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

Pittsburgh Hornets Blogspot - Time to Go a Fishin !

2007-05-07T09:49:00.000-04:00

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 !

2007-04-25T10:25:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-24T10:16:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-20T21:13:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-13T11:19:00.000-04:00

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 !

2007-04-09T22:28:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-05T09:25:00.000-04:00

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 !

2007-04-04T07:37:00.000-04:00

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

2007-04-03T22:36:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-31T20:23:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-30T13:49:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-30T09:01:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-29T00:11:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-25T12:14:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-23T14:28:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-21T07:21:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-18T13:23:00.000-04:00

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

2007-03-14T15:22:00.000-04:00

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!

2007-02-22T10:05:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-22T00:19:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-12T21:07:00.000-05:00

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 !!!!

2007-02-10T21:30:00.000-05:00

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

2007-02-09T11:45:00.000-05:00

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."

2007-01-21T21:14:00.000-05:00

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

2007-01-19T10:26:00.000-05:00

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."

Hockey Dreams Do Come True as Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni Nate Guenin makes his NHL Pro Debut this Evening !

2007-01-18T15:30:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets announce with great pride that former Pittsburgh Hornet and Ohio State Buckeye Nate Guenin is scheduled to make his NHL pro debut this evening with the Philadelphia Flyers as they battle the New York Islanders in Long Island this evening. Nate will be skating side by side with another former Pittsburgh Hornet in the NHL, R.J. Umberger, giving the Philly Flyers a distinct Pittsburgh connection.

Nate was one of the most popular Pittsburgh Hornet players ever in our organization and had a brilliant career in the USHL with the Green Bay Gamblers and continued to blossom and excel with the Ohio State Buckeyes under the tutelage of top NCAA Coaches John Markell and Casey Jones. Confirming his great attitude and demonstrated leadership abilitites, Nate finished off his NCAA Division 1 career as captain of the OSU hockey team.

Legendary "old time" hockey player and one of the best AAA hockey coaches in the country Coach Dave Hanson captures the pride we all have in Nate with the following statement:

"Tonight, another former player of the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association and product of Pittsburgh Youth Hockey, Nate Guenin, will be playing in his first NHL game for the Philadelphia Flyers tonight against the NY Islanders, along with another former Pittsburgh youth hockey and Pittsburgh Hornets alumni, R.J. Umberger. They also were teammates at Ohio State University. This is a great day for Nate and his family and Pittsburgh hockey. Hopefully, it is one of many to come and another prime example of what a Pittsburgh hockey player can accomplish by dedicating himself through hard work, good attitude, good coaching and going down a right path. Nate represents the best that the Hornets and Pittsburgh has to offer on and off the ice and I am sure he will make us all proud. Congratulations to Nate and all players who are trying to follow in his footsteps."

Well said Coach Dave, well said. And congratulations again to Nate, way to go, you have made all of the amateur hockey people in Western Pennsylvania and the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association very, very proud. Best of luck in your NHL pro debut.

Pittsburgh Hornets Pepper 2007 Eastern Junior Hockey League All Star Game Rosters

2007-01-12T11:51:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets are proud to announce the former Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni that have been named to the 2007 Eastern Junior Hockey League All Star Game:

Furman South (F)
Billy Ozanick (D)
Chris Brown (D)
Mike Levandusky (D)

Check out the following EJHL All Star Link for more information on the game and the continued success of our Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni. Congratulations guys and good luck in the game.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to All from the Pittsburgh Hornets

2006-12-18T21:49:00.000-05:00

With the holiday season upon us, the Pittsburgh Hornets want to wish everyone in the hockey world a peaceful holiday season with health, wealth and prosperity to all and a very, very happy New Year in 2007. And we share with everyone this old Hornet holiday poem crafted many a year ago.!

TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE A PITTSBURGH

HORNET CHRISTMAS

(With apologies to Clement Clarke Moore)

Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the rink,
Not a player was moving, not even a blink,
The equipment bags were hung in the locker room with care,
In hopes that another hockey game soon would be there.

The players were nestled all snug in their beds ,
While visions of hat-tricks danced in their heads,
With Coach in his helmet, and I in my cap,
I just started dreaming, during a long scheduled nap.

When on the lot in the Island there arose such a clatter,
I awoke from my sleep to see what was the matter.
Away to the lobby I flew like a flash,
Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash.

The moon on the breast of the new-fallen snow
Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below,
When, what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a Hornet midget major hockey team, a team many folks hold dear,

With players so talented, so lively and quick,
I knew in a moment their team talent was thick,
These young men of character, quite confident (but not loud)
Possess the traits of champions
and make their parents and the Pittsburgh Hornets proud
More rapid than eagles these coursers they came,
With strength and determination and a will to win the game,
During warmups the assistants shouted,
and called them by name:

"Now, Machel, now Morford! Now Dellavalle and Lemieux!
On, Houston, Esche,Hannan, Mcgrath and Minnigerode too,
Now McGinty, now Windmueller, now Colin South and Ford!
On Recupero and McDonough, lets get ready to score!

To the top of the circles, now skate hard, don't fall!
Now shoot away! Shoot away! Shoot and score all!
And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the ice
The skating and turning of each player so precise
As I drew in my head, and was turning around,
On the ice came the old Coach with a leap and a bound.

He was dressed in a sweatsuit,
old AHAUS circa 1980 or 1982,
Been round a long time
and experienced we knew,
The old coach was seasoned
and in the sport twas an old hand,
Whom many contend,
is still the best coach in the land!

As he strode to the bench,
A bundle of plays he had flung on his back,
And he looked like a peddler
just opening his sack.

A mischevious twinkle of his eye ,
and a twist of his head,
Soon gave me the comfort to know,
I had nothing to dread.
He spoke not a word,
but went straight to his work,
And laid out the game plan; then gave it a spin
Which guaranteed the Hornets,
most certainly would win,

As the game reached its ending,
with the Hornets winning again,
The old Coach departed,
And little was said.

After giving a nod, off the Island he drove
But as he sprang to his car, to his team gave this ode,
That evening the boys had all played like champions of might,
And afterwards I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight,
"Way to go Midget Major Hornets, you all are all right!
And to all of our friends, coaches, and opponents in the hockey world
A Merry Christmas to all, and to all a good night!

Pittsburgh Hornet Matt Celin goes D-1, Commits to Holy Cross !!

2006-12-14T23:38:00.000-05:00

It is with great pride that the Pittsburgh Hornets are pleased to announce that former Pittsburgh Hornet defenseman Matt Celin, currently with the Bay State Breakers in the Eastern Junior Hockey League (EJHL) has committed to Holy Cross for September of 2007. Matt is the latest in a long, long line of players that have successfuly transitioned from the Pittsburgh Hornets to junior, collegiate and even professional hockey teams. Previously Matt played two seasons for the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA program under the direction of coach Joe Gaul and was selected to the Mid-Am Select 17’s in 2004 where he competed in the USA National Festival. Congratualtions Matt, you are a great kid, a wonderful player and we wish you the best of luck for a successful collegiate career.

Furman South named Offensive Player of the Week in the Eastern Junior Hockey League!

2006-11-13T20:14:00.000-05:00

Furman had an exceptional weekend for the Bay State Breakers, scoring two goals and notching three key assists. On Friday, Furman scored and assisted on the game-winner against the Jr. Falcons, and followed it up with an impressive three point game against the Bridgewater Bandits. An 88 birthdate, Furman hails from Sewickley, PA and is a product of the Pittsburgh Hornets.

Honeybaked -Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Classic Champions !

2006-11-13T20:10:00.000-05:00

Congratulations to Honeybaked as they emerged as the champions of the Pittsubrgh Hornets Hockey Classic with a convincing 4-1 victory over the Colorado Wranglers. Go to the Pittsburgh Hornets Association Website for all of the scores. Congratulations and thanks to all teams participating in the tournament !

FLASH update- Friday Scores: Pittsburgh Hornet Hockey Classic

2006-11-10T15:43:00.000-05:00

Friday's early games:
San Jose 5 Pittsburgh Hornets 4
**Soren Jonzzon (San Jose) 2 Goals/2 Assists

Honeybaked 2 Rocky Mountain 2 (OT)
**Simon Olsson (Rocky Mountain) 2 Assists
Evan Jones (Honeybaked) 27 Saves

Cleveland Barons 2 Texas Attack 2 (OT)

Pikes Peak 3 Victory Honda 1

Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Classic Schedule is Set !

2006-11-08T12:26:00.000-05:00

Pittsburgh Hornets Classic Schedule:

Friday, November 10th

Time Rink Home Visitor
8:00 AM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 1 Pittsburgh Hornets -San Jose Sharks
8:10 AM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 2 Honeybaked- Colorado Wranglers
10:10 AM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 3 Texas Attack -Cleveland Barons
10:20 AM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 4 Victory Honda -Pikes Peak Miners
12:20 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 5 Little Caesars -Mercer Chiefs
12:30 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 6 Team NXI -Team Comcast

4:30 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 7 San Jose Sharks- Colorado Wranglers
4:40 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 8 Pikes Peak Miners -Texas Attack
6:45 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 9 Team Comcast- Pittsburgh Hornets
7:00 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 10 Honeybaked -Team NXI
9:00 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 11 Cleveland Barons -Little Caesars
9:10 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 12 Mercer Chiefs -Victory Honda

Saturday, November 11th

Time Rink Home Visitor
8:00 AM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 13 San Jose Sharks -Team NXI
8:10 AM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 14 Colorado Wranglers -Team Comcast
10:10 AM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 15 Pittsburgh Hornets- Honeybaked
10:20 AM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 16 Little Caesars -Pikes Peak Miners
12:20 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 17 Victory Honda -Cleveland Barons
12:30 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 18 Texas Attack -Mercer Chiefs

4:30 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 19 3rd Place West -3rd Place South
4:40 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 20 1st Place North- 2nd Place East
6:40 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 21 1st Place South -2nd Place West
6:50 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 22 1st Place East -2nd Place North
9:00 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 23 1st Place West -2nd Place South
9:10 PM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 24 3 rd Place East -3rd Place North

Sunday, November 12th
Time Rink Home Visitor
8:00 AM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 25 Game 20 WINNER Game 23 WINNER
8:00 AM RMU ISC-Olympic Game 26 Game 21 WINNER Game 22 WINNER

2:15 PM RMU ISC-Collegiate Game 27 Game 25 WINNER Game 26 WINNER

North South East West

Texas Attack Cleveland Team Comcast Colorado
Little Caesars Mercer Honeybaked Pittsburgh
Victory Honda Pikes Peak San Jose Team NXI

Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Classic Tournament !

2006-11-08T09:39:00.000-05:00

Hey everybody, ITS TOURNAMENT TIME !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

PITTSBURGH HORNETS

HOCKEY CLASSIC TOURNAMENT

On November 10-12, 2006, the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major Hockey Team will host its annual tournament at the Robert Morris University Island Sports Center. The 12 team tournament includes many of the top Tier I AAA Midget Major teams in the country including:

Cleveland Barons (Cleveland, OH)
Honeybaked (Detroit, MI)
Little Caesars (Detroit, MI)
Mercer Chiefs (Clarksburg, NJ)
Pikes Peak (Colorado Springs, CO)
Colorado Wranglers (Greeley, CO)
San Jose Sharks (San Jose, CA)
Team Comcast (Pennsauken, NJ)
Team nXi (Kalamazoo, MI)
Texas Attack (Frisco, TX)
Victory Honda (Plymouth, MI)

AND
THE PITTSBURGH HORNETS !!

Games begin Friday morning and conclude with the championship game on Sunday at 3:00 p.m. All teams will play two games on Friday and two games on Saturday, with the semi-finals and finals on Sunday. The tournament promises to be heavily scouted including scouts from the EJHL, NAHL and USHL junior teams as well as a number of NCAA college teams.

Our tournament is recognized as one of the top showcase events of the season at the Midget Major level. Look forward to seeing you at the tournament as the best teams in the country battle for amateur hockey supremacy.

For more information on the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Classic, go to our http://www.pittsburghhornets.com/.

Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major Team splits with Buffalo Saints

2006-09-18T13:35:00.000-04:00

This past weekend the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major Hockey Team split a pair of games with the Buffalo Saints as they rebounded from a 5-2 loss on Saturday to post a 2-1 win on Sunday against this scrappy opponent from Buffalo. Joe Ford and Jim Recupero tallied in the first game as the Hornets took a while to get their overall game untracked. Rebounding ferociously on Sunday, Jake Michel notched the first tally as the Buffalo Saints continued to battle throughout the contest, a contest that was not settled until there were 2 minutes left in the game as Jake Dellavalle scored and electrifying short-handed goal at that time to seal away this impressive victory for the Pittsburgh Hornet Midget Majors.

The challenges continue next week as the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major hockey team competes in the prestigious 2006 Marquette Electricians Fall Classic in Wisconsin. Good luck Hornets and lets bring home the trophy!

Kris Mayotte, Pittsburgh Hornets Alumni, signs pro contract with Colorado Avalanche

2006-08-21T22:56:00.000-04:00

Former Pittsburgh Hornets and Union goalie Kris Mayotte signed a minor league contract with the Colorado Avalanche, the team announced Monday. The Avalanche will be sending several players to the AHL's Albany River Rats, whose primary NHL affiliate is the Carolina Hurricanes.

Kris was one of the best goalies in the history of Union College, current home to former Pittsburgh Hornets Goalie Shaun Williams for the upcoming year as well. Kris is a great kid, a fantastic athlete and goaltender and is sure to represent both the Dutchmen and the Pittsburgh Hornets well in his professional career.

Congratulations Kris and a job well done and serving as a role model for other goalies in the Pittsburgh Hornets organization and best of luck with your pro career, which is sure to be succesful!

Pittsburgh Hornets Alumni Nate Guenin Signs Professional Contract with the Philadelphia Flyers !

2006-08-17T23:28:00.000-04:00

Fred Shero, Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Bernie Parent, Rick MacLeish, Ed Van Impe, Tim Kerr, Barry Ashbee, Gary Dornhoefer, Reggie Leach, Keith Allen, Brian Propp, Dave Poulin, Joe Watson, and Ed Snider have all played a major role in the glorious tradition of the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL.

We are proud that former Pittsburgh Hornet R.J.Umberger currently plays a prominent role with the Flyers as well and we are so pleased to learn that former Pittsburgh Hornet Nate Guenin will join such a storied team as today the Philadelphia Flyers announced that they have signed 6’2”, 210-pound free agent defenseman Nate Guenin (GEH-nihn) to a two-year Entry Level contract, according to club Assistant General Manager Paul Holmgren. Per club policy, financial terms were not disclosed.

“Nate is a big, rugged defenseman with a right-handed shot,” said Holmgren in making the announcement. “We look for him to come into our system and hopefully develop into an NHL player. We really like his tenacity and grit. We think that he is a good young prospect and we are excited about having him as part of our organization.”

Guenin, 23, recorded 11 assists and 87 penalty minutes in 39 games for the Ohio State University Buckeyes last season. The senior captain led the team in penalty minutes for the fourth consecutive season and was tied for third on the team in assists. Guenin received honorable mention in the voting for the Central Collegiate Hockey Association’s All-Star Teams following the 2005-06 season.

He was voted “Hardest-Hitting Defenseman” and “Best Defenseman One-on-One” in the CCHA Captains’ poll for the 2005-06 season.In four seasons with Ohio State (2002-03 through 2005-06), Guenin registered six goals and 47 assists for 53 points and 400 penalty minutes in 151 career games. He completed his career in fifth place on the Buckeyes All-Time List in penalty minutes (400).

He was named to the CCHA Second All-Star Team following the 2004-05 season. Guenin served as team captain for the 2005-06 season after being an alternate captain for the 2003-04 and 2004-05 seasons.A native of Sewickley, Pennsylvania, Guenin was originally drafted from the Green Bay Gamblers of the United States Hockey League by the New York Rangers in the fourth round (127th overall) of the 2002 NHL Entry Draft.

Congratulations Nate on this tremendous achievement and best wishes for a great professional career from the Pittsburgh Hornets!

Patrick Gaul named Captain of USA Team White at Three Nations Hockey Festival !

2006-08-16T21:12:00.000-04:00

It has been quite a year for Patrick Gaul of the Pittsburgh Hornets. Patrick recently was named to the USA Hockey NDTP U17 team for the upcoming year, a very great accomplishment indeed. Following up on that success, Patrick then accepted a Division 1 scholarship to play ice hockey for Notre Dame University in the year 2008-2009. These two accomplishments alone are staggering ones for any amateur hockey player in the USA to achieve.

But amazingly Patrick has recently earned another honor that the Pittsburgh Hornets are perhaps most proud of, he was named captain of his USA U17 Hockey Team White currently competing in the Three Nations Hockey Tournament in Rochester, New York this week.

The USA has fielded 2 teams of players to compete against national squads from Germany and Switzerland and as of today both USA teams have been undefeated in the tournament to date. Patrick already has 1 goal and 2 assists in 2 games, exhibiting his well known crafty play against some of the worlds best players in this age group. And based upon his equally well known leadership abilities, he was also selected as captain of his team by his teammates as well ! And we believe that being named as a team captain is one of the greatest honors one can achieve in our sport and fills our organization with a great deal of pride when one of players achieves such a great honor .

The Pittsburgh Hornet Travel Hockey Association prides itself on not only developing some of the best amateur ice hockey players in the country, but in also developing young men of character that can serve in the role someday as a team captain. We try hard to develop young men of character, athletes that work as hard on the ice as they do in the classroom, that are consummate team players, that can lead others by example to greater success, that are selfless and are willing to make personal sacrifices for their teammates and team.

It means having respect, character, ethics, integrity, values and morals and conducting yourself in everything you do consistent with those principles. It means doing what is right because it is the right thing to do. These are the principles which guide our Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Ice Hockey program and that we strive to develop in our players everyday.

Our players have served as team captains at most all levels of hockey, including Division 1 teams like Harvard and Ohio State University. And because we believe that all of our young athletes "were born to succeed, not fail " we anticipate seeing many of our athletes achieving the same or greater successes in the future as well.

We will continue to help our young athletes as best we can to develop into leaders and young men of character. And we congratulate Patrick on this great, great achievement which reflects so well on him as a person, as a teammate and as a born leader, and which makes us so very, very proud to be able to call him a Pittsburgh Hornet.

Patrick Gaul of the Pittsburgh Hornets Commits to Notre Dame for 2008-2009 Season !

2006-08-09T14:12:00.000-04:00

Hockey sources are reporting that Patrick Gaul of the Pittsburgh Hornets has committed to play his collegiate hockey with Notre Dame University! As most everyone in amateur hockey knows, Notre Dame has one of the top up and coming hockey programs in the country and are well on their way to becoming a national powerhouse in hockey. Additionally, Coach Jeff Jackson (winner of 2 NCAA championships with Lake Superior State and with proven top notch coaching experience with the NTDP, the Olympics and the NHL) along with outstanding Assistant Coaches Andy Slaggert and Paul Pooley, form one of the top hockey coaching staffs in North America as well.

Patrick has committed for the school year 2008-2009 and will further his considerable hockey skills as a member of the USA Hockey National Development Team next year as well before taking on the collegiate challenges at Notre Dame thereafter. Patrick represents the latest in a long list of Pittsburgh Hornet Hockey players from Western Pennsylvania that have develped their skill levels with our organization and have gone on to great hockey success at the junior, college and pro levels. Congratualtions Patrick on this tremendous achievement!

Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni Create Buzz with Wheeling Nailers

2006-08-02T17:04:00.000-04:00

Earl Bugaile of www.wjpa.com , the #1 hockey reporter in Pennsylvania has posted a nice writeup about the success of former Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni playing professional hockey with the Wheeling Nailers.

We reprint this posting and congratulate our Pittsburgh Hornets playing professional hockey and encourage everyone to check out the postings everyday of Earl Bugaile, the best hockey reporter in Pennsylvania.

_______________________________________________

The Wheeling Nailers have become a showplace for Western Pennsylvania hockey talent, with players such as Cliff Loya, Bill Downey and Mike Betz, and over the weekend they announced yet another signing of a former Pittsburgh area high school hockey player. Defenseman Bernie Chmiel, who played at Central Catholic and with Penn State, signed a contract to play in Wheeling next season.

Chmiel, 24, joins the Nailers for his first professional season after playing four seasons at NCAA Division I Sacred Heart University. In four years at Sacred Heart he registered 21 goals and 56 assists, while racking up 239 penalty minutes.The 6’0” 205 pound native of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania played one season with the Dubuque Fighting Saints in the USHL before returning home in 2001-02 to play for the expansion Pittsburgh Forge Junior A team in the NAHL.

“Being from Pittsburgh I had seen him play in high school so I knew he was a good player, and over the years I kept an eye on where his career was going,” said Nailers Assistant Director of Hockey Operations Ryan Patrick.

“He had a pretty successful college career, and after he finished up school this year we decided to talk to him about playing for the Nailers”. “I grew up playing with Bill Downey on travel teams and in high school, and he had nothing but good things to say about Wheeling and the Nailers”, said Chmiel. “I’m really excited to get this chance to come in and prove myself as a professional player”.

USA Hockey 2006-2007 New Standard of Play and Rules Emphasis

2006-07-20T20:18:00.000-04:00

2006-2007 New Standard of Play and Rules Emphasis

The recent USA Hockey Congress was noteworthy for the new standard of Play and Rules Emphasis that emanated out of this meeting. Everyone should take a moment to familiarize themselves with these new rules and standards. We provide a summary of the same below:

Summary

Through the new standard of rules enforcement, our game, much like the National Hockey League, will continue to allow the opportunity for improved skill development and a more positive hockey environment for all participants. The mission of USA Hockey is clear; through this new initiative a greater emphasis will be placed on skating, puck possession and the proper use of the body to establish position and a competitive advantage.

The goal of the enforcement standard is to reduce restraining infractions in the game and not to remove legal body checking or body contact. A hard body check or using body contact/position (non-checking classifications) to gain a competitive advantage over the opponent should not be penalized as long as it is performed within the rules.

The principles of this new enforcement standard include the following:

· The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck.

· The stick will not be allowed to in any way impede a player’s progress.

· The use of a free hand/arm will not be allowed to grab or impede a player’s progress.

· Players who use their physical skills and/or anticipation and have a positional advantage shall not lose that advantage as a result of illegal acts by the opponent.

· Players will be held accountable for acts of an intimidating or dangerous nature.

FOR MORE DETAILS AND ANALYSIS ON THESE CHANGES, PLEASE CLICK THIS HYPERLINK WHICH WILL TAKE YOU TO THE USAHOCKEY WEBSITE EXPLAINING THIS NEW DIRECTION IN THE GAME UNDERTAKEN BY USA HOCKEY.

Pat Gaul selected for USA Hockey U-17 National Team Development Program for 2006-2007 Season !

2006-07-11T10:45:00.000-04:00

July 11, 2006

Well, its official!

The Pittsburgh Hornets are proud to announce that Patrick Gaul (birthyear 1990) has been named to the roster of the USA Hockey NTDP U-17 team for the 2006-2007 hockey season. What an outstanding achievement to be selected to play for your country on the national team!!!

Patrick is one of the top young hockey players in the country and had a tremendous showing at the recent USA Hockey Festival. He is an extemely smart and clever player, maintains a strong work ethic, posseses outstanding academics and most importantly is a young man of great character.

Patrick joins former R.J. Umberger, C.J. Severyn, Dwight Labrosse and Dylan Reese as Pittsburgh Hornets that have developed through our program and reached this pinnacle of athletic accomplishment by being selected to play for a USA Hockey National Team.

Congratulations Patrick on this outstanding achievement and demonstrating once again why the Pittsburgh Hornets are considered one of the top amateur hockey development programs in the country. We are all very, very proud of you and wish you the best for this upcoming season !

Coaches-Time To Strap on the Old Helmet !!!!

2006-06-21T00:11:00.000-04:00

Well, tryouts are over, the teams are picked, and the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Amateur Hockey Association will be gearing up soon to begin its quest at all birth year levels for the USA Hockey National Championships. Congratulations to those players selected for the upcoming season!!

Summertime has now begun, and the hockey news is a bit slow right now while everyone takes a break from hockey, at least for a little bit, to enjoy the summer and the fun it has to offer. But USA Hockey recently held its Annual Congress and certain rules changes will be made for the upcoming year, but perhaps the most interesting change is that now, all coaches when on the ice will have to wear helmets!!! This rule was a long time in coming and will certainly cause a lot of grumbling amongst the old timers, thats for sure. But times change, so perhaps the time has come for coaches to get on board and give this new rule a try. More on all of this per the USA Hockey Press Release reprinted below. Stay tuned for more Hornet Hockey news in the near future, and enjoy the summer while you can!!!

2006 USA Hockey Annual Congress Wrap
June 14, 2006

USA Hockey Board Of Directors Endorses New Standard Of Play And Rule Emphasis At Its Annual Congress; Coaches Use Of Helmets Also Mandated COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- USA Hockey’s four-day Annual Congress concluded last Sunday (June 11) in Colorado Springs, highlighted by its Board of Directors’ unanimous endorsement of a new standard of play and rule emphasis beginning with the 2006-07 season.

“We accomplished a great deal during our Annual Congress,” said Ron DeGregorio, who was unanimously re-elected to another three-year term as president of USA Hockey. “Clearly the most significant step forward came with the adoption of our new standard of play and rule emphasis.”

The policy (which is outlined in its entirety here), focuses on five principles:
* The use of the stick will be limited to only playing the puck.
* The stick will not be allowed to in any way impede a player’s progress.
* The use of a free hand/arm will not be allowed to grab or impede a player’s progress.
* Players who use their physical skills and/or anticipation to gain a positional advantage shall not lose that advantage as a result of illegal acts by the opponent.
* Players will be held accountable for acts of an intimidating or dangerous nature.
“As the leader of amateur hockey in the United States, we continue to focus on growing the game and making the game better,” said DeGregorio. “In mandating the enforcement of rules that particularly deal with the obstruction of a player in any fashion, our game will be better and we’ll attract more players and fans to the game.”

Another significant change came with the Board of Directors’ vote requiring all ice hockey coaches and instructors of registered USA Hockey youth/high school, disabled, girls’/women’s 19 & under and below programs properly wear an ice hockey helmet during all on-ice sessions, including practices, controlled scrimmages and coach and referee clinics (seminars).

“Every year there are injuries to coaches that could have been prevented by wearing a helmet,” said DeGregorio. “This legislation represents a positive step forward for the safety of our coaches.”

O Captain My Captain ! Dylan Reese follows in footsteps of Harvard Hockey Captains Kenny Smith, Noah Welch and Peter Hafner

2006-05-09T13:46:00.000-04:00

Pittsburgh Tribune Review
Dylan Reese steps up at Harvard
By Tricia LaffertyTuesday, May 9, 2006

Harvard junior Dylan Reese kept his eyes wide open the past three years. So, when he was announced as the Harvard hockey team's next captain at the season-ending banquet, the task ahead didn't seem all that overwhelming. The Upper St. Clair graduate knew when he committed to Harvard that he eventually wanted to be captain. After years in the shadows of close friends and former Harvard captains Kenny Smith, Noah Welch and Peter Hafner, Reese was able to paint a clear vision of what he wanted to do with his team.

"I know how much a captain can mean to a team," Reese said. "You have to lead, offer criticism, build the team. I watched these guys come before me and lead in different ways and now I want to create my own leadership style."

Reese hopes to successfully defend this season's Eastern College Athletic Conference Hockey League and Ivy League titles and distinguish the 2006 Crimson as a team that will advance beyond the quarterfinals of the NCAA tournament. Harvard is one of three teams that qualified for the tournament in each of the past five years, but it hasn't advanced past the first round.

One of Reese's top priorities will be to enhance team camaraderie. Reese, the fourth consecutive Harvard defenseman to be elected captain, arranged a team dinner within a month of the season's end. He also made numerous telephone calls to reach out to incoming freshmen.

"(Being captain) is a big responsibility, and it takes a lot out of you," said Harvard assistant coach and former Harvard captain Sean McCann, a 1994 graduate. "You have to take care of yourself and your own game and then you have the responsibility of the team and everything that goes with it. There's the pressure of success of a team and not just a player."

After missing the majority of his freshman season because of a herniated disc, Reese played in 34 games as a sophomore, leading all Harvard blueliners with seven goals and finishing second in plus/minus, with a plus-24. This year, Reese had four goals, 16 assists and was a plus-8.
"His biggest asset is the ability to take control of the game," McCann said. "When things get a little crazy and there's a lot of pressure, he's good at buckling down. He knows how to react when things are on the line."

For Reese, this season was highlighted by the Crimson's first victory at Cornell in seven years, when Harvard captured the Ivy League and ECACHL titles with the help of his goal and two assists.

Reese said his junior campaign was successful in part because he was previously molded by Welch and defenseman Ryan Lannon. After being called up late in the NHL season, Welch played four games with the Penguins before rejoining Lannon and the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins for the AHL Calder Cup playoffs.

"I'd like to try to play professional hockey," said Reese, a first-team All-Ivy selection, who was selected by the New York Rangers as the 203rd pick in the 2003 draft. "I'll weigh my chances to play in the NHL. Part of the reason I came (to Harvard) is because I know that hockey doesn't always pan out, but it's not a pipe-dream, either."

Alumni Update: Guenin receives post-season honors

2006-05-08T23:24:00.000-04:00

Former Hornet defenseman Nate Guenin was among several Ohio State players honored over the weekend during the team’s annual awards banquet. Guenin, who was captain this season, was voted the 'Joseph W. Smith Best Defensive Player Award Winner' by his teammates.

The Buckeyes’ captain this season, he was an honorable mention All-CCHA selection and led the Buckeye defense that ranked 12th in the nation, limiting opponents to 2.4 goals a game. He played in all 39 games and had 11 assists on the year to tie for third on the team. As proof of his unselfish, “Team first” attitude, Guenin sacrificed his body 59 times to lead his team in blocked shots. An All-Academic award winner, Guenin will graduate this spring, and will be eligible to sign with the New York Rangers of the NHL.

Pittsburgh Hornets Success as Goaltending Factory Continues !

2006-05-07T11:07:00.000-04:00

GOALTENDER ALERT !!!!!

Over the years, the Pittsburgh Hornets Tier 1 AAA Hockey Association has gained a deserved reputation not only as one of the top Tier 1 AAA Hockey Associations in the country, but also for producing some of the best amateur ice hockey goaltenders in North America as well. It seems every year the Hornets produce top quality goaltenders that go on to success at the amateur, junior and college levels throughout North America.

Check out the updates provided below of the some of the recent accomplishments of our goaltenders and if you are a goaltender interested in taking your game to the next level, you should consider joining the Pittsburgh Hornets. Give us a call or drop us an email if you want to learn more about the Pathway to Opportunity for goaltenders you can find with the Pittsburgh Hornets Tier 1 AAA Hockey Association

Hornets Goaltender Rob Madore Ready to Compete for Starting Job with Chicago Steel

2006-05-07T11:01:00.000-04:00

May 6, 2006By Brian McDonough - USHL Director of Communications

The Chicago Steel auditioned five goaltenders last season while allowing the most goals against in the entire USHL. That translated into the league's worst record and an immediate search for a bona fide goaltending tandem.

The Steel wasted no time addressing the issue during Thursday's USHL Entry Draft, as Chicago jumped on two blue-chip netminders with its first two picks.
Cushing Academy's Richard Bachman, who was picked No.1 overall, and the Pittsburgh Hornets' Rob Madore, who went with the first pick in the second round (13th overall), are the only two keepers the Steel plans on using this season as second-year Chicago coach-GM Chris Imes began his assembly of a championship contender.
"He (Imes) led on to the fact that if you look at the two teams last year that were in the finals (Des Moines and Sioux Falls), both of them had exceptional goaltenders," said Madore. "I know that's a recipe for success and Richard Bachman and I will be able to fit the bill there and try to make a run at a Clark Cup."

Both goaltenders boast winning resumes. In 29 games at Cushing this season, Bachman held a 2.06 goals-against average and a .931 save percentage. The Colorado College recruit also backstopped the Boston Jr. Bruins' 18-and-under midget team to the Tier 1 national championship last month (the B's defeated the Chicago Chill in overtime, 2-1).
His efforts didn't go unnoticed by NHL Central Scouting, which pegged Bachman No. 26 among North American goaltenders on its final rankings of 2006 of draft eligibles.

Madore guided the Hornets to the semifinals of the 18-and-under Tier 1 midget nationals the past two years. In 63 appearances this season (including nationals), he fashioned a 38-20-3-3 record to compliment a 1.98 goals-against average and a .934 save percentage. The Hornets lost in the national semis this year to the Chill, who had four players selected in the first two rounds of the draft.

News of his No. 1 selection didn't come as a complete surprise - Chicago told him a few days earlier that he might go first overall - but Bachman was nonetheless humbled by the recognition.
"I was at school when it happened and all my buddies told me, so I was pretty excited," said Bachman, who was drafted into the USHL last year by Tri-City but decided to finish his high school career at Cushing. "It shows that Chicago has a lot of confidence in me to come in and do the job for them. There's the pressure of being the No. 1 draft choice, but it think it will be fun to prove that I deserve my selection." Madore, on the other hand, wants to prove some people wrong, specifically the USHL teams that overlooked him in the first round of the draft.

"I was watching (the draft on the Internet) and saw team after team pass me up and that adds a little chip on my shoulder," said Madore, who talked to a number of teams prior to the draft. "Not to sound cocky, but I'm kind of surprised I didn't go higher, because I know there's a lot of teams that need goaltenders, but that's just a little added incentive to work my tail off.
"But it's very exciting. I'm just looking forward to the season starting. I've been working hard since I started playing hockey and I've been working to get to this point right here, and obviously I'm working to get to the NHL, but this is the step I have to take and I'm really looking forward to going in and competing with Bachman."

Both Bachman, who turns 19 in July, and Madore, who turns 18 on May 28, are valuing the stiff competition in anticipation of molding each other into better goaltenders."I actually like that they picked a goalie in the second round," said Bachman, a Highlands Ranch, Colo., native. "I know a little bit about Madore. It will be good to have good competition at practice and have someone there pushing me to keep getting better."

"He's definitely a very good goaltender," Madore said of Bachman. "I don't want to take anything away from him. He's the first overall pick and he's got a scholarship to Colorado College, but don't think for a second that that's going to intimidate me."Bachman's Bruins and Madore's Hornets faced off against each other at last year's national tournament. The Hornets won, 5-3, but Bachman didn't play."No one is going to give me a lot of credit because I'm the second goalie picked and Bachman was first, but I think the competition will be good for both of us," said Madore.

Both masked men are familiar with the Steel. A few of Bachman's teammates at Cushing are from Chicago and know a few of the Steel players. Madore is good friends with Chris Clackson, who just finished his second season with Chicago and is heading to Western Michigan this coming fall.With Bachman's college future secured, Madore is looking forward to garnering more attention in that department. He's confident the situation will take care of itself with a solid season between USHL pipes."I know that if I go out there and play my game I'm not going to have any problems as far as that (college) goes," said Madore, who will be a high school senior in 2006-07. "Having a good team, which it looks like we will, definitely isn't going to hurt."

Madore lived out every young Pittsburgh player's fantasy for a day this past season. With goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury out with the flu and the team's AHL and ECHL affiliates on the road, he got between the pipes during a Pittsburgh Penguins practice.
"I got the call up," Madore joked. "I was in awe with all these future Hall of Famers, players you watch on TV, but I picked up a lot of good practice habits, like going all out every time."
Madore credits much of his recent success the Hornets' strong defensive unit."I have to thank my defensemen from the last two years for helping me get this far," he said. "I wouldn't be here without them. As a goaltender, without a good defense you're up the creek without a paddle."
Regardless of where either went in the draft, both Bachman and Madore know their work ethic - and ultimately their performance - will dictate their minutes.

"I think he (Imes) expects me to come in and be the guy," said Bachman. "Obviously I have to go in and prove that, but it's a good opportunity for me.""I'm just looking forward to going all out no matter where I am - at home working out or on the ice - just because I want to win that starting job,"

Hornet Goaltender Matt Skoff and Team Bauer Selects win Prospects Tourney 1991 Birthyear Championship !

2006-05-07T10:53:00.000-04:00

Congratulations are in order for Pittsburgh Hornet Goaltender Matthew Skoff (1991 Birth year) as he combined with Goaltender Jeff Teglia to lead his Team Bauer Selects to a 2-0 victory to capture the Prospects Tournament 1991 Birthyear Championship over the East Coast Selects last week in Toronto. The Team Bauer Selects are a collection of some of the best hockey players in the country and we congratulate Matt and his teammates on this impressive tournament victory.

Team Bauer Selects- Andre Kuchin, Sam Calabrese, Tyler Brickler, Mith Lebar, Jet Morin, Cody Murphy, Justin Baker, Beau Schmitz, A.J. Treais, Joey Tullis, Alex Bearson, Barron Smith, Brandon Pirri, Paul Phillips, Garrett Peterson, Ben Hughes, Jamie Knight, Jeff Teglia, Matthew Skoff.

FLASH update- USHL Draft 4 Hornets Drafted; 1 Tendered

2006-05-04T15:18:00.001-04:00

USHL Draft results:
former Hornet Denny Urban talen in 1st round by Omaha; Rob Madore by Chicago (13 th Pick overall); Pat Gaul by Chicago, Furman South to Waterloo......

Tim Hall accepts tender with Columbus.

more to follow

Pittsburgh Hornets Dylan Reese named 111th Captain of Harvard Hockey

2006-04-24T18:50:00.000-04:00

Harvard University has just announced today that former Pittsburgh Hornet Dylan Reese has just been named the 111th captain of the Harvard hockey team.

Reese will lead the 2006-07 Crimson in its quest for a fourth ECACHL title in six years and a sixth straight appearance in the NCAA tournament. A first-team All-Ivy League and second-team All-ECACHL selection as a junior, Reese earned a spot on the ECACHL Championship all-tournament team with five points and a +4 rating on the championship weekend. The Pittsburgh native led Harvard's defenseman with 19 points on four goals and 15 assists.

The Pittsburgh Hornets are so proud of Dylan, not only because of his hockey prowess, but because of the academic, character and leadership traits and abilities that have resulted in his selection as team captain. Dylan is a role model of what is right about college hockey, and we are so proud of him. Congratulations Dylan on this magnificent accomplishment !

Pgh Hornets Midget Major (U18) and Midget Minor (U16) Tryouts Up Next !

2006-04-24T11:13:00.002-04:00

Please mark your calendar for the Pittsburgh Hornets upcoming tryouts for the Midget Majors (U18) and the Midget Minors (U16) that are upcoming at the RMU Island Sports Center.

CLICK THIS LINK TO GO DIRECTLY TO THE TRYOUT PAGE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE TRYOUTS, THE TIMES AND DATES.

As of April 24, 2006, the tryouts are scheduled as follows:

Midget Majors

Midget Major (18U)
May 10, 2006 (Wed.)
7:15 PM - 10:00 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 16, 2006 (Tues.)
7:00 PM - 10:00 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 17, 2006 (Wed.)
7:00 PM - 8:15 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 17, 2006 (Wed.)
8:30 PM - 9:30 PM (Goalies Only)
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 17, 2006 (Wed.)
9:30 PM - 10:45 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Major (18U)
May 21, 2006 (Sun.)
4:00 PM - 6:45 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)

May 15, 2006 (Mon.)
7:30 PM - 9:20 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)
May 23, 2006 (Tues.)
8:00 PM - 9:45 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

Midget Minor (16U)
May 24, 2006 (Wed.)
8:00 PM - 9:45 PM
RMU Island Sports Center

ALWAYS CHECK THE PITTSBURGH HORNETS OFFICIAL WEBSITE TO CONFIRM THE FINAL TRYOUT TIMES BY CLICKING HERE, AND GOOD LUCK TO ALL PLAYERS TRYING OUT FOR THESE TEAMS

Pittsburgh Hornets Salute Coach Paul Taibi and the 2006 Players of Team Pittsburgh !

2006-04-22T00:05:00.000-04:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets Amateur Hockey Association is currently one of the premier AAA amateur hockey associations in the country and the leading amateur hockey association in Western Pennsylvania. At the Pittsburgh Hornets, we pride ourselves on developing excellence on the ice with our players and off the ice with our players as well. And in this role of excellence, we believe it appropriate to salute others in our field and in our geographic area that are committed to the same beliefs and values as well. In that regard, we must tip our hat to Paul Taibi, coach of the current version of Team Pittsburgh competing in the prestigious Chicago Showcase (US High School Invitational Hockey Tournament).

Paul has done a tremendous job this year coaching the Mt. Lebanon Varsity Hockey Team to the AAA Pennsylvania State Hockey Championship,the first state championship for perennial powerhouse Mt. Lebanon in the last 30 years. Appointed as Team Pittsburgh coach, he has taken a diverse group of players and made them into a force to be reckoned with as Team Pittsburgh has already beaten Team New York by a score of 7-1, beaten Team California (last years champion) by a score of 5-1, and this evening has beaten for the first time in Chicago Showcase History Team Minnesota by the score of 4-3. This victory over Minnesoata is a tremendous accomplishment. Team Minnesota every year is loaded with some of the best players in the country, so the victory this evening by Team Pittsburgh is a monumental feat.

And the Team Pittsburgh juggernaut keeps rolling as on Saturday in the quarter-finals they have just beaten Team Tri-State by a score of 4-3, and it was also announced that Matt Bartkowski (Mt. Lebanon) of Team Pittsburgh has already been named Chicago Showcase Tournament MVP. They move on to the semi-finals Sunday morning.

Throughout its history, the Pittsburgh Hornets have always been major participants in the Team Pittsburgh effort as many Hornet player, such as Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni J.B. Bittner and Pittsburgh Hornet Coaches Joe Gaul and Chris Stern and others have participated in this outstanding event to increase the visbility of Pittsburgh Hockey at this prestigious tournament. At the Pittsburgh Hornets, we are committed to excellence in hockey in Western Pennsylvania and salute Paul Taibi (and General Manager David Klasnick) and the players on Team Pittsburgh for this tremendous accomplishment today of beating Team Minnesota, a victory which has propelled them to the quarter-finals, and the Pittsburgh Hornets wish everyone with Team Pittsburgh 2006 all the best as they compete for the eventual tournament championship.

Chris Clackson lands on final NHL Draft List for 2006

2006-04-21T08:32:00.000-04:00

Good news in Pittsburgh Hockey to report. Former Pittsburgh Hornet Chris Clackson is listed on the recent NHL Central Scouting Bureau draft list released the other day for potential selection in the upcoming NHL draft. Clackson, currently plays for the Chicago Steel in the USHL and has already committed to play his D-1 College Hockey at Western Michigan.

Chris ended up with a #198 ranking and is projected to go in the 7th round of the NHL draft. While the entire NHL drafting system is always and uncertain process, one thing that is certain is that Chris is an excellent player, an all around great kid, and someone that will make Western Michigan proud to have him on their team. It is also a certainty that his Mom, Dad and the Pittsburgh Hornets are extremely proud of him as well and we all wish Crhis the best in his college hockey career and the upcoming NHL draft. Congratulations Chris from all of us at the Pittsburgh Hornets.

ALUMNI UPDATE

2006-04-14T13:19:00.000-04:00

The regular season has ended in Junior hockey, and some former Pittsburgh Hornet players will be headed elsewhere next season after successful seasons. Dane Hetland finished his career with the EJHL Bay State Breakers 18 th overall in the league, but leading his team with 21 goals and 27 assists for 48 points. Dane will enter Miami University next fall.

Defenseman and team captain, Chris Brown, had 10 assists and 12 points, while Alex Wright had eight assists and nine points for the Breakers before a season ending injury; Nick DeCroo had 13 goals and 15 assists for the Junior Bruins.

In the NAHL, Dennis Urban had 13 goals and 17 assists for 30 points with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms finished the season with an amazing playoff run of 5 goals and 3 assists in 5 games. Matt Quigley had eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. Bryce Merriam had a 13-8-0 record, a 3.27 goals against average and a .906 save percentage for the Phantoms.

At Texarkana, defenseman Mike Levendusky had 14 assists and 15 points. CJ Severyn finished the regular season at the USA Hockey National Team Developmental Program U-18 team with 13 assists and 15 points.

In the USHL, Chris Clackson had a regular season with 23 goals and 26 assists for 49 points, to be second on the team in scoring, while at Green Bay, Sergio Somma had 20 goals and 26 assists for 46 points.

Team captain, Christian Minella, finished the regular season at Sioux City with 24 goals and 14 assists for 38 points. Nick Tabisz, a defenseman for Green Bay, posted 9 goals and 4 assists. Ron Cramer, a late season addition of the Indiana Ice, had 3 goals in 19 games.

In the OHL, Plymouth goalie Justin Garay appeared in 14 games, and finished with a 3.72 goals against average and a .892 save percentage. ...

Pittsburgh Hornets - New Webpage and Tryout Times !

2006-04-10T22:10:00.000-04:00

Lots of new developments these days! Hey, check out our

New and improved redesigned website, packed with lots of information and new features

Also, remember

Its tryout time again!

Go to new website or click this link to go direct to the tryout information.

If you want to play against top competition. If you want to further your hockey career. If you want to be the best you can be, then you deserve it for yourself to check out what the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association has to offer. See you at tryouts.

It's Tryout Time for the Pittsburgh Hornets !!!

2006-04-05T20:53:00.000-04:00

A most wonderful thing occurs in our sport of hockey every year. As soon as one season is completed, another one starts all over again. At the Pittsburgh Hornets, we don't rest on our laurels and our successes. Once the season is over, we begin in earnest preparing for the upcoming season and striving once again for a national championship. As such, it is now tryout time at the Pittsburgh Hornets. If you are interested in becoming a member of one of the best Tier 1 AAA amateur hockey programs in the country for the upcoming 2006-2007 season, we would encourage you to go to our organization website at www.pittsburghhornets.com to learn more about our organization and the upcoming tryouts. You can discover the upcoming tryout dates for the Pittsburgh Hornets by viewing the same on our webpage www.pittsburghhornets.com or BY SIMPLY CLICKING THIS INTERNET LINK FOR THE HORNET TRYOUT DATES.

A special word about tryouts: For those families new to the travel hockey tryout process, get ready for a new, confusing and strange experience, and realize that you will never be more loved, cajoled, recruited, pressured, persuaded, and the object of more affection from local hockey associations more than you will in the next 60-90 days. You will be told that your aspiring young athlete will be on his or her way to the Division 1 college or the NHL (regardless of their current age) if ONLY you decide to play for their organization. You will be told that they "know" people in the US or Canada, that they do things "differently", that they can get you "seen" to get into juniors or college or what not.

When you ask for more specifics on these things, or how many of their players have been developed and moved on to juniors, colleges or even the NHL, or you ask for a "game plan" on how these things will be accomplished, you will never get specifics, because many of these "recruiters" simply cannot deliver the goods.

Then, as the continual pressure and persuasion attempts become more desperate to get you to commit to their organization, the negative stuff will then start surfacing, where these groups will base their recruiting of your son/daughter by saying "negative" things about other organizations. Desperation is a sad thing indeed.

Truth be told, there are a myriad of different routes to climb the ladder of amateur hockey. And indeed, there are some good coaches and organizations around that run fine amateur hockey programs at all levels of hockey. And hockey organizations all offer different experiences, some of which may be good for your family circumstances, some of which may not.

In choosing a AAA hockey program for your child, you deserve to be with the best organization that meets the needs of your family, and your young athlete. We recommend that if you are interested in doing so, you do check out other organizations, compare what each group has to offer, and make your decision in the best interests of your family, and which organizations will help your child become the best hockey player, and person, that they can possibly be. Some questions you should ask and things you should consider and compare between competing organizations:

Who will be the coach for my child?. How many years of actual coaching experience at the AAA level does that person have? Will they be committed to be on the ice for practices and games, or will they essentially never be there, leaving everything to assistants.?
How are players selected for a team? Are they selected by a team of evaluators picking the best players possible in a competitive tryout or are tryouts essentially meaningless, with the Coach placing favorites and friends on a team over talent? Do they have a published "evaluation" standard?
What is the overall cost to participate on a team? How much ice time will the players get during the week? Are there any hidden fees, like tournament fees, additional ice times needed for practices, etc.?
What league will the team play in, or if they play an independent schedule, do they consistently play the top teams in the country, both home and away, or do they rely upon entering into tournaments to get their competition?
What has been the organizations track record over the years? Do they have a long history of developing young athletes and helping them reach the higher levels of hockey? How did their teams perform during the most recent season? Ask for names and specifics and details.
Try and talk with current players (even past players) that were members of an organization. The current players are the best to talk with. Do they like the organization? Do they believe the organization helped them in their journey to success, both on and off the ice?
For some additional questions (and answers) to consider, please go to this Pgh Hornets link for more details.

For want of a better description, this comparison and evaluation process can be called:

"The AAA Hockey Parents and Players Tryout Bill of Rights."

We believe that:

"All parents and families have the right to ask these questions of a AAA hockey association, and more importantly, all parents and families have the right to get honest ANSWERS to their questions as well."

When you ask these questions, when you get answers to your questions, when you compare the strengths and weaknesses of each organization in a fair and honest manner, we believe it to be more likely than not that you will find the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Hockey Association to be the place to be for your aspiring athlete, and your family, to be for the 2006-2007 season.

Please come join us at tryouts !

Meet our players, meet our coaches, ask us to provide recommendations from others about our organization, and discover why, if you are seriously interested in the best AAA hockey experience possible, that the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Hockey Association is the best place for your family, and your child, to be. See you at tryouts.

A Final Farewell to the 2006 Pittsburgh Hornets National Championship Participants

2006-04-05T20:42:00.000-04:00

Well, the 2005-2006 AAA hockey season is now history, and the Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Tier 1 AAA hockey teams have a lot to be proud of. It is perhaps the first time in USA Hockey history that an organization has sent 4 teams to the boys Tier 1 AAA National Championship competitions. Additionally, are other younger teams have had great years as well. Such accomplishments underscore why the Pittsburgh Hornets are one of the top amateur hockey associations in the country as the Pittsburgh Hornets constantly produce winners, both on and off the ice. We give a final salute to all of our younger teams this year for great seasons, and in particular to our following Pittsburgh Hornets hockey teams for their great accomplishments on the national stage as well:

Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major U18 Team-2006 USA Hockey National Championship semi-finalist.
Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Minor U16 - 2006 USA Hockey National Championship quarter-finalist.
Pittsburgh Hornets Bantam Major U14- 2006 USA Hockey National Championship particpant.
Pittsburgh Hornets Pee Wee Major U12 -2006 USA Hockey National Championship runner-up

Congratulations to all of the players, parents, coaches and administrators in our association for working together and creating the best season our association has ever had ! We now move on to next season, and begin the journey once again !!!

Pittsburgh Hornets U12 Team lose to Dallas Ice Jets in USA Hockey Tier 1 National Championship Game 5-3

2006-04-02T14:56:00.000-04:00

It's a sad day in Pittsburgh as the Pittsburgh Hornets U12 Tier 1 Hockey team has lost in the National Championship game against the Dallas Ice by a score of 5-3, ending their season as the runner-ups for the USA Hockey National Championship. The Hornets were down 4-3 in the third period but fought gallantly back, outplaying Dallas at the end of third period, only to have the Dallas Goaltender Frye make save after save as Dallas won this contest. It was heart-wrenching to listen to the radio broadcast as the Hornets hit the post 2x in the final 2 minutes of play that would have tied the game in regulation. The Hornets pulled the goalie with 1:10 left in the third period with a faceoff in the Dallas end, and had a flurry of shots on goal, all of which were stopped by Dallas, before Dallas iced the pucked into the empty net, and icing the 5-3 win for their team. Congratulations to the Dallas Ice Jets on a hard fought battle, the Hornets salute you.

Although the result today is disapointing for the U12 team, it has been nothing but a glorious run at the USA Hockey National Championship competitions by the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Organization. From the hard nose, battling hockey of the 1991 U14's in round robin play (highlighted by an amazing overtime game with Shattucks) to the Midget U16 team's brand of unselfish and power hockey in its march into the quarter final round, to the Midget Majors U18 grab for glory in winning an amazing triple overtime game and valiantly competing with essentially no rest into the semi-final round, to the 1992 U12's heartwrenching struggle in the championship game after a tremendous run through the tournament, these Hornet teams have further established the credentials of the PittsburghHornets Hockey Association as one of the pre-eminent Tier 1 Hockey Association in the United States of America.

And more importantly, these teams have accomplished these milestones doing things the right way, with clean, hard and fair play, playing by the rules and conducting ourselves with honor, with dignity, with class and always in the best interest of the young athlete, respecting our opponents and the game itself, while always challenging ourselves to be the best, both on and off the ice.

The sounds of exellence made by the Hornet organization at these USA Hockey National Championships will continue to reverberate through the amateur hockey community for a long, long time after these tournaments have ended, spreading the word about the excellence of our organization, and setting the standard for others to emulate. Well done Hornets. Well done indeed !!!

Pittsburgh Hornets Tier 1 U12 Team Plays for National Championship Today

2006-04-02T12:20:00.000-04:00

The Hornet flag at Nationals is still flying proudly today as the Pittsburgh Hornets Tier 1 U12 Team play for the USA Hockey National Championship today at 1 pm in Lawrence Massachusettes against the Dallas Ice Jets. This team of 1993 birth year players, lead by Coach Don Barber, have been on a tear through the tournament, going 5-0 into todays championship game. Check out all of the action on todays championship game by going to the USA Hockey Website and drilling into THIS RADIO LINK and listen to the game live on internet radio! Good luck Hornets and bring home the National Championship !!!

Pittsburgh Hornets U18 run out of steam, lose to Chicago Chill 2-0

2006-04-01T22:12:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets put up a valiant effort, but sadly could not overcome the exhaustion and fatigue remaning from their thrilling triple overtime win today, loosing to the Chicago Chill 2-0 in this evenings semi-final game. The Hornets fought so hard and skated so well to get to this game, but clearly were suffering from the effects of the triple overtime victory today. There was so much physical, mental and emotional energy expended in the victory over Belle Tire that the Hornet boys simply didn't have enough time to recover during the less than 4 hours between the end of the Belle Tire game and the beginning of the Chicago Chill game.

Take nothing away from the Chicago Chill though. They are one of the top teams in the country and proved it by scoring in the first period and once in the second period to seal the victory, though the Hornets, skating on nothing but heart, desire and pride, had a flurry of good scoring chances toward the end of the third period, but simply ran out of gas, with observers noting how the players were gasping for air during breaks in the action in the third period, as they were so very, very drained by the end of the contest, after a very hard and very long day of playing hockey (literally almost 3 games in one day, consecutively) at the highest levels possible in amateur sport in this country (Tier 1).

The great Coach Vince Lombardi once said "It is time for us to stand and cheer for the doer, the achiever, the one who recognizes the challenge and does something about it." So in that regard, it is time for us to stand and cheer for the Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Midget Major Hockey Team, a team that fought so hard, for so long, and for so well, against difficult odds today and difficult opponents as well.

They didn't quit, they didn't throw in the towel, They battled through the odds today to emerge victorious in triple overtime, and continued to battle just as hard this evening, making this a very close and competitive contest with the Chill, though their strength was sapped from the earlier encounter, in pursuit of a National Championship.

And though they fell short of that goal, perhaps they acheived another, even greater accolade, by earning such great respect from the parents, coaches and fans of amateur hockey that saw them battle to the bitter end under difficult circumstances, with heart, courage, tenacity, desire and pride. Congratulations Pittsburgh Hornets U18 Midget Major Hockey Team, you have done us all, and the Pittsburgh Hornets organization, and yourselves, very proud indeed!

Best of luck to the Chicago Chill as they move on to the National Championship game and congratulations to all of the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey teams (The Midget Majors, the U16's and the U14's) for their fine showings and efforts in Rochester at the USA Hockey Tier 1 National Championships. You are truly one of the best, and classiest, organizations in Tier 1 Hockey today in the United States.

Pittsburgh Hornets defeat Belle Tire 3-2 in TRIPLE OVERTIME to advance to the Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championship Semi-final round !!

2006-04-01T17:20:00.000-05:00

The hearts of all Hornet fans are still pumping and fluttering as the Pittsburgh Midget Majors won a game for the ages, defeating Belle Tire by a score of 3-2 in TRIPLE OVERTIME to clinch a spot in the final four for the USA National Hockey Championship.

Furman South scored the first goal in regulation, off of a beautiful passing play from Polidor and Jake Dellavalle, though Belle Tire tallied later as the score was 1-1 at the end of the 2nd period. After the ice cut, Belle tire started the third period off quickly and lead by a score of 2-1. These Pittsburgh Hornets though don’t understand the meaning of the word “defeat” and battled back to score with about 5 minutes left in regulation.

And WOW, what overtime sessions these where! Eyewitness reports confirm that many of the spectators at the packed rink had never seen such end to end action, with breakaways for both sides being stopped as the action was thick and furious. The battle went on and on throughout the first overtime, and then into the second overtime, the action just wouldn’t end as the spectators were on their feet screaming and getting hoarse in the process!

The Hornets play in particular lead to some thrilling moments as they were forced to kill off a penalty at the end of the 2nd period which then carried over into the 3rd period. As everyone in the rink steeled themselves for another exhilarating, exhausting and amazing third overtime period of hockey.

The Pittsburgh Hornets proved they were up to the task of competing for a national championship as they came out flying throughout the 3rd period, swarming shift after shift, line after line, over a determined, but tiring group of players from Belle Tire. The fatigue and exhaustion finally caught up to Belle Tire as one of their players let loose with a vicious spear on Pittsburgh Hornet Furman South.

The Hornets had to take a medical time out as South writhed in pain from the spearing incident and need time to recover from such an attack. But it was Furman South and the Pittsburgh Hornets that had sweet revenge after the spearing incident as it placed the Hornets on a power play, where Pat Gaul’s initial shot was stopped, then Gerry Raymond’s 2nd shot was blocked, then Pat Gaul poked the rebound to Furman South who banged home the winning goal, spearing Belle Tire and hurting them where it hurts the most-on the scoreboard, and ensuring that the Pittsburgh Hornets will advance to the final four, semi-final round action tonight against their arch nemesis, the Chicago Chill (67-7-3).

And a final note of congratulations to the goaltenders for both teams. Nagel for Belle Tire was outstanding, making save after save to keep his team in contention throughout the game. Goaltender Nagel should be extremely proud of his play and so should the entire Belle Tire organization. And as good as Goaltender Nagel was, word was, again, that Pittsburgh Hornet Goaltender Rob Madore was simply amazing and entering another stratosphere of excellence, earning accolades from the swarms of major college scouts and juniors in attendance, and even NHL management present at the game, on his outstanding play as well.

Flash Update-Pittsburgh Hornets U16 Provide Drama Against Team Illinois

2006-04-01T11:15:00.000-05:00

2006 National Championships
Championships - Boys - 16 & Under - Tier I Undefeated teams provide drama
By Russell JaslowSpecial to usahockey.com ROCHESTER, N.Y.

Of all the USA Hockey National Championship games played at the ESL Sports Centre here Friday, only one pitted two unbeaten teams against each other at the 16 & Under Tier I level. Team Illinois and the Pittsburgh Hornets won their two previous games before facing off, and Team Illinois remained undefeated, winning, 4-3, despite a gallant comeback attempt by the Hornets. ““This is our fourth time [we’ve played them] this year,” Team Illinois coach Marc Kapsalis said. "They beat us the first two, [then] we got a game against them, 5-0, a kind of meaningless game. Both teams seem to be really playing at the top of their game.”

Team Illinois looked all set to settle this one early, as they took a 4-0 lead midway through the second period. “We started off a little sluggish, a little slow, a little sloppy,” Pittsburgh coach Mike O’Malley said. “But we regrouped about halfway into the second period. [We] came out in the third and had a great period.” Pittsburgh scored one late in the second and then another early in the third.

At this point, Illinois' goalie, Matt Mandernach, made some strong saves to keep his team safely in the lead. However, with 1:53 left in the game, Donnie Harris’ blast from the blue line beat Mandernach on the glove side. Pittsburgh then pulled its goaltender with a minute left, but could not get the equalizer.

The Hornets, however, advanced, and, despite the loss, O’Malley will focus on the strong effort late in the game and look forward. “We are going to try to build off that,” he said. “[The loss is] forgotten. We gave them a talk in the locker room. They know what’s going on. They are very focused right now.”

Pittsburgh Hornet Midgets and U16 Advance to USA Hockey Tier 1 Quarterfinals !

2006-03-31T21:31:00.001-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets' Tim Hall plays the puck on Wednesday in Rochester, N.Y.

MARCH 31, 2006 UPDATE FROM ROCHESTER NEW YORK, HOME OF THE TIER 1 NATIONAL USA HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS - The good news today is that both the Hornet Midget U18 and U16 advance to the quarter finals tomorrow. Though the midgets lost a tough one to the Chicago Chill 4-3 in overtime today, they still qualified for the quarter finals by virtue of their previous points totals in the tournament. It was an action packed game from the beginning, and the Chill, one of the top teams in the country, had to pull their goalie and get a goal on a stick deflection in front of the net to tie the game at 3-3 in regulation with less than 50 seconds to play.

"It obviously hurt to end up losing such a tough game in overtime" Assistant Coach Chris Stern said "But both Head Coach Joe Gaul and I know our boys are resilient, and will be fired up to compete hard tomorrow in the quarterfinal game."

There are lots of hero's so far for the Pittsburgh Hornets U18 team, including Rob Madore who is playing some great hockey. Rob is one of the best goaltenders in the Mid West Elite League, one of the best goaltenders in the country, and is currently sporting a torrid .936 save percentage at the Tier 1 National Tournament. Gerry Raymond is also on fire as the assist master with 6 assists in 3 games, tying him for 2nd place in the overall tournament scoring lead. Chris Cerutti is off to a good start as well with 2 goals and 3 assists for 5 points in the first 3 games.

The U16 also lost a tough one today to Team Illinois 4-3, but like the U18's, the U16's (by winning their first 2 games) have already secured a spot in the quarterfinals tomorrow against the California Wave at 10:30 am.

And on a final note, the Pittsburgh Hornets U14's ended their magical run this year by loosing to an undefeated Madison Capitals team by a 6-0 score. The U14's battled hard throughout the contest and though down 3-0 going into the third period came out buzzing around the Madison goal. But strong goaltending by Madison helped weather the initial storm as Madison picked up a few goals in the final minutes of play to seal their victory. It was tough on the boys to come within three (3) games of winning a national championship, but they have a lot to be proud of.

"Though we ended up on the loosing side of the ledger today, I couldn't be more proud of the boys on my team" said Head Coach Dave Hanson. Hanson continued "These boys overcame adversity throughout the year and bonded together as a team, like a band of brothers, playing some of their finest hockey down the stretch and into this championship tournament" Hanson continued "They are a special group of kids and we are all very proud of them".

Congratulations to all of the Hornet teams, the boys, the parents and the coaches for representing our organization so well at the USA Hockey Tier 1 Championships and best of luck tomorrow!

SOME MUSINGS AND OBSERVATIONS ABOUT THE TIER 1 TOURNAMENT

the volunteers from the rochester hockey community are doing a really, really great job running the tournament. Things seem to be running very smoothly and in an orderly fashion.
some political intrigue going on at the U18 level, as word has it that the Greater Boston Bruins have forfeited a game. They beat the Chicago Chill in overtime 4-3, but word leaked out that the Bruins were using an ineligible player, apparently some kid that was rostered on both a midget team and a junior team after Jan. 1, verboten under the rules. Thus, the Bruins forfeited the game and the win was given to Chicago.
it is very unseasonably warm in Rochester, with temperatures running into the 70's. Thus it is muggy in throughout the rink and yesterday it was actually quite warm on the ice as well .
with all the heat and the humidity, suffice it to say the ice has not been the best, lots of ruts and cuts, with the ice surface looking like somebodys back that was scratched with a hacksaw.
compounding matters, rumor has it that one of the zamboni's in use broke down. As such, the other zamboni driver has been going crazy cleaning ice from rink to rink on a constant basis.
there was a skills competition last night for the U14 teams, with Tom Communale in goal and Matt White representing the Hornets at the competition, and both doing extremely well.
All three Hornet teams are staying at the Crown Plaza in Rochester, a hotel that is a bit worn, but quite liveable, with 3 computers with free internet service off the lobby, a favorite with the kids (as well as some of the adults).
Lots of the Hornet folks had lunch at a restaurant near the hotel called Dinosaur Bones featuring lots of pulled pork barbecue, ribs and the like. The reviews back on the restaurant have been generally good.
It is really great seeing all of the Hornets in one hotel, its kind of like we have taken over the place, and really puts into perspective how great the accomplishment is for our organization to have 4 teams in the National Championships (with 3 of the teams at the same location).
on a final note, we have never, ever seen so many major division 1 and junior scouts at one place, ever, scouting all of the teams, including the Hornets. Guess that's how it goes with Tier 1 exposure, and when you play for the Pittsburgh Hornets.

Midget Majors/Bantams Lose Tough Ones to Shattuck St. Marys

2006-03-30T21:23:00.000-05:00

The Midget Majors ran into a hot goaltender today as Shattucks (former team of NHL Superstar Sidney Crosby) triumphed over the Pittsburgh Hornets by a score of 3-0. The play was fast and furious over 3 periods as the Shattucks team slow eeked out a lead and while the Hornets responded with a strong attack, they just couldn't solve the Shattucks goalie (and some most "interesting" officiating to say the least") as they ended up with their first loss of the tournament. They are still in good position to make the medal round with a victory tomorrow.

On the younger front, the Pittsburgh Hornets Bantam U14 suffered a heartbreaking defeat losing 3-2 with about 5 minutes left in overtime to the Shattuck St. Marys U14 Bantam team. The Hornets took an initial lead of 1-0 right off of the first shift as Brody Auckerman through hard work outskated the Shattucks defenseman into the zone, grabbing the puck and sliding a perfect pass to Andrew Ong for the first goal. The play went back and forth, up and down the ice for the next 2 periods as Shattucks came roaring back and built a 2-1 lead. But before the second period ended, Chris Cummings flattened a Shattucks puck carrier against the board, freeing the puck where a flying Drew Williams picked up the loose biscuit and swooped in taking a hard low shot on goal. The goalie made a fantastic save, kicking the puck right out onto the stick of Matt White for the tying goal.

The game went 2-2 into overtime when both teams had many chances with the Hornets hitting the post twice while Matt Skoff stoned Shattucks until finally the puck took an unlucky bounce in front of the Hornet net where a Shattucks player pounded the puck home for a Shattucks victory.

Some of the scouts watching the contest thought it was one of the best games of the tournament as a scout from the New York Rangers gave the boys a pep talk in the locker room after the game about continuing to play hard, support their teammates and strive for excellence both on and off the ice. The feeling amongst the coaches, the parents and the fans in the stands was that this was one heck of a game, and everyone was very proud of the U14 Bantam Hornets

And a tip of the hat to the Shattuck St. Marys teams that the Hornets played today. Though we competed hard today and came out of the day with the Hornet program winning once and loosing twice today to Shattucks, the Hornets are all about class, excellence and respect, both in our endeavors on and off the ice. And we respect that same approach when we compete against teams that share the same values that we do, like Shattucks St. Marys.

With a program that include coaches like Tom Ward, Murray Eaves and Director of Prospect Evaluations J.P. Parise, these guys are doing it right in developing top notch hockey players and student athletes. Their teams are very well coached and the players are all class kids (you can see it in their play and behavior on the ice) and an absolute pleasure to compete against. Good luck to Shattucks the rest of the tournament!

Tier 1 Flash News Alert - Pittsburgh Hornets U16 beat Shattuck St Marys

2006-03-30T14:41:00.000-05:00

Word just in, the Pittsburgh Hornets U16 Tier 1AAA Hockey Team has just pounded Shattucks St. Marys 6-1 early today to continue its march toward the Tier 1 USA Hockey National Championships. Coach Mike Welch's boys were all over the Minnesota Prep School Powerhouse and won in fairly convincing fashion. More to follow later.......

Pittsburgh Hornets off to good start at Tier 1 Nationals

2006-03-30T10:24:00.001-05:00

In the Tier-I Nationals in Rochester, there was lots of action yesterday as the Hornets had a very good showing in the tournament. The Major Midget Hornets defeated the Manchester Monarchs 8-0, behind two goals each from Chris Cerutti and Furman South. Bill Ozanick, Pat Gaul, Jeff Hannan and Jake DellaValle added goals for the Hornets, while Rob Madore made 24 saves for the shutout.

This was not only an impressive showing for the midgets, but it couldn't have come at a better time as our boys were heavily scouted during the game by the coaches at major division 1 colleges and junior teams. Wisconsin, Colorado College, Notre Dame, Brown, and Niagara College and Cansisus , for example were some of the big time college programs in attendance.

"We are proud of the efforts of the boys today" Coach Joe Gaul said "but we still have a long way to go in the tournament". Gaul continued "The competition at the Tier 1 level is fierce and will bring out the best in our players, but we prepare for this tournament every year by playing the best teams in the country throughout the season, at all levels in our program"

This approach of playing the best teams in the country throughout the year paid great dividends for the U16 team as they pounded the South Connecticut Stars yesterday by a score of 8-0. Parker Milner was brilliant in goal backstopping the team to this impressive victory as many of the u16 players caught the eye of the hoardes of division 1 scouts in attendance.

The fierce competion came to a head early yesterday morning as the Pittsburgh Hornets U14 Bantam AAA team came out of the gate at the first game in the entire tournament against a tough Seacoast Spartans team from New Hampshire. The Spartans got out early and held on to a tough 3-1 victory after the Hornets dominated play against the Spartans in the third period.

The teams all marched together for a night of fesitvities in the ESL Rink yesterday evening and heard an inspiring speech from Travis Roy, the hockey player injuried after 11 seconds of his first shift at Boston University. All of the Tier 1 atheletes left inspired for more hard nose play in todays games. More reports to follow later on the premier hockey tournament in the USA, the Tier 1 National Championships.

Pittsburgh Hornet Midget Majors Midam District Champions !!!

2006-03-22T10:03:00.000-05:00

The MMs defeated the host team, the Columbus Blue Jackets, by a score of 5-3 in their first game. In their second game, the MMs faced the Indianapolis Jr. Ice and the game ended in a 3-3 tie after regulation and a ten-minute overtime. Going into the final game on Sunday, the MMs were tied in points and in the first tie breaker with Indy because Indy had defeated the Cleveland Barons by a score of 5-3 on Friday. The MMs crushed the Barons by a score of 8-0 and Indy beat the Blue Jackets by only one goal, resulting in the MMs winning the division.

Pittsburgh Hornets U14 Midam District Champions

2006-03-21T11:57:00.000-05:00

The 91s beat the host Blue Jackets by a score of 6-0 in their first game. The only other participating Tier I team was the Barons, who had defeated the Blue Jackets by a score of 3-2, so the 91s' game against the Barons was the showdown to determine who would represent the Mid-Am District at Nationals.

And what a game! After two periods, the game was tied 0-0. Both teams scored in the third period, and the Barons scored again with 1:46 remaining to go ahead 2-1. The Hornets tied the game with 49 seconds on the clock to send the game into a ten-minute sudden death overtime period. Since the Hornets would win the tie-breaker if the game ended in a tie, the Barons pulled their goalie with 0:51 left in overtime and the Hornets cashed in with an empty-netter to secure a 3-2 win and the trip to Rochester for nationals. Congratulations Boys and good luck at Nationals.

Midgets deliver Mid-Am District Championship

2006-03-19T23:36:00.000-05:00

On Saturday, despite a 46-26 shot advantage, the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Majors ended their contest with the Indiana Ice tied 3-3. Indiana tied the game 3-3 on a power-play goal with 1 minute remaining in the third Period.

Entering Sunday, Indiana and the Hornets each were 1-0-1 and had identical Plus/Minus numbers which is the second tie-breaker under USA Hockey rules.

The Mid-AM Championship and the trip to the USA Hockey Tier 1 National Championship would come down to goal differential in Sunday's contests. The Hornets would face the Cleveland Barons who had beaten the Hornets 1-0 in their last contest. The Indiana Ice would face the Jr. Blue Jackets who they had beaten 8-2 and 5-2 during the season.

In the 11:oo tilt, the Hornets Furman South (1st of 3 goals) scored in the first shift of off the game and opened the flood gates which would result in a 8-0 win. Jake Dellavalle, Connor Blood, Billy Ozanick, Chris Cerutti (2) scored. Gerry Raymond and Pat Gaul had multiple assists in the contest as a balanced Hornet attack aided by the top rate Goaltending of Rob Madore took care of business.

In the 12:00 game, Indiana would need to win by 9 to capture the championship and receive the bid to the national championship. Indiana would win 6-5 but the Hornets, who intently watched the contest, are off to compete at the USA Hockey National Championships as Champions of the Mid-Am District.

Hornet Mania Sweeps Columbus as Pittsburgh Hornets Sweep Midam District Championships

2006-03-19T17:19:00.000-05:00

Hornet Mania is sweeping Columbus today as the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major, U16 and 1991, and 1993 birth year teams each captured their respective Midam District Hockey Championships this morning. The U16 won its games in fairly convincing fashion while the Midget Majors pounded the Cleveland Barons this morning in a must-win game by a score of 8-0 to capture its championship.
The 1993's led by Coach Don Barber defeated Columbus 6-3 and the Cleveland Barons 5-1 to secure a trip to the Tier I, USA Hockey Pee Wee National Championships in Lawrence, Mass.

In perhaps the most exciting game of the entire Tier 1 tournament, the Pittsburgh Hornets 1991 Bantam AAA birth year team (Coached by Dave Hanson) battled back from a 2-1 deficit to tie a gritty Cleveland Barons team at 2-2 with 46 seconds left in regulation (with the goalie pulled) then finished off the Barons by scoring with 56 seconds left in overtime as the Pittsburgh Hornets 1991 Bantam Hockey team clinched its USA Hockey Midam Tier 1 District Championship. Adding further to the success, the 1993 Pittsburgh Hornets also won their playdowns today as well emerging as Tier 1 District Champions at the Pee Wee level.

In summary, and this may be an unprecedented achievement, the Pittsburgh Hornets will now be sending 4 teams to the USA Hockey National Championships. More details on the games played today to follow later. Congratulations to all of the Pittsburgh Hornet Hockey teams on their outstanding achievements today and carrying on the tradition of the Pittsburgh Hornets Hockey Association as one of the top amateur hockey programs in the country and the top amateur hockey program in Western Pennsylvania.

Cramer scores twice in Indiana Ice victory.

2006-03-18T07:10:00.000-05:00

Former Pittsburgh Hornet Ron Cramer score twice Friday evening in USHL action. Cramers two goals helped spark a 4-3 Indiana Ice victory over the Chicago Steel. Former Hornet Chris Clackson had an assist for the Steel to bring his season total to 48 points in 55 games (22 G/26 A).

Hornets drop Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets 5-3

2006-03-18T06:50:00.000-05:00

The Midget Major Pittsburgh Hornets defeated the Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets 5-3 Friday in their opening Mid-Am District Championship contest. Andrew Blazek, Eric Windemueller, Billy Ozanick, Furman South, and Chris Cerutti scored for the Hornets. Next up..........Indiana Jr. Ice at 4:20 Saturday. In attendance for the tilt were Ohio State Buckeye Captain and former Hornet, Nate Guenin and Buckeye Assistant Coach Steve Brent.

In other action, the U-16 Hornets defeated Northern Kentucky 11-0 and the 1993 Hornets defeated the Jr. Blue Jackets 6-3. 1991 Hornets begin action Saturday.

Guenin receives post-season honors

2006-03-15T16:48:00.000-05:00

Former Hornet defenseman Nate Guenin, of Ohio State, has received an Honorable Mention for the CCHA All-Conference team. Guenin, the Buckeye captain this season, earned conference accolades for the third time in his career. He was a second-team choice last season and an honorable-mention selection as a sophomore in 2004.

Nate ended this season with 11 assists and points while playing in all 39 games. Guenin, who also earned CCHA academic honors during his career, played in 151 games as a Buckeye, posting 47 assists and 53 points, as well as a +23 rating. He ends his career fifth in Buckeye history with 400 penalty minutes. He will now be available to sign with the New York Rangers, who drafted him in the fourth round in 2002.

While Nate Guenin leaves Ohio State after this season, another Western Pennsylvania player will be signing on to play there next season. Sergio Somma, who played with the ’87 Pittsburgh Hornets and then the Junior B Penguins, has committed to play for the Buckeyes.

Somma, a forward from New Kensington, has 20 goals and 24 assists for 44 points in 55 games with the USHL Green Bay Gamblers this season. Former Hornet Nick Tabisz is a current teammate of Somma with Green Bay.

While with the Hornets, Somma was a frequent line mate of Dane Hetland, who has committed to Division 1 powerhouse Miami.

Mid-Am District Championships

2006-03-15T15:25:00.000-05:00

Friday 3/17/2006 @ 3:20 pm Columbus Jr. Blue Jackets v. Pittsburgh Hornets (North 1)
Saturday 3/18/2006 @4:20 pm Indiana v. Pittsburgh Hornets (North 1)
Sunday 3/19/2006 @11:00 pm Pittsburgh Hornets v. Cleveland Barons (North 2)

Pittsburgh Hornets 1991 Bantam AAA Pennsylvania State Champions !

2006-03-14T22:05:00.000-05:00

Congratulations go out from the Pittsburgh Hornets Midget Major team to our younger 1991 Bantam AAA hockey team which won the USA Hockey Pennsylvania State Championship this past weekend with a decisive 5-2 victory over the Pittsburgh Predators. You guys have worked so hard throughout the year and your victory was truly a team effort. We are very proud of you guys and congratulate you for carrying on the Pittsburgh Hornet tradition of success.

Players

Brody Aukerman, Eddie Barca, Tom Communale, Chris Cummings, Joshua Dudley, Adam Germeyer, Robert Himler, Beau Knupp, Andrew Ong, Michael Pateras, Cory Pelligreno, Kyle Shaffer, Mathew Skoff, E.J. Stepano, Eric Tkacik, Patrick Wey, Matt White, Drew Williams

Coaches - Dave Hanson, Dan Hestin, Bob Himler, Jamie Cummings

Way to go guys, and good luck in the District Playoffs !!

HORNETS SWEEP STATES

2006-03-13T14:09:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Hockey program swept the Pennsylvania State Championships this past weekend at all 4 levels including:
Midget Major
U-16
Bantam
Pee-wee

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL 4 TEAMS AS THEY PREPARE FOR DISTRICTS IN COLUMBUS, OHIO TO COMPETE FOR A SPOT AT THE NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS, MARCH 29, 2006 IN ROCHESTER, NY.

FLASH ALERT - PITTSBURGH HORNET NICK DECROO SIGNS WITH BENTLEY !!

2006-03-11T10:37:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets uncomparable success at developing amateur hockey players continues as another former Hornet has accepted a scholarship to play D-1 hockey at Bentley College. Nick DeCroo, a 6"3', 215 lb.left winger from Freeport, will play next season at Bentley. He’ll join Matt Schwartz, another former Pittsburgh Hornet player, who played his freshman season there this season. DeCroo is currently playing for the Boston Junior Bruins in the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Bentley has an extremely good D-1 hockey program, excellent coaches and is a very fine school. Congratulations Nick on your success.

FLASH ALERT - Pittsburgh Hornets smother Predators 2-0 !

2006-03-10T22:38:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets came out flying and smothered the Predators 2-0 this evening in winning this first game in the Western Pennsylvania District Playoffs. The Pittsburgh Hornets played their well coached, hard-hitting, fast skating style of play which has become the true trademark of Pittsburgh Hornet Hockey. The Pittsburgh Hornets lead most of the way on 2nd period power play goals scored by Furman South and Chris Cerrutti and the powerful Hornet team seemed to have the ice tilted toward their opponents throughout most of the game. The Pittsburgh Hornets outshot their opponent by a 35 -22 margin, the Hornet defenseman were inpenetrable, and Rob Madore exhibited his cat-like quickness and tough mental demeanor to shine again in goal. Way to go Hornets and best of luck for the remainder of the playoffs !!!

USA Hockey National Team invites Gaul

2006-03-08T14:18:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets are pleased to announce that Patrick Gaul has been invited to the tryout camp for the USA Hockey National Team Developmental Program. Pat, a 1990 birth year, is one of 28 forwards from throughout the United States invited to the camp.

In 1996, USA Hockey launched a revolutionary new program called the National Team Development Program, based in Ann Arbor, Mich. The goal of this full time
development program is to prepare student athletes under the age of 18 for participation on U.S. National Teams and success in their future hockey careers. Its efforts focus on high-caliber participation on the ice and creating well-rounded individuals off the ice.
With continued hopes of raising the quality of hockey in the United States, the National Team Development Program enters its ninth season in 2005-06. The program
continues to face stiff competition and high expectations as it has established itself as a top-notch training opportunity for young players.

Lewis, Reese share All-Ivy honors

2006-03-07T12:50:00.000-05:00

Two former Hornet Defensemen have been named to the All-Ivy Team in college hockey. Dylan Reese of Harvard, and Grant Lewis, of Dartmouth were selected for the honors over the weekend. Reese led the Harvard defensemen in scoring with two goals and 11 assists, while Lewis had four goals and 10 assists. Lewis is also a candidate for the Hobey Baker Award awarded to the top player in college hockey. Reese was an NHL draft pick of the New York Rangers, while Lewis was a pick of the Atlanta Thrashers.

Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Hockey - Simply the Best

2006-03-04T11:53:00.001-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets take great pride in being one of the top AAA amateur hockey programs in the country providing a "pathway of opportunities" for our amateur atheletes to realize their hockey goals and dreams. Recently, Mike Betts, the outstanding President of our organization, had an opportunity to issue a "State of the Hornets" address, summarizing the accomplishments of all of our teams. We reprint select portions of the address in the Blogspot, and encourage all athletes that are interested in realizing their dreams to consider becoming part of our organization.

___________________________________________________________________

PITTSBURGH HORNETS
Members' Newsletter - March 3, 2006

Greetings, members. First, I'd like to update you on our teams' on-ice accomplishments --

Midget Majors

Our Midget Majors (18U) are of course our flagship team, and the team is coached by Head Coach Joe Gaul and Assistant Coach Chris Stern. Our Midget program is well established as one of the leading programs in the U.S. for player development. The MMs compete as a full member in the Midwest Elite Hockey League (MWEHL), along with Compuware, Honeybaked, Little Caesars, Team Illinois, Marquette, Belle Tire, Soo Indians, Chicago Young Americans, Capital Centre, Cleveland Barons and Victory Honda.

This season the MMs are once again one of the top Midget teams in the U.S., with an overall record of 39-27-6. The team is ranked No. 9 by MidgetAAAHockey.com and NationalHockeyRankings.com. The MMs finished the MWEHL regular season in second place, behind Team Illinois. Hornet Pat Gaul led the league in scoring, and five of the league's ten top scorers were Hornets -- in addition to Pat, Ron Cramer, Bill Ozanick, Gerry Raymond, Chris Cerutti, and Furman South. Rob Madore has established himself as one of the top goalies in North America in his birth year (1988) and one of the top goalies in the MWEHL. Discussing Rob's performance in the recent MWEHL showcase, the MMs' blogspot (February 18, 2006 posting) reported: "the talk of the tournament . . . amongst the hoards of scouts . . . has been the electrifying goaltending of Rob Madore." Rob, as you may have heard, had the honor of being asked to practice with the NHL Pittsburgh Penguins earlier this season.

Last season our MMs advanced to the USA Hockey Tier I National Championship (along with our 90s and the 92s), and reached the final four. The MMs appear to be poised to make another great tournament run this season, beginning with the state playoffs in mid-March. The 18U National Championship is scheduled for March 29 through April 2 in Rochester.

The MMs' roster consists of Andrew Blazek, Connor Blood, Matt Celin, Chris Cerutti, Jake DellaValle, Pat Gaul, Jeff Hannan, Jake Machel, Rob Madore, Brian McGinty, Ryan McGrath, Chris Morford, Bill Ozanick, Marek Polidor, Gerry Raymond, Dan Sidle, Furman South and Eric Windmueller. Ron Cramer played most of the season with the MMs, and recently accepted a roster position with the Indiana Ice of the USHL.

16Us

Our Midget Minor team (16U; 1989 and 1990 birth years) is having a highly successful season. The team has a record of 41-19-5 and has made impressive showings in the tournaments they have entered: champions of the RMU Island Sports Invitational in January; runners-up at the Mad City Shootout in Madison, Wisconsin, the Labor Day Face Off, and the Culver Cornfield Classic; and semi-finalists at the Big Bear Tournament in Detroit and the New Jersey Devils Invitational. The team has a number of impressive wins, including victories over Team Illinois and Victory Honda of the MWEHL, and the Chicago Mission of the MAHL. The 16Us are currently ranked eleventh in the U.S. by MidgetAAAHockey.com. Like the MMs, the 16Us also are preparing for the state and district playoffs and, hopefully, the USA Hockey National Championship from March 29 through April 2 - also in Rochester.

The 16Us' roster consists of Bryan Brown, Nate Brown, Jared Fuhs, Tim Graulty, Tim Hall, Don Harris, John Houston, Chris Juba, Michael Martin, Parker Milner, Cody Parker, Philip Peters, James Recupero, Jeffjoe Regula, Jesse Root, Colin South, Kurt Washnock, Nick Winebrenner, Trevor Yealy and Taj Zielezinski.

91s

Under the leadership of Head Coach Dave Hanson and Assistant Coaches Dan Hestin and Jamie Cummings, the 91s have significantly upgraded and have developed into a very highly-regarded team in their age division, with a record of 34-19-5. The team has a number of impressive wins, including victories over Compuware, the Boston Jr. Terriers, the New Jersey Devils, the Greater Boston Bruins, the Cleveland Barons and the Washington Little Caps. Dave reports that the team has had exceptional player unity all season long and is excited about pursuing their goal to represent the Mid-Am District and our organization in the USA Hockey National Tournament from March 29 through April 2 in Rochester.

The 91s' roster consists of Brody Aukerman, Ed Barca, Tom Comunale, Chris Cummings, Joshua Dudley, Adam Germeyer, Robert Himler, Alex Knupp, Andrew Ong, Michael Pateras, Cory Pelligreno, Kyle Shaffer, Matthew Skoff, E.J. Stepano, Eric Tkacik, Patrick Wey, Matthew White and Drew Williams.

92s

The 92s, led by Head Coach Jim Lilja and Assistant Coach Jeff Potter, have compiled a record of 55-13-7 and are ranked No. 10 in the U.S. by NationalHockeyRankings.com . The 92s ranking could well be higher, as they have beaten the No. 1-ranked team, Compuware, three out of four games this season. The 92s' record is impressive, considering the strength of their schedule. Most of their games were against top opponents and the tournaments entered by the 92s featured the other elite teams in North America. The 92s participated in the Toronto Red Wings Early Bird Tournament, Silver Stick Finals, Bell Cup, Hornets Crossroads Tournament (hosted by the 92s and 93), the Chicago Chill/Mission International Invitational and the MWEHL 92s Showcase Tournament. Impressive wins include victories over Compuware (3 wins), the New Jersey Avalanche (last season's national champions), the Cleveland Barons (6 wins in 6 games), the Chicago Mission (2 wins), Team Illinois, the Toronto Young Nats, L.A. Hockey Club, and the Mississauga Ice Dogs.

The 92s' roster consists of Will Betts, Nick Grace, Michael Houser, Stephen Johns, Jurgen Koster, Chase Lehigh, Kevin Liss, Ty Loney, Zac Lynch, Dylan Margonari, C.J. Murray, Brandon Platt, Brandon Saad, Clay Scott, Bryan Watt, Connor Wells and Charles Williams.

93s

Under Head Coach Don Barber, with assistance from Steve Meriney and Vince Trochek, the 93s are one of the most talented '93 teams in the U.S. One of the highlights of the season for the 93s (and undoubtedly for their youth hockey careers) was the opportunity to participate in the legendary Quebec International Peewee Tournament in mid-February. This was the third consecutive season we have had a team invited to participate in the top division of this unique tournament and the 93s continued our organization's record of excellence at the tournament, advancing to the final eight teams. After losing their first game in a heartbreaker, 2-1 to West Island, the 93s won their next three "Cup Games," beating Drummondville Voltige (Quebec) (by a score of 5-4), Sudbury (4-1) and Beaubourg (4-1), before falling to the Minutemen Flames, who eventually lost in the finals to Compuware by a score of 2-1. The 93s also played three exhibition games in Quebec, winning two of the games. One of the exhibition games was against Victoria, which is the team that Head Coach Don Barber had played for as a youth hockey player in British Columbia. In fact, Don's Peewee coach still coaches the team, so Don had a great time connecting with his hockey roots. The 93s also took advantage of the rich cultural experience provided by the tournament, among other things playing a pick-up game on an outdoor rink in the Old City, and enjoying the Winter Carnival and snow tubing park. Congratulations, 93s and Coach Don Barber, on a fine showing at this prestigious tournament!

The 93s have had a highly successful season in addition to the Quebec tournament, with victories over (among others) the Mississauga Senators, Florida Panthers, Chicago Chill, Chicago Mission, St. Louis Blues, Mercer Chiefs, and Cleveland Barons.

The 93s are looking forward to participating in the state, district and national tournament for 12U teams. Although the team has traveled extensively this season, they are hoping to spend late March and early April in Lawrence, Massachusetts -- this year's site of the USA Hockey National Championship for 12U teams.

The 93s' roster consists of Nate Altman, Mike Amelio, Riley Barber, Brady Cummings, Jacob Friedland, Jake Hildebrand, Barret Kaib, Kevin Kline, Willy Koster, Chad Lehigh, Ryan Magdinec, Chris Meriney, J.T. Miller, Troy Schall, Woody Shell, Vince Trocheck and Rick Villani.

94s

The 94s, led by Head Coach Junior Cannister and assistants Steve Harbison and Dale Gornall, played a very challenging schedule against many of the top teams in their age division. For example, the team was able to schedule and play ten of the twenty teams that advanced to the Silver Stick Finals. The 94s played against teams from various leagues, including MWEHL, Mid America, Eastern Hockey Federation, Empire West, Metro Boston and Atlantic Youth Hockey League. The team played in the following tournaments: National Hockey Rankings.Com, Syracuse Early Bird, Silver Sticks Regionals, Shanahan Tournament, Bell Cup, Hockeytown Invitational and the First Annual Hornets Invitational. The 94s successfully hosted the First Annual Hornet Invitational in February at RMU ISC, and the team also performed well on the ice with a 3-1 record in the tournament but missed the playoffs when the fell victim to the goal differential tiebreaker.

In just their second season, the 94s have laid the foundation for future success and we expect that the team will emerge into one of the top teams next season.

The 94s' roster consists of Blake Barber, Collin Cannister, Neil Carleton, Travis Cully, Michael Gornall, Robbie Harbison, Peter Karney, William King, Dan Kucerovy, Evan Lestini, Ryan Puccetti, Nickolas Schultz, Eric Smith, William Sutyak, Michael Sweeney, Zachary Volzer and Andrew Whaley.

95s

The 95s, under Head Coach Mike Magulick and Assistant Coach Jeff Bele, are completing their first season at the Tier I level. Coach Magulick reports that the team is a hard-working group of players with an excellent base to continue the Hornets tradition of excellence. The team gained valuable experience competing against other top organizations, and the 95s were invited to, and participated in, the MWEHL tournament.

The 95s also excelled with off-ice endeavors, as well. The team raised $4,600 for Children's Hospital through a benefit dinner they organized and hosted, and presented the check to Children's Hospital on live television during the KDKA telethon. Congratulations to the 95s for finding the time and energy for their good works during a busy hockey season! This was a true "win-win" that can serve as an example for other teams, as the funds raised by the 95s are being used for an extremely worthy cause (providing medical treatment to disadvantaged children with serious diseases and injuries), and at the same time the players learned valuable llife essons about the importance of "giving back" and helping those in need.

The 95s' roster consists of Connor Ackerman, Alexander Androkites, Erik Dietrich, Tom Diffendal, Ian Frantz, Luke Gensler, Tanner Gilliland, John Gyurina, Robert Hapanowicz, Jordan Krajnikovich, Mathew Miller, Troy Steinheiser, Kyle Williams and Michael Zidansek.

Alumni Achievements

We may not be perfect, and we recognize that we need to strive to improve as an organization. But our ever-expanding list of alumni who have moved on to play college and professional hockey shows that we must be doing something right in providing our players with a "Pathway for Opportunities." As an organization, we are proud of the many Hornets players who have advanced to college, juniors and professional hockey. We have a track record for developing and placing players that is unrivaled in the region and that compares favorably with the other top Tier I programs in the U.S. For a complete list, see the updated alumni list posted on the organization's website, http://www.pittsburghhornets.com/ (click on "Alumni"). Our alumni's achievements are too numerous to mention, but here are some of the recent highlights --
NHL
Eleven Hornets alumni have now been drafted by NHL teams, and this list is about to increase with Hornets alumni such as Patrick Mullen, Christian Hanson and Dane Hetland playing in college (next season for Dane) and rated highly by NHL scouts. The eleven draft picks to date are:

PITTSBURGH HORNETS NHL DRAFT PICKS
PLAYER
DRAFTED BY
YEAR
COLLEGE/JR. TEAM

Jason Crain
L.A. Kings
1999
Ohio State University

Eric Meloche
Pittsburgh Penguins
1999
Ohio State University

Ryan Malone
Pittsburgh Penguins
2000
St. Cloud State

Dwight LaBrosse
Pittsburgh Penguins
2001
Guelph Storm (OHL)

R.J. Umberger
Vancouver Canucks
2001
Ohio State University

Nate Guenin
New York Rangers
2002
Ohio State University

Cliff Loya
Chicago Blackhawks
2002
University of Maine

John Zeiler
Phoenix Coyotes
2002
St. Lawrence University

Dylan Reese
New York Rangers
2003
Harvard University

Grant Lewis
Atlanta Thrashers
2004
Dartmouth College

Matt Clackson
Philadelphia Flyers
2005
Western Michigan University

Other Professional
Active professional players include J.B. Bittner (former Captain of Ohio State) and Mike Betz (former goalie at Ohio State and all-time OSU leader in wins (73) and goals-against average (2.24)) of the Johnstown Chiefs of the ECHL and Bill Downey and Cliff Loya of the Wheeling Nailers , the Penguins' ECHL affiliate. For those of you who have experienced the thrill of seeing the Pittsburgh Hornets jersey prominently displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto, you will recall that the jersey was that of Bill Downey -- as a result of scoring a game-winning goal at Nationals in 1999.

College

Many Hornets alums have advanced to the ranks of college hockey, and a number of former Hornets are presently enjoying productive careers with top D-1 programs. Here are some highlights --

Dane Hetland, a 1987 birth year currently with the Bay State Breakers of the the EJHL , recently accepted a scholarship from the Miami University Redhawks . Dane will begin classes in the fall of 2006. Miami competes in the CCHA against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame and Michigan State and has evolved into one of the top D-1 programs in the country In fact, Miami finished the regular season this year in first place in the CCHA, with a conference record of 20-6-2 (beating Michigan twice) and 23-7-4 overall, and has earned a first-round bye in the CCHA playoffs that begin this weekend. This season, in 40 games with Baystate , Dane is the team's second-leading scorer with 20 goals and 22 assists for a total of 42 points.

Kris Mayotte, a senior at highly-regarded Union College , was recently named ECAC Hockey League Goalie of the Week for the third time this season. The ECAC Hockey League includes Dartmouth, Cornell, Princeton, Harvard, Colgate and the other Ivies. Kris is the first goaltender in the league to receive the award three times. To win the most recent Goalie of the Week honor, Kris combined for 55 saves on 57 shots to help Union pick up wins over Brown (2-1) and Yale (5-1) and extend the team’s unbeaten streak to five games. Congratulations to Kris on a fine career at Union. Remarkably, as Kris leaves Union, the incoming Union goalie next season will be recent Hornets alum Shaun Williams, currently with the Chicago Steel of the USHL.

Grant Lewis, a defenseman at Dartmouth University (first place in the ECAC) is one of the preliminary nominees for the Hobey Baker award. The preliminary candidates will be narrowed to ten finalists, and fan voting is considered by the Hobey Baker Committee in determining who the finalists will be. Please take the time to cast a vote (or votes, which is permitted) for Grant. He is truly a deserving candidate, given his success at Dartmouth and his known leadership qualities and character. Grant was a second-round draft pick (40th overall) of the Atlanta Thrashers in the 2004 NHL entry draft.

Dylan Reese continues to have a highly productive career at Harvard University. Dylan is a junior at Harvard and is regarded as one of the top defenseman in the ECAC Hockey League. For more about Dylan's career to date at Harvard, see the detailed and thorough Dylan Reese Bio posted on the Crimson website. Dylan's hockey resume is impressive: he played for the U.S. 17U development team, which won the Four Nations Cup in the Czech Republic in 2000 and also played for the U.S. 18U team in Germany the following year. Dylan also attended the U.S. World Junior Team selection camp in 2003 and he was named to the U.S. World Junior Team. Dylan played for the Pittsburgh Forge of the NAHL for two seasons, leading the team to a championship and was named the league's top defenseman. Dylan is a 2003 seventh-round draft pick of the New York Rangers.

John Zeiler is enjoying a distinguished college hockey career with the St. Lawrence University Saints of the ECAC . A winger, John is the second-highest scorer on the team (fifteenth in the league). He also is regarded as one of the toughest players in college hockey; according to a posting on the St. Lawrence website: "Zeiler is a prototypical first-line forward. He’s skilled, turns in a consistent effort, and wants the puck on his stick in big situations." John was a fifth-round pick of the Phoenix Coyotes in the 2002 NHL entry draft.

Patrick Mullen is a freshman forward with the University of Denver Pioneers of the Western Conference Hockey Association (WCHA) (see the Patrick Mullen Bio posted on the Denver website). Denver, of course, is the two-time defending national champion. The Pioneers are currently in second-place in the WCHA behind the University of Minnesota and Phil Kessel. Patrick is the son of Hall-of-Famer Joey Mullen. After playing for the Hornets Midget Majors and before attending the University of Denver, Patrick played for the Sioux Falls Stampede of the USHL, posting 37 points on 14 goals and 23 assists during the 2004-05 season.

Christian Hanson is a freshman center at Notre Dame of the CCHA (see the Christian Hanson Bio posted on the Notre Dame website). Christian is the son of Dave Hanson, Head Coach of the Hornets' 1991 team. After playing five seasons with the Hornets and before joining Notre Dame, Christian played for the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. Christian was an assistant captain with the Storm in 2004-05 and was the team's leading scorer with 19 goals and 33 assists for 52 points. Christian received the USHL's presigious Curt Hammer Award, presented annually to the league's "most gentlemanly player who embodies what the USHL stands for on and off the ice." Christian was ranked 66th in NHL Central Scouting's final ratings going into the NHL's 2005 entry draft.

Nate Guenin is a senior defenseman at Ohio State of the CCHA. Nate is the Captain of the team and, remarkably, is the third Hornets alum in recent years to captain the Buckeyes (see the Nate Guenin Bio on the Ohio State website). Ohio State will face Ferris State in the first round of the CCHA playoffs that begin this weekend. Nate was a fourth-round draft pick of the New York Rangers in the 2002 NHL entry draft. Last season, as a junior at Ohio State, Nate was a second-team All-CCHA selection, was a finalist for the CCHA Best Defensive Defenseman award, and was recognized as OSU's CCHA Scholar-Athlete of the Year. After playing for the Hornets and before attending Ohio State, Nate played two seasons with the Green Bay Gamblers of the USHL.

Other active collegiate players include Matt Clackson at Western Michigan, Sean Berkstresser, Jace Buzek and Eric Trax at Robert Morris, Lou Garritan at Bemidji State, Bernie Chmiel at Sacred Heart, Denis Kirstein at Mercyhurst, Matt Schwartz at Bentley, and Randy Bauer at Utica.

Juniors

A number of Hornets alums are playing in the USHL, the NAHL and the EJHL. For a complete list of Hornets alumni who advanced to Major Junior or Junior A, see our Alumni List on the Hornets' website. (In addition to the junior players listed, most of the college players shown on the Alumni List also played in juniors, but are not listed again in the Juniors section.) Several highlights --

Christian Minella, a forward with the Sioux City Muskateers of the USHL, is having a great season and was named Offensive Player of the Week for the week of January 30, 2006. See http://www.ushl.com/awards/potw.cfm.

Chris Clackson, a forward with the Chicago Steel of the USHL, was recognized as USHL Offensive Player of the Week for the week of January 2, 2006. See http://www.ushl.com/awards/potw.cfm. Chris has committed to Western Michigan University for next season.

Shaun Williams is the No. 1 goalie for the Chicago Steel . Shaun has committed to Union College , where Hornets alum Kris Mayotte is the No. 1 goalie and will graduate this year (see above).
Dennis Urban, Matt Quigley and Bryce Merriam are teammates and are having fine seasons with the Mahoning Valley Phantoms of the NAHL. Bryce is one of leading goalies in the league with a goals-against average of 3.10 and a save percentage of .908.

Various Hornets alums are having successful seasons with EJHL teams, including: Nick DeCroo of the Boston Jr. Bruins , Mark Persic of the Boston Harbor Wolves , and Dane Hetland and Alex Wright of the Baystate Breakers . As mentioned above, Dane has committed to D-1 powerhouse Miami University for next season and is the second-leading scorer with Baystate.

Tryouts - Come Join Us !

Tryout dates for next season have been finalized and are posted on the Hornets website. See http://www.pittsburghhornets.com/html/tryouts.php.

Best of luck to everyone as we approach the end of the season for some of our teams, and as the MMs, 16Us, 91s and 93s prepare for states, districts and nationals. Last season we were the only organization in the U.S. to send three teams to Tier I nationals, and it would be great to see all four of our tournament-eligible teams advancing to nationals this season! Thanks for your cooperation and support, and feel free to contact me if you have any questions, concerns or suggestions about the organization (412-559-1551; mbetts@bettslaw.com).

Mike Betts
President

Dynamic Defensemen Do It Again. Hornet Alumni Dylan Reese and Grant Lewis named First Team All Ivy !

2006-03-03T15:16:00.000-05:00

! Wow !

The Pittsburgh Hornets are so very proud to announce that former Hornets Dylan Reese of Harvard and Grant Lewis of Dartmouth have each been named as First Team members of the All Ivy Team.

Dylan is currently a junior at Harvard and is tied for the scoring lead among Crimson defensemen with 13 points on two goals and 11 assists. He is a key cog in a defensive unit that allows only 2.48 goals per game to rank third in the ECAC Hockey League and 15th nationally. A native of Pittsburgh, Reese has a pair of two-assist games, the 2-2 tie with Boston University Nov. 22 and the 5-4 overtime win against Princeton Feb. 10.

Grant has had a wonderful junior year as well finishing the regular season with four goals and 10 assists while anchoring the Big Green defense. He was honorable mention All-Ivy last season and was a first and rookie team honoree as a freshman.

More impressively, Grant Lewis is currently a candidate in the preliminary voting for the Hobey Baker Award given to the top collegiate hockey player in the country. We would encourage everyone to go to the Dartmouth Website and check out the fine season Grant is currently having, then go to the Hobey Baker website, register, and cast your vote for Grant!

THE CLOCK IS NOW TICKING !!

Please everybody, note that the voting for the Hobey Baker Award ends this weekend,

Sunday March 5, 2006

so we encourage everyone to get on their computers and

CAST YOUR VOTE NOW FOR

GRANT LEWIS

FOR THE HOBEY BAKER AWARD

Congratulations again to both Dylan and Grant on your current collegiate hockey successes. You are both great kids and great role models for all amateur hockey players in Western Pennsylvania. Keep up the good work !!!

Pittsburgh Hornet Alumni Kris Mayotte Sets Union Win Record

2006-03-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

Senior goaltender Kris Mayotte has done it again. Kris has been responsible for leading the way for most of the season for the Flying Dutchman and word has just arrivd that Kris has set single-season school records in several categories but the most important is wins. His 16 victories are the best in Union history and Mayotte has a 7-3 record in one-goal games this year."Kris has definitely been our rock" Coach Nate Leaman said. Way to go Kris on your fine collegiate career at Union College.

Hornets finish 2nd in MWEHL season with leading scorer; 5 in top 10

2006-02-21T17:42:00.000-05:00

# 1 overall
Patrick Gaul
Pittsburgh Hornets (MM)
21 games 8 G's 22 Assts. 30 Points 1.43 Per Game Average

6
Ron Cramer
Pittsburgh Hornets (MM)
19 GMS 7 G's 15 Assts 22 Points 1.16 P.G.A

6 Tie
Bill Ozanick
Pittsburgh Hornets (MM)
21 GMS 6 G's 16 Assts. 22 Points 1.05 P.G.A

9
Gerry Raymond
Pittsburgh Hornets (MM)
21 Gms 9 G's 12 A's 21 Points 1.00 P.G.A

9
Chris Cerutti
Pittsburgh Hornets (MM)
21Gms 7 G's 14 Assts. 21 Points 1.00 P.G.A

14
Furman South
Pittsburgh Hornets (MM)
21 Gms 13 G's 7 Assts. 20 Points 0.95 P.G.A

Hetland accepts Division 1 offer from CCHA powerhouse Miami

2006-02-20T13:59:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets are pleased to announce that Dane Hetland (5'11" 190) has accepted a scholarship from the Miami University Redhawks. Hetland, who currently is one of the leaders of the Baystate Breakers of the EJHL, will begin classes in the fall of 2006. Miami is currently ranked 2nd in the nation in the most recent NCAA polls with a 20 wins-4 losses- 5 ties heading into this past weekends action.

Through 38 games with Baystate, Dane has 19 Goals, 22 Assists, for a total of 41 points. As evidence of his clutch play, Dane also has 4 game winning Goals. Dane, a 1987 birth year, is the son of Rich and Christine and grew up in Bridgeville, Pa.

Miami is a member of the CCHA and competes against the likes of Ohio State, Michigan, Notre Dame, and Michigan State. Dane will not only be competing at the highest level of college hockey but will also be attending one of the finest public universities in the nation.

MWEHL Showcase Update - Hornets clinch second place in MWEHL with a 3-0-1 weekend!

2006-02-18T14:02:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets have started off strong in the prestigious Mid West Elite AAA Hockey League Showcase with a 3-2 win over the Soo last night and a 5-3 win this morning over perennial powerhouse Little CaesarÂs. Gaul, Polidor (off a great tip from a shot from Celin) and Ozanick led the way yesterday evening with individual goals as the Hornets coupled a strong offense with a smothering defense to seal the victory. This morning, the Hornets built on the momentum earned last night as South, DellaValle Hannan, Cerutti and Blazek each scored a goal as the Hornets steamrolled over Little CaesarÂs.

The talk of tournament though amongst the hoards of scouts at the tournament so far has been the electrifying goaltending of Pittsburgh Hornet goaltender Rob Madore. Rob stood firm and tall in the game against the Soo yesterday evening, and was nothing short of magnificent in todayÂs game against Little CaesarsÂ stopping multiple point blank shots, multiple breakaways while displaying the leadership and maturity which has made him one of the top goaltenders in his birthyear in North America.

The Pittsburgh Hornets continued their winning ways against Honeybaked with a 4-1 victory. Connor Blood and Gerry Raymond each had two goals an Pat Gaul added 3 assists in the win.

The Hornets clinched a tie for second place in the MWEHL with a 2-2 tie against Marquette in the last game of the Showcase. After falling behind 2-0, the Hornets closed the margin to one on a blast from the point by Matt Celin. The tie was achieved with two minutes remaining on a Pat Gaul goal with assists to Gerry Raymond and Billy Ozanick.

Pittsburgh Hornets Compete In Prestigious MWEHL Showcase

2006-02-17T13:36:00.000-05:00

This weekend, the Pittsburgh Hornets will compete in the prestigious Midwest Elite AAA Hockey League Annual Showcase tournament. This tournament will feature the top teams and players in the country and will be heavily scouted by major junior and Division 1 college hockey teams. The Pittsburgh Hornets have been longstanding members of the league, a league which began from a most interesting start.

In 1999, a core group of amateur hockey organizations broke away from the now defunct Michigan National Hockey League (MNHL) to form the Midwest Elite Hockey League. Under the guidance of then president and current Belle Tire Hockey Director John Kay, these members, in addition to those that were added in time, now make up the premier AAA Tier I developmental association in the United States. Currently, close to 100 clubs represent the MWEHL by competing in both boys and girls divisions.

Teams in the boys’ circuit range from Mite to Midget Major; the latter consisting of Belle Tire, Capital Centre Pride, Chicago Young Americans, Cleveland Barons, Compuware, Honeybaked, Kewadin Soo, Little Caesars, Marquette Electricians, Pittsburgh Hornets, Team Illinois and Victory Honda.

Throughout the years, several players began their ascent to the National Hockey League by honing their skills with MWEHL organizations. Some familiar names include: Ryan Malone (Penguins) and R.J Umberger (Philadelphia) , both alumni from the Pittsburgh Hornets, Dallas Stars center and Michigan native Mike Modano; Al Iafrate; Pat Peake; Jimmy Carson; and Derian Hatcher, a former Detroit Red Wing and Motor City Mechanic (United Hockey League) defenseman who signed a contract in the summer of 2005 to play with the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Pittsburgh Hornets AAA Hockey Association is one of the top amateur hockey associations in the country and, based upon our long standing track record to date, we believe clearly the top amateur hockey association in Western Pennsylvania for helping young hockey players realize their goals and dreams at the junior, Division 1 and even the Pro levels. You can check out the success of our alumni by going to/clicking on the following link. To learn more about our great organization click through to our association webpage at this link as well.

As proud members of the MWEHL, we believe we owe a great deal of our success to the MWEHL and our fellow league members as together we all strive to maintain the strategic vision of the MWEHL, to :

Provide best-in-class coaching, training facilities, and programs; and
Build relationships with USA Hockey, MAHA, Junior Leagues, Colleges/Universities, and the business community; and
Instill the core values of Achievement, Competitiveness, Citizenship, Enthusiasm, Scholarship, and Sportsmanship (ACCESS) in each member of the Association

Best wishes and good luck to everyone competing in the prestigious MWEHL AAA Showcase, and let the games begin !!

Hornet Alumni Goalie Kris Mayotte receives third ECACHL Goalie of the Week Honor

2006-02-14T21:28:00.000-05:00

Albany, N.Y. – Senior Kris Mayotte (Pittsburgh, PA) strengthened his
bid for all-league honors by being named the ECACHL Goalie of the Week for the third time this season. He is the first goaltender in the league to receive the award three times. Mayotte combined for 55 saves on 57 shots to help Union pick up wins over Brown (2-1) and Yale (5-1) and extend the team’s unbeaten streak to five games. The pair of wins helped the Dutchmen retain sixth place in the league standings and stay within striking distance of a top four finish. Fellow senior Jonathan Poirier (St. Jerome, QUE) and junior Olivier Bouchard (Quebec City, QUE) were named to the league honor roll.

In the game against Brown Mayotte made 27 saves, including 10 on the power play, to pick up his first career win against the Bears. He made several key stops particularly in the second period where the Bears outshot Union 13-7 and had seven power play shots on three attempts. Two of those stops came at the beginning and end of the period. He made a kick save on a point-blank shot early on and then stopped another shot in front with his blocker to keep the game tied at 1-1 until his teammates could tally the game-winner.

In game two Mayotte made 28 saves in his 15th win of the season to defeat Yale and give Union its 10th win at home. Mayotte's lone goal allowed came on the power play after the Dutchmen had built a three-goal lead. He kept the Bulldogs off the scoreboard through the first and second periods with another exceptional effort. Just over midway through the first he made a last-second kick save at the right post. He bested that with just over five minutes remaining in the same period by denying Yale on a breakaway opportunity to keep the game scoreless. In the second period he came up with two glove saves right in front to help maintain Union's three-goal advantage.

Mayotte compiled a save percentage above 90 in both games to bring his season total to 22. Union is 15-2-5 in those contests. He has allowed just one goal in four of his last five games and no more than two goals in five straight. Mayotte is currently first in league games in save percentage at .928 and second in the league in goals against average at 2.16.

Kris has had an outstanding career at Union and former Hornet Goalie Shaun Williams of the Chicago Steel will be following in Kris' footsteps as the goalie for Union College next year.

Congratulations Kris on a fine career at Union College and carrying on the tradition of the Pittsburgh Hornets as the "Goaltending Factory" for amateur hockey in the USA

Hornets split with Team Illinois (49 wins, 4 losses, 1 tie before the weekend)

2006-02-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets ended the weekend with a split with highly ranked Team Illinois. TI entered the weekend with a record of 49 wins, 4 losses, and 1 tie. The Hornets, behind goals by Eric Windmueller, Matt Celin(unassisted) and Ron Cramer, and outstanding goaltending by Rob Madore, handed Team Illinois it's 5 loss of the season 3-2. The Hornets then lost Sunday’s contest 6-2, in giving up a pair of empty-net goals late in the game.

Gerry Raymond scored both Hornets goals on Sunday, and Pat Gaul had four assists during the weekend.

Chris Cerutti, who received 40 plus stiches in a game last month, also made a return to the Hornets’ lineup.

Grant Lewis - Candidate for the Hobey Baker Award

2006-01-30T18:53:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets are proud to announce that former Hornet Grant Lewis, defenseman at Dartmouth University, has made the preliminary nomination list for the Hobey Baker Award. !! Hobey Baker was a legendary hockey player around the time of WWI. Consider that Hobey Baker captained Princeton's hockey and football teams, he was a charter member of the United States Hockey Hall of Fame and one of a handful of Americans to be inducted into Canada's Hockey Hall of Fame and he is a member of Princeton's Hall of Fame, both football and hockey. Each year the best hockey player in the country receives the Hobey Baker Memorial Award. Recipients of the prestigious Hobey Baker award are selected based upon the following criteria:

Candidates must exhibit strength of character both on and off the ice.
Candidates must contribute to the integrity of the team and display outstanding skills in all phases of the game.
Consideration should be given to scholastic achievement and sportsmanship.
Candidates must comply with all NCAA rules: be full time students in an accredited NCAA or NAIA college or university; and complete 50% or more of the season.

Process

Every head hockey coach at an accredited Division I NCAA school receives one ballot. Coaches are asked to pick the top three players in their league and the top three players in the nation (two separate rankings, three players each; a player may be listed in both places, and a coach can vote for his own player).

Coaches from 58 schools receive a ballot. Those ballots, along with Vote for Hobey's Preliminary Voting results, are tabulated by an accounting firm to determining the 10 finalists.

This top ten advances to the Selection Committee, which decides the eventual winner from the top ten. This committee is composed of print media, electronic media, NHL scouts, and the American Hockey Coaches Association (college hockey coaches). Its members are spread out among the hockey-playing section of the United States. The committee also includes an individual from USA Hockey.

The most interesting thing about this process is that the Hobey Baker committee collects votes from individual fans for players on the Preliminary Voting List. There are 193 players currently listed, and Grant is now #22. We would encourage everyone to go to the Dartmouth Website and check out the fine season Grant is currently having, then go to the Hobey Baker website, register, and cast your vote for Grant!

The rules provide you can vote everyday! We believe based upon Grant's season at Dartmouth, his known leadership qualities, and perhaps most importantly his character and integrity, that Grant is a strong candidate for Hobey Baker consideration. We would encourage everyone to take the time and cast a vote(s) for Grant as the recipient of the Hobey Baker award. He is a deserving candidate.

Congratulations Grant on your success so far. Even being mentioned in the same breath as Hobey Baker is a tremendous accomplishment. Like other of our Hornet alumni, you have done the Pittsburgh Hornets organization proud, and we wish you the best of luck in the Hobey Baker balloting. Go Hornets and Go Grant !!!

Hornet run ends valiantly in double overtime 3-2

2006-01-29T11:17:00.000-05:00

more to follow..............

Hornets advance to Semi's

2006-01-28T15:07:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets advanced to the Semi-Finals of the prestigious Drummondville Tournament with a 7-2 win over the Toronto Red Wings Saturday morning.

Alumni update Dec. 28

2006-01-28T11:37:00.000-05:00

In college action last night, Hornet players figured in the scoring for their respective teams. Bernie Chmiel had an assist as Sacred Heart defeated Mercyhurst 4-1, John Zeiler had an assist in a losing cause as St. Lawrence lost to Clarkson 3-2, Dylan Reese registered an assist as Harvard defeated Rensselaer 3-1, and Grant Lewis had an assist, as Dartmouth defeated Union 5-1.

In the USHL, Chris Clackson had two goals for Chicago v. Sioux City, who was led by the 2nd star of the game Chris Minella. Minella, the Team Captain had two assists.

In the NAHL, Mahoning Valley dusted Traverse City 6-2 aided by a Matt Quigley goal.

In the EJHL, Mark Persic of the Boston Harbor Wolves has returned from shoulder surgery with 6 goals and 2 assists in 16 games.

Hornets remain undefeated with 4-3 overtime win.

2006-01-27T21:47:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets are now 3-0 after defeating the Toronto Red Wings 4-3 in overtime behind a Gerry Raymond goal. ......more to follow.

Hornets now 2-0 in Quebec

2006-01-26T21:38:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets dismantled Cape Breton 7-0 Thursday evening to run their tournament record to 2-0.......more to follow.

FLASH update- Hornets open Quebec tournament w/ 9-4 Win

2006-01-25T20:46:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornet MM team opened tournament play in Drummondville, Quebec with a 9-4 win over Seminaire St Francois Wednesday evening............more to follow.

Hornets Play in Prestigious Drummondville Hockey Tourney

2006-01-25T11:42:00.000-05:00

The Pittsburgh Hornets begin play today in the prestigious Drummondville International Midget Hockey Tournament (le tournoi de drummondville) in Drummondville, Quebec. The competition will be fast and furious as the Pittsburgh Hornets compete in the preliminary rounds against Seminarie St-Francois at 5 pm January 25, the Cape Breton Tradesman at 3:45 on January 26, and the Toronto Red Wings at 3:15 on January 27. The Hornets have been attending for many years this wonderful tournament featuring some of the best competition in North America. Follow the day to day action at the tournament website by clicking through on this link. To all of the Pittsburgh Hornet Players from your family and friends back home BONNE CHANCE LES HORNETS, BONNE CHANCE !!!

Hornets continue to lead MWEHL in scoring with 6 players in top 10

2006-01-19T15:52:00.000-05:00

Earl Bugaile - Top Hockey Reporter in Western Pennsylvania!

2006-01-19T12:35:00.000-05:00

If you had a chance to read the articles on Pittsburgh Hornet greats Mike Betz and Bill Downey, then you have become aware of the excellent writing and reporting of Earl Bugaile. Earl is a reporter for WJPA radio in Washington, Pa. and is unquestionably the top media reporter on pro/amateur hockey in the Western Pennsylvania area. His daily reports file on his Center Ice Website have become the default media location on the internet to learn about daily developments in the NHL, Minor Pro Hockey, College and High School Hockey throughout Western Pennsylvania. His reporting is fair and balanced and he treats all levels of hockey, from the pro level down to the amateur level with dignity and respect. We encourage everyone to touch base with Earl Bugaile at his Center Ice Website (by clicking here) if you want to keep up to date on the latest information and developments in the world of hockey. Way to go Earl, it is folks like you that make Western Pennsylvania a great location for the sport of hockey !!!

Out of Africa - Hornet great Mike Betz returns to the Ice

2006-01-19T12:26:00.000-05:00

Earl Bugaile has done it again with this insightful interview about the career, hopes and aspirations of former great Mike Betz and his new hockey opportunity with the Wheeling Nailers. Congratulations Mike and Kudo's again to Earl!

It has been said that you can never really leave a place that you love. It is especially true as it applies to hockey, because the sport has a way of taking hold of one’s self. Players who love the game have difficulty leaving it entirely.

Take the case of goalie Mike Betz, from Elizabeth, PA, who signed on last week as back-up netminder for the Nailers. Only a few weeks ago was working in a mission serving youth in West Africa. He felt the desire to return to hockey, and attempt to pick up a career that demonstrated a lot of promise, when he established himself as one of the NCAA’s top goalies at Ohio State.

Betz was signed briefly by the Nailers last spring to fill an emergency role, and left shortly thereafter to fulfill his call to mission. “I had been planning to go to Africa for over a year, he said. “The last few months, I was working in a home for street children in Sierra Leone. It’s been quite an off-season, because I had no intention of coming back and playing hockey this year. The situation was really good there, and I loved the work, but it was time to come back.”

One of the first things Betz did upon returning home was to send letters of interest to the ECHL teams, and it was the Nailers who called. “I was hoping Wheeling would need a goaltender, and to be able to come back here is beyond anything I could ask for,” he said. Talk about being in the right place at the right time.Betz returned just as the Nailers and the rest of the Penguins organization experienced a reshuffling of their goalies. Jocelyn Thibault was placed on Injured Reserve, Sebastian Caron and Dany Sabourin were recalled by the Penguins, and Andy Chiodo was recalled to Wilkes Barre, which left Andy Franck as the only goalie in Wheeling. Barring any major moves among the Penguins goalies, Betz is likely to stay with the Nailers for the remainder of the season, and perhaps beyond.

There may be more to being in the right place at the right time with Betz arrival in Wheeling. Maybe it has something to do with Divine Intervention. “While I was there the whole time I was thinking about hockey,” he said. “For some reason, on Sundays at church my mind just kept wandering to hockey, and I knew that was the time that maybe I should start to heed this call.”With Betz, the Nailers have a goalie with strong credentials, who established himself for four seasons at Ohio State, where he still holds most of the significant goaltending records.

As a four-year starter with the Buckeyes, Betz compiled a record of 73-57-9, for the all-time record in wins, and he also owns the record for lowest single-season goals-against average at 2.24. In addition to finding a pretty good backup, the Nailers have found themselves an even better person. Those who have met him, will tell you that Mike Betz is one of the nicest persons you’ll ever want to meet. During his years at Ohio State, Betz traveled to Tanzania on a Medical and Educational mission, he raised over $9,000 for children of Tanzania, and was a finalist for the College Hockey Humanitarian Award.

He has been active in mission work most of his life.For the immediate future, Betz will concentrate in getting himself in game-shape, since he has not been on the ice since last March, the last time he was signed by the Nailers. But most estimations, Betz could be ready to play within the next 10 days.The return to Wheeling is much more than just a homecoming for Betz. It not only affords him the opportunity to play professional hockey just a little over an hour from his home town, but it reunites him with players with whom he played with over the years.

Most notably, are Nailers defenseman Cliff Loya from Mt. Lebanon, and Bill Downey, who played high school hockey at Central Catholic.“It’s just been great. To came back into this locker room knowing Cliff and Bill since my childhood, and knowing a lot of other guys from last year. It’s been such an easy transition for me,” he said. He’ll also have the opportunity to come across many of the other players in the ECHL he has either played with or against in his years at Ohio State.

Most notable among those will be JB Bittner, of the Johnstown Chiefs, who, like Betz, was a former Pittsburgh Hornet, and who played on the same teams with him at Ohio State.“I had a great experience here last year. Being a Pittsburgh boy, it’s exciting to be part of all this,” he said.If all goes according to plan, the Nailers and their fans will be happy with his decision to follow his love back to Wheeling.