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“My Name is Will” The Story of a Young Hockey Player’s Struggle with Drugs!

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Janet
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“Hi. My name is Will. “I’m a drug addict.”

That is how the 19 year-old from Tonawanda, NY introduced himself to 51 teenagers participating in the Willie O’Ree Skills Weekend held in Buffalo in February. The event brought together 51 boys and girls  from youth hockey organizations throughout North America.

Will’s presentation was part of the group’s visit to the “Kids Escaping Drugs, a nonprofit organization dedicated to the support of prevention programs for adolescents and their families suffering from alcohol and drug dependency.

Speaking in front of the group, which also included parents and coaches from around the United States and Canada, and following a short pause“Will” continued.

“I’m also a hockey player. I love the game and still play it today, despite all the problems I’ve had over the past few years.”

In an instant all eyes were riveted on “Will” and for the next 30 minutes all listeners were tuned in to what the speaker had to say.

Will, a native of Western New York explained his life story.

“Like many other kids, my father got me involved in hockey when I was between three and four years of age,” said Will. “He coached, watched and yelled at me.

“He was kind of like my best friend. He became my head coach when I was playing with the Squirt Majors with the Tonawanda Lightning.”

Then fate stepped in.

“My dad got cancer and about two years after that he died,” remarked Will. “On February 28, 2004 he passed away.

“Ironically, I had a hockey game the next day. I remember that because my whole team wore arm bands in honor of my father.

“I ended up playing in front of one of the biggest crowds ever for one of my games. I scored the winning goal, but it was disallowed. It became quite the disappointing day.”

From there it was on to St. Joseph’s Collegiate Institute where he played hockey as a freshman in high school.

Then came his sophomore year.

“That’s when I became involved with drugs,” stated Will. “I started smoking marijuana all the time.

“My mom wouldn’t let me leave St. Joes. So I flunked out. Got kicked out.

“From there it was on to Kenmore West High School. I played more hockey.

“But it just wasn’t the same for me. I had lost my love for the sport.

“The drugs had taken over my life. Prior to drugs I had never missed a practice or a game.

“After than I started missing practices. I just didn’t care.

“I lost interest in high school hockey. But I continued playing midget hockey for a split season.

“Then I began getting in trouble with the law. I was getting misdemeanors for throwing beer cans at cars and trespassing.

“At Kenmore West I received a Class-E felony for running on cars in the parking lot.”

At that point Will’s mom had had enough. She didn’t know what to do.

“She turned to PINS (Persons In Need of Supervision),” continued Will. “PINS didn’t work because I never showed up for it.

“A runaway warrant was put out for my arrest. The authorities came to my house, arrested me in my livingroom in front of my sister.

“I was thrown on the ground and handcuffed.”

As Will was hauled out of the house he left behind a crying mom and sister.

“From there it was on to Juvie (short for the Juvenial Detention Center),” said Will. “I got out of there and was put on probation.

“I stayed clean from drugs for two weeks before going back to them.Then came September 9, 2009.

“Today that is known as my clean date. I went to court.

“The judge that day had enough of me. He sent me to Juvie again.

“Twenty days later I was on the grounds for Kids Escaping Drugs. I got out of there on July 10, 2010.

“I didn’t know what to do. That’s when hockey came back into my life again.

“A friend of mine got me a tryout with the Bud Bakewell Bruins. I made the team.

“I was having fun again. This time with the coaches as well as the players.

“then I went back to my old high school hockey team at Ken-West. I ended up making the team again.

“I started out on the fourth line. From there I went to the third, then to the second and finally to the first line.

“I ended up having a big game against rival Bishop Timon. I scored a goal in overtime that helped us into the playoffs for the first time in our coaches career.

“We ended up losing the next week in the semi-finals of the playoffs. I thought that was the end of my hockey career.”

At that point Will had to make one of the biggest decisions of his young life.

“I tried out with the Buffalo Jr. Stars,” recalled Will, now 19. “I found out that I needed $5000 to pay for expenses to stay on the team.

“My mom told me she would come up with the money. She was going to take it out of her retirement fund.

“Remember, she was now a single mom. That was a lot of money for her.

“So I walked away from hockey. I didn’t want her spending that kind of money on me for hockey.

“Instead I got a job with the Tonawanda (NY) Highway Department, a job that I still have today. And I’m still having a blast with hockey.

“I’m actually playing roller hockey. I know I have lived a different life than most 19 year-olds.”

The best news was yet to come. (continued pg. 32)

“Since I’ve been clean of drugs, my love of hockey has come back to me,” commented Will. “Now when I’m on that ice or rink, it kind of feels like nothing else in the world really matters.

“I’ve been clean now for over two years. My relationship is much better with my mom and the rest of my family. I now want to somehow pay my mom back for all she’s been through with me.

“I even have a 60 year-old friend named Jim. He’s taken over in a fathers role with me and is someone there to talk to when I need talking to.

“And the best part is, I ended up graduating from my high school at Kenmore West. I got a hockey award for the Most Improved Player.

“I also got the principals award given to a student who has had to overcome a lot of adversity. My name is on a plaque that hangs there in the school.

“I also go out and speak to groups and organizations with kids in them. I really enjoy that.

“I try to bring a little fun into a serious subject. And the main message I deliver to the kids is to be who you are.

“Don’t worry about being in with the ‘in’ crowd. Just be who you are.

“If you do that you should lead a pretty good life.”*

Tom McFall Follows in Father’s Footsteps Wins 2012 J. Michael Duffett Memorial Award for Contributions to Hockey!

By
Janet
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For two decades coach Tom McFall and the Chautauqua County Youth Hockey Association have gone hand-in-hand. He has coached at every level of youth hockey.

For his efforts McFall has been named the 2012 recipient of the J. Michael Duffett Memorial Award. The award is presented each year by the Buffalo Sabres to the coach whose contributions to amateur hockey in Western New York “best exemplify the knowledge, teaching, love of the game and gentle humanity of Mike.”

McFall is the 27th recipient of the Duffett Award, joining his father, John McFall, who won the award in 1995.

“It’s a great feeling,” said McFall, who is a fifth grade teacher at Chautauqua Lake Central School. “Our whole family has been involved in hockey all of our lives.

“What is even more special is the fact that I knew Mike Duffett. He coached me on my Empire State Hockey Team.

“What is even more special is the fact that my dad won the award as well. I’m absolutely thrilled.”

McFall oversees both the on- and off-ice operations of the Jamestown Timbits. It is a program that emphasizes fun while teaching beginners, ages four to seven, the fundamentals of hockey.

This year alone, the Jamestown Timbits program has welcomed nearly 70 new players.

“We’ve really tried building that program up so that we have a future influx of new players coming through,” stated McFall, who played for the Buffalo Jr. Sabres in 1984-85. “This year we have had the most kids since the movie, “The Mighty Ducks” came out in the early 1990s.

“For me it’s always nice to see more kids introduced and play the game.”

McFall recalled when the Jamestown Arena opened in the downtown area. He teamed up with fellow coach, George Watkins, in 2002 to create the “Keep It In Jamestown” house hockey league.

The co-founders began the league with the goal of allowing more young people to play hockey at virtually any age or playing ability. And they could do it without the challenges presented by travel hockey.

“That’s when we began a house league,” continued McFall. “It allowed the local kids a chance to play hockey.

“Over the years the program has given hundreds of kids the chance to play hockey and experience the sport that otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity.

“You have to remember that when I talk to people up in Buffalo about travel hockey, their idea of travel is going from Hamburg to Amherst. But in Jamestown it’s a whole different story.

“For us, travel in Jamestown can be a three-hour drive for an 80-minute game. It turned out to be a seven or eight hour day for us.

“That’s why this program is so important. It keeps the travel, as well as expense, down for the kids and their parents.”

McFall admits that he learned a lot of what he uses today in hockey from his dad.

“I watched and he taught me the basics of how to treat kids as well as the parents,” said McFall, a graduate of Oswego State College, where he also played four years of hockey. “He set a good example for me to follow.”

Interestingly, hockey never seems to end for McFall. One of his greatest contributions to youth hockey in Western New York came in 1992 when, upon recognizing a lack of summer hockey programs in the Jamestown area, McFall created a summer hockey camp.

“This summer we will be entering our 20th season,” remarked McFall. “My brothers help me with the program that provides additional hockey training for area hockey players of all ages.

“We all have the love of hockey. Combine that with our love of working with kids and it makes for a great combination.

“The bottom line is that the kids have fun and learn about a great sport. You can’t go wrong with that.”the challenges presented by travel hockey.

“That’s when we began a house league,” continued McFall. “It allowed the local kids a chance to play hockey.

“Over the years the program has given hundreds of kids the chance to play hockey and experience the sport that otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity.

“You have to remember that when I talk to people up in Buffalo about travel hockey, their idea of travel is going from Hamburg to Amherst. But in Jamestown it’s a whole different story.

“For us, travel in Jamestown can be a three-hour drive for an 80-minute game. It turned out to be a seven or eight hour day for us.

“That’s why this program is so important. It keeps the travel, as well as expense, down for the kids and their parents.”

McFall admits that he learned a lot of what he uses today in hockey from his dad.

“I watched and he taught me the basics of how to treat kids as well as the parents,” said McFall, a graduate of Oswego State College, where he also played four years of hockey. “He set a good example for me to follow.”

Interestingly, hockey never seems to end for McFall. One of his greatest contributions to youth hockey in Western New York came in 1992 when, upon recognizing a lack of summer hockey programs in the Jamestown area, McFall created a summer hockey camp.

“This summer we will be entering our 20th season,” remarked McFall. “My brothers help me with the program that provides additional hockey training for area hockey players of all ages.

“We all have the love of hockey. Combine that with our love of working with kids and it makes for a great combination.

“The bottom line is that the kids have fun and learn about a great sport. You can’t go wrong with that.”*

Hockey and Education Go Hand-in-Hand

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Janet
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Commitment, dedication and determination best describes Goaltender Anna Quattro.

She made a decision to leave Buffalo to focus on hockey and her education when she was a junior in high school.

Anna attends PEAC School for Elite Athletes in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The decision came after she played her early years with Amherst Youth Hockey and the Buffalo Hornets.

“I know that Buffalo has very talented hockey players,” said Anna. “But the talent is diluted because they all play for different teams. If you put all the top players on one team they would go far.

In Toronto it’s about getting better as a player, working hard and developing as a player and as an individual,” she continued.

Anna choose PEAC because of the coaching staff which includes Kim McCullough who played at Dartmouth College and works with the provincial and national Canadian teams and Sandy Sampson who has coached goalies for over 15 years and has numerous former players playing university hockey and on Team Canada.

Being part of a program like the one at PEAC isn’t easy.

Anna gets up by 8 a.m. each morning; attends two classes, has a one-hour hockey practice; attends another class and then has an off-ice workout.

“We train four days a week and workout two days a week,” said Anna. “All the students are athletes.”

PEAC also trains athletes in freestyle skiing, snowboarding, soccer, tennis, squash, swimming, bowling, lacrosse, basketball and baseball.

The school motto is “Where athletes come to learn.”

PEAC’s ice hockey team plays against prep schools in the Ontario area.

In addition to education and hockey, Anna explains that nutrition is a large part of the program.

“We must stay away from junk food, no pop,” she said. “We have lots of protein and carbohydrates and we must drink plenty of water.

“When you’re on the ice ten hours a week and working 3 to 4 hours a week off-ice, you need to stay hydrated in order to stay healthy and that hydration is water.” She explains.

On the academic side, you must be extremely focused on your grades because they are as important as hockey, Anna went on to explain.

“If you don’t maintain your grades, you won’t get accepted to a university and then you won’t get to play hockey,” said Anna, who is the only netminder for the Monroe County (NYS) Lady Eagles.

In Canada you must be accepted to a university first, and then you can work on getting on the university’s ice hockey team.

Anna, who plans to be a pediatric oncologist, has just been accepted to Queens University in Kingston, Ontario. She now can pursue the coach to work on being named to the University’s hockey team, which is ranked third in Canada. Academically the university is ranked the best in Canada.

Her love of hockey began later than most. She was playing field hockey in eighth grade when her coach asked her if she could skate. She told him yes and that weekend she was on the ice playing hockey in Amherst.

Continued on Page 27

“It’s a good atmosphere,” she says about the sport. “You have to work to get what you want, no one hands it to you and you have to have dedication.”

Her dedication and determination help her while she lives an hour and half from her family.

“I matured because I don’t have someone there telling me what to do all the time,” she continues. “I’m responsible for my own actions because there isn’t anyone there to fix something for me.”

Anna billets with a family who also has a hockey player from Ireland.

“She’s 19 and came to Canada because she loves hockey and felt she wasn’t getting a fair shake at home,” explains Anna. “Ireland has one ice rink in the entire country so they don’t have the same commitment level as we do.”

Her advice to young players seeking hockey beyond house and travel is to work hard.

“On and off-ice,” she stresses. “Girls must remember they are student-athletes and that everything in the classroom is just as important as out of the classroom.

And secondly, but just as important…

“Everything is not about yourself, it’s about your team.

“You play for the name on the shirt front, not the name and number on the back,” she put very wisely.

Anna’s goals beyond university are to play for Team USA. To do that Anna keeps up with what the American coaches are doing, she has played in New York State district competition and attended goaltending camps.

“It’s all important to take that next step,” said the seventeen-year-old. “Don’t give up on your dreams because you never know where you’re going to end up.”

 

 

What It’s Like to be The Youngest Player in the EJHL!

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Janet
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By Warren Kozireski

“As a young player the way he carries himself is unbelievable. He’s got an incredible amount of poise and his skating is second to nobody in our league.”

“He obviously makes some young mistakes from time to time, but he understands the game and his upside is incredible.”

That is high praise from Rochester Stars head coach Tony Maksymiu about 1996 born defenseman Nathan Billitier.

The Spencerport native was seeing action on the power play and penalty kill for the Eastern Junior League Stars and was one of 17 players named to the U.S. Junior Olympic team where he played on the top defensive pair during the five-nation tournament in Austria in mid-January.

The tournament is the first time in history the International Olympic Committee has hosted a Youth Winter Olympics. The team was comprised of players under the age of 16 and was coached by Ben Smith, a four-time Olympic Coach having represented USA Hockey at the 1988 Olympics as an assistant coach on the Men’s team in Calgary. From 1996 through 2006 Smith led the USA Women’s National Program and was the Head Coach of the Gold Medal winning 1998 Olympic Champions.

The squad competed against squads from Canada, Russia, Finland and Austria.

Team USA finished the tournament 2-2 with victories over Finland and Austria, but lost the Bronze Medal game 7-5 to Canada despite a goal from Billitier, who played in the top defensive pair.

“It was a great experience,” said Billitier. “I got to meet a lot of great people and play with some great players. The competition was great and I couldn’t be happier. We only had two practices before our first game where other teams like Russia have been together for five years.”

Over 34 games this season in the EJHL, Billitier had two assists for the Stars, who finished

Billitier, the son of former SUNY Brockport football placekicker Rick Billitier, won the USA Hockey National Championships last season as a member of the Detroit (MI) Belle Tire Under-14 team in his second season of junior hockey in Michigan before returning home this season.

“I consider myself an offensive defenseman but I want to be a complete player so I’m working on all aspects of my game just trying to get better right now.

“I’m very happy with how this year has gone. It was a tough decision to step up and play juniors this year but I couldn’t be happier with my teammates and what they’ve taught me about the league and help me take my game to the next level. It’s been a challenge, but everything has been great. I’m really happy.”

Billitier will turn 16 this May and will be trying out for the U.S. National Development Team program based in Ann Arbor, Michigan the last weekend in February.

“That’s my main goal right now and if I can’t make that probably go to the OHL (Ontario Hockey League whose draft is April 1st). We have a week-long camp there with 40 kids and 20 come out of it.”

“I think he should (go to NDTP); I don’t see any reason why he wouldn’t,” said Maksymiu. “You would hard pressed to find another ’96 that is playing at the level he is playing—most of them are playing Junior B or midget level. He is playing ahead and competing ahead of the curve.”*

Local Referee Tapped to Work IIHF

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Janet
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Dina Allen is a full-time lawyer which mean she has to settle disputes on a regular basis. So what does she do in her spare time? Why, she serves as a referee for ice hockey, naturally.

While local games are on her schedule regularly, Allen will be one of the referees at the 2012 International Ice Hockey Federation Women’s World’s in Burlington, Vermont in April.

The North Tonawanda resident began her hockey career at age 4. She played on boy’s teams through tenth grade and then joined up with the Syracuse Stars. She played senior AAA hockey for the Oakville Ice of the NWHL, won a USA Hockey national championship with the 19U Syracuse Stars and was invited to the USA Junior National Camp in 2001, 2002 and 2003.  She has also played for Brampton and Mississaugua of the NWHL.

The Princeton University graduate also played for her alma mater. She played in 123 games in her Princeton uniform, garnering 70 points. However, in her last three years at Princeton Allen was the leader in penalty minutes, logging 224 minutes in 92 games.

So how do you become one of those referees that put you in the box so many times?

“My husband referred in graduate school and got me interested,” explained Allen.

“It was a way to make some extra money and stay in the game,” she continued. “I knew there weren’t many women officials but I thought I’d try it.”

The process begins with registering with USA Hockey as an official and taking a class. There’s an open rulebook test at the end and from there you start working USA hockey games.

“The opportunities grow from there,” she continued.

“My first USA game was a Mite Cross Ice and I was the linesman,” she remembers. “It was fun.”

Allen continues studying as she attends regional development camps in the summer.

“USA Hockey works hard to develop their officials,” she said. “There are regional, national and elite camps. The Elite Camps get you certified to do international tournaments, such as the IIHF.

“Once you have that you are on the list of officials to get assigned,” she continued.

While you’re in the stands yelling at the officials, the fans aren’t the only ones watching the officials very closely.

“There are supervisors at many of the games that watch us,” she said. “We don’t always know they’re there unless we recognize them. But at the national and international level, they are always there. In fact they meet with us to go over things before the games, questioning us on rules.”

“The more experience you gain the better,” she advises anyone thinking about this as a career move.

“You need to be flexible because you can be called for a game at any time and the development camps are in the summer.

“Generally I know about a game a month in advance, but sometimes you get called the week before, especially during playoffs because no one knows who’s playing who when,” said Allen.

“Working the international tournaments is a great way to meet people from all over the world,” she goes on. “My first international game was in Germany and I was the only American official.

“I enjoy it because I get to learn about their life style, culture and there is a camaraderie among the officials when we are on the road.”

“Refereeing is a fun challenge. You learn how to manage people and situations,” said Allen. “No one is ever happy about a penalty.”

“There are a lot more rules than you know as a player.”

“We need the number of referees to increase and we are trying to grow it. So if someone wants to stay in the game, but is unable to play, this may be the way.”

What about the yelling from the stands and the bench?

“My law career has helped me handle that,” she said smiling.

The Sense Behind Short Shifts

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Janet
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During last year’s Stanley Cup finals, former NHL coach Jacques Demers wrote a piece in USA Today talking about the length of players’ shifts on hockey’s biggest stage.

According to Demers’ tabulations, five-time Norris Trophy winning defenseman Nicklas Lidstrom played more than 28 minutes a game, but his shifts averaged 44 seconds in length. Henrik Zetterberg’s shifts ran about 43 seconds while Pavel Datsyuk was on the ice for an average of 39 seconds before grabbing some pine.

Conversely, there were several noted situations where Evgeni Malkin of the Pittsburgh Penguins was on the ice for more than a minute and was clearly out of gas by the end of his shift.

Keep in mind that by the time the Stanley Cup finals roll around these players have put their bodies through the ringer by playing more than 100 games, not to mention the physical and mental wear and tear of battling hard for every inch of NHL ice.

The question is, if short shifts are good enough for the NHL’s golden goose, shouldn’t the same philosophy be good enough for the youth hockey gander?

It’s a coach’s responsibility to monitor and enforce the length of a player’s shift, not only to give all players ample playing time, but also to guard against short-term and long-term fatigue.

“It’s not just the shift, but it’s the shift within a game, the game within a week, the week within a month and the months within a season,” says Paul Cannata, head coach at Milton (Mass.) Academy.

“If you’re constantly over extending yourself, it has consequences on the game and the season. If you ride your horses too hard and too long too early in a game, they may not have anything left during crunch time.”
 

Coaches will site numerous variables that play into their decision to keep a player on the ice for an extended period of time, from the quality of lines to the number of kids on the bench to a critical point in a game that calls for top players to be matched up against top opponents.

Some coaches point out that shifts tend to be a little longer, particularly at the Mite and Squirt ages because they display the same traits as the Energizer Bunny and keep going and going and going on the ice.

As they move up the developmental ladder, most coaches advocate that elite players should not be on the ice for more than 45 seconds for a shift, giving it their all before returning to the bench to rest and recover.

Once a player reaches that plateau of ice time, not only do they tend to show outward signs of being fatigued, the lactic acid that builds up in the legs becomes more difficult to deal with.

“When a player overextends himself on one shift, it will be more difficult to recover for the next shift, and the shift after that,” says Ken Martel, a former coach with the National Team Development Program who now studies high performance training for USA Hockey.

As a coach, if you have your kids play shorter shifts, you will dictate the tempo of the game because your players will have fresher legs.

“What I find with my teams is that if they play long shifts the kids tend to pace themselves and don’t go all out,” says Mark Tabrum, director of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program.

Every coach has his own philosophy on how much to play a team’s top players. But is a first-line player who is dead tired any better than a fresh fourth-liner when the game is on the line?

“Shorter shifts early in the game will leave something left in the tank for the third period and overtime,” says Dan Brennan, manager of USA Hockey’s Coaching Education Program. “There’s nothing worse than a tired player out on the ice. He or she then leaves your team vulnerable.”

 

( By Harry Thompson
Published in October 2008 edition of USA Hockey Magazine)

 

 

Home Grown: Erik Cole

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Janet
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Erik Cole is a pioneer of sorts. Although he won’t admit it, the star forward for the Montreal Canadiens was one of the first hockey players to come out of the Oswego, NY. area.

“I came out a small town in Upstate New York and there really wasn’t anybody in front of us to look up to,” said Cole, who has played 10 seasons in the National Hockey League (2001-2012) with the Canadiens, Carolina Hurricanes and Edmonton Oilers. “I began skating when I was about three and eventually found our way to professional hockey.

“I eventually made it through and all the way to the NHL. I feel as though I’m a real strong product of my environment.

“I had great coaches during my minor hockey and high school hockey career in Oswego. I played in the Oswego Minor Hockey Association.

“I also played a split year in Junior B hockey in Ontario. Then it was on to the USHL and finally on to Clarkson University.”

Cole was selected by the Hurricanes as the 71st overall pick in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft. He scored his first NHL goal on Oct. 24, 2001 in a Carolina victory over the Minnesota Wild.

The 6-2, 205-pound forward remembered his days playing youth hockey in Oswego.

“We had to travel quite a bit playing youth hockey,” said Cole, who shoots lefthanded. “There were some local teams in the Fulton and Syracuse area.

“But we also had to travel to the Utica/Rome area and it made for a lot of long, snowy road trips. There were a lot of long weekends spent in hotel rooms and hockey rinks.

“I thought it was a great experience for all of us. You make a lot of friends along the way.

“The whole experience was probably the greatest gift my parents could have given me.”

Cole also understands the sacrifices his parents, as well as other parents, made along the way for him and his friends.

“I grew up in a real fortunate situation,” remembered the 33 year-old Cole. “It didn’t matter what the cost was because any kid that wanted to play got to play.

“But today it seems to be different. It continues to become harder and harder for parents to be able to afford for their kids to play hockey.

“It’s an expensive sport with the equipment and travel and all. That’s why we came up with an idea to give something back to the Oswego community.”

Thus came the formation of the Erik Cole Dream Big Foundation.

It was during the Hurricanes drive to their Stanley Cup Championship of 2006 that Cole agreed to support a local community project back in his hometown of Oswego to help restore the Oswego Public Library. Along with his wife, Emily, Cole pledged $1000 for every point he scored during the 2005-06 hockey season.

He had a record career-high year contributing 61 points to the championship season. Cole’s pledge of $1000, though, was conditioned upon the community matching his pledge.

The Oswego community responded and the Public Library received approximately $120,000 thanks to Cole’s efforts. That summer, the library held a golf event as an additional fundraiser. Cole lent his name and support to the event and the Erik Cole Score for Oswego golf event was held at the Oswego Country Club.

The event was an immediate success, raising over $25,000 for an event that was put together in less than two months

The following year Cole decided to hold his own “Score for Oswego” golf event and identified the Oswego Minor Hockey Association as the beneficiary of this event. The golf tourney was held with nearly $30,000 for the OMHA.

It was during this time that Cole decided to create a foundation that helped other children realize their dreams. A year later, during the summer of 2008, the Erik Cole Dream Big Foundation was created and held its first annual golf event.

“We just want to give kids from our area the opportunity not just to play hockey, but to look at other avenues in which to spend the money,” stated Cole, who played three seasons for Clarkson University. “It’s an easy way for me to go back to Oswego every summer and say ‘thank you’ for the way I was brought up and the success I’ve had.”

To date, the Foundation has raised over $150,000 for the local community. Cole’s goal is to maintain the foundation long after his NHL playing days are over.

This year’s event will be held from Friday, Aug. 10 through Monday, August 13 and includes a 3-on-3 cross-ice hockey tournament, a special sled hockey tourney as well as the annual Golf Classic.

For information on the event contact Tim Graber, tournament director, at 315-591-2906 or email at GraberT@aol.com.

East College Report

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Janet
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ARMY

 

Senior Mike Hull was named the Henry “Hal” Beukema Award winner as the team’s most valuable player as the Army hockey team distributed its annual honors during the team banquet inside the Regiment Room at the U.S. Military Academy where the team handed out its five awards, presented letters to each player and honored the 11-member senior class.

Hull, a forward from Grosse Point Woods, Mich., led the team with 17 assists and 25 points while posting eight goals. He scored three times on the power play as well. The award honors Henry “Hal” Beukema who died in a plane crash in 1954 after attaining the rank of major. The team MVP award has been given out every year since 1955 and is voted on by team members.

Kyle Maggard, a forward from Columbus, Ohio, earned the prestigious Rotary International Ambassadorial Scholar Award and will pursue a Masters in Philosophy in Engineering for Sustained Development at the University of Cambridge, United Kingdom. He was presented with the Gunning Award for academic excellent. The award is named for Michael J. Gunning, a cadet letterman who died following a hit-and-run accident and is presented in recognition of the cadet who displays the qualities of academic excellence, selfless dedication to his teammates, a trusted friend and a player who demonstrates true love for the game.

Maggard was one of six players to compete in all 34 games and scored five goals and distributed three assists.

Marcel Alvarez, a two-time team captain from Cleveland, Ohio, earned the Haggerty Award, named in honor of Paul Haggerty, a 1991 West Point graduate. Haggerty worked his way up from jayvee player to the first line and then served as an Army assistant coach. He died suddenly during a workout early in his coaching career.

Alvarez played in all 34 games during his senior season and posted 11 assists and three goals.

Jon Greaney, a four-year manager, collected the Derek Hines Award. The award honors Hines, a scrappy and hard-nosed player who was a fan favorite and one of the most respected players in the locker room. It recognizes a person who has displayed an extraordinary amount of support to the Army hockey program and shares values that Derek did, cared more about giving than receiving and displayed great passion and love for the Army hockey family. Derek was killed in action in 2005.

Mac Lalor, a defenseman from Needham, Mass., was honored with the Heinmiller Award. Presented to the team’s outstanding freshman, it is named for John Heinmiller who was killed in a train accident following his freshman season. Lalor played in 31 games during his initial season, scored four goals and handed out six assists.

The team also announced the captains for the 2012-13 season. Defenseman Cheyne Rocha will serve as captain while forwards Andy Starczewski and Brian Schultz and goaltender Ryan Leets will serve as alternate captains. Rocha, Starczewski and Leets will all be seniors while Schultz will be a junior.

 

MANHATTANVILLE

 

Former Valiant All-American Mickey Lang ‘11 recently completed his first professional season on the ice in style, as the Quad City Mallards forward was named the Oakley CHL First Star for the month of March, as announced by the Mallards and the Central Hockey League on Tuesday.

Lang led the CHL in scoring during the final month of the regular season, scoring nine goals and adding 13 assists for a league-best 22 points. He had at least one point in 11 of the team’s 12 games during March and also posted eight multi-point contests during that span, while finishing the season with a flourish: he scored once in the final four games of the year and had eight points (four goals, four assists) during a five-game points streak to conclude the season.

R.P.I.

 

The Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) men’s ice hockey team held its’ season-ending banquet, where the team’s 2011-12 award winners were announced. Seven awards were presented by head coach Seth Appert and his staff. They were:

 

• Most Valuable Player: Mike Bergin

• Best Defensive Player: Mike Bergin

• Top Rookie: Curtis Leonard

• Most Inspirational: Justin Smith

• Community Service: Jeremy Coupal

• Scholar-Athlete: Nick Bailen

• Most Improved: Matt Tinordi

 

A senior defenseman and captain, Bergin concludes his career with 40 points in the cherry and white on eight goals and 32 assists. He contributed to the program’s success from the moment he entered the Houston field house, finishing with 107 games played, including the school’s first NCAA Tournament appearance in 16 years.

In his four-year career with RPI, Smith netted a goal and three assists for four points, while appearing in 42 games. He was a multiple ECAC All-Academic and Dean’s List selection.

Coupal has aided the coaching and hockey operations staff on road trips for the last two season. He and his teammates work with the Troy Amateur Youth Hockey Association (TAYHA) on a regular basis, and have also volunteered for a number of other organizations including the Children’s Hospital at the Albany Medical Center for a radioathon last spring. Making his collegiate debut on Senior Night, he stopped the only shot he faced in the third period.

After dressing for 23 games and picking up just two points in 2010-11, Tinordi stepped up this season as a sophomore, scoring a number of big goals down the stretch for the Engineers. Finishing the campaign with six goals and seven assists for 13 points, he played in 32 of the clubs 39 contests, including 18 of 22 league games. Third on the team with three power-play tallies, nine of his 13 points came during ECAC Hockey play.

Leonard stepped in as a freshman and matching up against the best forwards ECAC Hockey has to offer is never an easy task, but this first-year defenseman held his own throughout a grueling 2011-12 season, playing in all 39 games for the Engineers. Picking up a goal and five assists for six points, he took just 14 minor penalties for 28 minutes.

Bailen (Fredonia, NY) was second on the team in scoring with 7 goals and 15 assists for 22 points, he led the club with six power-play tallies and four game-winners, while suiting up for all 39 contests. In the classroom, he carried a 3.91 GPA. A multiple ECAC Hockey All-Academic and Multiple Dean’s List selection, this junior is a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma International Honor society. He also volunteers with the Troy Amateur Youth Hockey Association or TAYHA, the United Way and RPI Episcopal Church.

 

UNION

 

Junior forward Jeremy Welsh was named most valuable player of the Union College men’s ice hockey team at the annual year-end banquet hosted by the Garnet Blades at the Mohawk Golf Club. The 2011-12 team, which earned the school’s second consecutive ECAC Hockey regular season title, first ever ECAC Hockey Tournament title, and first Frozen Four berth in the Division I era, was honored for having the most successful season in program history.

Welsh, who signed an NHL contract with the Carolina Hurricanes, recorded 27 goals, 17 assists (44 points) in 40 games for the Dutchmen this season, shattering the school single-season goals record previously held by Mario Valery-Trabucco ‘10. He ranked first on the team and fourth in the NCAA in goals scored. He had nine points (five goals, four assists) in eight postseason games for the Dutchmen, including a five-game goal-scoring streak. For his efforts, Welsh was named ECAC Hockey Player of the Month for March, Most Outstanding Player of the ECAC Championship and Most Outstanding Player of the NCAA East Regional in Bridgeport, CT. Welsh will graduate Union this summer before heading to training camp with the Hurricanes.

Sophomore forward Matt Hatch (Massena) was voted by the fans as the das Design 7th PLAYER Award winner. The honor is co-sponsored by das Design and Lee’s Trophies and is presented to the Union hockey student-athlete recognized by the fans as an individual who, with extra effort and skill, consistently created excitement through aggressive play, resulting in a team advantage.

The Coaches’ Award went to senior defenseman Nolan Julseth-White. The team captain, Julseth-White, a four-time ECAC Hockey All-Academic team member led a senior class that recorded the most wins of any Union hockey class in program history (92 wins).

Fellow senior Taylor Reid was also honored with the Charles N. Morrison Award. The honor is an endowed scholarship that was created from the gifts of friends in the memory of friends in the memory of Charles N. Morrison, Union’s head hockey coach from 1978 to 1988. It is given annually to a student who participates in extracurricular activities while demonstrating academic interest and achievement.

Sophomore goaltender Troy Grosenick earned the Thomas VanArden Dukehart Award, which originated during the 1977-78 season to preserve the memory of Thomas VanArden Dukehart and is presented annually to the Union hockey student-athlete with the highest grade-point average. Grosenick, Union’s finalist for ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year, is also a volunteer tutor and notetaker for disabled students at Union.

Grosenick also earned the team’s Most Improved Player Award. Grosenick, who entered the season with just one career start, finished a stellar campaign in net for the Dutchmen. At 22-6-3 overall, Grosenick, who has started 33 of 41 games, finished the season second in the nation in goals-against average (1.65), save percentage (.936), and winning percentage (.758). His five shutouts on the season matched Kris Mayotte ‘06 for the single-season school record. Grosenick shattered school single-season goals-against average and save percentage records established by Keith Kinkaid (2010-11) and Trevor Koenig (1996-1997). He earned the Ken Dryden Award as ECAC Hockey Goaltender of the Year.

The Rookie of the Year Award went to freshman defenseman Shayne Gostisbehere, an ECAC Hockey All-Rookie Team selection. Gostisbehere finished the season with five goals and 17 assists in 41 games and matched a school record in ECAC Hockey play with four assists in a 4-4 tie against Cornell on Feb. 4.

Junior defenseman Shawn Stuart earned the Scott Richardson Unsung Hero Award. One of Union’s top defenseman, Stuart, who played in all 41 contests, was a major part of a defensive unit that led the nation by allowing just 1.83 goals per game.

 

Central College Hockey Report

By
Janet
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COLGATE

 

The Colgate men’s hockey team held its annual team banquet giving out awards and also announcing the captains for the 2012-13 season.

All the awards were voted on by the players, except for the Best Offensive Player and Coaches Award.

The big winner of the night was senior Matt Firman, who won the Steve Riggs Memorial Award and the Whit Williams Award. Firman played in 39 games this season and finished with 149 games in his career as a Raider. He had a great year on the ice, setting career-highs in the three offensive categories with seven goals and eight assists for 15 points. He also tied a career-high with two multi-point games this season. The Riggs award is given to the player who is most known for gentlemanly play and possesses a high standard of ability, while the Whit Williams Award is given to the most improved player. The winner has great integrity and a passion for the game of hockey and through his commitment to excellence, improved the most over his career or season.

Austin Smith also took home a couple of honors with the Best Offensive Player Award for leading scorer and the Terry Slater Trophy. The trophy is awarded by the Silver Puck Club and goes to the senior whose performance, leadership, and dedication on and off the ice during his career had the greatest impact on Colgate hockey. Slater, who presided over the Raider hockey program for 15 years, passed away due to a stroke at the midway point of the 1991-92 season.

Smith led the nation in goals with 36 and averaged just under a goal a game this season with 39 games played and was a Hobey Hat Trick Finalist. He led the country in shorthanded goals with six and was third in the nation with 57 points. He had 16 multi-point games and two hat tricks.

Smith had the most goals by an ECAC Hockey player since Clarkson’s Todd White in 1996. He tallied a point in all but five games and finished the season with a team-high +25 on the ice.

The Rob Ries Award, which is given to the player who provided the most inspiration and leadership to the team, went to senior Mark Nasca. The forward played in a career-high 32 games this season for the Raiders and registered three points. He had great success in the classroom this season and is a finalist for the ECAC Hockey Student-Athlete of the Year Award, In addition to that honor, he was a recipient of a Dana Scholarship and was accepted a member of Phi Beta Kappa.

The Dan Coley “Barrell” Award, which is given to the best defenseman, was received by senior Corbin McPherson. A tri-captain for the Raiders, McPherson played in all 39 games and finished his career with 152 games played. He finished his career with 10 goals and 23 assists and five of his 10 goals were gamewinners, including two this season. McPherson had a three-game point scoring streak including an assist at Rensselaer (2/4) and goals against Yale (2/10) and Brown (2/11).

McPherson also won the Best Defensive Player Award, which was split with Chris Wagner. The two played exceptional defense all season long and both were at the top of the league in plus-minus throughout the season. Wagner finished the year right behind Smith with a +21 rating, while McPherson had a plus-nine. Wagner stepped up his game with 51 points this season to join Smith on the 50-point single season club and the two became the first duo to reach 50 points in the same season since Mike Harder ‘97 and Chris DeProfio ‘97. Wagner ended the year on fire with five goals in the best-of-three series against Quinnipiac and was held scoreless just three times since the New Year. He recorded 30 points in the final 21 games of the season and nine of those contests were multi-point games.

The coaching staff gave out its annual Coaches Award and that went to student manager Jaime Helibron. The senior from Panama has been with the team since his freshman year as the manager and has been in integral part of the Raiders ever since arriving on campus. He was always at the rink early to set up the benches and went to every practice. Helibron is also a sports editor for the Maroon News and wrote the stories for men’s hockey throughout the season.

Colgate also named its captains for the 2012-13 season and all three are blueliners. Thomas Larkin will be a captain for the second-straight season and he will be joined by seniors Jeremy Price and Nathan Sinz.

 

CORNELL

 

The Cornell men’s hockey team held its annual awards banquet at the Lake Watch Inn announcing postseason award-winners and captains for the 2012-13 season. Sophomore goalie Andy Iles took home the night’s top honor by winning the Nicky Bawlf Award as the team’s most valuable player, and current juniors Erik Axell, Braden Birch and Nick D’Agostino have been selected to lead the team next season as tri-captains.

Seniors Keir Ross and Sean Collins, juniors Braden Birch, D’Agostino and Erik Axell, and freshman Brian Ferlin also earned postseason awards. Each award, as well as team captaincy, is voted upon by the players on the 2011-12 roster.

Iles finished the season as one of just two goalies across the Division I landscape to serve as his team’s goaltender exclusively for the entire season. He posted a 19-9-7 record with a 2.12 goals-against average which ranked 10th in the country. He was also recognized for his six shutouts on the season, which was just one behind the national leaders. The Big Red has at least one shutout in 17 consecutive seasons. Iles also won the Joe DeLibero-Stan Tsapis Award for skilled efficiency, unselfish dedication and hard-nosed competitive desire.

Keir Ross took home a pair of awards on the night. He was tabbed for the Bill Doran Sportsmanship Award after serving as the team’s sole captain in the 2011-12 season. He had two goals and five assists while posting a career-high rating of plus-15, which was highest among the Big Red’s defensemen for the second consecutive season. He was also one of 10 finalists for the Lowe’s Senior CLASS Award. Ross was also given the Mark Weiss Memorial Award, which is awarded to a senior with a career-long dedication and passion for the sport of hockey.

Braden Birch was presented the Cornell Hockey Association Award, which is given annually to the player whose contributions to the team doesn’t show up in the box score, but rather are in the form of energy, heart and hustle. Birch fit that mold to a T, serving as one of the top defensive defensemen in ECAC Hockey. He went two months without being on the ice for an even-strength goal against — a streak covering 12 games and 668 minutes, 49 seconds.

The Sam Woodside Award for overall career improvement by a senior went to Sean Collins, who enjoyed a breakout season with 13 goals and 13 assists for 26 points, which ranked second on the team only to Greg Miller’s 31 points. He set or tied career highs in goals, assists, points, plus/minus rating, power-play goals and game-winning goals. After the Big Red’s season ended in the NCAA regional finals, Collins signed a contract with the NHL’s Columbus Blue Jackets and notched a goal and four assists for five points in just eight games with Columbus’ American Hockey League affiliate, the Springfield Falcons.

Erik Axell received the Iron Man Award, presented to the player who showed determination to overcome injuries. Axell played in all 35 games on the year, accumulating a career-high four points while serving as one of the team’s primary penalty-killers.

The Greg Ratushny Award for the most promising rookie went to Brian Ferlin, who was selected as the Rookie of the Year in both the Ivy League and ECAC Hockey. He finished second in league rookie scoring with 17 points in 19 conference games, but led that race until a late-season injury shelved him and allowed Quinnipiac’s Matthew Peca to surpass him.

D’Agostino claimed the Crimson Cup, given to the player who was the standout performer in the season series against Harvard. Against the Crimson this season, D’Agostino scored two power-play goals in the Big Red’s 4-2 victory on Nov. 11 in Cambridge, Mass., and then he added an assist in the 2-2 tie on Jan. 21 at Lynah Rink.

The team also issued awards to players who scored shorthanded goals during the season — freshmen Joakim Ryan (who had two) and Joel Lowry, junior Vince Mihalek and seniors Locke Jillson and Collins.

Axell, Birch and D’Agostino will serve as the program’s first tri-captains since the 2000-01 season, when Andrew McNiven, Larry Pierce and Danny Powell all wore the ‘C’ for the Big Red in Mike Schafer’s sixth season as the Jay R. Bloom ‘77 Head Coach of Men’s Hockey.

HAMILTON

 

The Hamilton College men’s hockey team held their annual awards banquet at the Skenandoa Club in Clinton.

Mike DiMare ‘14 was selected the 2012 Most Valuable Player. The forward made the NESCAC all-conference first team after he finished second in the conference with 33 points, third with 16 goals and tied for fifth with 17 assists.

Evan Haney ‘14 received the Albert I. Prettyman Award. The award is presented in memory of Albert Prettyman, who was the founder of Hamilton hockey and the College’s first hockey coach from 1918 to 1943. He was also the U.S. Olympic Coach in 1936. This award is presented to the player who demonstrated outstanding dedication, determination and desire. His attitude has proven to be not only an asset to his team, but an inspiration to his teammates and coaches.

Joe Quattrocchi ‘14 received the Coaches Award, which is given to the player who the coaching staff believed had a strong season and impacted the game in a positive and significant manner. The goalie posted a 3.23 goals against average in more than 1,200 minutes, a .905 save percentage and two shutouts in 19 starts.

Bennett Schneider ‘14 received the Most Improved Player Award, which is given to the player who showed great dedication to improve his game throughout the season or from the previous season. The defenseman was credited with three assists and played in all 25 games.

Bryan Kelly ‘12 received the Michael S. White Award, which is given to a graduating senior in recognition of team spirit, leadership and integrity, and whose enthusiasm for the game makes it a great experience for all players. Kelly finished his 98-game career with 28 goals and 23 assists for 51 points.

Sam Choate ‘12 received the Sellers Award. The award is presented to the player who, in the judgment of his teammates and coaches, has contributed greatly to the success of the program through his effort and performance both on and off the ice. The forward appeared in 77 games during his college career. Choate was also one of the top hitters in Hamilton baseball history.

Pat Curtis ‘15 received Rookie of the Year honors. This award is given to the freshman who made the most impact to the success of the team in his first season. The forward scored seven goals and added nine assists in 25 games. Curtis ranked third on the team with 16 points.

 

 

HOBART

 

Six members of the Hobart College ice hockey team were recognized by the Statesmen Athletic Association and the Hobart College Athletics Department at the annual Block H Awards dinner. Senior forward Greg Ciciola was honored with the Boswell Award as the team’s most valuable player.

Junior Marty Ausserhofer was presented with the Holden Award, while the D. Michael Hazelton ‘85 Memorial Award was given to juniors Frank Salituro and Bobby Hannah. The Rookie Award for Hockey went to first-years Tommaso Traversa and Ryan Michel.

An All-ECAC West honoree and team captain, Ciciola led the Statesmen with 15 goals and ranked second with 24 points. He finished the season second in the ECAC West in goals and ranked 11th in points. Ciciola was tied for 10th in the league with 11 power-play points and tied for sixth with six power-play goals. He recorded a season-high four points on two goals and two assists in a 10-3 win over Manhattanville. Ciciola logged two goals in a 5-0 rout of Neumann in the ECAC West championship game, earning a spot on the All-Tournament team. In 82 career games, he has recorded 37 goals and 31 assists. Ciciola has earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Academic Team for the last four years. He also received the William C. Stiles ‘43 Award.

An ECAC West All-USCHO.com first team selection, Ausserhofer played 17 games in goal, starting 16. He posted a 2.34 goals against average and a .911 save percentage. Ausserhofer logged a 10-5-1 record in net, and earned a shutout stopping all 20 shots he faced in a 4-0 win over Potsdam. He finished with a career-high 35 saves in a 4-1 victory at Neumann. Ausserhofer finished the season ranked atop the ECAC West in goals against average and second in save percentage. He was tabbed ECAC West Goalie of the Week Twice and earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Academic team for the second straight year.

Salituro played in all 27 games this season and led the Statesmen with 26 points on 11 goals and a team-high 15 assists. He recorded a season-high of three points on a goal and two assists against then No. 11 Elmira and in a 10-3 triumph over the Valiants. Salituro scored the game-winning goals in a 4-2 win over Buffalo State and in a 3-0 shutout of Manhattanville. He finished the year tied for first in the ECAC West with 14 power-play points and tied for second with seven power-play goals.  Salituro was also tied for eighth in the conference in points, tied for ninth in goals, tied for 12th in assists, and tied for sixth in game-winning goals (2). He garnered All-ECAC West honorable mention and ECAC West All-USCHO.com second team honors. Salituro also earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Academic team for the second straight year.

Hannah played in 26 games this season. He scored seven goals and added four assists. Hannah notched two goals in a 5-4 win over the then No. 11 Soaring Eagles. He logged the short-handed game-winning goal in a 5-0 victory over Neumann in the ECAC West Championship game. Hannah earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Tournament team for his efforts. He also earned a spot on the ECAC West All-Academic Team for the second year in a row.

The ECAC West All-USCHO.com Rookie of the Year, Traversa logged 10 goals and 10 assists in his first season as a Statesman. He earned spots on the All-ECAC West and ECAC West All-USCHO.com rookie teams and garnered Rookie of the Week honors twice during the season. Traversa recorded a hat trick, including the game-winning goal in a 5-2 win over Curry. He logged the game-winner in a 10-3 rout of Manhattanville. He recorded three straight three-point games against Manhattanville on Feb. 17, 18 and 25. Traversa shared the conference lead for first-year scoring.

Michel played in 26 games in his rookie season. He tied for second on the team with 11 assists and chipped in three goals. Michel scored his first collegiate goal on what proved to be the game-winner in a 5-1 victory over Salve Regina. He played a key role in the Hobart defense that finished the season ranked first in scoring defense (2.59 g/gm). Michel ranked third in the ECAC West in first-year scoring and tied for fourth in defenseman scoring.

The Statesmen posted a 16-10-1 overall record and won the ECAC West Championship for the second time in program history. Hobart finished the year ranked No. 9 in the D3hockey.com poll, No. 13 in the USCHO.com poll and No. 8 in the NCAA East Region Rankings. It was the Statesmen’s 10th consecutive winning season.

 

OSWEGO

 

Oswego State junior men’s ice hockey player Jon Whitelaw has been honored as a State University of New York (SUNY) Chancellor’s Scholar-Athlete Award winner for the 2011-12 academic year. The award is given annually in each sport to a First, Second, or Third Team All-Conference member with the highest grade-point average and has completed three or more semesters.

Whitelaw, an adolescent education major, posted the top GPA among men’s ice hockey All-SUNYAC honorees with a 3.49 cumulative average.  He led the Lakers in points and goals with 41 and 19, respectively, while sitting in second place on the team with 22 assists. The Second Team All-America and First Team All-SUNYAC selection tied for the league lead in points (27) and was first in goals (13). He also led the team with seven power-play and four game-winning goals. Whitelaw joined the 100-point club earlier this season, and now has 109 points on 43 goals and 66 assists in his career.

Whitelaw becomes just the fifth Oswego State student-athlete to garner the award since its inception in 2003-04.

 

 

 

 

UTICA

 

Senior Tim Coffman was named a 2012 recipient of the Richard “Dick” Miller Most Inspirational Player Award at the College’s Pioneer Hall of Fame and Senior Athlete recognition dinner.

The Dick Miller Award, which has recognized 59 UC student-athletes since 1987, honors dedication to physical fitness, athletic competition and a commitment to excellence.  It is awarded annually to deserving male and female senior student-athletes who have exhibited excellence, determination, hard work and outstanding athletic achievement over the course of their time spent at Utica College.

Coffman, a captain for the Pioneer hockey team, was a two-time ECAC West All-Conference First Team selection and was named an East Region All-American this past season.  He was named to the 2008-09 ECAC West All-Rookie Team and was the League’s Rookie of the Year that same season.  He holds the school record in career points (140), career assists (91), and the single season record for goals scored (19).  He was also a two-time ECAC West scoring leader.

Blades Cap Off Year with Tourney Championship

By
Janet
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Wheatfield was well represented and has good reason to be proud of its Wheatfield Blades Squirt Mixed AA hockey team. The team is made up of seventeen local youngsters who gave it their all.

On March 31, 2012 the Wheatfield Blades Squirt Mixed AA team beat the Hamburg Hawks team with a final score of 4-3 for the WNY AHL (Western New York American Hockey League) championship. This caps off a record season for Wheatfield which only had two losses in regular league play as well as capturing the Silver medal in the coveted Revolution International tournament in Wilkes Barre, PA in February 2012. The tournament is one of the most prestigious youth hockey tournaments in North America featuring the top teams across the world. Over 100 teams traveled to Scranton in February for four days of exciting hockey competition. The Wheatfield Blades impressively skated their way into the finals against the Scranton Knights where they secured a Silver medal with outstanding performances.

The excitement continued at the Championship game and was a well fought battle that saw Hamburg winning 0-1 at the first period. Both Hamburg and Wheatfield cored in the second to start the third period 2-1. Through persistence and determination Wheatfield scored 3 unanswered goals in the beginning the third period. In major league fashion,

Chuckie Schmidt scored the crucial game winning goal to win the championship for the Wheatfield Blades.

The other three Wheatfield goals were scored by Brenden Dewey, Luke Wilson and Zach Porter. Assisting the scoring efforts were Chuckie Schmidl, Adam Franasiak and Colton Jankowski.

Coach Ken Franasiak said “We are very, very proud of our boys. We had a fabulous season in both league & non-league play. To see what these remarkable eight, nine and ten year old young men can do is a true testament to their hard work and dedication. The entire coaching staff is extremely proud as well as the entire organization. To have a record in our division with only two losses in league play the entire season is really only half the story. These boys have amazing skills and heart. Their hard work and drive made it a real pleasure watch and we’re proud to be part of such an exciting season.”#

Children's Clothing Swap

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Would you like to swap the clothes that your children have grown out of for ‘new to you’ clothes? Check out http://www.carmba.org.au/childrens-clothing-swap.html

This event is open to all members of the public.

Diverse selection of topics

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Film Reviews

By Rama Gaind

AGNEEPATH – (Path of Fire) – Bollywood film

When revenge is a driving theme, a movie must have a screenplay that’s distinctive and moves at a rapid pace.

Even though it is a remake of the 1990 film of the same name, this one stands alone, a modern-day success.

Vijay (Hrithik Roshan), who lives with his parents in the quiet village of Mandwa, has listened to inspiring, character-building principles about how one should always be prepared to walk through the path of fire and righteousness. When his father is killed he becomes an avenger.

Sanjay Dutt, as Kancha, is superb as a threatening avatar. Hrithik’s sense of direction is just as powerful.

Abbas Ali Mogul has to be commended for the action sequences; director Karan Malhotra’s narrative style is attractive; the songs by Ajay-Atul are situational (with a blockbuster item number Chikni Chameli) and blend perfectly with the earthiness of the film, adding to the energetic atmosphere.

PLAYERS – Bollywood film

Director duo Abbas-Mustan have produced a high-voltage action thriller that has dazzling visuals and daredevil stunts, but lacks an appealing screenplay.

That’s despite the fact that’s it’s a remake of The Italian Job.

Players are a smart group of people who successfully rob gold bullion from Russia. They are Charlie (Abhishek Bachchan), Ronnie (Bobby Deol), Spider (Neil Nitin Mukesh), Riya (Bipasha Basu), Bilal (Sikander Kher) and Sunny (Omi Vaidya), but one of them is a double crosser.

Then the team, joined by Naina (Sonam Kapoor), set out to settle scores and retrieve the valuables.

The acting is passable and Pritam’s music lacks dynamism.

The length, at just under three hours, should have been cut further.

A SEPARATION: A marriage breakdown and the resulting legal dispute makes for a successful formula in this film from Iran.

LIKE CRAZY: This romantic drama sees how visa problems can complicate the love between Anton Yelchin (from America) and Felicity Jones (Britain).

CARNAGE: Roman Polanski’s black comedy with Kate Winslet, Jodie Foster and Christoph Waltz shows how a schoolyard dispute brings about a breakdown in conciliatory talks between two sets of parents.

'The Artist': an Oscar-winning treat

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Film Reviews

By Rama Gaind

THE ARTIST: Oscar-winning performance from Jean Dujardin in this romantic silent movie that unfolds the fall of a silent cinema star and the climb of a star (Bernice Bejo) who loves him.

SAFE HOUSE: A trendy action thriller directed by Daniel Espinosa sees a rookie agent (Ryan Reynolds) and a rogue CIA man (Denzel Washington) on the run in Cape Town. Hooks you after a slow start.

MY WEEK WITH MARILYN: This is a touching story in which Michelle Williams captures the spirit of Marilyn Monroe in a true story of a young assistant director (Eddie Redmayne) who befriended the star.

BUCK: There is wisdom about more than just horse training in this absorbing documentary about real-life horse whisperer Buck Brannaman.

TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY: An absorbing film from John Le Carre’s 1970s espionage novel that stars Gary Oldman as mole-hunter George Smiley.

'The Hunter': amazing Tasmanian backdrop

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DVD Review

By Rama Gaind

The Hunter (Madman Entertainment)

Cast: Willem Dafoe, Sam Neill, Frances O’Connor, Sullivan Stapleton, Callan Mulvey, Jacek Koman

Director: Daniel Nettheim

Producer: Vincent Sheehan

Screenplay: Julia Leigh (novel); Alice Addison and Wain Fimeri

Music: Andrew Lacaster, Michael Lira, Matteo Zingales

Martin David (Dafoe, The English Patient, Platoon) is a modern-day mercenary, who is hired to travel to Australia to track down the legendary Tasmanian tiger.

On the pretence of doing research, he ventures into the state’s spectacular wilderness and stays in a farmhouse where Lucy Armstrong (O’Connor, AI: Artificial Intelligence) lives with her two children talented Sass (Morgana Davies, from The Tree) and her brother, Bike (Finn Woodlock).

Lucy is anguished over the disappearance of her zoologist husband, Jarrah, and is watched over possessively by neighbour, Jack Mendy (Neill, The Piano).

Martin finds himself unexpectedly drawn to the troubled family and the treacherous landscape.

While the children are glad to have a man around the place, the loggers (thinking he’s a greenie) are unhappy and set to make his life miserable.

Daniel Nettheim has directed a convincing and attractively made film.

As expected, Willem Dafoe is effective (though an Australian actor would have been more logical) getting excellent support from Frances O’Connor and Sam Neill.

Tasmania is the real star of this gripping film, an extraordinary wilderness landscape resplendently photographed for the wide screen by Robert Humphreys.

Atmospheric, absorbing and astounding!

Willem Dafoe and Sam Neill in 'The Hunter' - out on DVD from Madman Entertainment.
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