VARSITY FINALS GAME SCHEDULE

VS. Chaminade  Come out and Support in your Black and Gold

GAME #1
Thursday Feb. 15th @ 7:10pm
?Dix Hills Rink

GAME #2
Saturday Feb. 17th @ 8:30pm
?Cantiague Ice Rink

GAME #3 (If necessary)
Wednesday Feb. 21st @ 6:30pm
Dix Hills Rink

The 2017-18 varsity hockey team enters the playoffs with great expectations and a strong determination to capture another state title. The journey to the States begins February 8th at the Dix Hills rink at 7:10pm, where the team will defend their CHSAA League title and a 28 regular season game win streak. Another league title is in reach this year, with several returning veteran players whose skills and leadership will be needed to help capture the state title.

Friar Hockey is all about legacy and tradition with Head Coach Bob Lund (‘89) now in his 4th season and Assistant Coach Bill Schwarz (‘89) at the helm. Their success as Friar hockey players did not include any state titles but four great years as teammates, so they know the determination and commitment it takes to win. Lund’s tenure in four years can be labeled Domination with a record of 67-5-1, two CHASS league titles and, hopefully their first State title. They hope to build a tradition of excellence for these current players that will also draw the attention of key future players and colleges for current players.

According to Coach Lund, “this team’s willingness to sacrifice for the players next to them in the locker room is a big contribution to our success”.  Senior captains Ryan Haight, Matthew Tullo, Nick Cozzi and John Forlenza have helped lead this season’s team to a 11-0-1 regular season record. The talent in the net of Junior Matthew Walsh has paid dividends with him facing 136 shots on goal and allowing only 10 goals this season. The combination of Walsh’s goaltending skills and a talented group of Seniors including Tim Allen and Connor Szambel who have scored 10 goals combined  with 12 assists is “a big part of the veteran leadership” said Lund.  

Tullo leads the team with 16 goals and 14 assists coupled with Sophomore Matthew Coronato’s 12 goals and 13 assists and Cozzi’s 10 goals, 9 assists, “is one of the most dangerous offensive lines I have coached”, commented Coach Lund. A strong offense, solid defense and being disciplined on the ice and staying out of the penalty box through discipline on the ice, will be a must going into the playoffs.  

The Friars have outscored opponents 72-21 this season and  “If we continue to work as one complete unit with each player working as hard as they can, we will dominate” said Lund. A minor bump on this road in defending their league title the Friars will face 4th ranked Monsignor Farrell in the first round in a best two out of three match.

The final round in defending their back to back CHSAA Title may have SA facing #3 Chaminade who we are 2-0-1 against this season or #2 Fordham Prep who they outscored 10-2 in the playoffs last season. The Championship game will be March 3rd in Coney Island. If the SA hockey teams makes it to the final game, they could face strong competition from Upstate teams, including the current leader St Joseph’s Collegiate Institute who challenged SA in the past two years at States.

The 2017-18 hockey team legacy has several layers of maturity, skill and discipline on the ice which are major factors in defending the CHASS title and capturing the state title. Lund said “if we keep it simple and smart we can compete with anyone. Staying out of the penalty box will be another key.”  As the excitement for states in March gets closer, February will feel like a long month.

SS

**Spring Parent Meeting Scheduled for April 18th - 7PM-9PM**

General information meeting will begin in the St. Anthony's School Cafeteria, The most important function of this meeting is to elect Board members for the 2018-2019 season. 

Parents and players are strongly encouraged to attend this meeting.
 

By Friars Sophomore Alex Rocco and Freshman Jared Valluzzi

The St. Anthony’s varsity hockey team has been one of the top Tri-state programs year in and year out.

Head coach Bob Lund expects his team to continue their winning ways. “We expect to go undefeated, win the Long Island championship and go to states and win.”

St. Anthony’s enters the season on a 44 league-game winning streak. In those league games they outscored their opposition 245-52. They have won back-to-back CHSHL titles in dominant fashion. In the last two seasons, though, the Friars fell in the state title game to St Joe’s of Buffalo.

The Friars finished last season as the top-ranked team on all of Long Island by News 12 Varsity. Last year’s seniors Greg Barynach and Michael Haggerty finished on the All-Long Island hockey teams, while junior Nick Cozzi and senior goaltender Nick Wanderlingh finished on the honorable mention list.

Last season the Friars swept Chaminade in the best-of-3 series to determine the CHSHL champion. In the past three seasons St. Anthony’s has met Chaminade in the finals. The Friars won the last two with the Flyers winning the year before.

Chaminade has been St. Anthony’s toughest competitor in the past few seasons and the games have come to a wild finish on more than one occasion—a 5-4 win to clinch the title and, two years ago, an exciting overtime victory in game one of the championship series. Coach Lund said of the matchup: “Chaminade is always the big game, we play them three times this year and we expect to have a good fan base [at the games].”

Looking ahead to this season, the Friars have experienced a complete roster turnover. St. Anthony’s lost thirteen seniors including Captain Andrew Sciaretta and Assistant Captain’s Greg Barnych, Michael Haggerty and Joe Pacifico. In addition, both goalies that combined to allow only 27 goals in 18 games last season have graduated. The Friars also lost two of their up-and-coming superstars in John Riggins and Ryan Mahlmeister to prep schools.

Although the Friars lost a great deal of leadership on the ice, Coach Lund expects the returning seniors to fill the void and provide the leadership that will carry them to another championship. Tim Allen, Nick Cozzi, John Forlenza, Ryan Haight and Matt Tullo are some of the players Coach expects to have big seasons.

Coach Lund is excited about some of the young talent on this year’s roster. “We have some young, exciting talent on the team this season,” he said. In particular, Dylan Murtagh, Marc Gonzalez, Vincent Migliore, Ryan Fitzmaurice and Matthew Coronato are players expected to progress. Last year’s team dominated on offense scoring 116 goals and won the league Championship; the team’s new leaders and emerging players have a big task ahead to live up to the Friar tradition.

The Friars’ home opener is against Iona Prep on Tuesday December 5th at Dix Hills Rink. Their toughest opponent and biggest rival is Chaminade, who they will play three times. The first game will be at home on December 14th at Dix Hills Rink. The next game against Chaminade is away on December 29th at East Meadow, Northwell Health Ice. The last meeting will be home on January 18th at Dix Hills Rink.

The Friars will finish up their season against Iona Prep at home on Tuesday January 30th at Superior Ice Rink. Come out and support this year’s team as they look to make another run at the title.

photo by Dave Anderson