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• 

  AJHL Alumnus Kevin Bendel Named ECAC East Goalie of the Week
  February 3, 2012

  Former NJ Rockets and Binghamton Jr. Senators (Now WBS Knights) goalie Kevin Bendel (Denville, N.J.) has been named the ECAC East Goalie of the Week for the second straight week playing for the UMass-Boston Beacons.

  Just one week after leading the Beacons to their first win over a top-5 ranked team in Norwich University, the senior net minder gave UMass-Boston their first win over St. Anselm College since the 1999-00 campaign.  Against the Hawks, Bendel tallied 41 stops in the 3-2 victory, and also notched an assist in the win as well.

  His assist came in the second period, and gave the Beacons at the time a 2-1 lead over their Division II rivals.  On the year, Bendel now ranks third in the ECAC East in goals against average with a 2.83 mark.  His save percentage of .910 also ranks him in the top-3 in the conference, while his conference record of 3-3-0 (.500) currently has him tied for fifth amongst all conference goalies.
  

• 

  Kangas and Avery to Become Wildcats
  February 1, 2012

  The Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack are proud to announce their 10th and 11th college commitments of the 2011-12 season.  Steady defenseman Brett Kangas and speedy forward Pat Avery have committed to Johnson & Wales University for the 2012-13 season.  The Wildcats will be looking for Kangas and Avery to jump in right away and contribute next season both on the ice and in the classroom.  

  Avery, a speedy forward, will bring a lot of energy to the Wildcats line up. Has battled two injuries this season, but has been a brick on the PK for the Pack and has 5 points in 18 games. 

  "Avery is going to adjust to the college level very well,” said Head Coach Chris Cerrella. “He competes at a high level every time he steps on the ice.  He can get around the sheet very well and he is one of the best penalty killers I have ever coached.  We are very happy for him and I look forward to watching him play for Johnson & Wales next season.”

  The Carmel, IN native is very excited about his opportunity next season and is looking forward to finishing the season in Hartford. 

  "I would like to thank the Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack organization, especially Coach Cerrella and Dan McCarthy for this opportunity.  Playing college hockey has always been a dream of mine so this is a dream come true.  I would also like to thank my parents, Stephen and Kathy, and also my brother Connor, for supporting me throughout all my years of hockey because without them this would mean nothing.  I look forward to playing for JWU and Coach Noack in the ECAC Northeast," said Avery.  

  Joining Avery is teammate and stay at home defenseman Brett Kangas.  The Williamstown, MA native came to the Jr. Wolf Pack from Proctor Academy with the hopes of developing into a college hockey defenseman.  Just 29 games into his first season of Junior hockey, the Jr. Wolf Pack helped Kangas achieve that goal with his commitment to Johnson & Wales.  Kangas has 6 pts in 29 games for the Pack this season and is going to be counted on to be solid defensively for the remainder of the season.  The steady blue-liner looks forward to the future on and off the ice at Johnson & Wales and is excited to finish this season on a good note. 

  "I am very excited to attend JWU next year.  Playing at the collegiate level has always been my dream and I am ready for a new chapter to begin.  I would like to say thank you to both Coach Cerrella and Asst Coach Wiggin for all their help in preparing me for next season," said Kangas. 

  Johnson & Wales is located in Providece, RI.  Head Coach Erik Noack is in his 8th season at the helm of the JWU hockey team.  The Wildcats have become one of the most improved D-III programs in the country and currently sit in 2nd place in the ECAC Northeast with a 5-2-1 record and a 11-6-2 record overall.

• 

  Cyclones Forward Charles Bando Commits to 4th Ranked Castleton State
  February 1, 2012

  The Northern Cyclones are proud to announce that Forward Charles Bando committed to D-III ECAC East powerhouse and 4th Ranked Castleton State College on Monday afternoon. 

  Bando, a 6 foot, 185lbs. winger from Wakefield, MA, currently sits second in scoring for the Cyclones, finding the back of the net 19 times this season. He has consistently provided a spark to the Cyclones offense this year, chipping in 22 helpers for a 41 point total in just 32 games. He has registered at least one or more points in 24 games on the season. Charles recorded his first career hat trick in a Cyclones uniform on October 30th and just two weeks later notched a second hat trick, finishing both games with three points.

  Since joining the Cyclones organization in 2010, Bando has grown not only as hockey player, but also as a student-athlete and a model citizen.

  “Charles has an unbelievable work ethic and commitment,” said Head Coach Bill Flanagan. “Castleton will be a great fit for him, he is coachable and a terrific kid and I know he will be successful there. We wish him the best of luck with this great opportunity.”

  “I would like to thank my parents and my brothers for their constant love and support over these years. I feel blessed to have been given the opportunity to play hockey for Coach Flanagan and the Northern Cyclones. He has done so much both on and off the ice to benefit me and I owe him a huge thank you,” said Bando. “My teammates deserve a lot of the credit as well. I am so lucky to be playing on a team where 25 of my best friends are playing beside me. I am extremely excited to play for Coach Todd at Castleton State which is one of the best Division 3 hockey programs in the nation. I owe a big thank you to Matt Deschamps as well, for pushing me to become an impact player during the off season. I can't wait to suit up for the Spartans!”

  According to USCHO Polls (U.S. College Hockey Online), Castleton State College, who has been ranked in the nation’s top seven Division III schools since the first week of the season, being as high as number 3, the Spartans have maintained a respective 4th rank for five straight weeks. Bando will wear Spartan green and white for the 2012-2013 season and will look to contribute to Castleton’s accomplishments both on and off the ice.
  

• 

  AJHL All Star and Young Guns Games Finish in Nail Biting Fashion
  January 31, 2012

  The 2012 AJHL All Star and Young Guns games took place this past Sunday at Iorio Arena in Walpole, MA and the action was unlike most All Star games. Both games saw intensity similar to that found in any regular season matchup between any given two teams. With the various NCAA college scouts watching, including Holy Cross, UMASS-Lowell, UMASS-Amherst, Sacred Heart, and AIC, the players truly skated to impress.

  The Young Guns were the first to take to the ice Sunday morning. Team America, led by Head Coach Bob Thornton (NJ Rockets), took a 2-0 lead at the end of the first half with both goals coming off the stick of Walpole Express forward Eric Salzillo. Chris Cerrella (Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack), Head Coach for Team Olympic, took his team to the dressing room to regroup.

  Cerrella’s words must have sunk in as Team Olympic cut the deficit to 2-1 with a goal from Hartford’s Vince Caligiuri just 1:21 in. Midway through the half however, Walpole’s Tyler Colacchio drove the final nail in to put team America up 3-1. Team Olympic fought hard the whole way and added another to make it 3-2 from Hartford’s Nick Belger, but Team America was just too strong on this day.

  SBK Hockey Players of the Game for Team Olympic went to forward Vince Caligiuri (Wolf Pack– 1g) and defenseman James Mazza (Bobcats) who had a huge effort in the defensive zone. Team America Players of the Game went to forward Eric Salzillo (Express – 2g) and goalie David Lynch (New York) who posted a first half shut out saving all 11 shots faced.

  The day ended with the much anticipated AJHL All Star game. Team America, led by Head Coach Mark Kumpel (Walpole Express), found themselves down 1-0 late in the first period off a goal from Team Olympic defenseman Jared Henderson (Cyclones). With just 1:00 remaining, Team America forward Nick Luce (Jr. Pirates) received a pass from Charles Bando (Cyclones) and buried the equalizer to head to the dressing room with the score tied at one a piece.

  The second period saw a lot of north and south action, but only Team Olympic forward Jonathan Low (Jr. Flyers) found a shot that could beat either goalie giving his team the lead once again at 2-1. Team America came out for the third period for one final push and managed to tie the game at 2-2 just 2:16 in. Team Olympic would fire shot after shot, but the Team America goalies were on fire Sunday afternoon. Finally, with just 5:28 left, Team America forward Anthony Pino (Little Flyers) tallied the game winner with assists going to Walpole forwards David Goff and Dillan Fox.

  SBK Hockey Players of the Game for Team Olympic went to defenseman Jared Henderson (Cyclones – 1g) and goalie Austin Keiser (Bulldogs – 14/14 saves). Team America Players of the Game went to forward Colin O’Neil (Express – 1g 1a) and defenseman Ben Bauer (Little Flyers - 1a, 5 blocked shots).

  Overall, it was another very successful weekend for the AJHL and its players. The league will be back at Iorio Arena Feb. 17-20 for the President’s Day Showcase.

• 

  Wednesday’s Walpole Express/Boston Bulldogs Game Moved to 2:30pm

  The Boston Bulldogs will head to Iorio Arena to take on the Walpole Express in a mid-week matchup between the 4th place and 1st place teams. The Bulldogs are coming off of a tough 7-3 loss to the Hartford Jr. Wolf Pack and have 10 games left in their regular season. The Express have not lost since December 7th and have shut out their opponents in their last three games. Walpole has won all three meetings with Boston this year, outscoring them 13-6.
  The game, which was originally scheduled for 3:00pm, has been changed to a puck drop time of 2:30pm.

• 

  Babson Head Coach Jamie Rice to be Keynote Speaker at All Star Reception
  January 25, 2012

  The AJHL is happy to announce that Jamie Rice, Head Coach of the Babson Men’s Ice Hockey team, will be the keynote speaker for the AJHL All Star and Young Guns Reception on Saturday, January 28th, 2012 at the Four Points Sheraton, Norwood, MA.  Coach Rice took no time to accept the AJHL’s offer and is looking forward to being part of the event.

  A 1990 graduate of Babson, Jamie Rice is currently in his eighth season as head coach of the men's ice hockey program. Rice has enjoyed great success in his first seven years back at his alma mater, leading the Beavers to a 110-71-13 record and a top-15 national ranking in all but two seasons. He was named ECAC East Coach of the Year and was a finalist for the prestigious Edward Jeremiah Award, given annually to the top coach in Division III ice hockey, in 2006, and in 2007 was named New England Coach of the Year after guiding Babson to its first ECAC East championship since 1992 and its first NCAA Tournament appearance since 1993. Rice then led Babson to the ECAC East Championship and the program's 14th bid to the NCAA Tourney in 2009, as well as two more trips to the conference championship game in 2010 and 2011.

  Rice returned to Babson in 2004 after spending 14 years as an assistant coach at Colby College, Dartmouth College, Brown University, and Northeastern University. During his five-year tenure at Brown, he helped guide the Bears to a 1993 NCAA Tournament appearance and a 1995 Ivy League Championship.

  A native of Newton, Massachusetts, Rice played four seasons at the forward position for Babson from 1986 to 1990, helping the Beavers amass a spectacular record of 81-31-10 during that stretch. He recorded 24 goals and 55 assists for 79 points in 116 career games, including a career-high 32 points in 1988-89.

Players of the Week

All »

Goalie
Gene Lane
Jr. Wolf Pack
2 wins 45/49 saves

Defense
Shaughn Shields
Northern Cyclones
1 goal 1 assist

Forward
Vincent Caligiuri
Jr. Wolf Pack
3 goals 2 assists

College Commitments

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