Canisius Hockey Duo Return For Fifth Season
Canisius hockey head coach Trevor Large announced Friday that defensemen Hudson Lambert and David Melaragni will both exercise their COVID-19 related fifth years of eligibility and return to the program for the 2023-24 season.
“We are excited that Hudson and David have decided to use their fifth seasons of eligibility,” Large said. Both men were a key part of our championship-winning team last season. “They will be counted on to provide the type of leadership and guidance, both on and off the ice, that will prove to be invaluable during the upcoming campaign.”
A native of Richmond Hill, Ontario, Lambert has skated in 93 games during his four seasons with the Golden Griffin program, recording three goals and 18 assists for 21 points. Last season, Lambert took part in 35 contests, recording a career-high eight points on two goals and six assists. He also ranked second on the squad with 66 blocked shots.
Melarangi, meanwhile, has taken part in 121 games during his four seasons on Main Street, racking up 52 points on nine goals and 43 assists. Serving as a team captain, Melaragni appeared in all but one of Canisius’ 42 games played last season, ranking third on the Griffs in scoring with 25 points (4g, 21a). A product of Philadelphia, Pa., Melaragni is a two-time Team Top Defenseman Award honoree and was an All-AHA Third Team selection in 2021-22.
Last season, Canisius claimed its second Atlantic Hockey Association title with a 3-0 victory over Holy Cross in the AHA Championship Game at LECOM Harborcenter. The Griffs finished the 2022-23 campaign with an overall record of 20-19-3, marking the fourth time in six seasons under Large where the Griffs have posted a winning percentage .500 or better. The Griffs also recorded 20 wins in a season for the third time in the Division I era of the program and the first since 2016-17.
(Canisius Men’s Hockey Photo)
PWHL Announces GMs
(PWHL Press Release)
TORONTO, ON (September 1, 2023) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced the General Managers appointed to lead hockey operations for the league’s six teams. At the helm heading into the inaugural season are Danielle Marmer (Boston), Natalie Darwitz (Minnesota), Danièle Sauvageau (Montreal), Pascal Daoust (New York), Michael Hirshfeld (Ottawa), and Gina Kingsbury (Toronto).
“Securing highly qualified General Managers was a priority to help build strong foundations in each of our original six PWHL markets and delivering professional standards for all players,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL Senior Vice President of Hockey Operations. “The search process identified a lot of impressive candidates from which we’ve assembled an exceptional group with collective experience across the highest levels of the game, both on and off the ice.”
Among their duties, GMs will be responsible for hiring coaches and support staffs and roster building. The player selection process officially opens with an initial free agency period commencing September 1 at 1:00 p.m. ET. Teams will have until Sept. 10 to sign three players to Standard Player Agreements before the majority of the league’s founding players are chosen in the 2023 PWHL Draft on Sept. 18.
Marmer joins the PWHL from the Boston Bruins where she served the last year as a Player Development and Scouting Assistant, becoming the first woman to hold an on-ice role with the organization. Prior to her time with the Bruins, Marmer was the Director of Player Development at Quinnipiac University and assistant coach for Connecticut College’s Women’s Hockey team. Raised in Dorset, Vermont, Marmer’s playing experience includes being a member of the winningest class in Quinnipiac women’s ice hockey history. She was also a National Scholar Athlete, a member of the ECAC All-Academic Team and a Quinnipiac Scholar-Athlete Award winner for all four years of her NCAA career.
Darwitz had a prolific playing career winning three Olympic medals, three IIHF World Championship gold medals, and two NCAA National Championships at the University of Minnesota as one of the most renowned women’s hockey figures across the State of Hockey. A former U.S. Olympic Team Captain and three-time NCAA All-American, Darwin spent the last two seasons as Associate Head Coach of the Gophers NCAA DI women’s hockey team. The Eagan, Minnesota native also served eight combined seasons as head coach at the DIII and high school hockey level, and in 2022, served as a U.S. Olympic Team Tryout Evaluator. She is a member of the U.S. Hockey Hall of Fame, Minnesota Sports Hall of Fame, “M” Club Hall of Fame, and the Minnesota State High School League Hall of Fame.
Sauvageau has spent decades as one of Quebec’s most prominent women’s hockey icons. Originally from Deux-Montagnes, Quebec, her wide range of experience includes coaching Canada’s National Women’s Team to its first ever Olympic Gold Medal in 2002, becoming the first woman to coach in the Canadian Hockey League (QMJHL), and founding the women’s hockey program at the University of Montreal. In 2019, Sauvageau launched Centre 21.02 in Verdun, QC – the first and only recognized High Performance Hockey Centre for women athletes in Canada where she’s served as President, Chief Executive Officer, and Coach. Sauvageau also held the GM role for the PWHPA’s Montreal region from 2020-23 and head coach from 2020-22.
Daoust’s distinguished hockey career spans nearly three decades across a multitude of significant roles. Most recently, he served as the General Manager of the Val-d’Or Foreurs of the QMJHL from 2016-23. Prior to his time in the QMJHL, Daoust was an Assistant Coach for the startup University of Montreal’s women’s hockey team, winning two national championships, along with three additional national podiums, in seven seasons. He has also been an on-ice personal consultant since 1993, mentoring players and teams across the NHL, AHL, ECHL, Europe and Universities/Colleges.
Hirshfeld served as the Executive Director of the NHL Coaches’ Association (NHLCA) for the past seven years, where he provided support in a variety of areas to coaches of all levels across the NHL and AHL. His role also included fostering the NHLCA’s relationships with hockey federations and associations across North America, Europe, and Asia. Founded in 2001, the NHLCA’s goals include: developing coaches, giving back to the community, and growing the game on a global level. Hirshfeld began his career working in Toronto as a corporate lawyer and holds a B.A. (with honours) from Huron College, University of Western Ontario, and an LLB from The University of Western Ontario.
Kingsbury joins the PWHL with a plethora of experience both on the ice as a player and off the ice in management positions. She most recently served as Vice President of Hockey Operations at Hockey Canada and has also been the General Manager of Canadian Women’s National Team Programs since 2018. In her role, she notably won Olympic gold in 2022 and back-to-back gold at the 2021 and 2022 IIHF Women’s World Championships. On the ice, Kingsbury was a member of Canada’s National Women’s Team where she became a two-time Olympic Gold Medalist and appeared in six IIHF World Championships (3 Gold, 3 Silver). Born in Uranium City, Saskatchewan, Kingsbury played her college hockey at St. Lawrence University where she remains in the university’s top-5 in all-time scoring.
Fans can stay connected to the PWHL and register for email updates at thepwhl.com. Follow the new league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six new team accounts @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.
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PROFESSIONAL WOMEN’S HOCKEY LEAGUE (PWHL)ANNOUNCES 2023 DRAFT ORDER OF SELECTION
PWHL Press Release
Draft lottery awards Minnesota the first overall pick
TORONTO, ON (September 1, 2023) – The Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) today announced the results of a draft lottery conducted to establish the order of selection for the inaugural PWHL Draft, scheduled for September 18, 2023. Minnesota has been awarded the first overall pick, followed by Toronto, Boston, New York, Ottawa, and Montreal completing the first round. The lottery was administered by PWHL Hockey Operations using a computerized list randomizer during a video conference call with all six General Managers. Teams had equal odds of securing the top pick in the lottery process.
The draft consists of 15 rounds and 90 total picks using a snake format in which, once a round is completed, the following round will be conducted with the teams selecting in the reverse order of the previous round. There will be no draft picks traded until at least the completion of the 2023-24 season.
Any player who is interested in competing in the 2023-24 PWHL season must declare for the draft by Sept. 3. Prior to the Sept. 18 draft, a 10-day free agency period will commence at 1:00 p.m. ET on Sept. 1 allowing each team the opportunity to sign three players to Standard Player Agreements.
2023 PWHL DRAFT ORDER OF SELECTION
Round 1:
1. Minnesota, 2. Toronto, 3. Boston, 4. New York, 5. Ottawa, 6. Montreal.
Round 2:
7. Montreal, 8. Ottawa, 9. New York, 10. Boston, 11. Toronto, 12. Minnesota.
Round 3:
13. Minnesota, 14. Toronto, 15. Boston, 16. New York, 17. Ottawa, 18. Montreal.
Round 4:
19. Montreal, 20. Ottawa, 21. New York, 22. Boston, 23. Toronto, 24. Minnesota.
Round 5:
25. Minnesota, 26. Toronto, 27. Boston, 28. New York, 29. Ottawa, 30. Montreal.
Round 6:
31. Montreal, 32. Ottawa, 33. New York, 34. Boston, 35. Toronto, 36. Minnesota.
Round 7:
37. Minnesota, 38. Toronto, 39. Boston, 40. New York, 41. Ottawa, 42. Montreal.
Round 8:
43. Montreal, 44. Ottawa, 45. New York, 46. Boston, 47. Toronto, 48. Minnesota.
Round 9:
49. Minnesota, 50. Toronto, 51. Boston, 52. New York, 53. Ottawa, 54. Montreal.
Round 10:
55. Montreal, 56. Ottawa, 57. New York, 58. Boston, 59. Toronto, 60. Minnesota.
Round 11:
61. Minnesota, 62. Toronto, 63. Boston, 64. New York, 65. Ottawa, 66. Montreal.
Round 12:
67. Montreal, 68. Ottawa, 69. New York, 70. Boston, 71. Toronto, 72. Minnesota.
Round 13:
73. Minnesota, 74. Toronto, 75. Boston, 76. New York, 77. Ottawa, 78. Montreal.
Round 14:
79. Montreal, 80. Ottawa, 81. New York, 82. Boston, 83. Toronto, 84. Minnesota.
Round 15:
85. Minnesota, 86. Toronto, 87. Boston, 88. New York, 89. Ottawa, 90. Montreal.
Fans can stay connected to the PWHL and register for email updates at thepwhl.com. Follow the new league on all social media platforms @thepwhlofficial plus all six new team accounts @pwhl_boston, @pwhl_minnesota, @pwhl_montreal, @pwhl_newyork, @pwhl_ottawa, and @pwhl_toronto.
Eastern New York Collegiate Women’s Ice Hockey
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
Women’s College Hockey/East
Manhattanville
The Red Valiants are coming off a 15-11-7 season with a loss in the UCHC Semi-finals to Utica to end that season.
Jennifer MacCaskill is coming into her fourth season with the Valiants, leading them to three consecutive UCHA tourneys since her appointment.
Kerry Carr, New Hartford and Holly Meredith, Saratoga Springs were among the Red Valiants named to the Krampade/AHCA All American Scholars list for 2022-23. Teammates named included Virginia Birmie, Grace Genest, Morgan Miller, Annie Niedermier and Taylor Willoughly.
Their 2023-24 schedule has not been announced.
Union
Union will open to St. Cloud State on September 23 and 24 in Minnesota and then a weekend home stance against Robert Morris, September 29 and 30 at 5 p.m. and 3 p.m., respectively.
Coach Josh Sciba, in his eight season, has signed Watertown native Iliana Smith. Smith comes from the Ontario Hockey Academy.
RPI
The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute Engineers will open at home against Rochester Institute of Technology on September 23 at 3 p.m. and September 24 at 3 p.m.
They are coming off a 9-24-1 season under Bryan Vine, in his sixth season.
Hannah Price was named Collegiate Woman of the Year by Capital District Sports. She played all 23 games last season with 5 goals/2 assists. She is an on and off campus leader serving as President of the Student Athletic Advisory Committee and volunteering in the community.
Alex Houston has been named assistant strengthening coach for the Athletic Department.
RPI had 5 women’s ice hockey players named to the AHCA All American Scholars list including Sara Bayne, Teaghan Dalby, Magdalena Erbenova, Megan Hildner and Price.
Around New York Notes:
…Buffalo State Women’s Ice Hockey opens their 2023-24 season with a home game against Stevenson on October 19 at 7 p.m. and then Hilbert on October 20, 3 p.m. at home.
…Rochester Institute of Technology opens September 23/24 at RPI and then home against Minnesota at 6 p.m. on October 6.
…Nazareth opens with a 2 p.m. exhibition game on October 21 vs William Smith.
…Nikolle Van Stralen was named Empire 8 Conference Woman of the Year. The award honors a senior who distinguishes herself in academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership and service.
…The University of Buffalo ACHA D2 womens ice hockey team will play at Cortland at 6 p.m. on December 8 and at Brockport at 7 p.m. on December 9.
…Niagara University will be icing two women’s ACHA teams this season. WD2 will begin October 1 at Cortland, October 27/28 at University of Delaware and November 3 at Brockport.
…NU’s ACHA D1 team will play Indiana at Cornerstone Arena in Lockport at 3 p.m. on October 1.
…Hilbert has named Earl Utter the Head Coach. Utter is a Rochester native who recently coached for Wilkes and prior to that was head coach at Cortland for nine years. He played at Morrisville.
Women’s Collegiate Ice Hockey/Central NY News
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
Collegiate Womens Hockey/Central
Cortland
Amanda Gaffney when she played for Williamsville High School
The Red Dragons went 20-7-0 under eight-year Head Coach Rick Filighera. The best Oswego in the NEWHL semi-finals 2-1 in two overtimes and then lost to SUNY Plattsburgh 0-2 in the Championship.
Six Red Dragons were honored by the ACHA including Dany Donegan, Cicero/Syracuse Nationals; Amanda Gaffney, Williamsville/Amherst Nights and WNYGVIH’s Williamsville HS team; Jillian Hlasnick, Olean, Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles and her sister, Mia, also with the NJPE.
Others named to the All American Scholars List were Johna Ezzart and Jayden Kelley.
Cortland opens play on October 22 against William Smith in an exhibition game at 3 p.m. in Geneva and then they travel to Stephenson College for a double-header on October 27/28.
Their home opener is a two day contest against Canton on November 10 at 7 p.m. and November 22 at 3 p.m.
Elmira
Greg Haney/Elmira Photo
The Soaring Eagles recorded a 21-6-0 season and open the 2023-24 season with two exhibition games before the Utica University Kickoff Hockey Tournament on October 27 and 28. Their home opener on November 10 is an NEHC league game against Salem State University at 6 p.m.
Four New Yorkers are on this season’s roster including McKenzie Schmidt of Baldwinsville/Syracuse Valley Eagles; Lexi Hoffman, Bellmore/Portledge School; Mandy McCormick, Elmira/Hill School and Sophie Compeau, Potsdam/Syracuse Valley Eagles.
This will be the first season for Greg Haney, who previously coached Potsdam State University’s women’s ice hockey team.
Buffalo native Erin Gehen will be in her third season as the Associate Director of Athletics for Elmira and sixth as a volunteer coach for the Soaring Eagles women’s ice hockey team. Gehen played for the WNYGVIH League with Hamburg/Eden/West Seneca, where she is the All-Time Leading scorer; and then for the Buffalo State Bengals. She also played professional ice hockey with the Buffalo Beauts.
Syracuse
Five Orange were named to the AHCA All American Scholars list including Sarah Thompson, Hannah Johnson, Tatum White, Gabrielle Doughtery and Charlotte Hallett.
Syracuse will open at Waterbury and then head home against Merrimack at 6 p.m. on October 6.
Head Coach Britni Smith, in her second season, threw out the first pitch, along with fellow coaches Lynn Farquher (Field Hockey) and Bakeer Ganesharatnam I(Volleyball) at the Syracuse Mets game recently. They were part of the Women’s In Sports Night celebration.
Utica
The Utica Pioneers will host the Utica University Kickoff Tournament October 27-28. They then travel to Lebanon Valley to open the UCHC season. Their home opener will be November 10 and 11 against Wilkes University at 7 p.m. and 2 p.m. respectively.
Coach Dave Clausen is in his 21st season, the only head coach in the history of the program.
Erica Sloan, Potsdam/St. Lawrence Steel, was among the six Utica players named to the AHCA All American Scholars list. Others were Tess Barrett, Kelsey Elliott, Maddie Esposito, Haley Modlen and Georgiana Santullo.
Utica comes off a 22-3-3 record, losing the UCHC Championship game 3-2 in two overtimes to Nazareth College.
Colgate University
Colgate took the ECAC Championship after they beat Clarkson University 8-2 and posting a 32-6-2 record. They moved on to the NCAA National Tournament, losing 4-2 to Wisconsin.
Head Coach Greg Fargo led the Raiders to 32 wins for the third time in his tenure and posted a historical record with the Raiders being named in the Top 10 in the DCU/USCHO.com and USA Today polls for the entire 2022-23 season.
They open this season with an exhibition game against St. Lawrence on September 23; have several non-league games from September 29 through October 27 and then host their home opener on November 3 against Brown.
Colgate welcomes freshmen Kaia Malachino, Madeline Palumbo; Avery Pickering, Sydney Morrow, Ella Belfry, Emma Pais and Jaimee Spring.
Five Raiders were named to the AHCA All American Scholars List including Maggie MacEachern, Averill McCombs, Annaha Mettler and Sammy Smigliani.
Oswego
Taylor Hudon, Rhyea Zamlak and Rachel Brase were named to the ACHA All American Scholars List. Hudon is from Alex Bay and played for Nazareth College prior to Colgate and Brase comes from Spencerport and Spencerport High School.
Oswego lost the NEWHL Championship to Cortland in the semi-finals, 2-1 after two overtimes.
They will open at Elmira on October 14 and the Pink the Rink at their game against the London Jr. Devilettes on October 21. Teal Day will be celebrated on October 28 with a game against William Smith at 3 p.m.
Cornell
Cornell welcomes freshmen Piper Grober (Durham West Jr. Lightning), Abby Thibodeau (Burlington Barracudas), Beatrice Perron-Ray (Stanstead College), Karel Prefontaine (Team Canada U18 and Stanstead College0 and Annelies Bergman (Oakland AAA and Team USA U18.)
Jessica Campbell ‘14 has been named an assistant coach with the Coachella Valley Firebirds. She is the first woman to be named an assistant coach in the AHL.
Former Colgate Raider Katie Chan joins Cornell women’s ice hockey. Chan previously took the ice for the reigning ECAC Hockey champion Raiders, where she accounted for 38 points on 16 goals and 22 assists in 79 career games. She was named as ECAC Hockey Rookie of the week during the 2021-22 season, and also a apart of the ECAC All-Academic Team in the same year. Chan will add forward depth to a young and talented Big Red group led by Coach Doug Derraugh, which finished second in the Ivy-League and fifth in the ECAC Hockey standings this past season.
The Big Red will open against the University of Toronto on September 24 at home.
Hamilton
Hamilton is coming off a winning season with a lot to look forward to.
They hosted and beat Nazareth College 3-1 in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championships.
That took them to Adrian College for the quarterfinals, where they won 2-0. Moving on to the semi-finals they faced Amherst College, They lost 2-0, ending their season.
Named to the AHCA All American Scholars List were Lake Placid native Lydia Bullock, Syracuse’s Nancy Loh and Bobi Roca (Connecticut).
Head Coach Emily McNamara was appointed in 2012 and has recorded a 113-8-21 through 2021-22. She was named 2017 NESCAC Coach of the Year.
William Smith
The Herons headed to the New England Hockey Conference (NEHC) tournament and beat Castleton 5-0 in the quarters. They moved to face Elmira in the semis, losing 4-3 and closing out their season 12-13-1.
Eight players were named AHCA All American Scholars including New Yorkers Izzy Friedman (Buffalo/Monsignor Martin/Buffalo Bisons and Kayla Ketchabaw (Rye/Greenwich Academy). Also named Brittany Foster, Sydney Foster, Tiffany Foster, Fiona Galleher and Kelly Howe.
Morrisville
John Briggs/Morrisville Photo
John Briggs was named Morrisville Head Coach after serving at SUNY Cortland two seasons as an assistant coach. He was an assistant coach with the Richland Rockies Womens Ice Hockey Team as well as the 16U Boys and 18U boys Skyland Kings. He played junior hockey in New Jersey and semi-pro in Scotland. He is also an assistant golf coach at the Skaneateles Country Club.
Matthew Chan was named Strength and Conditioning Coach for Morrisville and Monica Cahill was named an assistant coach after playing four years at Cortland.
Morrisville will take to the ice with a home opener against Cortland (SUNYAC) on November 3 at 7 p.m.
Around New York Notes:
…Buffalo State Women’s Ice Hockey opens their 2023-24 season with a home game against Stevenson on October 19 at 7 p.m. and then Hilbert on October 20, 3 p.m. at home.
…Rochester Institute of Technology opens September 23/24 at RPI and then home against Minnesota at 6 p.m. on October 6.
…Nazareth opens with a 2 p.m. exhibition game on October 21 vs William Smith.
…Nikolle Van Stralen was named Empire 8 Conference Woman of the Year. The award honors a senior who distinguishes herself in academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership and service.
…The University of Buffalo ACHA D2 womens ice hockey team will play at Cortland at 6 p.m. on December 8 and at Brockport at 7 p.m. on December 9.
…Niagara University will be icing two women’s ACHA teams this season. WD2 will begin October 1 at Cortland, October 27/28 at University of Delaware and November 3 at Brockport.
…NU’s ACHA D1 team will play Indiana at Cornerstone Arena in Lockport at 3 p.m. on October 1.
…Hilbert has named Earl Utter the Head Coach. Utter is a Rochester native who recently coached for Wilkes and prior to that was head coach at Cortland for nine years. He played at Morrisville.
…Congratulations to Buffalo State Bengals Women’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Rachel Grampp on her marriage.
…Congratulations to Assistant Coach Chelsea Hausberger on her marriage. Chelsie coaches for the FFLOP team in the WNYGVIH Association.
Women’s Northern NY Collegiate Ice Hockey News/Notes
By Janet Schultz, NYHOL
NORTHERN NEW YORK
Potsdam
Two WNY players were awarded ACHA All American Scholar honors including Hanna Barrett, Tonawanda/Niagara Jr. Purple Eagles and WNYGVIH and Rebecca Holmes, Lawtons/Buffalo Bisons.
Plattsburgh
The Cardinals will open their 2023-24 season on November 3 against Oswego in the newly formed SUNYAC conference. The following week they head off to play Buffalo State College, another league game.
Plattsburgh lost the NCAA Division III Tournament to Gustavus Adolphus 3-2 in two overtimes. They ended their season 26-3-0 under Coach Kevin Houle, who is in his 21st season with the team. He is the winning-est coach in the history of women’s hockey in all the divisions of the NCAA with a .875 win percentage and a 475-57-26 record.
WNY’s Julia Duquette is in her fourth season as the assistant coach.
Clarkson
A 2-0 loss to the University of Minnesota/Duluth ended the Knights season in the NCAA First Round; this was after beat Yale 4-3 in two overtimes in the semi-finals and losing to Colgate University 8-2 in the championship round of the ECAC Tournament.
Clarkson will open this season against Merrimack in Massachusetts on September 23.
Coach Matt DeRosiers will return for his 16th season.
St. Lawrence University
The Saints will open the season with an exhibition game against Colgate on September 23 and then will and home to Mercyhurst on September 29 and 30 for 7 pm and 3 pm game, respectively.
Chris Wells took on the head coaching position in 2008 and was named the AHCA National Coach of the Year and the ECAC Hockey Coach of the Year in 2012.
Wells has named Brittany Gout ‘21 to the coaching staff. Gout was a graduate assistant coach last season after playing for St. Lawrence for three seasons, where she wore the “A” and played in 79 games with 15 goals and 14 assists. Prior to that she played two season at RIT.
Six Saints were named to the ACHA All American Scholars list including Gabi Jones of Potsdam and the Ottawa Lady Senators. Also named were Taylor Lum, Kristine Bahl, Suyeon Eom and Lucy Morgan.
Canton
The Roos went 14-10-2 last season and will open this season with two exhibition games. The first on October 20 against Utica and then home to a yet to be named opponent on October 21.
Their regular SUNYAC season opens in Potsdam on November 13 and then at home to Oswego on November 14 at 3 p.m.
Head Coach Kalli Grant is in her second season with the Roos. Prior to Canton she was an assistant coach at Adrian College in Michigan. She is a native of Potsdam and played for St. Lawrence University.
Around New York Notes:
…Buffalo State Women’s Ice Hockey opens their 2023-24 season with a home game against Stevenson on October 19 at 7 p.m. and then Hilbert on October 20, 3 p.m. at home.
…Rochester Institute of Technology opens September 23/24 at RPI and then home against Minnesota at 6 p.m. on October 6.
…Nazareth opens with a 2 p.m. exhibition game on October 21 vs William Smith.
…Nikolle Van Stralen was named Empire 8 Conference Woman of the Year. The award honors a senior who distinguishes herself in academic achievement, athletic excellence, leadership and service.
…The University of Buffalo ACHA D2 womens ice hockey team will play at Cortland at 6 p.m. on December 8 and at Brockport at 7 p.m. on December 9.
…Niagara University will be icing two women’s ACHA teams this season. WD2 will begin October 1 at Cortland, October 27/28 at University of Delaware and November 3 at Brockport.
…NU’s ACHA D1 team will play Indiana at Cornerstone Arena in Lockport at 3 p.m. on October 1.
…Hilbert has named Earl Utter the Head Coach. Utter is a Rochester native who recently coached for Wilkes and prior to that was head coach at Cortland for nine years. He played at Morrisville.
…Congratulations to Buffalo State Bengals Women’s Ice Hockey Head Coach Rachel Grampp on her marriage.
…Congratulations to Assistant Coach Chelsea Hausberger on her marriage. Chelsie coaches for the FFLOP team in the WNYGVIH Association.
UB Sweeps Weekend Exhibition Contests Against Team USA Deflympic Team
BY RANDY SCHULTZ –
The University of Buffalo and the Team USA Deaflympic Team played two exhibition hockey games against each other this past weekend. NY Hockey OnLine was on hand for Game Two of the two game series on Sunday.
As both teams warmed up on the ice at the Northtown Center at Amherst one would not have suspected that Team USA was made up of players who have a 55 DB loss in the better ear to qualify for the US Deaf Ice Hockey team. In addition, all participants must be members of USA Hockey and the USA Deaf Sports Federation (USADSF) and are between the ages of 16 through adult.
The Deaflympics was organized by the International Committee of Sports for the Deaf (ICSD) to provide an opportunity to compete on an international stage.
The UB Bulls, a ACHA DI team, are the 2022-23 NECHL Champions. In the opening game of the two-game exhibition series, UB edged Team USA, 7-5.
In game two, UB scored early on a goal by Edward Dougan to take a 1-0 lead. Anthony Trigilio added a power play goal later in the period to give the Bulls a 2-0 lead.
Team USA cut the Buffalo lead in half, 2-1, on a goal by Connor Bizal. Matthew Alletto came right back for the Bulls with a goal to end the period leading 3-1.
Period 2 saw Team USA come within one goal of UB at the mid-way mark on a goal by Grant Isenbarger. But UB upped their lead back to two, 4-2, just minutes later on a goal by Matthew Bielinski.
With just two minutes remaining in the period Isenbarger scored again for Team USA to cut UB’s lead to 4-3.
The third period saw Team USA tie the score early, 4-4, on a goal by Bizal, his second of the game.
After that it was all UB with the Bulls scoring 3 more times on goals by Dylan Forerta, Anthony Coty and Tyler Hagetberger to make the final score UB 7 and Team USA 4.
Gavin Kruetzer played the entire game in goal for the Bulls. Eli Rollins and Curran Allison split the goaltending duties for Team USA.
For UB Hockey, these two games were the team’s first games of the season. The Bulls begin regular season play on September 29 at Niagara in a “Midnight Madness” game.
(Photos by Janet Schultz Photography/NY Hockey OnLine)
To view a photo album from Sunday’s game and to purchase prints or digital copies go to:
https://www.smugmug.com/app/organize/UB-vs-USA-Deaflympic-Team-2023
Amerks Ink Brown To One-Year Contract
Former Sabres draft pick joins Rochester for 2023-24 season
(Rochester, NY) – Rochester Americans General Manager Jason Karmanos announced today that the team has signed forward Christopher Brown to a one-year American Hockey League contract for the 2023-24 season.
Brown, 27, joins the organization after spending the last three seasons with the Jacksonville Icemen (ECHL) from 2020-23. In 151 career games with Jacksonville, he scored 44 goals and 68 assists for 112 points during the regular season while also adding 18 points (6+12) in 18 postseason contests.
The Bloomfield Hills, Mich., native established career-highs in every offensive category during the 2022-23 campaign while appearing in all 72 games. He was named team MVP after leading the team in assists (40) and points (64) and finishing second in goals (24).
At the American Hockey League level, he’s recorded three points (1+2) over 44 combined games with the Hershey Bears and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins.
Prior to turning pro, Brown completed a four-year collegiate career at Boston College from 2015-2019. In 151 career games with the Golden Eagles, the 6-foot-0, 187-pound forward totaled 27 goals and 45 assists for 72 points. He served as team captain during his final two seasons at Boston.
Brown also spent three seasons in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers and Tri-City Storm from 2013-15, combining for 47 points in 60 games.
A sixth-round pick (151st overall) of the Buffalo Sabres in 2014, Brown is the nephew of former Amerk and current Boston College head coach Greg Brown.
