PITTSBURGH HORNETS MIDGET MAJOR AAA HOCKEY TEAM, HISTORICAL ARCHIVE, SEASONS 2006-2007

Pittsburgh Hornets Blogspot - Time to Go a Fishin !

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Mon, 07 May 2007 13:49:00 +0000

Summer time, when the living is easy, the fish are jumping, the cotton grows high, and its time for the Pittsburgh Hornets Blogspot to take a break from the action and get away for its annual summer sabbatical ! Please take a moment to reset your browser links to the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association Website by clicking this link or clicking the pictures on this posting.

With these links, you will be taken to the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association website where you can follow the up-to-date action on the players, the alumni successes and the stars of tomorrow of the Pittsburgh Hornets, one of the best Tier 1 AAA Amateur Hockey Programs in North America.

Enjoy the summer and best wishes to everyone in the world of hockey from your friends at the Pittsburgh Hornets !!!

Rob Madore Does It Again, Stopping 57 of 60 shots against Waterloo !

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Wed, 25 Apr 2007 14:25:00 +0000

Wow, maybe Rob Madore really is the man of steel.! In another "super" effort, Rob stopped 57 of 60 shots, in a tough 4-1 loss to Waterloo yesterday. Though the Chicago Steel were outshot 61-16, and many of the shots were "faster than a speeding bullet and more powerful than a locomotive" Rob was virtually invincible again, particularly when noting that 2 of the goals scored were on the Waterloo powerplay.

Seriously, all hyperbole and "superman" rhetoric aside, Rob is the consumate team player and we know he is more concerned about the team loss than any individual statistics, but this remarkable streak of outstanding goaltending play does deserve notice and congratulations.

Congratulations again to Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Alumni Goaltender Rob Madore on his sterling performance in goal and good luck to the D-1 Vermont Catamounts, you really have gotten yourselves one of the best junior goalies in North America for your up and coming program !

For more information on the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Amateur Hockey Program, click on the Pic below:

For more information on the USHL Chicago Steel, click on the Pic below.

For more information on the Vermont Catamounts D-1 Hockey Program, click on the Pic below.

Team Pittsburgh wins Chicago Showcase with a 5-4 Shootout Win over Wisconsin

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 14:16:00 +0000

Congratulations go out to Team Pittsburgh for their exciting 5-4 Shootout win over Wisconsin to capture the 2007 Chicago Invitational Showcase. Team Pittsburgh is a collection of the top high school hockey players in Western Pennsylvania that compete each year in this prestigious national hockey tournament.

This Tournament features teams representing the best hockey players from various STATES around the country, like Team Minnesota, Team Michigan, etc. Over 20+ years ago, when the tournament went to a "state team" format, Team Pittsburgh was grandfathered into the tournament and really is one of only 2 or 3 teams that are comprised from a much more limited selection area than most of the teams they are competing against.

Which is why it is so remarkable that this local band of competitors was able to capture this title over some of the best state selected all star teams in the country.!

Throughout the years, Team Pittsburgh has been peppered with many players from the Pittsburgh Hornets As the premier Tier 1 AAA hockey association in Western Pennsylvania, the Hornets support all of our regional hockey endeavors and thus our congratulations go out to all of the players on this years team and to head coach Jim Mcvay and his coaching staff, and General Manager Gina Colligan and General Manager "Emeritus" Dave Klasnick (former President of the Pittsburgh Hornets) for all their hard work as well in helping this championship dream become a reality.

Reprinted below is an article from Mike White of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette containing some more details of this great accomplishment. Way to go Team Pittsburgh, Way to go !!!

Hockey: Team Pittsburgh finally earns title after 23 years
All-star hockey squad ends drought in Chicago
Tuesday, April 24, 2007By Mike White, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Only weeks after the Penguins' excellent regular season, Western Pennsylvania hockey got another shot in the arm at another level this past weekend when a group of high school players won a national all-star tournament.

Team Pittsburgh won the Chicago Showcase in Bensenville, Ill. The 24-team event included squads from Minnesota, Michigan, North Dakota, New England and Wisconsin. Team Pittsburgh won the championship Sunday with a 5-4 shootout victory against Team Wisconsin.

Team Pittsburgh included 20 players from 14 different schools. The players were picked after a four-day tryout in March.

This was the 23rd Chicago Showcase and Pittsburgh had sent a team every year under general manager Dave Klasnick, but this was the first time Team Pittsburgh came home with a championship. Klasnick was still involved with the team this year, but gave up the GM title to Gina Colligan.

Jim McVay, Bethel Park's highly successful coach, was Team Pittsburgh's coach, and Dave Fryer of Canon-McMillan was the assistant.
"This is just a huge thing for the Pittsburgh area," McVay said. "We had been knocking on the door and to finally come through is really amazing."

McVay compared Team Pittsburgh to the Pennsylvania team that plays in the Big 33 all-star football game every summer.

"Winning this [Chicago Showcase] would be like the Pennsylvania Big 33 team beating a bunch of other Big 33 teams around the country," McVay said. "That's how big this was."

Team Pittsburgh started the tournament Wednesday with a 4-1 loss to Team Michigan. But Team Pittsburgh then won five games in a row to take home the title, including four one-goal games.

"The funny thing is, we watched some other teams with kids who are getting Division I college offers," McVay said. "We had 20 kids, and hopefully one will go Division I at some point, but we just had 20 very good players."

North Allegheny's Max Richards and Rob Behling each played goalie for three games. Four Bethel Park players made the team. Some of the top players were West Allegheny's Ryan Kumpfmiller, Pine-Richland's Phil Trombetta, Bethel Park's David Spadacene and Kenny Lehmann, and Freeport's Zach Hepler.

The team's leading scorer was Central Catholic's Chris Urso, who had four goals and four assists. Kumpfmiller, Spadacene and Trombetta had five points each in the tournament.

"Some of these kids will hopefully move on to Juniors," McVay said. "But no matter what they do in the future, or what level they make, this was always be something great for them to remember."

Other players were Tyler Urda, Serra; Nick Jones, Seneca Valley; Mike Roman, Mt. Lebanon; Kevin Bishop, Montour; Tim McDonough, Franklin Regional; Logan Bannon, Bethel Park; Bryan Brown, Bethel Park; Morgan Nickerson, Meadville; Luke Killmeyer, Meadville; Jonathan Lohman, Upper St. Clair; Matt Jarrett, Seneca Valley; and Nick Vukemaravich, Greensburg Central Catholic.

Pittsburgh Hornets Goaltender Rob Madore goes D-1 with Vermont

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Sat, 21 Apr 2007 01:13:00 +0000

GREAT NEWS AS ROB MADORE

COMMITS TO THE

VERMONT CATAMOUNTS

Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey alumni goaltender Rob Madore has committed to play D-1 Hockey for the Vermont Catamounts, one of the top up and coming programs in the country which currently competes in Hockey East. The University of Vermont men’s hockey team completed its second season in Hockey East at 18-16-5 and 12-10-5 in league play to finish in sixth-place in the conference.

Nine of UVM’s 18 wins came against teams that qualified for the 2007 NCAA Tournament. With the 18 victories the Catamounts have now won 57 games in the last three seasons to establish one of the best three-year stretches in school history. Under Head Coach Kevin Sneddon the Catamounts are sure to continue improving and with the addition of Rob should be a real NCAA D-1 force to be reckoned with in the coming years.

Congratulations Rob on this tremendous accomplishment. You are a great kid and the Pittsburgh Hornets wish you much success at the collegiate hockey level !

Amazing !! Rob Madore stops 74 of 77 shots in last win for Chicago Steel of USHL

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Fri, 13 Apr 2007 15:19:00 +0000

If Superman was known as the “Man of Steel”, then for the Chicago Steel of the USHL Pittsburgh Hornet Hockey alumni goaltender Rob Madore surely could claim prize to the same title as Rob was named USHL Goaltender of the Week after Madore setting the league-high record for saves in a game, making 74 saves in one game, a 4-3 shootout win over Cedar Rapids (with many of the saves being of the spectacular kind).

It is doubtful that Superman could have played any better than Rob against Cedar Rapids, as stopping 74 of 77 shots during a game in the best junior hockey league in the world is just simply an amazing feat, particularly when many of the saves were of a spectacular kind, and resulted in a .961 save percentage.

Congratulations Rob for helping the Pittsburgh Hornets build upon its tradition of being known as the “goaltending factory” and developer of top caliber goalies to the junior, college and even pro leagues. Additionally, many congrats and kudos must go out to the coaching Rob is receiving with the Chicago Steel that has been so critical in his development and helping him reach these amazing feats of performance. They are one top notch, well run organization that any potential amateur hockey player should have at the top of their preferred list.

Rob is simply just one great kid with a ton of natural athletic talent (including a superb initial stance, cat-like quickness, fantastic lateral movement, lighting quick glove hand, excellent butterfly and blocking techniques down low and strong angle play). Couple this with his mental toughness, maturity and leadership ability and you have a triple threat goaltender and student athlete that would make any NCAA Division 1 college team proud. Way to go Rob, we are all so very proud of you !!

Pittsburgh Hornets Alumni Update - Nate Guenin has successful Pro Year !

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Tue, 10 Apr 2007 02:28:00 +0000

American-bred Guenin making waves in Philadelphia
04/09/2007 10:26 AM
by Brian Smith AHL On The Beat Archive

While growing up in the Pittsburgh suburb of Aliquippa, Nate Guenin was of course a Pittsburgh Penguins fan.But as is the case in all sports towns, there are residents that are also quietly rooting for the enemy, so as not to be publicly scorned. Guenin was one of those people.“I was always a closet Flyers fan,” he said.

“I had a hat and a T-shirt I’d wear every once in a while. I just always liked the mystique about the Flyers and their brand of hockey.”Today, Guenin is working on becoming a part of that mystique. He’s in his rookie season with the Philadelphia Phantoms, working on making the transition from a Division-I NCAA defenseman to patrolling the blue line in the NHL.He’s already seen time with the Flyers, having been called up for a total of nine games this season.

Those watching have been impressed, and are of the opinion that Guenin could be a full-time NHL player before too long.“I think Nate’s done very well for himself this year,” said Flyers general manager Paul Holmgren. “What we liked about him was his physicality and his competiveness and his ability to defend. I think he’s done a good job certainly with the Phantoms, and even in the few games he was up with the Flyers, he handled himself well. His skating’s really improved, his puck skills have improved and I think he’s developed into a good young prospect for us.”

While many Flyers and NHL players in general reach the professional ranks via the Canadian junior leagues, Guenin is a 100-percent American-bred player. He played his youth hockey with the Pittsburgh Hornets, where he spent about four years playing with R.J. Umberger. He then went to Wisconsin to play for the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League.He was drafted by the New York Rangers in 2002, but instead chose to attend Ohio State University.

He played four years there in an athletic environment that is among the tops in the country.“It was unbelievable,” Guenin said. “I don’t know if there’s another school that treats their athletes as well as Ohio State does. Just the facilities from the football stadium to the Schottenstein Center, the weight rooms, it’s unbelievable. Just first class. And you’re still getting a very good education.

Hockey-wise we had three very good years.”When Guenin wrapped up his career there last spring, his initial contact was with the Rangers. But things didn’t work out there, so he landed in Philadelphia.“I couldn’t have been happier when my agent told me Philadelphia wanted to sign me,” Guenin said. “It was a place I always thought I wanted to play.”It was less than a month from the time Guenin signed to the time he reported for rookie camp.

Things went well for him there and in the preseason. But after a pair of scratches early in the season, Guenin wasn’t sure where things were going for him.“I played the first game and sat out the next two up in Manitoba, and I was thinking it might be a long year. But I kept working hard and eventually got a solid spot in the lineup. There was an adjustment period with the speed. Everything happens faster. When you get the puck you have to move it, where in college you might have a little more time.

As the season’s gone on I’ve gotten more comfortable.”Guenin got so comfortable that on Jan. 16, as the Phantoms were getting ready to leave for Binghamton, he got word that he wouldn’t be making the trip.“We had a nutrition meeting and then I was going to run back to my apartment and pack, and head back for the trip,” Guenin said. “Don Luce pulled me aside and said I was staying back to play against the Islanders in a couple days. I thought he was joking. But he said ‘Yeah, you’re gonna play.’”Luce, the Flyers' director of player development, and the rest of the Flyers front office had liked what they’d seen out of the young defenseman.“Nate’s a very competitive player,” Luce said. “He’s a solid defenseman and likes to play physical. I think he’s improved his game at reading the rush and not over-committing to get the big hit.

I think he did that before a little too much, and when he didn’t get the big hit, he’d get beat. I think his defensive play has really picked up. He’s a really good skater and he can chip in on the occasional offensive play.”Guenin’s NHL debut was understandably exciting, but he was able to take things more or less in stride.“You get nervous during the day, but once I got to the rink I was fine,” he said. “We’ve been playing hockey our whole lives, and once you get on the ice, it’s where you feel the most comfortable.

In warm-ups you look around at first, but you don’t have time to be in awe up there. If you’re in awe you’re going to be back down a lot faster than you went up.”Guenin registered two assists in his nine NHL games, averaging about six minutes of ice time per game. But he left with a new perspective on his goals.“You always hear what the NHL’s like and you have to do this and that,” Guenin said. “But to get there and experience it first hand, now I know what to expect and what I need to work on in the off-season to come back and crack it next year.”

He also received a vote of confidence from head coach John Stevens, who has been in Guenin’s shoes before.“When I got sent back down, he pulled me aside and said he’s been there and walked in our footsteps,” Guenin said. “He said the American League’s a great league, just go there and work hard, be sound defensively, and good things will happen.”So, Guenin is now doing that, working hard with the Phantoms in hopes of finding himself a permanent spot in the Flyers locker room.

His dimensions of 6-foot-2, 210 pounds give him a solid foundation towards becoming a sizeable defenseman who can compete in the new NHL.“His size is probably going to be the ideal size to go along with mobility,” Luce said. “You have to be able to skate with the players and also be strong enough to hit them. Nate has both of those things.”

Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association Announce 2007-2008 Tryout Dates

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Thu, 05 Apr 2007 13:25:00 +0000

TRYOUTS FOR 2007-08 SEASON
NEW TRYOUT SCHEDULE FOR 2007-2008

"PATHWAY TO OPPORTUNITIES"

The Pittsburgh Hornets are pleased to announce tryout dates for our 2007-08 Teams (all USA Hockey Tier I):

Midget Major (18U)
Midget Minor (16U)
Bantam Major (1993 birth year)
Bantam Minor (1994 birth year)
Peewee Major (1995 birth year)
Peewee Minor (1996 birth year)
Squirt Major (1997/98 birth years)

Midget Major (18U)
April 23, 2007 (Mon.)
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
April 25, 2007 (Wed.)
7:30 PM - 9:30 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
April 29, 2007 (Sun.)
6:30 PM - 7:30 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 1, 2007 (Tues.)
9:00 PM 10:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 3, 2007 (Thur.)
6:00 PM 7:30 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 3, 2007 (Thur.)
7:45 PM 9:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)
May 8 2007 (Tues.)
7:30 PM 8:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)
May 9 2007 (Wed.)
7:30 PM 8:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)
May 15 2007 (Tues.)
7:30 PM 8:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)
May 16 2007 (Wed.)
7:30 PM 9:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Bantam Major (93s)
April 5, 2007 (Thurs.)
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Bantam Major (93s)
April 11, 2007 (Wed.)
9:00 PM 10:30 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Bantam Major (93s)
April 12, 2007 (Thurs.)
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Bantam Minor (94s)
April 24, 2007 (Tues.)
7:30 PM - 8:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Bantam Minor (94s)
April 26, 2007 (Thurs.)
7:30 PM - 8:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Bantam Minor (94s)
April 30, 2007 (Mon.)
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Peewee Major (95s)
April 4, 2007 (Wed.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Peewee Major (95s)
April 5, 2007 (Thurs.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Peewee Major (95s)
April 10, 2007 (Tues.)
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Peewee Minor (96s)
April 23, 2007 (Mon.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Peewee Minor (96s)
April 25, 2007 (Wed.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Peewee Minor (96s)
May 1, 2007 (Thurs.)
7:30 PM 8:50 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Squirt Major (97/98's)
April 26, 2007 (Thurs.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Squirt Major (97/98's)
April 30, 2007 (Mon.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Squirt Major (97/98's)
May 2, 2007 (Wed.)
6:00 PM - 7:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

FOR MORE INFORMATION CLICK THIS LINK

TO GO TO THE OFFICIAL PITTSBURGH HORNETS

TRYOUT PAGE - COME PLAY WITH THE BEST !

Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni Marek Polidor commits to D-1 Air Force Hockey Team !

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 11:37:00 +0000

Marek Polidor commits to Air Force

It is being reported that former Pittsburgh Hornet hockey player Marek Polidor has committed to play hockey for the D-1 Air Force Program. Marek currently is having a great year playing for the Green Mountain Glades team in the Eastern Junior Hockey League.

Marek also follows in the footsteps of his brother Michael who was a great goaltender from Pittsburgh and had a great collegiate career at Air Force as well. Marek is a great example of a player that has combined excellent academics with excellent hockey skills and landed a spot at one of the top schools in the United States.

Congratulations Marek on this tremendous accomplishment and best of luck from the Pittsburgh Hornets as you continue your academic and athletic career at the Air Force Academy !

Prior School: West Allegheny High School
E-mail: anthony_marek@yahoo.com
GPA: 4.5SAT V: 600 SAT M: 740SAT W: 560
Extra Curricular Activities: Hockey; soccer; tennis
Prior Community Service: National Honor Society community serviceSummer Jobs: Busboy and sales associate
College Majors or Interests: Engineering
Last Team: Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Previous Honors: Bronze medal in 2006 National Championships; multiple game MVP's; PIHL All Star

The Tradition of Excellence Continues - Coaches Joe Gaul and Chris Stern to lead Pittsburgh Hornets U18 AAA Team for the 2007-2008 Season

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Wed, 04 Apr 2007 02:36:00 +0000

The Tradition of Excellence Continues
Coaches Joe Gaul and Chris Stern
to lead Pittsburgh Hornets
U18 AAA Team for the 2007-2008 Season

It was recently announced that long time Pittsburgh Hornets Head Coach Joe Gaul and Assistant Coach Chris Stern will be coaching the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA U18 Amateur Hockey Team for the upcoming 2007-2008 hockey year.

This is great news for aspiring hockey athletes as Coaches Gaul and Stern have been with the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association since its initial formation in 1991, are extremely well known and well respected in hockey coaching and administration circles, and have been instrumental along with many other dedicated hockey folks in developing the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association into one of the top Tier 1 AAA amateur hockey associations in the country.

Hockey athletes at all age levels develop and refine their skills and abilities under the rigorous and comprehensive hockey training programs offered by the Pittsburgh Hornets. The program has been quite successful for over 16+ years with players developing and moving on to teams at all levels of hockey such as teams at the junior (USHL, EJHL, OHL, etc.), college (including club, Division III and Division 1 programs) and at the professional levels (ECHL, AHL, etc).

In that regard, the Pittsburgh Hornets take great pride in having 6 of their alumni play at various times for the USA Hockey National Team(s), with an alumni player even participating in the world junior tournament. Notable alumni of the Pittsburgh Hornets hockey program that have been drafted and/or played in the National Hockey League include R.J. Umberger, Eric Meloche, Nate Guenin, John Zeiler, Jason Crain and Dylan Reese.

With Coaches Gaul and Stern continuing at the helm of the U18 AAA Team , the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association will continue to build upon its success in helping the committed hockey athlete realize their dreams of playing competitive hockey at post high school levels.

If you want to be part of the tradition, devleop your skills and abilities and play hockey at the highest levels of hockey possible, then check out the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey program and sign up for the upcoming tryouts for the 2007-2008 season.

Pittsburgh Hornets U14 Hockey Team loses heartbreaker in Overtime

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Sun, 01 Apr 2007 00:23:00 +0000

The Pittsburgh Hornets U14 team lost a heartbreaker with 3:12 left in the first overtime, 4-3, to a relentless Syracuse team to finish up their competition at the 2007 USA Hockey National Championship competition in Fraser Michigan. The Hornets tied the game with 5:51 left in the third period to send the game into the overtime stanza.

The game featured a lot of relentless skating and checking from both teams plus a lot of offensive opportunities as Syracuse as the Hornets carried play and outshot Syracuse 32 to 26. It was not meant to be though as Syracuse moves on to the semi-finals and the Pittsburgh Hornets U14 Team reflects upon a very successful year and gears up for the future.

Congratulations to the U12 and U14 teams of the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association for competing well at the USA Hockey National Championships this year.

Game summary

First Period
No goal

Penalties:
05:53 - Syracuse Stars (NY): James Forbes (33 ) - 2:00 Hooking
08:22 - Pittsburgh Hornets (MD): Zachary Lynch (84 ) - 2:00 Holding
14:15 - Syracuse Stars (NY): John Krisley (12 ) - 2:00 Tripping

Second Period
1-Pittsburgh Hornets (MD) : Brandon Saad (PP) (2)
02:17
(Williams)
2-Syracuse Stars (NY) : John Krisley (PP) (3)
05:18
3-Syracuse Stars (NY) : Michael Zalewksi (2)
10:08
(Mingoia, Black)
4-Syracuse Stars (NY) : Taylor Burden (3)
11:12
(Mingoia)
5-Pittsburgh Hornets (MD) : Stephen Johns (5)
13:36
(Williams, Koster)

Penalties:
01:47 - Syracuse Stars (NY): James Forbes (33 ) - 2:00 Hooking
03:33 - Pittsburgh Hornets (MD): Brandon Saad (22 ) - 2:00 Slashing

Third Period
6-Pittsburgh Hornets (MD) : Charles Williams (2)
05:51
(Johns)

Penalties:
10:06 - Pittsburgh Hornets (MD): John Facchiano (91 ) - 2:00 Tripping
14:01 - Pittsburgh Hornets (MD): Chase Lehigh (24 ) - 2:00 Tripping

Overtime
7-Syracuse Stars (NY) : Taylor Burden (4)
03:12
(Mingoia, Krisley)

Penalties:
No penalties

Shots on goal:
Syracuse Stars (NY):
7-14-8-3 (32)
Pittsburgh Hornets (MD):
9-6-9-2 (26)

Power-play conversions
Syracuse Stars (NY):
1/4
Pittsburgh Hornets (MD):
1/3

Goaltenders
Pittsburgh Hornets (MD):
Michael Houser 22 SV, 48:00 min (L)
Syracuse Stars (NY):
Andrew Iles 29 SV, 48:00 min (W)

FLASH UPDATE - Pittsburgh Hornet Brandon Saad wins 2 events at USA Hockey National Championship Easton Skills Competition

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 17:49:00 +0000

FLASH UPDATE - While the USA Hockey National Championships are about team success, the Easton Company hosts a skills competition for the participants to compete against each other for fun and individual recognition in various categories.

In the U14 competion in Fraser Michigan, Pittsburgh Hornet Brandon Saad was the winner of both the puck relay event and the breakaway contest, competing against athletes from the other teams at the national competion. Winning one of the events is pretty impressive but winning two of the events is a remarkable accomplishment indeed!

Congratulations Brandon on these individual accomplishments and good luck to the Pittsburgh Hornets U14 (birthyear 1992) Hockey Team through the rest of the USA Hockey National Championship competition.

Brandon Saad
Height: 6'-1"
Weight: 190 lbs
Date of Birth: October 27, 1992
Position: Forward Team - Pittsburgh Hornets U14 (1992 Birth Year)
Hometown: Pine Richland, PA

USA Hockey National Championships - Pittsburgh Hornet Teams Compete Well

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Fri, 30 Mar 2007 13:01:00 +0000

After a rough start, the Pittsburgh Hornets U12 and U14 Hockey Teams have kicked it up a notch and are competing strongly at the 2007 USA Hockey National Championships.

In Fraser, Michigan, the U14 team, coached by Jim Lilja and behind the strength of 4 power play goals, came roaring back yesterday with a convincing 7-3 win over the Mid Fairfield Blues.

The Mid Fairfield Blues organization though extracted a measure of revenge on the other side of the lake in Buffalo with a thrilling for them, heartbreaking for us 3-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Hornets U12 Hockey Team, with 1:20 left in Overtime as Coach Chuck Fink's squad played their hearts out.

Though victories have been tough to come by, the Hornet Teams have shown through their fierce competion and sportsmanlike play why the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association is one of the top amateur hockey development programs in the country.

More games scheduled today so good luck Hornets and keep the pressure on !

No Mojo Rising today for the black and gold as the LA Hockey Clubs trump the Pittsburgh Hornets in the USA Hockey National Championships

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Thu, 29 Mar 2007 04:11:00 +0000

Wow, a tough start to the USA Hockey National Championships today for the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Teams.

The Pittsburgh Hornets U14 Team ran into a strong LA Hockey Club today and lost 4-0 and the Pittsburgh Hornets U12 Team ran into a smaller version but a just-as-strong LA Hockey Club team and ended up with a 4-1 loss as well.

The Pittsburgh Hornets are still in the hunt though as they each just need to win the next 2 games to make it into their respective quarter final rounds.

And though they have their work cut out for them and there are no guarantees, the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association U12 and U14 hockey teams ( being parts of one of the top Tier 1 AAA Amateur hockey development programs in the United States and consistently competing and winning against the top teams in the country) will be well prepared for the challenges which lie ahead. Check out all of the action tomorrow for the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Teams and all of the other top teams in the nation by going to the following websites:

U12 USA Hockey National Championships in Buffalo - Click Here

U14 USA Hockey National Championships in Buffalo - Click Here

Good luck tomorrow Pittsburgh Hornets as you continue your march to a national championship !

National Team Development Program Player Patrick Gaul of the Pittsburgh Hornets provides insights on this year's U17 Team

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:14:00 +0000

Notre Dame Hockey recruit

Patarick Gaul looks forward to joining the Irish,

but has a few goals first - By John Raffel

March 2, 2007 - Special to usahockey.com

Patrick Gaul (Pittsburgh) likes to consider himself as a multi-talented athlete.
"I play pretty much every sport," said Gaul, a member of the National Team Development Program's U.S. National Under-17 Team. "Except for football. I even played lacrosse for quite awhile. I really like that sport too."

Hockey became Patrick Gaul's main love almost as soon as he was able to wear a pair of skates.
"I started at 5-years-old and I was not one of the better guys on the team. I worked hard at it," he said. "My dad pushed me to go as hard as I could. If he didn't push me, I don't know if I could be where I'm at right now.

"My dad, [Joe], has been an influence for me in hockey and my mom, [Margaret], has been an influence in everything for me." His father's long-time involvement as a hockey coach has had a great impact on Patrick and his younger brother, Joe, who has also had success in the sport.
"Patrick has always been close to his brother," their father said. "I've coached for all these years. So Patrick has been around the game from Day 1. He's a really smart player on the ice. He does so much just on instinct."

Joe Gaul recalls that his son played extensively in his youth with older players.
"It was amazing to see him do things that don't come naturally to other kids," Joe Gaul said. "His pee wee majors team made it to Nationals and that was quite a highlight. He was a runner-up at the Skills Competition. That's when we realized he was going to be pretty good."

Gaul has displayed his talents for the U17s, who have come on strong in recent weeks.
"We've learned a lot about our team," Gaul said after he and his teammates returned from a first-place effort in the Four Nations Tournament Feb. 5-10 in Piestany, Slovakia. "We're playing better as a team."

Gaul said he has made great personal strides with the NTDP since reporting to the program in September. "I've been adjusting to things," he said. "I'm focusing on what I can do to get better. Coach [John Hynes] says to keep focusing if you want to get better. I've developed a lot more in all phases of the game. My line has been good on the defensive zone and in not giving up any goals. I can also work hard to kill a lot of penalities. I'm out there to block a lot of shots. I'm out there working on a little bit of everything."

As the regular season nears its end, Gaul and the rest of his team are setting goals for the postseason. "We think we can win three-quarters of the rest of our games and get a good playoff spot [in the North American Hockey league]," he said. "When we're at our best, we can play with anyone."

Last season, the 5-foot-8, 165-pound Gaul played in 86 games for the Pittsburgh Hornets of the Midget Major AAA in the Midwest Elite Hockey League and totaled 101 points with 29 goals and 72 assists.

Gaul also captained the 2006 U.S. Under-17 Select Team at the Three Nations tournament, where he recorded five points on two goals and three assists in four games.
With Team USA's U17s, he said, "I'd like to get better on my speed and overall on my physical strength. I have good defensive awareness."

His defensive skills just came naturally for Gaul. "I played defense for the first six years in hockey life," he said. "My dad has coached for 25 years, so that helped me, too. My dad isn't exactly a hockey pro, but he learned to play when he was 8 or 9 and is a good coach."
Being with the NTDP has been a boon for the Pittsburgh native's hockey career.

"Our weight-training program here is second to none," Gaul said. "I don't think I'd be able to push myself as effectively as the way I'm pushed here."Gaul has already committed to play college hockey at Notre Dame starting with the 2008-09 season.

"Coach [Jeff] Jackson has a good history," Gaul said. "He knows how to win. The coaches there at Notre Dame are very personable. They care about you as a person as much as anyone can."

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Pittsburgh Hornets U14 to Compete in USA Hockey National Championships

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Fri, 23 Mar 2007 18:28:00 +0000

2007 Districts - Tier I - 14U - Mid-Am
By Daniel Casciato - March 23, 2007

Special to usahockey.com

The Pittsburgh Hornets advanced to USA Hockey's Tier I 14 & Under National Championship after shutting out the Cleveland Barons, 7-0, in the Mid-American District tournament March 18. The tournament begins March 28 in Buffalo, N.Y. “It’s a tremendous feeling to go back and play for the national championship,” said Hornets’ coach, Jim Lilja, after the game. “We were there two years ago and fell short.” The Hornets are making their second trip in three years to Nationals.

In 2005, they finished in third place at the Tier I 12 & Under event held in Anchorage, Alaska, after losing in the semifinals to the New Jersey Avalanche, the eventual champion. “This team has been together for five years now,” said Lilja. “Some have come and gone, but the nucleus of the team has been here. We’re excited to go back.”

It didn’t start out easy for the Hornets. They squeaked out a 3-2 overtime victory against the Pittsburgh Junior Penguins to open the district tournament Friday. “The competition was tough this year,” said Lilja. “The Penguins have gotten better throughout the year and they battled us hard Friday. And the Barons have played some great games this season. We had our hands full, but we made some defensive adjustments, which helped us.” Lilja stressed to his players about playing a more disciplined game. “We got into some penalty trouble in our last few games,” he said. “We talked about being disciplined, staying out of the penalty box and just sticking to our game plan.”

Goaltender Michael House had a 0.95 goals against average during the tournament and stopped 95 percent of the shots he faced. “It was a great win for us. Leaving here on Friday, we didn’t play that great and we knew we had to turn it around and get the big win Sunday,” House said. “Our coach told us about the mistakes that we made Friday and how to fix them. Penalties were obviously a big one. We had to work better on the power play, too.”

House said he is looking forward to going back to Nationals and hoping for a better outcome. “Our coaches have motivated us all year long,” he said. “We were close two years ago and we’re ready now.” Forward Brandon Sadd led all players with three goals and two assists in the tournament. “I think we need to work a little harder once we get to Buffalo,” he said. “We could have played better and were lucky to win Friday. But we won our [final] and it feels great. This was our dream all year. After the second period, coach told us to keep working hard and don’t let up.”

The Hornets will play their first game at Nationals against the LA Hockey Club. “We’re going to continue to work hard, focus on the fundamentals and stick to the game plan,” said Lilja. “We have some fast guys moving the puck. We forecheck and put a lot of pressure on the other teams. The keys to our success so far have been just getting a lot of quality shots on net and [looking for] rebounds.”

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Pittsburgh Hornets U12 Hockey Team drive toward the USA Hockey National Championship Tournament

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Wed, 21 Mar 2007 11:21:00 +0000

2007 Districts - Tier I - 12U - Mid-Am
By Daniel Casciato

March 19, 2007

Special to usahockey.com

The Pittsburgh Hornets’ 4-3 win Sunday against the Cleveland Barons gave Coach Chuck Fink and manager Julie Sweeney their first trip to USA Hockey's National Championships. “It’s an amazing feeling,” said an emotional Sweeney, moments after the clinching game in the Tier I 12 & Under Mid-American District tournament. “I never would have thought that, at the beginning of this year, we could have accomplished this. I am so proud of this team.” “I talked to the coach before the game and wished him good luck,” she added. “I told him to stay calm because he said he was really nervous before the first game.”

Sweeney credited the team for playing as a whole throughout the tournament, rather than thinking of only themselves. “I think the boys played unselfishly,” she said. “They really came together as a team and they wanted it for one another.”

Before the game began, Fink, who played with the Hornets for four years during his amateur playing days, told the players that it could be the last game in the program for some of them. “I did a ‘Win one for the Gipper’ speech and told them that some may not be Hornets after this game,” he said. “I told them that this was the biggest game of their lives right now, so make it count.”

This marked the first time in five tries that the team beat the Barons. “We won when it counted,” said Fink. “The boys showed a lot of heart. The Barons are a really strong, aggressive team. After scouting them, we totally overhauled our game plan for those guys. We played more back and let them come to us instead of us going to them. It made a big difference, actually.”

Forward Peter Karney said that playing the Barons more aggressively this time around was the difference. “We hit them more than we did before,” said Karney, who had three goals and an assist during the tournament. “We took them off the puck and the team did a good job of forechecking. We did what we had to do to win.”

The Hornets defeated the Pittsburgh Junior Penguins, 5-0, Friday to advance to the March 18 game against the Barons. The Barons beat the Penguins, 5-1, to set up the deciding game. The Hornets will play the LA Hockey Club on March 28 in Buffalo, N.Y., in the first game of the round-robin tournament for the Tier I 12 & Under title.

“We’ll prepare for Nationals the same way we did for our other games,” said Fink. “I practice my kids very hard. I bet they skate more than any team we play. It’s going to be one of those things where we’re going to work as hard as we can and transfer it onto the ice.” Forward Mike Gornall led the team with four goals and two assists during the Mid-American District tournament.

“It’s just an awesome feeling to go out and beat these guys,” he said. “This had to be our two best games we played all year. We can’t wait for Nationals.”

Story courtesy Red Line Editorial, Inc.

Mid American Hockey District Tier 1 District Championships - March 17, 2007

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Sun, 18 Mar 2007 17:23:00 +0000

Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Hornets U12 and U14 teams, the Cleveland Barons U16 Team and the Predators U18 team on winning the District Championships in your age groups and best of luck in representing our MidAm District well at the USA Hockey National Championships !

FLASH UPDATE ON SCORES

U 18 Scores
Hornets 5 Predators 6
Indiana 7 Phantoms 1
Predators 5 Phantoms 1
Hornets 4 Indiana 3
Predators 7 Indiana 1
Hornets 6 Phantoms 5
SUNDAY - PREDATORS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS

U 16 Scores
Hornets 1 Vipers 0
Barons 4. Vipers 0
SUNDAY BARONS 4 HORNETS O - BARONS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS

U 14
Hornets 3 Pens 2
Pens 3 Barons 1
SUNDAY - HORNETS BEAT BARONS - HORNETS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS

U12
Hornets 5 Pens 0
Barons 5 Pens 1
SUNDAY HORNETS 4 BARONS 3 - HORNETS ADVANCE TO NATIONALS

Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni Commits to D-1 Robert Morris

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Wed, 14 Mar 2007 19:22:00 +0000

Denny Urban, former Pittsburgh Hornet and current USHL Columbus Blue Jackets defensemen has committed to the D-1 Robert Morris University Hockey Team. Denny is a great skater known for making a terrific first pass out of the defensive zone. Couple these great physical skills with a superlative sense of the game and an all around great attitude and Robert Morris University has got themselves a gem of a player as Coach Derek Schooley continues to build one of the top college hockey programs in the country. Congratulations Denny, congratulations Robert Morris University and congratulations to the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association for continuing to develop some of the best amateur hockey players in the country.

Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Pipeline to the Pros continues as former Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni John Zeiler makes his NHL debut!

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 15:05:00 +0000

The Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association is proud to announce that our "pipeline to the pros" continues as former Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Player John Zelier reached "the show" and recently made his National Hockey League Debut with the Los Angeles Kings. John was a top Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey player that saw marked and progressive improvement year after year as his game and skills developed in our program. As a result of John's hard work, he earned a D-1 Hockey Scholarship to St. Lawrence University. Afterwards, he had been playing in Manchester in the AHL and got the call up last week and was an instrumental figure in the Kings recent 4-3 (SO) victory over the Ducks.

In that game, it was noted in the media that "John Zeiler, signed by the Kings and brought up for yesterday's game, was credited with 5 hits and brought lots of energy to his line, much like he did down at Manchester. His play has reportedly impressed" Marc Crawford, Coach of the Kings.

John is a great kid and has worked very, very hard to acheive this ultimate success in the world of hockey. And as an organization we couldn't be more proud of John and his hockey accomplishments. Congratulations again John, and best wishes for a successful NHL career from all of your coaches and friends at the Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association.

WOW ! Pittsburgh Hornets Alumni Matt Quigley Commits to D-1 Northeastern Hockey Team

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Thu, 22 Feb 2007 05:19:00 +0000

Mahoning Valley Phantoms right wing and Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major Hockey Alumni Matt Quigley has accepted a scholarship to play college hockey at Northeastern University this fall.

“I went up there about a month ago and I absolutely fell in love with the school. I really like the coaching staff,” Quigley said.
Northeastern is a private research university located in Boston. The Huskies play out of the conference known as Hockey East.
“Matt passed on a few other opportunities so that he can go there,” Phantoms coach Bob Mainhardt said. “To be able to send another player to a great school and a great program, especially when it’s their number one choice, is something we’re really excited about.”

In 47 games this season, Quigley has 43 points on 19 goals and 24 assists, tying him for 20th in North American Hockey League scoring. “The new system at Northeastern is based on a lot of speed, so it’s something I think I can jump right into from day one,” Quigley said.

Currently in his second year of junior hockey with the Phantoms, Quigley has seen areas of his game blossom as he prepares for the college game. “I’m seeing the ice a little better this season and my defensive game has also improved. I want to continue to work on my hands, my positioning and my stick work and refine my game in the defensive zone,” Quigley said.With his decision now behind him, Quigley says he can now shift his complete attention towards winning a national championship.

“It really hasn’t hit me yet, but it’s a weight off my shoulders. Now I can focus on the rest of the season and our goals and not worry about which scouts are looking at me,” Quigley said.

Congratulations Matt on this great accomplishment and thanks for carrying on the great Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association tradition of helping young athletes realize their hockey dreams.

Sadly, the Pittsburgh Hornets lose in Le Tournoi de Midget Drummondville Championship Game

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Tue, 13 Feb 2007 02:07:00 +0000

Sadly, the magical run of the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Hockey Team came to a halt as they lost 5-1 to Belle Tire in the Championship game of the Drummondville Midget Major Hockey Tournament. But there will be no crying or complaining, Belle Tire won fair and square and we congratulate them on their victory. Also, we congratulate and commend the organizers of this great, great tournament for a wonderful experience for our young athletes and we look forward to competing again next year and battling again for the championship trophy!

ICROYABLE!! Le Nain de Frelons de Pittsburgh l'Equipe d'Hockey Majeure Avance au Jeu de Championnat dans le Tournoi d'Hockey de Drummondville !!!!

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Sun, 11 Feb 2007 02:30:00 +0000

The Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major Hockey Team Advances to Championship Game in Drummondville Hockey Tournament !!

The Pittsburgh Hornets are on a magic carpet ride right now as they advance to the championship game tomorrow in the famous Tournoi d'Hockey de Drummondville in the province of Quebec. The Hornets early in the day put a big mac smacking on the McDonald's Team gobbling up an impressive 5-3 win that launched the Pittsburgh Hornets into the semi-finals with a match against the Collège Antoine-Girouard from Quebec (St. Hyacinthe) a team which which was 4-0 and the #1 seed in the tournament. In a herculean battle between 2 extremely talented teams, les habitants of Pittsburgh, the Pittsburgh Hornets, prevailed in a 5-4 victory to catapult themselves into the championship game tomorrow against Belle Tire.

Goals by Lemieux, Hannan , Sutton, Windemueller and Partick Wey sealed the victory for the Pittsburgh Hornets and the lock into the championship game. La bonne chance à nos jeunes athlètes d'Hockey de Frelons de Pittsburgh et rapporte la victoire de championnat ! (Good luck to our young Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey athletes and bring back the championship victory ! )

Pittsburgh Hornets Battle for Playoff Spot in Prestigious Le Tournoi de Midget Drummondville

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Fri, 09 Feb 2007 16:45:00 +0000

After Pittsburgh Hornet Midget Major Team and Coaches Joe Gaul and Chris Stern were officially welcomed by the officials of the prestigious Le Tournoi de Midget Drummondville, the Hornets started the competition off with a roaring 6-3 victory over Trip Pen Frost of St. Johns, Newfoundland. The next game up in the box proved to be an exhilarating and emotionally draining one as the Hornets lost in a magnificent battle to the famous Cantonniers of Magog, Quebec 4-3 in overtime. Continuing the roller coaster ride, the Hornets then battled back in the next game to grab a 3-2 win over the Eagles of Burlington, Ontario as they continue to scrape and claw their way toward a playoff spot in the tournament. The Hornets will play McDonalds of Halifax tomorrow morning and with a bit of luck secure a spot in the final rounds of the tournament. Bonne Chance Hornets, Bonne Chance !!!

The Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Pipeline - "It was a pretty historical day for Pittsburgh and especially the Pittsburgh Hornets organization."

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Mon, 22 Jan 2007 02:14:00 +0000

Good reporting is simply the accurate reporting of facts. Great reporting is the art of taking the facts of newsworthy events and putting them in context so the reader will have a better understanding and importance of the impact of the events themselves.

In that regard, top notch sports reporter Chuck Finder of the Pittsburgh Post Gazette hits a home run with his excellent column set forth below on the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association and the recent historic achievement of two Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni (R.J.Umberger and Nate Guenin) playing in the NHL together on the same team.

The column does a great job in documenting the Pittsburgh Hornet Amateur hockey history and track record of being the most successful hockey organization in Western Pennsylvania in developing amateur hockey players for Juniors, the National Development Team, Division 1 and college hockey at all levels, including now even the NHL, and how all of the amateur hockey folks and teams in Western Pennsylvania are inextricably intertwined with (and indebeted to) the Pittsburgh Penguins NHL Team and organization (thank you Mario!).

Though it has taken about 35 years (starting perhaps at that dark and cold old Alpine Arena in Swissvale, which was demolished many years ago), clearly Western Pennsylvania Hockey has indeed finally arrived. We celebrate this arrival with all of the amateur hockey folks in our area, the travel teams, the high school teams, the PAHL teams, and the parents of our athletes everywhere that sacrifice so much personal time and tons of money to make our sport grow, to give our children the best possible hockey experience we can and to achieve the successes we are now seeing today with our Pittsburgh Hornet Hockey Alumni R.J., Nate and a host of other players throughout our area that call Western Pennsylvania home.

Congratulations to everybody invovled in Western Pennsylvania amateur hockey development and we predict many more successes in the upcoming years for our local atheletes.

_____________________________________________________________

Finder: Western Pa. has a hockey pipeline
Sunday, January 21, 2007
By Chuck Finder, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Hockey history, at least as it pertains to this little corner of the vulcanized-rubber planet, was made Thursday night on the other side of the Commonwealth: Two Western Pennsylvania natives played on the same NHL ice, on the same NHL team. Twice as nice, eh?

Let the record show this extraordinary ice trail was blazed by Nate Guenin of Hopewell High and Plum's R.J. Umberger, Philadelphia Flyers, Wachovia Center, Jan. 18, 2007. Guenin, a defenseman summoned hours earlier from the minors, tallied two hits, a blocked shot and 10 shifts of professional ice time. Umberger, a forward regular, logged an assist, a plus-1 and 17 shifts in a 4-2 loss to the Islanders.

Still and all, it was a great day for Pittsburgh Hornets hockey, for all of local rinkdom. A first.
Sure, Eric Meloche and Ryan Malone of Upper St. Clair, both products of the same travel-intensive youth program at the RMU Island Sports Center, played 25 Penguins games together in the 2003-04 season. But Malone and Meloche are genetic anomolies, for one: Both are from NHL fathers. For another thing, Meloche is a Quebecois and returned to his birthplace in his late teens. So this past Thursday in Philly marked the inaugural time that two, true born and hockey-reared Western Pennsylvanians shared NHL ice.

"Pretty amazing," Umberger offered over his cell the day after, just before the Flyers bused to New Jersey for a game yesterday. "It was a pretty historical day for Pittsburgh and especially the Hornets organization."

"We were joking [Thursday] that, growing up, we never thought two guys from the same team would grow up and play in the NHL -- and on the same team now."

"Anybody would be lying if they told you they could foresee kids playing in the NHL, because there are so many variables," added Joe Gaul, their former coach and the current Hornets director of player development. "But it doesn't surprise me, because they worked so hard at 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, whatever."

It says something about the Hornets, about Western Pennsylvania hockey, about an ice trickle-down effect (more on that in a minute), when two boys from a football hotbed -- two Picksburg dudes -- crash the pro party reserved for Canadians, Euros, Russians and U.S. collegians from New England, Chicago, Michigan, Minnesota, Wisconsin, North Dakota and Colorado. It says, perhaps: This little corner has arrived.

Eleven former Hornets have been drafted by NHL teams. Sixty-two have played or are playing in U.S. colleges, the Ontario Hockey League or America's highest junior-hockey level. Umberger, Guenin, Malone and Meloche, whom Guenin left behind with the Flyers' AHL Philadelphia Phantoms, make this a certifiable pipeline, with kids such as Upper St. Clair's Dylan Reese still to gush.

Umberger and Guenin, Beaver County's initial NHLer, started out playing youth hockey against one another. Then they joined the fledgling Hornets in the early 1990s, and their team of 1982 birth-year boys dazzled for the next quadrennial. By the time Umberger ascended to the U.S. National Team Development Program, Guenin and the fellas were winning the prestigious International Silver Sticks tournament, for which a Hornets sweater sits in a trophy case at Toronto's Hockey Hall of Fame. From college scholarships to the draft to the Hockey Hall to this: shared NHL ice. "I think we really opened the doors for Pittsburgh," Umberger said of the 1982s, which included John Zeiler, the No. 5 scorer as a rookie for AHL Manchester.

Just when the future of the local professional hockey franchise is being bartered and negotiated by unwitting politicians, Guenin and Umberger's historical footnote should strike them like a kick in the noggin. The Penguins do more for Western Pennsylvania than provide wintry night entertainment, fantasy-league fodder and an estimated $48 million to the economy for all those hockey nights in Pittsburgh. A new arena would do more for the region than hockey games, ice shows, monster-truck jams, concerts and the like. Rather, each of these vital community assets directly affects one key resource -- our children.

Don't merely accept the word of a father whose 14-year-old plays for two hockey organ-I-zations while entertaining notions underneath his helmet of days playing in college, possibly even beyond. Don't simply go by Gaul, who remembered Guenin wearing No. 5 (now No. 65) in honor of the Penguins' Ulf Samuelsson and offered, "I'll give you an analogy: What if you [ask], 'If I don't eat my vegetables and vitamins, will I still be healthy?' You'd be foolish not to realize the cause and affect there."

Take it from Umberger: Without any Penguins here, hundreds of kids would have hit curbs instead of ice. "You could probably cut the number of rinks in half," he said. "It would be devastating."

Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association "Pipeline to the Pro's" Runs Strongs-More on Nate Guenin's NHL Pro Debut with Philly Flyers

noreply@blogger.com (Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Team) — Fri, 19 Jan 2007 15:26:00 +0000

Flyers Notes - 'Nasty Nate' makes debut on defense Flyers Notes

When they were youngsters playing bantam hockey for the Pittsburgh Hornets, Nate Guenin knew that R.J. Umberger was going to make it. Why? His father told him so.

"We played together on that Hornets team for four years," Guenin said, laughing. "I remember my dad telling me as a bantam player - bantam! - that R.J. would play in the NHL.

"I said to him, 'Dad, how do you know that?' I was 13 when he told me that. He said, 'He's going to be a good NHL player.' And he was right. R.J. was hands-down the best high school player in Pittsburgh. He had the skill and everything else."

Last night, the guy they call "Nasty Nate" made his Flyers debut, becoming the 41st player this season to be listed on the roster. The 6-foot-2, 210-pound Guenin will get a look from the coaching staff now that defenseman David Printz has been sent back to the Phantoms.

It's an ideal situation for Guenin, who - like Umberger - played at Ohio State. A losing team? He might impress here as a steady, stay-at-home defenseman.

"I think any opportunity to play in the NHL is a great opportunity," the 24-year-old Guenin said, "even if you are struggling. Whether it is a first-place team or last-place team, someone who is coming in has something to prove and has to show why they deserve to be here."

At Wednesday's practice, Guenin and Umberger shared some laughs. "We were saying, 'Who would have thought back to when we were 12 or 14 that two kids from Pittsburgh would end up in the NHL or on the same team?' " Umberger said. "It's a big day for the Hornets."

Umberger said he had nothing to do with nicknaming Guenin "Nasty Nate."
"I got that nickname a bit in juniors," Guenin said. "Guys just started calling me nasty, and it kind of stuck with me through college. Maybe the way I played. Hey, the style was not very pretty, but it got the job done."

Added Umberger: "Nate loves to step it up and hit guys and be physical. Once he establishes himself, the fans in Philly are going to love him."