LAWRENCE It was a first half of streaks for the Saints as they began with five consecutive losses before rebounding with a 5-1 stretch. Then a four game losing streak was snapped with a three game unbeaten string. Freshmen Chris Martin and Patrick Doherty were among the team’s top threats offensively while the defense corps including George Hughes, Jordan Dewy and freshman Nelson Armstrong had contrib-uted nine goals and 30 points for the Saints. Like Clarkson, they were in a five-way tie for fourth just one point behind third place Quinnipiac with a game in hand at the break. After a non-conference home series with Minne-sota State January 6-7, it’s ECAC games the rest of the way with a key five game road swing from late January to early February which includes Union, Yale and Brown that could dictate a playoff spot.*

NYS HOCKEY MEN’S COLLEGE REPORT - NORTH

By Warren Kozireski


LEGO is a line of construction toys that have entertained children for over six decades. In more

recent times the Billund, Denmark based toy company has caught the attention of adults as well. Patrick Kaleta is just one of those adults who has rediscovered the joy of LEGOs. The Buffalo Sabres right winger reconnected with the toy a little over a year ago. “It started last year when I broke my hand,” recalled the 25 year-old Kaleta, a native of Angola, NY. “I was sitting at home, basically fed up watching TV. “I remember reading an article in the newspaper about David Beckham, the soccer player. It said that for relax-ation, Beckham would put together LEGO sets. “I believe the one he had put together at the time was the Taj Mahal. So I thought if it was good enough for one of the world’s greatest soccer players, it should be good enough for me.

“So I decided to go out and try it. I built up the courage to go and buy one and tried it out. “The next thing I knew I had a LEGO room.” Which seems like a strange statement for a player like Kaleta to make. Courage and Kaleta go hand-in-hand. A physical forward by nature, Kaleta is known more for his body checking than scoring. And the chattering he does on the ice keeps opponents on their toes as well as tempers on high. Kaleta admitted that, although he had played with LEGOs as a kid, putting them together now was not quite as simple as he remembered. “It was a bit tough in the beginning working with LEGOs,” “ commented the 5-11, 200-pound Kaleta. “But they seemed to get easier and easier. “I found putting the models together as really helping time pass by quickly. And what is different now than when I was a kid is that when I finish a model now I leave it together. “I’ve collected a lot of models, both big and small. And leaving them together is pretty cool.” “Cool” would eventually become a problem for the New York State-born hockey player. “But the only thing that I didn’t really plan on was the collection getting as big as it has,” continued Kaleta.

LEGOS:More Than Just a Toy for Buffalo Sabre

Patrick Kaletaby Randy Schultz


“I originally had it in a room in the upstairs part of my house. “But that began filling up and I really began getting nervous. That’s when I decided to make some more space for them and moved them to a bigger room downstairs.” Which LEGO sets have given Kaleta the biggest chal-lenge? “Probably the Taj Mahal,” answered Kaleta. “I think it took some time between six to eight hours because I split it up over a two-day period. “I’ve also put the grand carousel together that spins and plays music. I also put together a bunch of the “Star Wars” ships, which were a bit of a challenge. “I also put together the “London Tower Bridge” and built a village that consists of a corner store, pet store and a firehall. “I’ve pretty much collected every major set LEGOs has, both in store and on-line. They are just so cool.” Does Kaleta see this “hobby” ending any time soon? “I know that the LEGO company keeps coming out with new models,” concluded Kaleta. “They’re coming out with some pretty cool things. “That’s why I go on my weekly Toys ‘R Us run and the workers know who I am. They let me know if there is anything new coming out. “It’s a hobby that I’ve picked up. I find it pretty cool. “And I don’t plan to stop any time soon.” But the Sabres forward doesn’t have to look too far to find something that can use his spare time. It is called HITS. Kaleta has been known for his charitable work, going back to his days playing junior hockey. During his time spent in the American Hockey League with the Rochester Americans, Kaleta was named AHL Man of the Year dur-ing the 2006-07 season for his community service. So how did Kaleta come up with HITS? “When I was younger, I always wanted to do things for the community,” stated Kaleta. “I knew that I would have

to establish myself as a player first, before setting up any type of foundation. “So now I’ve been in the NHL for a couple of seasons and I’ve had a pretty good mentor to guide me along the way in Ryan Miller. “I watched what he did in setting up his foundation. I would go to his events and watch what went on

and I learned from it. “I also knew that Ryan was big in going out and visit-ing hospitals. He explained to me how important it was to become involved with the community. “I really wanted to establish a foundation to really be able to give back to my community where I grew up. I talked about it with my family and we set it up. Kaleta has not only received a lot of monetary support from the community, he has also received a lot of help from his family, including his parents, sister, brother and an uncle. “It’s really great to have my family working with me on this project and believing in it like I do,” said Kaleta. Kaleta is an advocate of the Roswell Park Cancer In-stitute, as well as being a spokesperson for Cradle Beach Camp, which services the needs of disabled and disadvan-taged children from the Western New York area. “We just want to be able to help kids who are less fortu-nate,” commented Kaleta. “We want them to have a better life and put a smile on their face.” Kaleta has also set a lofty goal for the HITS Founda-tion: construction of a $6 million ice arena and fieldhouse in the Springfield, NY area, near where Kaleta grew up. “I know it is quite a big goal to set,” concluded Kaleta. “But if you know my dad (Tom), the two of us a very much alike. “And we’re going to keep going with this challenge un-til the day will come that we will open the doors to this complex. I want to see all kids get the chance to play hockey and any sport like I did. “The sooner we can get this open the better. The Foundation will keep work-ing on it until we accomplish our goal.”*


Women’s Hockey in the West Section

by Janet Schultz [email protected]

Cellino Wins for Trinity

Trinity’s Brigitte Cellino, Buffalo, took her team to a 3-0 lead in the first period over the University of

Southern Maine scoring with just :42 seconds left in the period. The goal proved to be the game-winner with the final score being 6-2. Cellino is co-captain of the Trinity Women’s Ice Hockey Team.

Buffalo Bisons Hockey

The Buffalo Bisons 12U girls played in the Mississauga Holiday Tournament finishing third. They split their

games with 2 wins and 2 losses. In the first game the girls took on Brampton and lost a 4-3 decision in a close contest. In game two they beat Mississauga 5-0 and I game three they fell to Aurora 3-0. In the fourth and final game the Bisons faced Mississauga beating them 2-0.

The Buffalo Bisons 14U Tier I State Bound Team traveled to the Connecticut Polar Bear Tournament during

the holidays. The won their bracket by winning four preliminary games opening the tournament with a win over the Princeton Tiger Lilies 3-2. The following day the Bisons took on a very strong Bay State Breaker team, ranked 10th nationally, and won a very convincing game 4-0. In a tight game against the Mass Spitfires the Bison’s won 1-0 and closed out the preliminary round by beating the Vermont Stars 3-0. The Bisons then faced the Bay State Breakers in a rematch from the preliminary round with the teams trading goals and the Bison’s falling short by 3-2. The game was marred with two goals that were disallowed for the Bisons. The Bisons did not make the finals but the team played exceptionally well and enter the second half of the season with an overall record of 18-14-3.

The Buffalo Bison’s 17U team becomes the second Buffalo Bison’s Team to capture a title at the

Connecticut Polar Bear Tournament in the past 27 years. The Bison’s 17U team opened the tournament with a rematch against the #2 Nationally ranked 19U Team Assabet Valley, who the Bison’s beat over Labor Day by a score of 2-1. This game would turn out to be a shoot out as the teams traded scoring opportunities with the Buffalo Bison’s scoring 2 goals in the final minute of play to pull out a 5-4 victory. The next day, the Bison’s pulled out a tough victory by beating Gilmore Academy by a score of 2-0. Just four hours later, the Bison’s took on the Connecticut Northern Lights and won by a convincing score of 11-0. The Bison’s 17U team would close out the preliminary round undefeated by beating the Anaheim Lady Ducks by a score of 5-2.The Buffalo Bison’s advance to the quarter finals and played a tough Bay State Breakers, the final score was the Bisons 5 and Bay State Breakers 2. With the win, the Bison’s would take on a Kitchner, a top ranked Junior Team from the PWGHL which would be a rematch from a 4-1 victory the Bison’s had over Kitchener in November. The Bison’s fell behind by a score of 2-0 with 8 minutes to go in the game when they scored their first goal of the game. The Bison’s went onto to tie the game with 90 seconds left in the game. After overtime could not decide the winner, the game was decided by a shootout, with the Bison’s


pulling it out. The final would pit the Bison’s against the East Coast Wizzards who is also ranked in the top 10 Nationally at the 19U level. Despite the Bison’s missing 5 players, and playing their 7th game of the tournament, the Bison’s came out fast and dominated played for the majority of the game and won the game by a score of 3-1. The 19U AA Title was the second by the Buffalo Bison’s organization and the first since 2006. This team will be competing at the state and national tournament at the 16U age level. The teams record is 25 Wins, 12 Loses, and 4 Ties.*

Buffalo Regals Report

The Buffalo Regals 16U team traveled to take part in the 27th Annual Connecticut Polar Bear Tournament.

They went undefeated in round robin play against Assabet Valley (1-1), Reston Raiders (4-1), Central Maine(1-0) and Markham-Stouffville Stars (2-1) and then defeated the NJ Titans (2-0) in the semi-finals. In a heart-breaking loss the Regals fell to a strong Vermont Shamrocks (2-0) team in double overtime. Strong goaltending and timely scoring carried the young Regals team to the finals. In addition to a strong showing at the tournament, the Regals took the opportunity to visit New York City’s attractions including Rockefeller Center, Times Square and St. Patrick’s Cathedral.

WNY Girl’s Ice Hockey Federation

The WNY Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Federation is back on the ice after a very short holiday break. Coming into

the New Year West Seneca is on top of the chart with a 6-0 overall record. They are followed by Monsignor Martin (4-0-1); Kenmore (2-2-1); Amherst/Sweethome (3-2); Orchard Park/Frontier (1-4-0); Williamsville (1-4-0) and Lancaster (0-5).

Katz Say Thank You!

The Amherst/Sweethome Girls Varsity Ice Hockey Team would like to thank the Harbison Family, Amherst

Alumni Foundation, Zaepfel Development, Amherst Boosters, Amherst Town Board Members Guy Marlette, Mark Manna and Steve Sanders and all the parents and volunteers who helped in their fundraising efforts which gave them the opportunity to field an ice hockey team in 2011-12. THANK YOU!!!

Around WNY...

Cazenovia Rededicates Wall of Fame The Cazenovia Park Hockey Association re-dedicated their “Wall of Fame” at the Timothy J.Burvid Memorial Ice Rink. Beginning its 52nd season, Cazenovia is the longest running youth hockey organization in WNY. Among the notable hockey players that began at Caz is Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks.” Past Wall of Fame inductees include Bob Rigby, Jim Banko, Les Bausch, Brian Higgins, Brian Cavanaugh, Brian J. Krug and J. Brown. Recent honorees include Michael Schieber, Ray McGurn, Dennis Schlegle, The Rost Family and Bud Webster.

Buffalo Bisons 10U Meet Sabres! The Buffalo Bisons 10U girls had several rare treats during an early December scrimmage against the Aurora Ice Squirt MOHL team. First, the Girls played on the newly established Aurora Ice Rink which was the first outdoor NHL Winter Classic Rink used in Buffalo when the Sabres hosted Pittsburgh on New Year’s Day in 2008. The Rink was disassembled and moved to East Aurora and reassembled for use by youth and adult hockey, public skating and figure skating. While skating that day who should arrive but Buffalo Sabres Thomas Vanek and Matt Ellis.

Buffalo Bisons 10U girls: Phoebe Palmisano, Kylie rosen, Caleigh Pfalzer, Isabelle Friedman and Alex Snow with Buffalo Sabres Thomas Vanek and Matt Ellis. (Submitted Photo)


“I have loved hockey since day one. I

can’t remember a day in my life when I didn’t love hockey. “I’ve watched it, played it and now it’s a part of my job. I’d say I’m pretty fortunate.” Those are the words of Steve Levy, an anchor on ESPN’s SportsCenter since joining them in 1993. While as ESPN he has earned the nickname, “Mr. Overtime,” for having called the three longest televised games in National Hockey League history. All three were Stanley Cup playoff games including a 1996 game between the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals that went four overtimes (third longest); a 2000 contest that also featured the Penguins, this time playing the Philadelphia Flyers, which went five overtimes (the longest); and a 2003 matchup between the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Dallas Stars, which also took five overtimes, and lasted six hours (second longest).For the record, the only two NHL playoff games to go longer took place before the era of television. “My four years of high school (at John F. Kennedy High School in Bellmore, New York) were on Long Island,” recalled Levy. “They were also the four consecutive years that New York Islanders won the Stanley Cup.” So, was there a problem with that? “I was a New York Rangers fan, of course,” answered

a smiling Levy. “I swear I was the only Rangers fan living on Long Island during their big heyday of winning the Cup. “But I was there for the Rangers when they finally won the Cup in ‘94.” Levy remembered his youthful days growing up

with hockey. “We used to play roller hockey in the streets,” said Levy. “Not only did I live on Long Island, but my family also lived in Queens and Manhattan. “I stayed in New York State when I went to college, attending Oswego State. It is Division III hockey, but it is top notch Division III hockey. “I wanted to get into the broadcasting business. When I applied to colleges the only place the many people felt you could go to get into sports broadcasting was Syracuse University.

“Syracuse was very expensive. And let’s just say that i wasn’t a top notch high school student. “My parent promised me that if i did well my first couple of years at Oswego they would find a way for me to finish up at Syracuse.” But it was love at first sight with Levy and the State University of New York at Oswego. “The first day on campus at Oswego, I fell in love with the TV station,” stated the 46 year-old Levy. “I did well in school, grades were fine. “My parents even asked me if I wanted to go to Syracuse and I said, ‘No, I’m good right here in Oswego.’ “As it turned out, the four best years of my life were at Oswego. Being at a smaller school, I got to be on radio

Coach Jim Suppa said that until this year the team has been playing competitively in Canada. This year they moved to another league, seizing an opportunity to show WNY that all team are competitive here in “Hockey Heaven.”

On this particular day the Buffalo Bisons 10U girls beat Aurora Ice 2-0, a boys team, plus they met two of their hockey idols.

ESPN’s Steve Levy--A Native New Yorker

by Randy Schultz

ESPN’s Steve Levy interviews Olympian Jim Craig in Buffalo in 2010. (Photo by Janet Schultz)


and TV in my freshman year. “That’s when the bug really got me. Plus, Oswego had a really great hockey team. “I got to do things in my freshman year and beyond that I would have had to wait until my senior year at Syracuse.” Levy began his TV career at WTOP-TV in 1983 while an undergraduate at Oswego. He worked at the station during his four years at Oswego State and was sports director there for two years (1986-87). Levy also called play-by-play for Oswego State’s hockey team on WOCR-Radio. In 1997, he received the first-ever “G.O.L.D. Award” from Oswego State, which honors an outstanding graduate of the last decade who has achieved prominence in his career. The college also honored Levy and expressed thanks for a donation in 2006 when they named the press box in the college’s hockey arena after him. So what is that Levy loves so much about hockey? “As a young kid I think it’s the speed and the color of the jersey’s and logos as they fly by you,” replied Levy. “When I was growing up it was even the long hair coming out from under the helmets. “There is finesse in the game and there is hitting. I think hockey brings that together better than any other sport. “The equipment was also cool as a kid. How can you not fall in love with goaltending equipment? “It was all so pleasing for a kid like me growing up. I got hooked on it at an early, early age.” So how did a kid, growing up on the Island end up becoming a Rangers fan? “I really don’t know,” stated Levy, a 1987 graduate of Oswego State. “I think I may have been something like rooting for the underdog at the time. “I couldn’t get the Rangers home games and only saw road games on over the air TV. We didn’t have MSG at the time, which made it so special when you would get to see the Rangers in their home white uniforms. “It became like a quest for me to see the Rangers. My dad would manage to scrape up enough money to see four or five Ranger home games a year. “I just couldn’t wait to go. It was such a great experience going to Manhattan and going to the Garden. “It was like an adventure, taking the big train and going into the big city. It was the Rangers jersey, being a part of the ‘Original Six’ and the whole thing. “I just fell in love with them.” Throughout the years Levy has discovered just what a hot bed of hockey New York State really is.

“There is no doubt about that,” replied Levy. “For a couple of years Barry Melrose and I were owners of the Adirondack Frostbite of the United Hockey League. “When I was in college I got to travel around the state and see other college’s that have college hockey and how it was received. There is some great college hockey in places like RIT, Plattsburgh, RPI and Canton. “There are great hockey cities throughout the state like Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Albany. I consider Buffalo one of the top five hockey cities in the country.” Levy has seen the growth of hockey in New York State as well. “When I lived on the Island, there weren’t a lot of hockey rinks,” concluded Levy. “But with the success of the Islanders, rinks began springing up. “It has happened all over the state. You are seeing a lot of great hockey players coming out of New York State. “I think you see great spirit coming from New York born and bread players. I hope to see that continue for many years to come.”*

ESPN’s Steve Levy serving as Master of Ceremonies at the USA Hockey Hall of Fame Induction in Buffalo last year. (Photo by Janet Schultz)


BROCKPORT With a 2-5-1 first half, the Golden Eagles begin the New Year two points out of a return to the postseason. Seniors Ian Finnerty and James Cody each were among the top 30 in the nation in points per game with Finnerty ninth in assists and Cody 11th in goals. The main issue was allowing five goals per game—tied for eighth worst in Division III. After five non-conference games in January, including against ranked Neumann, SUNYAC play begins again January 20-21 at Fredonia and Buffalo State.

BUFFALO STATE The Bengals stood third in their conference at the break and had allowed just 21 goals in eight conference games while leading

SUNYAC with 38 goals scored. Trevor McKinney, Justin Knee

and Derek Klin were all in double figures with Jim Durham (Marilla) tied for second with six goals. The squad will need to take advantage of their three home games in January since February has them on the road for all five tilts. CANISIUS Sophomores Kyle Gibbons and Taylor Law have figured

in on 22 of the team’s first 30 goals this season (73.3%).

Freshmen Braeden Rigney and Mackenzie Scott

each netted their first collegiate goals during the Robert Morris-Mercyhurst weekend in December. The team failed to win a non-conference game for the first time in program history—they wrapped up that portion of the schedule with an 0-6-1 record. After a road trip to Army in early January, the Griffs will need to take advantage of playing the rest of the month—six games—on home ice if they hope to host a playoff round.

ERIE CC Scott Roy was second in the country in scoring with 37 points and second in goals with 21 in his first 12 games to help the Kats to a 12-2 start and a second ranking. Christopher Kendall (Cheektowaga) and Corey Kitner (Williamsville) were also in the top ten in the league in scoring. Shane Mullen (Cheektowaga) was fifth in the league with a 3.11

GAA.

FREDONIA Hanging on to the final playoff spot as the second half begins thanks to two ties to finish the first segment; Blue Devils senior Bryan

Ross was 16th in the nation in points per game and 14th in assists. Freshmen Jared Wynia and Stephen Castriota (Bellport) were also vying for spots on the SUNYAC All-Rookie team with 12 and 11 points respectively Defenseman Brad Nunn (Stony Brook) was quarterbacking the power play. The Blue Devils play their entire January schedule on home ice with three conference games against Brockport, Geneseo and Morrisville.

GENESEO The Knights won their last conference game prior to the holidays to squeeze into a tie for fourth heading into their final eight SUNYAC games. Zachary Vit was doing more offensive damage in non-conference games with 11 points in five games and needs to move that productivity to SUNYAC tilts. Corbin Rosemarin and Clint Olson were also at or above the ten point mark while Rich Manley was tied for third on the team in goals despite missing three games. Home games against Hobart and Western New England precede a

NYS HOCKEY MEN’S

COLLEGE REPORT-WESTBy Warren Kozireski


key road trip to third place Buffalo State and sixth place Fredonia January 20-21.

MONROE CC The top-ranked and 15-1 Tribunes were trying to squelch thoughts of last season’s national championship game loss by outscoring their opponents by over seven goals per game along with a pair of conference shutouts. Dan Turgeon stood third in the nation in scoring with 33 points in 12 games with teammates Zach Lewis (Syracuse), T.J. Reilley (Rome) and Mike Boyd also in the top ten. The trio of Rasmus Nilsson, Rick Hennard and Tom Dehr (Varysburg) stood 1-2-3 in goals against. The Tribs will again host the national semi-finals February 24-25

NIAGARA The Purple Eagles six-game unbeaten streak heading into the Mariucci Classic in Minnesota New Year’s weekend was the longest such streak for since the 2007-08 season, when Niagara had a nine-game unbeaten streak (6-0-3). Their 3-3 tie with Princeton in Minnesota marked the team’s seventh of the season—a new school record for ties in one campaign Junior Giancarlo Iuorio registered his 50th career point in his 69th game The Purps will play ten of their final 14 games of the season at Dwyer Arena.

R.I.T. RIT has now been shutout four times in one season, three of which have come at Ritter Arena, which sets a program record. Before the season, RIT had been shutout just nine times in 243 Division I

games. Sophomore forward Michael Colavecchia was named the Atlantic Hockey Player of the Month for December. He tallied eight points in seven games. This season marked just the second time in seven seasons of Division I play that the Tigers entered December with a winning record. Senior defenseman Daniel Spivak played in his 100th game New Year’s week. RIT confirmed that they will host Penn State in 2012 and Michigan in 2013 at their annual Brick City Homecoming games at Blue Cross Arena in Rochester. Head coach Wayne Wilson also is entertaining the thought of the Tigers hosting a holiday tournament at either Thanksgiving or New Year’s when their new facility is schedule to open in 2013.*

NYS Women’s College Hockey Report/WESTBy Janet Schultz

Buffalo State College is Pinking the Rink on January 27 and

28 This is the first Pink the Rink for breast cancer that the Bengals have conducted. The weekend will open with the Women’s Ice Hockey Team taking on Oswego at 7 p.m. on Friday, January 27. Admission is $5 per person; free to Buffalo State College students.

On Saturday, January 28, Maddy’s Game will be played at 10 a.m. with alumni of Buffalo State’s Women’s Ice Hockey teams playing against each other. Maddy’s Game is in memory of Madeline Linn Loftus who was killed when Continental Flight 3407 crashed on approach to Buffalo Airport in February, 2009. Maddy was enroute to the College to play in a reunion game and since that time the game has been known as Maddy’s Game. Assistant Bengal’s Coach Jamie Overbeck is coordinating the

event and has announced that among the alumni returning are Emma Wadsworth, Mary Cohen, Amanda Uschold, Mary Keddie Halas, Jessica DeCarol, Julie Ruzala

and Marissa McMullan. Following the women’s game, the men will hold an alumni game at Noon. The day will come to an end with the women taking on

Oswego at 3 p.m. and the men taking on Morrisville at 7 p.m. in regular season play. In addition to hockey there will be a bake sale and tee-shirt sale. While there is no charge for the


alumni games, a contribution at the door for the cause will be appreciated. On the ice the Bengals return to regular action against Trinity (Ct.) on Friday, January 13. The Bengals are coming into the New Year 6-5-2 overall and 3-4-1 in the ECAC West. Jayne Minnick (Rochester/Greece Arcadia) was named ECAC West Women’s Hockey Rookie of the Week for December 11 after leading the Bengals to a 2-0-1 record. She scored both goals

in a 2-2 tie with Plymouth; one goal in a 3-0 win over the Panthers and one goal in a 4-3 victory over Castleton. Minnick had 7 goals in 13 games. Niagara Falls native Christine Williams was also recognized for her 5 points in 3 games and leading the team with 12 goals and 17 points this season. She had the game winning goal in the victory over Castleton.

The University of Buffalo Lady Ice Bulls are on break through

January 28. They will then face ACHA D1 University of Vermont on January 28 and 29 at Northtowns Ice Arena, Amherst.

Over on Monteagle Ridge, the Niagara University women

are 7-9-5 overall as they return to action against Mercyhurst on January 13 and 14. In non-conference play against Ohio State they tied 1-1 and then lost 2-5 to Ohio the next day. Buffalo’s Kelsey Welch notched the first goal with 3 minutes to go in the first period in the tie game and Jessica Hitchcock opened the scoring in the second

game with assists from Erica Owczarzek and Welch. The following week the Purple Eagles outshot Clarkson but ended up losing 1-3 with the single goal coming from Hitchcock. In a 0-3 loss to Clarkson the following day, Ryplanski made 20 saves for the Purple Eagles.

The RIT Tigers, ranked No. 1 in Division III, ran their season-log

winning streak to 12 games after a pair of one-goal wins on the road, 3-2 over Trinity and 1-0 at Amherst.

Senior Ali Hills scored midway though the first period and Sophomore Goaltender Laura Chamberlain stopped all 32 shots she faced from Amherst, as the RIT penalty-killing unit had to kill off eight Amherst power-plays. Chamberlain is now 3-0-0 against Amherst with a 0.33 goals against average and an unbelievable .990 save percentage. She has stopped 100 of 101 shots in three games against the Jeffs. Overall, Chamberlain is 7-0-0 this season and 25-2-2 with eight shutouts in her brief RIT career. RIT was out-shot for the first time this season, 32-20, in the Amherst contest and the Tigers are now 42-1-2 over its last 45 regular season games dating back to January 30, 2010. Junior Ariane Yokoyama recorded an assist in both games this season and now has a point in 21 straight games dating back to last season. Sophomore Kourtney Kunichika, who leads all of Division III with 14 assists and 22 points, was held off the scoresheet for the first time this season in the game against Amherst. Kolbee McCrea is tied for the national lead with five power-play tallies, and is tied for third with 12 goals. Chamberlain is fifth nationally with a 1.05 goals against average and leads the nation with seven wins. RIT has outscored opponents 76-12 this season and have 21 players with at least 10 points. The Tiger are first nationally in scoring, averaging 6.33 goals per game and tied for second defensively, allowing 1.00 goal per contest. The Tigers are off until January 6 and 7 when they host Adrian College at Ritter Arena. RIT is 5-0 all time against Adrian. Last season they went 3-0 against the Bulldogs, outscoring them 22-3, including a 10-1 win in the NCAA Quarterfinals.*

Kelsey Welch (Photo by Janet Schultz)

Jayne Minnick (Photo by Janet

Schultz)


Around the StateEmpire State Games Adds Sponsors The Empire State Games, scheduled for February 2-5 in Lake Placid, have added another sponsor to their growing list of supporters. Price Chopper supermarkets has become a silver level participant in the annual event. Price Chopper is based in New York’s Capital District with locations throughout New York as well as Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Pennsylvania and New Hampshire. “Price Chopper is thrilled to support the high level of amateur athleticism here in New York that the Empire State Winter Games represent,” said Mona Golub, vice president of public relations and consumer and marketing services. At press time ESWG organizers announced the addition of Sotheby’s International Realty, Paul Smith’s College, Correctional Eye Care Network Services and Ski Monkey to the growing list of sponsors. Sotheby’s is a luxury home realtor focusing on the Capital Region and North Country.They were a sponsor last year. Paul Smith’s College is a natural fit for athletes who have an affinity to the Adirondacks and who may be looking at college as the next stage of their life. Paul Smith’s will be sponsoring the snowshoe competition. Correctional Eye Care Network Services is a nationwide eye care companyv who recently opened a Lake Placid office. Ski Monkey, a company with an innovative learn-to-ski product, has also pledged their support. Stewart Shops recently re-signed a 2010 ESWG bronze level sponsorship and in-kind agreements have been reached with Clif Bar and Company and CABOT Creamery Cooperative and Young Explosives Fireworks.

Skaneateles Girls High School Hockey The Skaneateles Girls High School Hockey team will take on Alexandria Central on January 17; Albany Academy, January 13; Ithaca High School, January 26 and Oswego, January 27.

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From the Bench with Chuck GridleyNew York District Coach-in-Chief

Coaching Our Youngest Players

in the Age of ADM

With USA Hockey’s recent introduction of ADM (American Development Model), there is an increased focus on how a child’s development affects their hockey experience. There is also an in-creased focus on keeping things

fun and more age appropriate while helping every player improve his or her fundamental skills. Much of the burden for this falls on those men and women who are coaching our youngest players in the Initia-tion / Cross-Ice, or Learn-to Skate programs. Still, many coaches at this level approach their job as if they were coaching Pee Wees or Bantams. The main reason kids give for quitting hockey (or any youth sport for that matter) is that they weren’t having fun. That does not necessarily mean that the coach didn’t want his players to enjoy the experience; it may have been that the coach didn’t understand how these young kids perceived the experience. There is a funny scene in “Caddy Shack” where Bill Murray’s character is trying to catch (or destroy) a gopher. He concludes that the best way to do this is to “think like a gopher”. I would suggest that this true in this situation as well…..in order to know what a child will understand and enjoy, you need to put yourself in their position; you need to think like a 5 year old (my wife says I do this quite naturally!).

I am like many coaches; I started coaching my son 19 years ago when he was in the Initiation Program. I have coached at all levels of youth hockey up through Midgets. Nine years ago, I volunteered to run our Initiation Program. You might think that this would be an easy assignment, requiring only a few adjust-ments and a little research. Nothing could be farther from the truth. What I failed to recognize then was that my entire approach to teaching/ coaching needed to be modified to fit the developmental stage of these young kids. From the drills and games I wanted to use in practice, down to the way I spoke to the play-ers; everything had to be adjusted in order to effec-tively coach this group. Here are some things I have learned along the way. • Children learn best in an environment in which they feel secure. - We need to create an environment where kids are having fun and feel comfortable. We want them to want to come to the rink every week. It may be appropriate to create extreme challenges and a certain amount of tension on the ice for older kids, but this is not appropriate at this level. For these kids we want to create a fun atmosphere that the kids want to be a part of. • Children need to be active participants in the learning process, so involve them as much as pos-sible. - Give them the opportunity to be involved in deciding what game comes next, or what you will call a particular skating drill. There is a fine line between letting them participate, and losing control of your practice, but it is possible to walk that line success-fully. • “Play” is an important vehicle for development and learning. Try to make a variety of equipment (balls of different sizes, pucks, cones, etc.) available, and set aside some time every practice for free play. You don’t need to structure every minute….give them a chance to just play, and maybe figure a few things out on their own. • Development requires opportunities for children to practice their new skills, so structure games that

USA Hockey News and Notes!Hockey New York State E-Magazine January 2012 Page 30

allow the kids to use what they are learning. Also, development advances when children are given new challenges, so when they have mastered a particular skill, raise the bar a little. • Keep in mind that development happens at varying rates from child to child, and that different children learn in different ways. It’s important to know your players, and to take an “individualistic” approach to coaching them. You can see that look in their eyes when you are losing them, and converse-ly…you can see that look of joy when they are enjoy-ing a particular game. Stay in tune with those signals, and use that information to structure your practices. • As coaches, we want to share everything we know with our players. What we have to remember is that there is a progression, which starts with the basic skills of the game. If you can get these young players started down the road to good skills, you’ve accom-plished a lot. • Whatever you do, you have to make it FUN! You want every child you coach to be excited about play-ing hockey again next year. In general, you want to try to create a fun environ-ment on the ice that matches the development level of the children that you are coaching. This will maxi-mize learning and help the children you are coaching have a positive introduction to the sport of ice hock-ey.

Bentzen, Warren R., Seeing Young Children: A Guide to Observing and Recording Behavior, Delmar Publishing, 1999.

Morrison, George S., Early Childhood Education Today, Merrill Prentice Hall, Upper Saddle River, 2001.*

Ruggiero Retires

Four-time Olympian and one of the great-est women’s ice

hockey players in history, Angela Ruggiero, announced her retirement from the U.S.Women’s Natioal Team.

Ruggiero played 16 years for the United States, playing more games, 256, in a Team USA uniform than any other ice hockey player in the country’s his-tory. She finished her career with 208 points includ-ing 67 goals and 141 assists. At 31 years old, Ruggiero leaves the Team after playing on all four U.S. Olympic Women’s Ice Hock-ey Teams to date, won a gold medal in 1988 as the youngest member (18 years old) of the team; a silver medal in 2002 where she was named top defenseman; a bronze medal in 2006 and another silver in 2010. Ruggiero made history on January 28, 2005 when she and her brother, Bill, competed for the Central Hockey League’s Tulsa Oilers, becoming the first-ev-er brother-sister tandem to play in a professional ice hockey game in North America. In that same game she also became the first female non-goalie to play in a professional hockey game in North America. Off ice, Ruggiero has a master’s degree in sport management from the University of Minnesota, is a member of the United States Olympic Committee Board and serves on the International Olympic Com-mittee Athlete’s Commission. She is currently a mem-ber of the IOC’s Coordination Commission for the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang,South Korea. Ruggiero is founder of the All American Girls’ Hockey School, author of “Breaking the Ice,” and former director of the New York Islander’s Project Hope--an organization that provides young Chinese athletes with access to educational opportunities.

(Excerpts from press release sent by USA Hockey)*

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Kid’s PageHockey New York State E-Magazine January 2012 Page 32

The Stanley Cup

The Stanley Cup is the trophy given out to the champions of the National Hockey League (NHL). It is given out each year, usually in June, to the team that wins a best-of-seven game championship final

series. However, the Cup is decades older than the NHL. The first playoff game for the Stanley Cup started on March 22, 1894. The Stanley Cup was originally donated in 1892 by Sir Frederick Arthur, Lord Stanley of Preston, Governor General of Canada and the son of the Earl of Derby, who had become enamoured with hockey. It was originally used as the trophy given out to the top amateur hockey team in Canada. In 1910, professional teams started competing for the trophy, and in 1926, the NHL got exclusive use of the Stanley Cup. The cup has been awarded every year since 1893, except for 1919 when the finals were cancelled due to a influenza epidemic. Since its first presentation, the Cup has undergone many alterations, with new levels being added

and old bands being removed and preserved in the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. This is mainly due to the fact the Stanley Cup is the only trophy in professional sports that has the name of every member of the winning team engraved upon it. It stands at three feet tall and weighs almost 35 pounds. The Montreal Canadiens have won the most Stanley Cups, capturing the Cup 24 times. The Toronto Maple Leafs come in second with 13 Cup wins. The highest-ranking American team is the Detroit Red Wings with 10 wins. Often touted as the most difficult trophy to win in professional sports, each member of the winning Stanley Cup team gets to take possession of the trophy for 24 hours. (Description edited from Kids.net.au encyclo-pedia.)


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January 2012