Grace Harrington To Join LIU Women’s Hockey
The Long Island University Women’s Hockey Team is excited to welcome Grace Harrington, goalie from the Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles, to the Sharks Family!
2019-20 AHA All-Academic Team Named
216 Student-Athletes Named to 2019-20 AHA All-Academic Team
Atlantic Hockey players once again proved that even amidst a pandemic, they can still put the student in student-athlete. The 2019-20 Atlantic Hockey All-Academic Team features 216 names and one exemplary student-athlete with a 2019-20 grade point average of over 4.0, resulting in a single Student Athlete of the Year.
Army West Point sophomore, Blaine Madson, posted consecutive semesters with a GPA greater than 4.0, 4.02 in the first semester and 4.14 in the second semester, for a 4.08 grade point average, the highest of all players in Atlantic Hockey this season. For that, Blaine is the 2019-20 Student-Athlete of the Year.
Nine of the 11 member institutions placed at least 20 student-athletes on the All-Academic Team, with regular season champion AIC leading the way with 29. Canisius had 27 eligible names, followed by 26 from Niagara, 25 from RIT, 23 each from Holy Cross and Robert Morris, 21 from Mercyhurst and Sacred Heart, and 20 from Bentley. Rounding out the 11 schools were Air Force with 12 and Army West Point with 10.
2019-20 Student-Athlete of the Year
Blaine Madson, Army West Point
To qualify for the All-Academic Team, a student-athlete must post a 3.0 GPA or better in the semesters in which he was competing.
AIC (29): Patrik Demel, Martin Melberg, Jarett Fiske, Oskar Stromberg, Parker Revering, Nicolas Luka, Christopher Theodore, Calvon Boots, Nate Hooper, Hunter Johannes, Jared Pike, Zackarias Skog, Brett Callahan, Joel Kocur, Hugo Reinhardt, Blake Christensen, Christopher Dodero, Elijiah Barriga, Blake Bennett, Brennan Kapcheck, Jake Stella, Tobias Fladeby, Justin Cole, Stefano Durante, Jan Stefka, Matus Spodniak, Kyle Stephan, Luka Maver, Janis Jaks
Air Force (12): Pierce Pluemer, Matt Pulver, Trevor Stone, Joe Tyran, Erik Anderson, Marshall Bowery, Max Harper, Shawn Knowlton, Brandon Koch, Austin Park, Ty Pochipinski, Dalton Weigel
Army West Point (10): Matthew Berkovitz, John Keranen, Mason Krueger, Blaine Madson, Marshall Plunkett, John Zimmerman, Zach Evancho, Bryan Gerstenfeld, Matt Penta, Alex Wilkinson
Bentley (20): Connor Brassard, Carter Dwyer, Ryner Gorowsky, Brendan Hamblet, Jake Kauppila, Charlie Marchand, Brett Orr, Aidan Pelino, Matt Riggleman, Ethan Roswell, Luke Santerno, Hunter Toale, Lucas Vanroboys, Marcus Walter, Joe Winkelmann, Michael Zuffante, Fraser Kirk, Jakov Novak, Luke Orysiuk, Will Schlagenhauf
Canisius (27): Austin Alger, Jacob Barczewski, David Baskerville, Lincoln Erne, Logan Gestro, Simon Gravel, Derek Hamelin, Matt Hoover, Nick Hutchison, Casey Jerry, Matt Ladd, Hudson Lambert, Lee Lapid, Matt Long, Keaton Mastrodonato, David Melargni, Grant Meyer, Ryan Miotto, Kevin Obssuth, Jesse Pereira, J.D. Pogue, Will Scherer, MacGregor Sinclair, Matt Stief, Daniel Urbani, Blake Wareham, Tucker Weppner
Holy Cross (23): Charlie Barrow, Frank Boie, Will Brophy, Beau Collins, Grayson Constable, Kevin Darrar, Bryce Dolan, Andrew Dumaresque, Logan Ferguson, Erik Gordon, Nick Hale, Mike Higgins, Conner Jean, Pete Kessel, Ryan Leibold, Logan Milliken, Patrick O’Leary, Jake Pappalardo, Alex Peterson, Dalton Skelly, Matt Slick, Jack Surowiec, Anthony Vincent
Mercyhurst (21): Khristian Acosta, James Anderson, Jonathan Bendorf, Michael Bevilacqua, Stefano Cantali, Justin Cmunt, Devon Daniles, Colin DeAugustine, Gueorgui Feduolov, Dalton Hunter, Steven Ipri, Geoff Kitt, Jonny Lazarus, Paul Maust, Joseph Maziarz, Josh McDougall, Brendan Riley, Dante Spagnuolo, Ashton Stockie, Carver Watson, Quinn Wichers
Niagara (26): Jack Billings, Jared Brandt, Ryan Cook, Eric Cooley, Ryan Cox, Noah Delmas, Luke Edgerton, Croix Evingson, Chris Harpur, Tyler Hayes, Zac Herrmann, Jon Hill, Nic Mucci, Ryan Naumovski, Jason Pineo, Reed Robinson, Ben Sokay, Walker Sommer, Kris Spriggs, Brandon Stanley, Ludwig Stenlund, Alex Truscott, Chad Veltri, Brian Wilson, Jordan Wishman, Jack Zielinski
Robert Morris (23): Justin Addamo, Aiden Beck, Garrett Clegg, Redi Cooper, Sean Giles, Santeri Hartikainen, Cameron Hebert, Grant Hebert, Kip Hoffman, Nick Jenny, Justin Kapelmaster, Roman Kraemer, Nick Lalonde, Geoff Lawson, Dylan Lubesmeyer, Luke Lynch, Brendon Michaelian, Nick Prkusic, Nolan Schaeffer, Aiden Spellacy, Brad Stonnell, Darcy Walsh, Daniel Mantenuto
RIT (25): Andrew Rinaldi, Adam Brubacher, Kolby Matthews, Caleb Moretz, Nick Bruce, Alden Dupuis, Darren Brady, Regan Seiferling, Jake Hamacher, Jake Joffe, Kobe Walker, Andrew Petrucci, Ian Andriano, Ryan Kruper, Shawn Cameron, Brody Valette, Jordan Peacock, Logan Drackett, Colton Trumbla, Spencer Berry
Sacred Heart (21): Alex Bates, Vito Bavaro, Josh Benson, Tim Clifton, Jason Cotton, Patrick Dawson, Michael Gilroy, Nick Boyagian, Marcel Godbout, Marc Johnstone, Marcus Joseph, Kevin Lombardi, Luke Lush, Max Luukko, Austin McIlmurray, Jeppe Urup, Daniel Petrick, Ryan Steele, Braeden Tuck, Matt Tugnutt, Evan Wisocky
USA Hockey Annual Congress Focused On Moving Sport Forward
| Two-Week Virtual Event Included More Than 60 Sessions |
| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – USA Hockey’s two-week virtual Annual Congress concluded this past Saturday (June 13) and included more than 60 sessions discussing all areas of USA Hockey, with a focus on safety, returning to rinks, building a more inclusive and welcoming environment and retention of officials. DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION Among the many highlights was the approval to move forward with cultural competency training and education to further efforts around creating a more welcoming environment throughout the sport. “We’re very excited to take the next steps in our on-going priorities around diversity, equity and inclusion,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “Understanding our cultural differences is an important part of helping create a better and more inclusive way forward for our sport.” Kelleher noted that over the next year, comprehensive training and education will take place with USA Hockey staff, board members and other volunteer leaders at the affiliate and district level. In addition, other resources will be provided to those part of USA Hockey, including virtual programming. USA Hockey has partnered with both WMFDP (White Men as Full Diversity Partners) and RISE (Ross Initiative In Sports For Equality) to assist in these efforts. The Annual Congress included two events around Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, including an interactive workshop conducted by RISE and also a special conversation on Race & Equity and the Way Forward that featured Kelleher; players J.T. Brown (Iowa Wild), Blake Wheeler (Winnipeg Jets) and Jaccob Slavin (Carolina Hurricanes); Anson Carter, former NHL player and current NBC Sports analyst; Kim Davis, executive vice president of the NHL; Stephanie Jackson, director of diversity and inclusion for USA Hockey; and Bill Proudman, CEO of White Men as Full Diversity Partners. RINKS RE-OPENING & MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL In addition, there was much discussion and planning focused around returning to rinks – including best practices around safety and programming – as facilities begin to open across the country. “It’s great to see rinks opening,” said Kelleher. “For the past two months we’ve been preparing for that and have worked with a wide group of stakeholders to ensure best practices are in place to help our rink operators and local programs. We encourage everyone to register for the upcoming season now to help local programs in their planning process.” RETENTION OF OFFICIALS Significant conversation centered around retention of officials, including concerns surrounding abuse of officials from coaches and parents. “The rate we’re losing officials is alarming,” said Kelleher, noting that each year some 30% of officials do not return, “and one of the biggest reasons is how officials are treated. The yelling and screaming at officials from parents, coaches, players and others has to stop and it’s imperative we work together to end this kind of behavior.” REVISED COACHING EDUCATION PROGRAM APPROVED A revised format for USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program was approved by the Board and will take effect with the start of the 2021-22 season. “After feedback from the coaching community, we condensed and streamlined the requirements for our coaches,” said Mark Tabrum, director of USA Hockey’s coaching education program. “In addition, we’ve modernized our approach to teaching the material which will improve the experience for our coaches and enhance their retention of the material.” DECLARATION OF SAFETY, FAIR PLAY & RESPECT USA Hockey will continue its focus around the declaration of safety, fair play and respect that was introduced at the 2019 Annual Congress. “The efforts of the Declaration coming out of our Annual Congress last year centered around eliminating hits to the head, hits from behind and late hits,” said Kelleher. “We’ve certainly made some progress, but it’s important we continue to focus on this as we head into the upcoming season. We have a great game that is an important part of the fabric of our country and together we can all work together to make it better and more welcoming.” ELECTIONS At Saturday’s (June 13) Board of Directors meeting, the Board: • Re-elected Donna Guariglia (Morristown, N.J.) as treasurer • Re-elected Mike Trimboli (Massena, N.Y.) as vice president and chair of the marketing council • Elected John Tobin (West Roxbury, Mass.) as vice president and chair of the legal council • Re-elected Shawna Davidson (Duluth, Minn.) as director at-large; elected Chris Clark (South Windsor, Conn.) director at-large • Elected Dwayne Dillinger (Gillette, Wyoming) as director representative to the executive committee • Affirmed the following as athlete directors: Michael Blabac (Hamburg, N.Y.), Meghan Duggan (Danvers, Mass.), Eric Nystrom (Syosset, N.Y.), Chris Butler (St. Louis, Mo.), Brianna Decker (Dousman, Wis.), and Alex Lyon (Baudette, Minn.) • Affirmed the re-election of Julie Chu (Fairfield, Conn.) as athlete representative to the executive committee • Affirmed Mike Snee (Duluth, Minn.) and Bob DeGregorio (Winthrop,Mass.) as NCAA directors • Elected Joe Bertagna (Gloucester, Mass.) as director emeritus NOTES: Charles Fuertsch (Rancho Cucamonga, Calif.), who retired as vice president of USA Hockey and chair of the legal council following Saturday’s Board meeting, was presented with a personalized jersey and thanked for his years of volunteer service … USA Hockey honored several deserving individuals with awards during the course of the Annual Congress, as well as highlighted its Service Award recipients. A full listing can be found here. |
Sabres Announce Changes To Amerks Hockey Operations Department
(Rochester, NY) – The Buffalo Sabres announced that Rochester Americans General Manager Randy Sexton, Head Coach Chris Taylor and Assistant Coaches Gord Dineen and Toby Petersen have all been relieved of their duties.
“We wish Randy, Chris, Gord and Toby well and thank them for their contributions in overseeing the development of the organization’s top prospects in Rochester over the last three years,” said Amerks owners Terry and Kim Pegula.
Abby Blair To Play For Saint Anselm Women’s Hockey
Saint Anselm Women’s Ice Hockey Team Welcome’s Forward Abby Blair. Abby is from Grand Island, NY. She played her high school hockey for Kenmore/Grand Island. She will be wearing #20
Unique Awards Ceremonies for Women’s Collegiate Hockey
By Janet Schultz
With Covid 19 halting on-campus activities, the Colleges devised unique ways to honor their student/athletes. Several used virtual ceremonies, others just held an Awards Week and released the names daily. We have tried to compile all the awards and honor our student/athletes here. NYHOL has provided the iisting of awards per College press releases as of June 1.
Central New York
Cortland
Honored for their accomplishments in 2019-2020 were:
Rookie of the Year finalists: Dany Donegan of Cicero and Jayden Kelley of East Berne.
Chelsea Allen had 8 career shutouts and took honors for the Most Wins This Season at 10.
Grace Schnorr had the Most Career Goals at 34; Most Points This Season with 32 and Most Goals This Season with 19.
Katelinn Cummings of Johnston City was selected to the Chi Alpha Sigma NCAHS.
Emily King, (Buffalo/Buffalo Regals) was the Red Letter Winner for outstanding athletics/scholarship/leadership/personal development.
Elmira
May 18-22 was Awards Week with the following honored:
Soaring Eagle Final Rookie of the Week: Jordan Holt with the third highest scorer of the season with 8 points. Was the country’s second best scoring defender limiting the opponent to 0.89 goals per game.
Women’s Ice Hockey Booster Club Player of the Week: Jess Adams with 28 points on 20 goals and 8 assist, a career high for her; 3 goals in the UCHC Championship and named the 2020 UCHC Tournament MVP.
Elmira’s Female Athlete of the Year: Emma Crocker. She had a breakout season for women’s ice hockey and collected numerous awards with a career high 44 points with 21 goals and 23 assists, 7 powerplay goals and 6 game-winners.
Syracuse
Amanda Backebo took the Syracuse University Student/Athlete Award, was a 3-time CHA All-Academic Team member and was named to the VPA Dean’s List every semester since Fall 2017.
Lindsay Eastwood, SU Scholar Athlete of the Week was the CHA Best Defender, All CHA First Team and had 28 points (8g, 20A) in 36 games. She was also the recipient of the Doris R Soladay Award for possessing a history of campus and community involvement, along with a history of positively influencing their peers personally, academically and athletically. Eastwood has signed with the Toronto Six of the NWHL.
Savannah Rennie signed with the ECDC Memmingen Indians of the German Women’s Ice Hockey Bundesliga (DFEL) . She was drafted by the NWHL Connecticut Whale but wanted to expand her country and cultural experiences.
Colgate
Assistant Coach Chelsea Walkland has been named to the Team USA U18 Women’s Ice hockey Staff. She is from Pittsford NY and played for Robert Morris University.
Colgate’s March Mania Fundraiser was a success despite the Covid pausing the campaign. They raised $577,329 plus $130,000 in a challenge support to support Colgate’s athletic programs.
Two players have been added for the upcoming season including:
Kristyna “Kalty” Kaltounkova comes to Colgate after wrapping up a stellar high school career at Vermont Academy. The Czech Republic native joined the Wildcats as a sophomore and leaves as the school record holder for career points with 235. In her senior season, Kaltounkova led the team with 56 goals and 33 assists to earn All-NEPSAC First-Team honors. She also played soccer and lacrosse during her time at Vermont Academy.
Kaltounkova brings plenty of experience on a national level. She’s played on senior Czech National Teams since she was 11 years old. Recently, she competed in the Euro Hockey Tour 5 Nations Tournament and helped her Czech squad take down Russia for the championship. Kalty has also consistently impressed as one of the premier scorers at the IIHF World Championships.
She’ll become the second player on the active roster from Czech Republic, joining Noemi Neubauerova.
Kayle Osborne looks to be next in a long line of successful Raider goalies. Her journey to Hamilton includes PWHL prominence and national success. Osborne was a three-year fixture in the net for the Ottawa Lady Senators. In perhaps her most dominant campaign, she won 11 of her 18 regular season starts and earned an impressive .950 save percentage along with five shutouts.
In 2019, Osborne helped Ontario Red win gold at the National Women’s Under-18 Championship. In the deciding game, the Munster native stopped 17 of 18 shots sent her way.
Osborne also represented her home country at the most recent U18 Women’s World Championship. Appearing in two games for Hockey Canada, she posted a sub-1.00 goals against average as the team won silver.
Oswego
Kate Randazzo was named Oswego College Woman Scholar/Athlete and to All Conference in the NEWHL.
Cornell
Jaime Bourbonnais was the recipient of the Charles H. Moore Outstanding Senior Varsity Athlete Award and Micah Zandee-Hart too the Ronald P. Lynch Senior Spirit Award.
Hamilton
Michaela Giuttari is the recipient of the 2020 Jack B. Riffle Award.
Alayna Trice was awarded an Student/Athlete Award.
Members of the athletic teams took part in producing a seven-minute work-out video for girls in conjunction with the Strong Girls United Foundation.
Hamilton College women’s hockey player Timary Malley ‘20 (Worcester, Mass./Worcester Academy) was one of nearly 400 NCAA student-athletes who had the opportunity to receive career guidance and network with athletics administrators and sports industry experts virtually at the 2020 NCAA Career in Sports Forum from May 27 to May 29.
Morrisville
Names to the Athletic Director Honor Roll from Women’s Ice Hockey
Women’s Ice Hockey:
Danielle Bunting (Thornville, Ohio) Human Performance & Health Promotion
Kylie Cameron (Burlington, Ont.) Human Performance & Health Promotion
Tessa Dobson (Moose Factory, Ont.) Human Performance & Health Promotion
Taylor Finnie (Kamloops, B.C.) Criminal Justice
*Sissy Harman (Eden, N.Y.) Criminal Justice
Emily Henderson (Coconut Creek, Fla.) Engineering Science
Kendra Johnston (St. Alberta, Alta.) Humanities & Social Science
*Chyne Kennedy (Southwold, Ont.) Massage Therapy
Madison Lawson (Fort Worth, Tex.) Humanities & Social Science
Mackenzie Lombardi (Hamilton, Ont.) Criminal Justice
*Alana McDonald (Potsdam, N.Y.) Individual Studies
Alana Palameta (Windsor, Ont.) Humanities & Social Science
Cassandra Suran (Freeport, Pa.) Human Performance & Health Promotion
Sierra Voeller (Penticton, B.C.) Nursing
WESTERN NEW YORK
Buffalo State
Natasha Steinle received the Female Scholar Athlete Award.
NORTHERN NEW YORK
Potsdam
Natalie Wasielewski was named 2020 Most Valuable Player for the Women’s Ice Hockey Team, Allie Banas (Buffalo/Buffalo Bisons) received the Coaches Award. Delphine Leonard received the Maxcy/Molnar Award for sportsmanship, leadership and athletic achievement. Kaylee Merrill took one of the Newcomer of the Year Award.
Plattsburgh
In a remote awards ceremony the following players from the Plattsburgh Women’s Ice Hockey Team were recognized.
Abby Brush, Annie Katonka, Erin McArdle and Madison Walker were inducted into the Chi Alpha Sigma honor society.
Sarah Wolf received the CAS award for the second year and Hannah Kiraly received the Senior Achievement Award. Katonka was named Female Athlete of the Year.
Receiving team honors were:
Katonka, MVP; Sara Krauseneck, Breakout Player; Brush, scholar/athlete; Ivy Boric, Rookie of the Year; Madison Walker, Unsung Hero
Katonka, Walker and McArdle have been named captains for the upcoming season.
In other news Plattsburgh has partnered with NIKE through BSN Sports for all the collegiate athletic equipment and apparel.
Clarkson
2020 Patty Kazmaier Awardee Elizabeth Giguere was named Team MVP. Gabrielle David took Rookie of the Year honors and Marie-Pier Coulombe received the Ron Frazier Award.
Taylor Turnquist received the Coaches Award, Lauren Bernard the inaugural Nails and Blue Award for having a mental and positive attitude all season.
This year’s Unsung Hero award went to Meaghan Hector.
St. Lawrence
Alumni make the news at St. Lawrence with Chelsea Grills, ‘07, named the head coach of the women’s ice hockey team at the University of Ottawa; Amanda Boulier’15 named head coach of the women’s ice hockey team at Marshall School in Duluth, Minn. and Jacquie Diffley’ 20 heading to the Groten School in Massachusetts as the assistant girl’s hockey coach.
Canton
Season Review from Sports Department at Canton:
The women’s hockey team played a 25-game schedule in its first season in the Northeast Women’s Hockey League (NEWHL) during the 2019-20 season.
After a slow start to the season the Roos rattled off three straight wins to start the 2020 portion of their schedule including winning the Castleton Invitational championship. The Roos earned a 2-1 win v. Buffalo State before defeating Northland College 2-0 for the title.
Jordan Emerson posted a goal and assist, Verity Lewis tallied two assists, and Alexa Parigi scored the game-winner v. the Bengals. Parigi and Lily Cullen scored in the championship game while Sirena Alvarez recorded a 20 save shutout. Alvarez was named the Tournament’s MVP, while Emerson & Parigi also earned All-Tournament honors.
2019-20 RESULTS | 2019-20 STATS
The Roos kept their momentum going the next Wednesday (1/8) as the team earned its first ever victory v. Utica College shutting out the Pioneers 3-0. Parigi scored two more goals, Meaghan Best finished with a pair of assists and Natasha Simioni also scored. Alvarez backstopped the team with another shutout this time recording 29 saves.
SUNY Canton earned a 2-1 victory at home v. Buffalo State on February 8th to take the season series 2-1 after falling to the Bengals 4-3 in overtime on February 1st. The Roos finished the season strong winning four of their final five games.
After falling 5-2 to SUNY Potsdam earlier in the season the Roos knocked the Bears out of the NEWHL playoffs by earning a pair of 4-3 (OT) and 3-1 victories v. Potsdam. Parigi continued her impressive play in the second half of the season scoring the game-tying goal with 3:45 left in regulation before putting home the game-winner 56 seconds into OT in February 12th’s victory. She also added an assist, while Best tallied a goal and assist, and Macintyre dished out two helpers. In February 19th’s 3-1 win at Potsdam Ashley Gillies, Breanna Bedborough and Cullen all scored.
The Roos also earned a pair of victories v. Anna Maria College by scores of 10-0 and 3-1. Jayde Dukette (3-2-5) led the Roos with a hat trick in the first win, while Bedborough (2-3-5), Hannah Desrochers (2-1-3), Micayla Macintyre (1-2-3), Gillies (1-1-2), Parigi (0-2-2) and Cullen (0-2-2) all had multi-point games. Canton’s other positive result on the season came back in the second game on November 2nd when they tied Morrisville State 2-2.
Bedborough led the Roos with 17 points on seven goals and tied for a team-high with 10 assists. Sarah Kosnaskie tallied a team-best nine goals and tied a team-high with three power play goals for 13 points (9-4-13). Parigi totaled 12 points (7-5-12) with a team-high four game-winning goals and three power play tallies. Best (4-8-12), Desrochers (4-7-11) and Macintyre (1-10-11) all finished with double digit points.
Alvarez finished the season with a 5-5-1 record posting a .903 save percentage and a 3.00 goals against average. Brooke Susac earned a pair of victories during her senior season finishing with marks of .885 and 3.39. She finishes her remarkable Roo career with SUNY Canton’s single-season (14) and career (35) wins records. Kayla Lauzon also earned her first career win this season finishing with a 1-1-0 record with marks of .892 and 2.94.
The Roos lose Susac to graduation as she joins the SUNY Canton Alumni family.
EASTERN NEW YORK
Union
Reid Nichols, manager of the women’s ice hockey team, was named to the Phi Theta Kappa honor society.
Leah Heffort received the Terry Lynch-Jackie Havercamp Cuttita Memorial Award given to a first year female athlete that exhibits leadership and sportsmanship.
Grace Herting was awarded the Female Sophomore Athletic prize for attitude, ability, participation and achievement.
The balanced of the awards are being presented at this time
RPI
RPI also held a virtual ceremony and noted that athletes contributed 1923 hours to community service from July 1, 2019 to April 30, 2020
Kirsten Iwanski “Wan” was awarded the Perseverance Award. She was diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor before her sophomore year, fought back and played every game in her junior and senior year.
Sabrina Repaci was named to the Olympia, the athletic honor society
(College’s issuing Season Reviews are asked to forward them to Janet Schultz at Janet@nyhockeyonline.com for publication this summer
Around the NWHL in May
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
The pandemic continues to keep us from our daily routines and activities; including hockey. But the NWHL continues to move forward by preparing for the 2020-21 season.
First and foremost is the expansion to Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The following is a statement from the NWHL issued earlier.
“Toronto is without question the sports capital of Canada,” said Toronto Mayor John Tory. “The addition of a Toronto team for the National Women’s Hockey League is most welcome by our city and one that I know many Torontonians will embrace as they have with all of our other sports teams. Our city has a rich history with professional women’s hockey and we are excited to begin this next chapter with the NWHL. I hope that this team achieves success and longevity in our city and that this team will serve as an inspiration for young girls to pursue careers in professional sports.”
The ownership team is led by Johanna Neilson Boynton, who played four years at Harvard, serving as captain for two seasons, and is the CEO and co-Founder of Boynton Brennan Builders. Sports team owner and executive Tyler Tumminia, who in recent years was named one of the Top 25 Female Executives by Bleacher Report and received the Game Changer award from Sports Business Journal, will serve as the club’s Chairman. Digit Murphy, who has more than three decades of experience leading teams at Brown University and in the Canadian Women’s Hockey League, has been named President. Murphy will oversee the hiring of a general manager and head coach for Toronto’s team.
Embracing the opportunity to be pioneers on the NWHL’s first team in Canada, five players have signed contracts to join Toronto for the upcoming season:
Kristen Barbara: The 27-year-old defender from Mount Hope, Ontario won the Clarkson Cup with the Markham Thunder in the CWHL’s final season in 2019. Barbara played three seasons in the CWHL after an impressive collegiate career at York University in Toronto; Elaine Chuli: The 25-year-old goaltender from Waterford, Ontario played in the CWHL for the Toronto Furies and Vanke Rays. The No. 1 goaltender at the University of Connecticut for all of her four years at college, Chuli was a member of gold medal-winning Team Canada at the U-18 World Championships in 2012.
Shiann Darkangelo, who as a member of the U.S. National Team, Darkangelo won a gold medal in 2016 at the IIHF World Championship and competed in two Four Nations Cups. Before playing in the CWHL for Toronto and Kunlun, the 26-year-old forward from Michigan was a popular player in the NWHL with Buffalo and Connecticut. Darkangelo played collegiately at Syracuse and Quinnipiac and won gold with the U.S. National Team at the U-18 World Championships in 2011.
Emma Greco, the 25-year-old defender from Burlington, Ontario played for the Toronto Furies in the CWHL’s final season. After her college career at Quinnipiac, Greco played in the 2017-18 NWHL season with the Connecticut Whale. She is regarded as a very reliable stay-at- home defender capable of playing in all key situations.
Taylor Woods, after an outstanding four years at Cornell – serving as an alternate captain in her senior season – Woods was a mainstay in the lineup of the Markham/Brampton Thunder of the CWHL starting in 2016. The 25-year-old versatile forward from Morden, Manitoba won the Clarkson Cup with Markham in 2019. Woods was also a member of gold medal-winning Team Canada at the U-18 World Championships in 2012.
The team will be known as the Toronto 6.
The NWHL announced that the 2020 Isobel Cup Final between the Boston Pride and Minnesota Whitecaps has been canceled due to the COVID-19 health crisis. The game, originally scheduled for March 13, was postponed the previous morning. The decision to cancel the game was reached collaboratively by the NWHL, the NWHLPA, and the players, coaches and leadership of the Pride and Whitecaps.
Continuing to build for the 2020-2021 season the NWHL teams have worked on signing players during the past few weeks. Here’s an update on the May signings.
Buffalo Beauts:
Carly Jackson of Nova Scotia was the third overall pick in the 2020 draft. She comes from the University of Maine.
Dominique Kremer comes from Merrimack College but spent last season with the SDHL Djurgafdens IF as a defender.
Cassidy MacPherson re-signed with the Beauts for her second season.
Lenka Curmova will also play her second NWHL season with the Beauts.
Whitney Dove of Port Moody, BC has signed with the Beauts. She comes from Providence College where she was named to the Hockey East Second Team All Star in 2020.
Metropolitan Riveters:
They have signed Saroya Tinker, fourth overall pick in the 2020 draft; Tera Hoffman, a third round selection for the Rivers; Sammy Kolowerat from the University of Vermont and the Czech Republic National Team; Kate Leary, the NWHL Newcomer of the Year for 2020 has re-signed with the Riveters.
Most recently the Riveters have signed Sonjia Shelly and Buffalo’s Emily Janiga. Janiga played for the Beauts in 2017 when they took the Isobel Cup.
Boston Pride:
Jillian Dempsey, captain, has re-signed as well as Lauren Kelly, Jenna Rheault and Mallory Souliotis. Terezza Vanisova, 12th overall pick in 2020 signed along with Lovisa Selander; Tori Sullivan. Carlee Turner is the most recent signing for the Pride.
Connecticut Whale:
Tori Howran, a defender and seventh overall pick in the 2020 Draft; Hanna Beattie, Katelynn Russ, and Taylor Marchin have re-signed; Maggie LaGue from Robert Morris College and the 22nd pick overall in the 2018 NWHL draft; Abbie Ives, a goaltender from Quinnipiac and Amanda Conway, the 2020 Laura herd Award recipient from Norwich University.
Melissa Samoskevich signed with the Whale. The Quinnipiac alum played on the 2019 IIHF USA Team that took the gold medal.
Minnesota:
They have signed Amanda Boulier.
Toronto Six:
Kelly Babstock, a former Buffalo Beaut, has made the decision to return to the league next season and has signed with the Toronto Six.
In addition to Babstock and the first five players they have also signed Sara-Eve Coutu Godbout from Quinnipiac; Brooke Boquist from Thunder Bay; Mikyla Grant, who played four games with Buffalo last season; Samantha Ridgewell, Jenna McParland, Amy Curlew and Natalie Marcuzzi.
The most recent signing to the Toronto Six is Syracuse stand-out Lindsay Eastwood. She was the CHA Best Defender last season.
Former NHL Goaltender Caron Joins Junior Enforcers Coaching Staff
The Elmira Junior Enforcers, proud member of the USPHL Premier Division, have announced Sebastien Caron has agreed to terms to become the team’s goaltending coach for their inaugural season.
Caron had a successful pro hockey career, including 3 complete seasons with the Pittsburgh Penguins. His own junior career also reached the pinnacle of the sport, as he backstopped the Rimouski Oceanic to a Memorial Cup title in 2000.
Sebastien is looking forward to helping the Jr. Enforcers goaltenders develop as they work to climb the hockey development ladder, and plans to ready each goaltender on the roster to give the team a chance to win each and every game they are in net.
Jr. Enforcers Head Coach Cody Murphy is excited to work with Sebastien this season and described his role on the coaching staff as “a huge addition that will help the Jr. Enforcers in our quest for a division title”.
General Manager Ray Welsh remarked that his relationship with Caron dates back several years to their time in Wilkes-Barre, and considers Sebastien’s skill and technical goaltending knowledge invaluable.
The Junior Enforcers roster will be made up of players ages 20 and under from all across North America and the world. The Junior Enforcers look forward to an exciting and successful season, which will start in late August with training camp, and will see the puck drop for the season on September 25th. Tryout information will be communicated as soon as it is finalized due to the fluid situation resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Wm. Thayer Tutt Award Winner Named
| Hank Manz Named Wm. Thayer Tutt Award Recipient |
| Top volunteer honor awarded by USA Hockey |
| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Hank Manz (Lexington, Massachusetts), who for more than a quarter century has positively impacted youth hockey in his hometown of Lexington, Massachusetts, has been named the recipient of the prestigious Wm. Thayer Tutt Award, it was announced by USA Hockey. The Wm. Thayer Tutt Award is presented annually by USA Hockey to a volunteer who, during many years of service, has displayed a selfless dedication to the enhancement of ice hockey at the grassroots level in America. It is the top volunteer honor awarded by USA Hockey each season. The award is named in honor of the late William Thayer Tutt, who served as president of USA Hockey from 1972-86. Manz got a late start to hockey, but has made the most of it since first being introduced to the sport while serving in the U.S. Navy. Manz, 77, was born in Evanston, Illinois, prior to moving east to New Haven, Connecticut, at the age of four. While training for the Navy in California, some of his friends invited him to come skate and try the sport for the first.Manz spent many years moving around the country, with stops in Salt Lake City; Lincoln, Nebraska; Washington D.C.; and Boston prior to making Lexington, Massachusetts, his home. After spending many years leading the local Little League program, Manz was asked to assist with the Lexington Bedford Youth Hockey program. It was there that Manz fell in love with the game all over again. “Commish” has become Manz’s nickname around the rink, a title short of describing the hard work and countless hours he has dedicated to making hockey fun for everyone. He began coaching while his youngest son, Jonathan, played in the Lexington Bedford in-house league. It took very little time before he was asked to run the in-house league, and eventually serve on the board of directors. None of the expanding role ever deterred Manz from waking up early to turn on the lights, set up the nets and work throughout the day to make sure everything ran smoothly. Manz, a USA Hockey volunteer since 1994, created a unique league that emphasized fun. The league, now comprised of 16 teams, features boys and girls ages 5-11 of different skill and experience. Manz’s goal for each season is that every team finishes with a .500 record. Prior to each season, he and the coaches come together and divide teams as evenly as possible. Teams play cross-ice mixed lines based on age and talent against other in-house teams. At the conclusion of every year, a large 16-team tournament takes place with an even larger banquet, with all families invited. The last-place team is awarded an oversized anchor to highlight the amount of hard work and dedication the team displayed. Manz continues to be involved in additional local hockey teams, as he continues to serve as the announcer for the boys and girls Lexington High School ice hockey teams. In addition to his work as a volunteer with the Lexington Bedford in-house ice hockey league, Manz volunteers on the town council, local boy scouts and eagle scouts, and has even served as grand marshal for the town’s Patriot’s Day parade. Supporting his efforts in hockey is Hank’s wife Wendy, in addition to his three children Kathryn, Erin and Jonathan. |
AHL President Wins Distinguished Achievement Award
| Dave Andrews Named Recipient of Distinguished Achievement Award |
| Award recognizes outstanding contributions to hockey in America |
| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Dave Andrews (Longmeadow, Mass.), longtime president and chief executive officer of the American Hockey League, has been named the recipient of USA Hockey’s 2020 Distinguished Achievement Award it was announced. Created in 1991, the award is presented annually to a United States citizen who has made hockey his or her profession and has made outstanding contributions, on or off the ice, to the sport in America. Having recently completed his 26th and final season at the helm of the AHL, Andrews has overseen the expansion and development of the league since 1994. Over his nearly three decades of service, the AHL has grown from a regional 16-team format to a 31-team league in diverse markets across the country. “Dave Andrews has played a significant role in helping advance hockey in our country,” said Pat Kelleher, executive director of USA Hockey. “As we know, when professional teams arrive into a market, that has an influence in growing the game at the grassroots level and beyond. “While we’re sad to see Dave retire, his legacy and impact will be felt for generations to come.” Andrews played an integral role in the implementation of innovative rule changes and increased player safety initiatives throughout the league during his tenure. He also developed corporate and broadcast partnerships to establish strong platforms for viewership of league games and events which has played an important role in added visibility of the sport. In recognition of his contributions to hockey in the United States, Andrews was also awarded the Lester Patrick Trophy in 2010, and has been inducted into both the British Columbia Hockey Hall of Fame (2005) and the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame (2006). |
Veteran Blueliner Signs With Junior Enforcers
The Elmira Junior Enforcers, proud member of the USPHL Premier Division, have announced the signing of defenseman Will Darling.
Darling, a 2000 born player from Vestal, New York, brings 180 games of Junior A level experience to the Jr. Enforcers roster, having played the last 4 seasons in the NA3HL. A solid 2 way player, Darling was named to the NA3HL Top Prospect Team in 2017 while playing for the Binghamton Jr. Senators, and has amassed 65 points and an incredible Plus-205 in the past 4 seasons. Will is excited to stay in the Southern Tier and play for Elmira this season.
The Junior Enforcers roster will be made up of players ages 20 and under from all across North America and the world. The Junior Enforcers look forward to an exciting and successful season, which will start in late August with training camp, and will see the puck drop for the season on September 25th. Tryout information will be communicated as soon as it is finalized due to the fluid situation resulting from the Coronavirus pandemic. We anticipate more exciting news, including more player signings and team updates coming next week.
Clarkson Women’s Hockey Announces Team Awards
The Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team recently announced team awards for the 2019-20 season with six Golden Knights receiving honors after helping to lead the Green and Gold to their ninth consecutive season of 20-or-more wins and eighth straight NCAA Tournament berth. Clarkson posted a 25-6-6 overall record and a third-place 14-4-4 ECAC Hockey mark.
Headlining the list of recipients was Elizabeth Giguere who was named Clarkson’s MVP. Recognized as the top player in the country this past season as the 2020 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, Giguere enjoyed another phenomenal season at right wing and added to her resume as one of the top players all-time in women’s college hockey. The junior from Quebec City, QUE, was the NCAA’s leading goal scorer with 37 tallies in 37 games – seven more goals than any other player in Division I and tied for second in the country in points with 66. Giguere was also named a First-Team All-American for the second consecutive season and ECAC Hockey Player of the year. She has amassed 210 career points on 90 goals and 120 assists through just 118 games and is just four points shy of breaking Clarkson’s all-time points mark of 213, currently held by 2019 Patty Kazmaier Award winner, Loren Gabel ’19.
After an impressive start to her collegiate career as the nation’s leading rookie scorer, Gabrielle David was selected the Golden Knights’ Rookie of the Year. A left wing/center on Clarkson’s top lines, David tallied 38 points on 14 goals and a Division I high 24 assists through 37 games. The Drummondville, QUE was also named USCHO.com Rookie of the Year and voted by conference coaches as ECAC Hockey’s Rookie of the Year.
Marie-Pier Coulombe was honored with the Ron Frazer Award. Named in tribute to Clarkson Women’s Hockey’s first coach, the honor is presented to a player who has proven to elevate her game in key situations and who has made significant contributions to the team’s success. A sophomore goaltender, Coulombe emerged as one of the top goaltenders in the country in her second collegiate season. Named a Finalist for ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year and a Second-Team ECAC All-Star, the Carignan, QUE native played in 34 of 37 games, making 32 starts. Coulombe posted the best single-season save percentage (.949) in program history and ranked third in the nation in goals against average (1.23). She tied for sixth best winning percentage in the country (.750) on a 23-6-5 record and tied for fourth in shutouts with seven.
Clarkson Coaches Award, presented to a player who displays unselfish play, hustle, sacrifice, dedication and commitment to the team’ success was awarded to Taylor Turnquist. An assistant captain, the senior from Blaine, MN saw time up front and on the blueline, filling in where needed in the Knights’ injury-depleted lineup. She skated in all 37 games recording three goals, nine assists, 43 blocked shots and posted a +5 plus/minus.
Lauren Bernard was chosen as the recipient for the inaugural Nails and Glue Award, given to a player who always displayed a team first mentality and positive attitude all season long. The freshman defenseman from Madison, OH made a solid impact offensively and defensively playing all 37 games. Bernard was the Knights’ second top scorer from the blueline with 13 points, including 11 assists and posted the third best plus/minus for Clarkson at +23, tops among defensemen.
The Booster Club Unsung Hero Award was presented to Meaghan Hector. The junior assistant captain return to the lineup after taking the 2018-19 season off to recover from an illness. Hector, a defenseman from Georgetown, ONT, skated in 33 games, recording five points and four assists. She posted a +13 plus/minus rating and blocked 27 shots. Hector, who plays a leading role in Clarkson’s community service efforts, was a nominee for ECAC Hockey’s Student-Athlete of the Year award.
Stan Wong Wins Bob Johnson Award
| The award recognizes excellence in international hockey competition |
| COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – Stan Wong (Boca Raton, Fla.) has been named the recipient of the 2020 Bob Johnson Award, presented by Nike, USA Hockey announced.The award, named for legendary coach Bob Johnson, recognizes excellence in international hockey competition. Wong has been a cornerstone of USA Hockey’s international program as an athletic trainer for nearly 20 years, serving a total of 47 total teams over that span.Most recently, Wong served on the staff of the U.S. National Junior Team at the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship in Ostrava and Trinec, Czech Republic, marking his 18th straight appearance as the team’s athletic trainer. Wong has also served as an athletic trainer for the last four U.S. Olympic Men’s Ice Hockey Teams (2006, 2010, 2014, 2018); the most recent 13 IIHF Men’s World Championships; and 10 Deutschland Cup squads (2002-05, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015, 2017). He was also the trainer for Team USA at the 2012 Youth Olympic Winter Games and at the 2017 Winter World University Games.Along with his nine medals as a trainer with the U.S. National Junior Team, including four gold (2004, 2010, 2013, 2017), one silver (2019) and four bronze (2007, 2011, 2016, 2018), Wong has also been part of staffs that have helped Team USA to an Olympic silver medal (2010) and three Men’s World Championship bronze medals (2013, 2015, 2018). For his extraordinary contributions to athletic training in the hockey community, Wong was inducted into the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers Society and Society of Professional Hockey Equipment Managers Hall of Fame in 2015. |
NHL & NHLPA Agree On Opening Date For Formal Training Camps
NEW YORK/TORONTO – The National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA) and the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that formal training camps (Phase 3) for the 24 teams resuming play will open on Friday, July 10, provided that medical and safety conditions allow and the parties have reached an overall agreement on resuming play.
The length of training camp and, therefore, the start date for formal resumption of play (Phase 4) will be determined at a future date.
