UTICA, NY – Head Coach Gary Heenan of the Utica College men’s ice hockey team has been named the 2019-20 US College Hockey Online Division III Men’s Coach of the Year. The honor was announced on Tuesday by the national college hockey website based in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
This is Heenan’s first time winning a national coach of the year award. He previously was the USCHO runner-up in 2013 as the Pioneers made their historic run to the national semifinals. He was also named a conference coach of the year for the third time in his career last month.
Heenan guided UC to its best regular season and conference postseason in the history of the program. In doing so, he put out his own best work yet with Utica. He is the only head coach the program has ever had.
Heenan led the Pioneers to a 25-2-2 overall record, the UCHC regular season championship, and a UCHC Tournament Title. The 25 wins are a convincing program record, and UC also set a new benchmark for winning percentage. The team wrapped up the season on a school record 20 game winning streak and was the top seed in the 2020 NCAA Division III Men’s Ice Hockey Championship. Utica’s second national tournament appearance was slated to begin on Saturday, March 21st in the quarterfinal round.
Over the past three seasons, Utica has had at least 20 wins each year. They have won the last four conference regular season titles between the UCHC and former ECAC West, and have claimed two out of the three postseason championships in the UCHC’s existence.
Heenan has compiled 290 career wins behind the bench at Utica in nineteen seasons. He is the twelfth-winningest active coach in Division III, and is tied for 30th all-time in career victories. He needs just 10 wins to become the 32nd Division III head coach to hit 300 wins, and needs fourteen wins to tie his mentor at Hamilton College, Phil Grady, on the career list.
Heenan’s next major honor could come on Friday, when the American Hockey Coaches’ Association releases their winner of the 2020 Ed Jeremiah Division III Coach of the Year Award. That award is one of the highest single season coaching honors in all of college hockey.
Mercyhurst women’s ice hockey head coach Michael Sisti has been named a Finalist for the 2019-20 CCM/AHCA Women’s Division I Ice Hockey Coach of the Year award.
To be a finalist for the award, one must either be voted the Coach of the Year in their conference or be ranked in the Top Four of this year’s Pairwise Rankings.
Sisti has won the award once in 2005. He is the only College Hockey America coach to win the award.
He won the College Hockey America Coach of the Year award this season after leading the Lakers to a 21-10-5 overall and 13-4-3 conference record. The Lakers finished the season with a 2-1 overtime win over Robert Morris to win the CHA Championships. Mercyhurst was also named the CHA Regular Season Champions.
Other finalists include, Doug Derraugh (Cornell), Dave Flint (Northeastern), Brad Frost (Minnesota), Mark Johnson (Wisconsin), Nadine Muzerall (Ohio State) and Tom O’Malley (Sacred Heart).
SYRACUSE, N.Y. – The Syracuse Crunch have signed goaltender Clint Windsor to an AHL contract for the remainder of the 2019-20 season and the 2020-21 season, general manager Stacy Roest announced today.
Windsor, 26, skated in 30 games with the Orlando Solar Bears this season recording a 2.45 goals-against average and .927 save percentage along with a 15-12-2 record. Last season, he posted a 2.48 goals-against average and .926 save percentage with a 4-2-1 record in eight appearances with the Solar Bears.
Prior to his professional career, the 6-foot-4, 216- pound netminder played in 76 games with Brock University from 2014 to 2018 earning a 35-36-0 record. During his senior season in 2017-18, the Hamilton, Ontario native led the conference with a .929 save percentage.
Bourbonnais, Browning Tabbed All-America; Derraugh Named Coach of the Year
HAMDEN, Conn. – For the second straight year, Doug Derraugh, the head coach of the Cornell women’s ice hockey team, was named the CCM/American Hockey Coaches Association Women’s Division I National Coach of the Year. Senior defender Jaime Bourbonnais adds her second All-America honor with a First Team placement while junior goalie Lindsay Browning became the first Cornell goalie to be honored nationally.
This is the third time in his career that Derraugh has been named the national coach of the year. He first earned the distinction after leading the program to its first Frozen Four appearance in program history in 2010. He once again found the honor after leading the women to its fourth Frozen Four appearance in 10 years, and first since 2012, during the 2019 NCAA Tournament.
Before the NCAA canceled all remaining winter and spring championships to aid in the efforts to stop the COVID-19 pandemic, the Big Red women were days away from hosting the NCAA First Round game against Mercyhurst as the #1 seeded team.
In a similar postseason end as 2019, the 2020 Ivy League and ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year once again led his team to regular-season championships in both the ECAC Hockey League and the Ivy League. Posting a 10-0-0 Ivy League record, the Big Red went unbeaten and untied against its sister Ivies. With a final regular-season win against Union, Cornell notched a 19-0-3 record in ECAC Hockey play to become the first Cornell team to go undefeated throughout the regular season.
Bourbonnais adds to her list of accolades this season. The senior from Mississauga, Ontario was tabbed ECAC Hockey’s Best Defenseman, in addition to being named to the All-ECAC Hockey and All-Ivy League first teams for the second-straight year.
Bourbonnais finished her final season at Cornell second in the nation amongst defenders in points per game with an average of 1.24. She is also fifth, among all skaters, in assists per game (1.03). With six multi-point games on the season, the senior notched a point in all but three games earning a 20-game point streak.
The 2020 Ivy League and ECAC Hockey Goalie of the Year became the first Cornell goalie to be named a CCM/AHCA All-American. The junior earned second team honors after anchoring her team in a historic season.
The Penfield, N.Y. native led the nation in all major statistical categories throughout the season. She closed her junior season first in the country with a 0.91 goals against average, a .894 winning percentage and 12 shutouts on the season. Behind only Northeastern’s Aerin Frankel, Browning finished second with a .952 save percentage.
A pair of standouts on the Clarkson University Women’s Hockey team, junior Elizabeth Giguere and senior Ella Shelton have been recognized as 2019-20 CCM/AHCA Women’s University Division Hockey All-Americans.
A right wing, Giguere highlighted the Golden Knights’ offense, while Shelton, Clarkson’s Captain, powered the Green and Gold defensive effort on the blueline.
Giguere, a three-time All-American and a two-time First-Team Selection, and Shelton, a Second-Team All-American, helped to lead Clarkson to its ninth consecutive 20-win campaign with a 25-6-6 overall record and eighth consecutive appearance in the elite eight-team NCAA Tournament and ninth overall showing since 2010. Both Giguere and Shelton were First-Team ECAC Hockey All-Stars and helped the Green and Gold to a third place 14-4-4 league mark.
Giguere enjoyed another phenomenal season and added to her resume as one of the top players all-time in women’s college hockey. A Top 3 Patty Kazmaier Finalist, she was also named ECAC Hockey Player of the Year, ECAC Hockey’s Best Forward and First-Team conference all-star earlier this month. The leading goal scorer in NCAA Division I with 37 tallies in 37 games – seven more goals than any other player, Giguere tied for second in the country in points with 66. The Quebec City, Quebec native tied for the nation lead in game-winning goals with 10 and tied for second in the country in shorthanded markers with three. She tallied four power-play goals and posted a +39 plus/minus. Giguere finished the season on a 13-game point streak with 14 goals and 11 assists since January 24. She tallied at least one point in 34 of the 37 games and recorded eight, two-goal outings. She scored all four Clarkson goals in a 4-1 win at Harvard (2/21) to help the Knights secure a top-four finish in the league for the ninth consecutive season. Giguere 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 the 2019 Patty Kazmaier Award winner Loren Gabel ’19.
A standout two-way defenseman, Shelton was also named a First-Team ECAC Hockey All-Star and was a Finalist for ECAC’s Best Defenseman Award. She led the Knights’ offensive efforts from the blueline and tied for fifth in scoring among the nation’s defensemen with 33 points on nine goals and 24 assists through 33 games. The Ingersoll, Ontario native scored four times on the power play, netted two game-winners, posted a +17 plus/minus and recorded a team-high 75 blocked shots. She recorded eight multiple-point outings and tallied a career-high four points on two goals and two assists in a 5-0 win over Brown (2/7) at Cheel Arena. Shelton became only the third Clarkson defenseman to reach the century mark with 108 points on 26 goals and 82 assists through 153 games.
The Tenth Anniversary Western New York Girls Varsity Ice Hockey League All Federation teams were named following an exciting season.
Named to First Team: Jersey Phillips, Lancaster-Iroquois-Depew (LID); Emma Roland, Williamsville; Mary Kromer, Frontier LakeShore, Orchard Park (FLOP); Brooke Becker, FLOP; Abigail Blair, Kenmore-Grand Island and Dylan Gorski, LID.
Second Team honorees included Lara Beecher, Monsignor Martin; Morganne Dee, LID; Natalie O’Brien, Niagara County; Lilli Adimey, Clarence/Amherst/Sweethome(CASH); Mia Boyd, Monsignor Martin; and Mia Wendell, Williamsville.
LID’S Kevin Miller was named Coach of the Year; Jersey Phillips and Brooke Becker were name Co-Players of the Year and Brett Banker, Kenmore Athletic Director was awarded the Dr. James Rusin Award.
Emma Roland topped the Leader Board this season with 31 goals and 14 assists. On the top with her were Jersey Phillips with 22 goals and 18 assists, Morganne Dee, 21 goals and 13 assists.
Kromer had another successful season with 29 points as did Becker with 27 points, Cavalieri, 25 points.
Goaltending was a key this season and Gorski, Wendell and Will shined between the nets, as well as giving a great show for the audiences. Gorski played 601 minutes and made 314 saves on 334 shots.
Wendell, a fan-favorite at the NYS Tournament, played 707 minutes, faced 309 shots and made 293 saves. While Will played just 323 minutes, she made 145 saves on 152 shots.
Kevin Miller, in his first year behind the LID bench, led them to a first place position coming into the League Quarterfinals. They beat Niagara County 5-1 in the quarters, setting them for a faceoff against Hamburg/Eden/West Seneca in the semis. Another 5-1 victory and they faced Williamsville in the League finals.
The game was a Williamsville lead from the first period on. LID’s only goal was made by Jersey Phillips in the third period, ending the Championship with a 8-1 victory for Williamsville.
The Section VI playoffs find LID getting the bye in the quarters and facing Kenmore/Grand Island in the second. Kenmore wins, ending LID’s season.
Up to the playoffs, Miller had coached LID to winning 13 of 14 regular season games, after losing their opening night to Monsignor Martin. Gorski entered the post season play with a 140-minute shutout streak.
The season went to Williamsville. They took both the League and Section VI Championship. They fought hard at the New York State Championship, but just couldn’t get past Clinton.
Williamsville ended the season with a 10-2-2 record under Coach Rick Hopkins. They dominated the playoffs with a 4-1 win over CASH; 2-0 over FLOP and a 6-0 win over LID in the League Championship.
In the Section VI Championship they beat Niagara County 7-1; FLOP 1-0 and Kenmore 3-2 in the Championship.
The Williamsville vs Kenmore rivalry started early on when KGI beat Williamsville 6-1 in Season 5 to head to the state championships. Then in Season 6 they Williamsville played KGI to a 4-1 Kenmore win, taking Kenmore back to the NYS Championship. Season 7 it was another Kenmore win in the Section VI play but then Kenmore lost to FLOP in the Championship.
Then the quest for Williamsville became one between them and FLOP. In Season 8 Williamsville loses to FLOP who goes on to win the State Championship.
In 2018-19 Williamsville beats FLOP 4-3 in overtime and then moves on to win the State Championship at home at HarborCenter.
Miller wasn’t the only coach to have great achievements this season. Coach Rick Hopkins of Williamsville and Coach Jeff Orlowski of Kenmore/Grand Island both hit their 200th game mark, and both are original coaches from the Inaugural season.
What’s to come?
In this league there is never a clear-cut winner from the day the puck drops in November until the Championship game is well into the third period.
In this time of frustration and stress over an international crisis, it’s a great time to reflect on what we have.
A little over 14 years ago this league was fighting to get on the ice. This season we celebrate 10 years of girls varsity ice hockey. A few of memories, from notes of course:
Ceremonial puck drops at each home opener, a curfewed game in November (2:17 mark of third period between HEWS and Williamsville), the signings of several players to college commitments early on in November with Abby Blair to St. Anselm, Mary Kromer to Mercyhurst, Jersey Phillips to Mercyhurst; Emma Roland to RIT; and Mia Wendel to Yale.
Monsignor Martin’s Lara Beecher with 5 goals and an assist in a 9-0 victory over CASH; LID’s Jersey Phillips moving to 12th on the All-Time scoring list in December with a tie 92 points with Kaitlyn Drew-Mead; HEWS first win this season with a 4-1 victory over CASH on December 9; Isabella Zivis getting her first varsity goal in that same game; Williamsville’s first loss of the season at the hands of LID whose only loss was an OT one to Monsignor Martin, also on December 9.
Niagara County had their first-ever win when they beat HEWS 5-4 in overtime. Amanda Jackson had a hattrick and Natalie O’Brien with 2 goals had the OT winner. Goaltender Annie Riek stopped 27 of 31 shots.
HEWS Olivia Wade had her hand in all 4 goals of a 5-4 loss to Williamsville. Williamsville’s Vanessa Willick had a hattrick plus an assist.
While its a unique experience to play at Riverworks, Alannah Pagano had her first varsity goal there on December 16. Teammate Allie Greene had a hatrick and Sydney Spear scored an empty-netter in a 5-1 victory over Niagara County.
Jersey Phillips hit her Century Mark with 100 career goals after scoring a hatrick against Monsignor Martin. The score–3-0 LID.
Morganne Dee (LID) was named Preptalk Player of the Week for December 20, Abby Blair took the Grand Island Athlete of the Winter Season and Mary Kromer was named a WIVB-TV Scholar/Athlete. (I think there were others but can’t locate the information).
We welcomed Lewiston-Porter and North Tonawanda players to the Niagara County Team.
Salmon River came in to play exhibition games against FLOP and Kenmore, something the Coaches hope to repeat by going to Salmon River next season.
Williamsville playing on the Herb Brooks Arena in Lake Placid, site of the “Miracle on Ice.”
For me, it was very emotional to walk out on that ice to photograph the post-game ceremony. I had been in the arena several times, but never on the ice.
You all have great memories from the ten years and this past season that are much more personal than these; but it was enjoyable to go back through.
During his junior year of college hockey at Canisius
College, now Binghamton Devils forward and Buffalo native Ryan Schmelzer wrote
on his WordPress hockey blog: “A lot of people think they have to pay a lot of
money to get their kids on the best team and that is the only way you will get
noticed. There are many different routes in achieving your goal. Wherever gets
you the most ice time and opportunity to play should be the leading factor in
this decision.”
Schmelzer has lived those words.
Coming out of the Amherst Knights and then Williamsville
East and one season with the Wheatfield Blades (GOJHL), the soon-to-be 27-year
old forward played three-plus seasons with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres where he was
assistant captain in 2012-13 when he committed to Canisius and captain in his
final year (2013-14).
He netted 40 goals and 96 points over four year with the
Golden Griffins and again was assistant captain his junior year and captain
during his senior campaign. Named Atlantic Hockey’s Best Defensive Forward in
2016-17, he was also twice named to the conference postseason All-Star teams in
each of his final two campaigns.
After seven professional games with Adirondack after his
collegiate career came to a close, Schmelzer was inked to a pro tryout contract
with New Jersey for training camp in 2018-19 and made their AHL affiliate in
Binghamton.
Playing largely on the third or fourth line, the 6’2”, 188
lb. center finished fifth on the team 14 goals and added ten assists in 66
games and was signed in July 2019 to a one-year American Hockey League
contract.
Before the AHL season was suspended in March, Schmelzer had
already matched last season’s point total with 24 and had gone from a -14
plus/minus in 2018-19 to a +9 this season. He was seeing time on both special
teams as well.
And the stoppage couldn’t have come at a worst time as he
was enjoying a career-best five-game point streak that included being named the
AHL Player of the Week for the period ending March 8.
“Sometimes it just takes a little bit to get your feet wet
and find what works for you and your game,” Schmelzer said. “Coaches have done
a good job in giving me a role that I’ve stayed focused too and I just try to
bring it every day.
“Power play is kind of new recently and just trying to get
in front, get some screens and win some puck battles. Penalty kill has always
been a part of my game.
“Part of my role is to play a 200-foot game and be hard in
our own end, so that is definitely a focus and it helps that our team has been
a little bit better this year. When everyone is playing well, things seem to go
your way and so far, that’s the case.”
Ryan’s sister, Holly, just completed her sophomore year in
Division III with once-beaten and top-ranked SUNY Plattsburgh.
If the pattern of his career holds fourth, Schmelzer should
be wearing a letter on his jersey next season no matter where he ends up for
his third full year as a pro, but he is just playing it year-by-year and
looking for another contract.
“You’d like to have security, but you have to roll with
whatever comes and take what’s best for you.”
If you are the superstitious type, you might believe that
part of his success this season comes from switching back to the #26 he wore in
college after being given #10 last season in Binghamton.
“I got a text this summer from the equipment staff saying
that I would be wearing #26 this year. Ben Street’s number has been 10
throughout his career and he wanted to keep 10 and I was like, perfect. I
didn’t say anything so they offered it to me and I figured, why not? It worked
in college so hopefully we can continue that.”
NYSPHSAA ANNOUNCES CANCELLATION OF 2020 WINTER STATE CHAMPIONSHIPS
Latham, NY-The New York State Public High School Athletic Association announces the cancellation of the remaining winter state championship events. The impacted championship events include the boys and girls basketball regionals and state championships, as well as the ice hockey and bowling championships. Plans are being developed to honor and formally recognize the students and teams who qualified to participate in these championship events.
“It is with great disappointment that we make the decision to cancel the remaining winter championship events,” said Dr. Robert Zayas, NYSPHSAA Executive Director. “Our association’s focus is to benefit students through participation in interscholastic athletics and unfortunately this rapidly developing situation has prevented our association from providing a quality championship experience. We certainly sympathize for the students who are being impacted by this crisis but at this time they deserve honesty from the leadership of our association.”
Factors that played a role in this decision include but are not limited to: the evolving COVID-19 public threat, CDC mass gathering recommendations, Governor Cuomo’s declaration of a state emergency, President Trump’s declaration of a national emergency, input from the 11 Sections and extended school closures.
“This is one of the most difficult decisions the Officers of the NYSPHSAA have ever had to make,” said Paul Harrica, President of NYSPHSAA. “It has been determined it is not feasible for the Winter State Championships to be hosted in a safe and beneficial manner for the participating student-athletes and their teams in the near future. The health and safety of the students we serve will always be our top priority.”
With school districts closed for an extended period of time, Sections and schools are individually determining the Spring sport start dates and practice parameters that best meet the needs of the students they represent.
The status of the NYSPHSAA Spring State Championships will be determined on or prior to Monday, April 27.
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colorado – USA Hockey announced Friday the revision of its national player development plans for 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic as detailed below.
USA Hockey has canceled the 2020 Boys Select 15 National Camp (2005 birth year)
USA Hockey has canceled the 2020 Girls 15 National Camp (2005 birth year)
USA Hockey has canceled the 2020 Girls 16/17 National Camp (2003/2004 birth years)
USA Hockey will tentatively conduct the Boys Select 16 (2004 birth year) and 17 (2003 birth year) National Camps and the Girls Under-18 Select National Camp (2003, 2004, 2005 birth years)
The Boys Select 17 National Camp is tentatively set for June 24 – July 1, 2020 in Amherst, New York. The U.S. Under-18 Men’s Select Team will be selected from the camp set to compete in the 2020 Hlinka Gretzky Cup, in August. Player invitations for this camp will be extended by June 1.
The Boys Select 16 National Camp is tentatively set for July 7-13, 2020, in Amherst, New York. The U.S. Under-17 Men’s Select Team will be selected from the camp set to compete in the 2020 Five Nations Tournament, in August. Player invitations for this camp will be extended by June 8.
The Girls Under-18 Select National Camp is tentatively set for July 15-21, 2020, in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Approximately 30 players will be selected from this camp to participate in the 2020 Under-18 National Team Festival, in August. Player invitations for this camp will be extended by June 1.
In addition, USA Hockey strongly recommends the cancellation of all affiliate tryouts, district tryouts, district/multi-district development camps for all birth years for the spring and summer of 2020.
“Our number one priority is the safety of our players, officials, coaches, volunteers and families involved,” said Kevin McLaughlin, assistant executive director of hockey development for USA Hockey. “We estimate roughly 9,000 individuals or families are involved in these activities across the country and with the uncertainty of the coronavirus situation we all face and the logistics involved with these events, the leaders in our organization from across the country felt it was important to make a decision now that had best interests of everyone involved, with safety being at the forefront.”
McLaughlin noted that decision to tentatively hold the Boys Select 16 and 17 National Camps and Girls Under-18 Selection National Camp will continue to be reviewed daily and that invitations to those camps, if they are ultimately held, will come from USA Hockey’s national office, with input from USA Hockey coaches, scouts, district player development representatives and other hockey personnel.
USA Hockey will continue to post updates related to the coronavirus situation at USAHockey.com.
NOTES: In addition to the player development camps listed above, USA Hockey has canceled the National Team Development Program tryout camp.
As of March 22, 2020 USA Hockey has cancelled all sanctioned events till further notice. With this recent development Amherst Youth Hockey has been forced to cancel Spring Hockey. Refunds will processed over the next few days. If anyone has any questions please feel free to email me back at ayhregistrar@gmail.com.
Stay healthy!
Christina Biondolillo
Registrar
on behalf of the Executive Board of AYH
Three to
four months ago we hardly even knew the name, let alone what it was. Today, it
is an illness that is sweeping much of the world.
This
past week the Coronavirus has brought the United States to its knees, watching
State after State shut down businesses and basically telling people to stay
home. I know I don’t have to tell you the rules and regulations that are now in
place for New York State.
And like
you, because of our ages, my wife and I have pretty much confined ourselves to
our home. Considering that a week to 10 days ago our schedules were filled with
hockey games to cover.
But in
the blink of an eye that was all taken away from us, either through
cancellation or postponement. It didn’t take long to figure out that the world
doesn’t revolve around hockey.
Now I’m
not here to offer any sage advice. I’m just going to give you my two cents.
I’m glad
that I was raised by parents who grew up in the Depression Era of our country.
There is a reason why those people are known as “The Greatest Generation.”
To many
of you, those people could be your parents, grandparents or great-grandparents.
To them, Coronavirus would be or is just another situation to deal with in
life.
Sacrifice
is the key word for “The Greatest Generation.” My parents sacrificed a great
deal when they were growing up.
For the
most part, people didn’t have much money during the depression. So they didn’t
have many materialistic goods and what they did have, they valued.
And no
sooner had “The Greatest Generation” come out of the Depression, along came
World War II. Again, more sacrifice. There was rationing of different items
like food and gas, among other things.
There
was the War itself. A War were the public waited days, weeks and even months
for news. People weren’t sure that when the war was over with if they would
still be US citizens or be taken over by Japan, Germany or Italy.
Plus, a
couple of diseases came long like Measles and Polio in the 1940’s. I lost an
uncle, my father’s brother, to Polio.
They
survived all of this without cell phones, cable television or any of the other
communication devices at their disposal.
But
through it all “The Greatest Generation” persevered. They passed their
toughness and strength onto the next generation.
What is
my point to all of this? We will survive, especially if we do everything we are
told to do.
We have
to work together. We have to believe and put our trust in our leadership and in
each other.
As a
side note, this has been the most disjointed hockey season I’ve ever
experienced. I had major back surgery back in mid-November. I didn’t go back to
any hockey games until early January.
For over
a month I was restricted as to where I could go and what I could do. But I
survived just as we will survive this Coronavirus situation.
Life has
a way of throwing us curveballs. I learned several months ago not to take life
for granted. I’ve learned to appreciate the little things in life.
I
believe many of you feel the same way. And others are learning that lesson
today.
We will
get through this. It may take awhile. Have patience.
And when
this is all over don’t forget to “Thank” all of those people who are out there
helping the rest of us through this situation. That would include doctors,
nurses and truck drivers, among others. Support local businesses, especially
the restaurants.
That
generation that came before us have set the example for us to follow. Let’s do
that and build on it.
GLOUCESTER, MASS. — Manhattanville College women’s hockey head coach David Turco was named a finalist for the American Hockey Coaches Association (AHCA) Women’s Division III Coach of the Year award. Turco was also named United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Coach of the Year earlier this season on March 4.
After a season of significant on-ice success, Turco becomes one of nine coaches nominated for this year’s award. He led the Valiants to a 17-8-3 record and a trip to the UCHC Championship game this season and became the program’s all-time wins leader with 120, breaking the previous record of 114 wins.
Under Turco’s tutelage the Crimson and White gained national recognition both as a unit and individually. The team boasted the nation’s third-best power play at 27.5% and ninth-best scoring offense at 3.64 goals/game. Several players littered the individual statistical rankings with three players landing in the top 15 in points per game. Junior forward Tianna Lopes (West Vancouver, British Columbia/Pacific Steelers (JWHL)) led all Valiants in the category ranking fourth in the country with 1.54 points/game. Senior defender Ali Howard (Rye, N.Y./Rye) led all defenders in points/game with 1.33 and ranked second in power play goals with 11 which was a program record.
Overall, five of Turco’s Valiants received All-Conference honors from the UCHC this season. Lopes and senior defender Zoey Pellowitz (Arlington, Va./Washington Pride (JWHL)) were named to the first team and freshman goalie Lena Flores (Chicago, Ill./Guerin College Prep) was named All-Rookie. Among the honorable mentions were Howard and senior forward Amanda Sabia (Freehold, N.J./The Gunnery).
This is the first time Turco has been named an AHCA Coach of the Year Finalist and it comes in his ninth season as the team’s head coach.
Unfortunately, in keeping with State and Local guidelines, Superior Ice Rink will need to remain closed. We are tentatively planning to reopen 4/1/2020 if it is safe and all restrictions are lifted. We will keep everyone posted via our website, email, Instagram and twitter as things change and evolve. As further update, our renovations and new ice sheet are coming along very well and look forward to showing it off when we reopen. We will post progress pictures on our Instagram and other social media.Please be safe and healthy. See you back on the ice soon. Possible Questions:1. Recreational League- Spring/ summer evaluations are tentatively rescheduled for Sunday April 5th. Fall/Winter playoffs and championship games will be rescheduled, dates and times are TBD.2. Mens League– All mens league games will be rescheduled once we reopen.3. LI Royals travel Tuneups and Tryouts- Tryouts are being rescheduled to begin 4/20/20. Dates and Times for Tuneups and Tryouts are TBD.4. Learn to Skate- All lessons will be rescheduled once restart date is established.5. Private Instruction– Please contact your individual instructor.6. FIT Athletics Gym– Closed to group training and memberships.7. Public Sessions- All Sessions are cancelled until tentatively Wednesday 4/1/2020.
ELMIRA, N.Y. — Emma Crocker ’21 of the Elmira College women’s ice hockey team has been selected as one of seven finalists for the Laura Hurd Award, given annually to the top NCAA Division III player in the country. The winner will be announced next week on Thursday, March 26.
Crocker, the reigning United Collegiate Hockey Conference (UCHC) Player of the Year and an All-UCHC First Team recipient, looks to become the fourth skater in Elmira’s illustrious history to claim the country’s top individual honor. Past recipients include Ashley Ryan ’15 (2015), Kayla Coady ’09 (2009), and Laura Hurd ’05 (2005), for whom the award is named.
The other six finalists include University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire senior goaltender Erin Connolly, Norwich University senior forward Amanda Conway, Plattsburgh State junior forward Annie Katonka, Middlebury College junior forward Madie Leidt, Endicott College senior forward Jade Meier, and Adrian College senior defenseman Kelly O’Sullivan.
The native of Abington, Massachusetts, guided the Soaring Eagles to their third consecutive UCHC regular season and tournament title during the 2019-20 campaign. She led the Purple and Gold in points (44), goals (21), assists (23), power-play goals (7), and game-winning goals (6), all of which were career highs for the third-year forward.
Nationally, Crocker is tied for first in game-winning goals (6), third in points per game (1.57), seventh in goals per game (0.75), seventh in power play goals (7), and 13th in assists per game (0.82).
The AHCA Women’s Ice Hockey College Division Player of the Year Award was named in memory of four-time All-American and EC’s all-time scoring leader, Laura Hurd ’05, who died in an automobile accident shortly after graduation. Hurd, the 2005 AHCA Player of the Year, was a winner of two NCAA national championships at Elmira and still holds Division III records for single-season points (77), career points (237), single-season points per game (2.75), career points per game (2.15), single-season goals (40), career goals (120), career assists (117), and career assists per game (1.06).
Winners of the Laura Hurd Award
AHCA Women’s Ice Hockey College Player of the Year
2000 Sylvia Ryan Middlebury Forward
2001 Michelle Labbe Middlebury Forward
2002 Sarah Moe Gustavus Adolphus Forward
2003 Angela Kapus Middlebury Forward/Defense
2004 Molly Wasserman Williams Forward
2005 Laura Hurd Elmira Forward
2006 Emily Quizon Middlebury Forward
2007 Andrea Peterson Gustavus Adolphus Defense
2008 Danielle Blanchard Plattsburgh Forward
2009 Kayla Coady Elmira Forward
2010 Isabel Iwachiw Trinity Goaltender
2011 Sarah Dagg RIT Forward
2012 Julie Fortier Norwich Forward
2013 Teal Gove Plattsburgh Forward
2014 Sydney Aveson Plattsburgh Goaltender
2015 Ashley Ryan Elmira Forward
2016 Michelle Greeneway Lake Forest Forward
2017 Dani Sibley UW-River Falls Forward
2018 Melissa Sheeran Plattsburgh Forward
2019 Bre Simon Hamline Forward
