This was a fast past and clean hockey game that proved very exciting for our home fans. This was also a very special day for our six senior players, as it was their last game of varsity hockey at Stanstead. Simon Thibeault ended today’s game after making the varsity team for the first time in his five years at the school. Bryan Nadeau played his Grade 12 year with us, while Marty Ausserhofer and Joey Roy wore the red and white for their junior and senior years. Thomas Perretta goes out after being on the team for three seasons and being fortunate enough to have played on two Provincial Championship teams. This is also the case for AJ Nelson, who joined the team in his freshman year and played four entire seasons as well as traveling on both our Slovakia and Switzerland tours. We hope you truly enjoyed your time as a Spartan and want to thank all of you for your contributions on and off the ice. We will miss each and every one of you and want you all to know that you will always be a part of the Stanstead family. Good luck next year in college and best wishes in your future hockey endeavors. SC 3 Academy St. Louis 3 Saturday, March 4Slow start, big finish against ASLAfter a hard-fought game against the Boston Junior Black Hawks on Friday, the boys were ready to get back on the ice against a new opponent from Quebec City. The game began rather slow, with a hard body check shattering a panel of glass and delaying the game for almost 20 minutes. We then came out flying after the first to score three unanswered goals and take a 4-2 lead. Our second goal was a beautiful two on one passing play between Hobbsy and Boots, while the go ahead came off a terrific power play. In fact, we moved the puck inside their zone exceptionally well and eventually scored off a great shot from the point by senior AJ Nelson. Our fourth goal came off another power play opportunity on a nifty rebound play by Danny Hobbs. Academie St-Louis would make it close by adding another one in the third, but essentially came up short in the end. I am very pleased with our overall puck movement today, for our transition game was quick and allowed us to create many scoring opportunities. Our four defencemen played every second shift in today’s 60-minute game and did an excellent job under pressure. Today was a sound team victory and bodes well for our final game of the season tomorrow afternoon. SC 4 Academie St-Louis 3
JP Couture (Ainslie, Lachance) Julien Boutet (Hobbs, Murphy) AJ Nelson (Roytman, Ainslie) Danny Hobbs (Markowitz, Boutet) Friday, March 3SC 2 Boston Junior Black Hawks 5
More photos and game results here 2006 Provincial Champions!
This year’s playoff tournament was highly anticipated by everyone in the Stanstead hockey community. Expectations were high, for we began the tournament as the number one seed, not to mention the fact that we won in 2004 and lost 3-2 in last year's final. The boys began the tournament by playing eighth seed Bishop’s College School on Friday evening. After beating BCS the team faced the Centennial Chargers in the semi-final. We came out firing with four first- period goals by Bryan Nadeau and Danny Hobbs (3). In the second period the Chargers banged home an early rebound goal but captain Joey Roy scored one of his own on a shot from the high slot. We then fell asleep in the third but were able to regain our composure in the last five minutes. Julien Boutet scored our sixth goal, while Steven Markowitz finished the game with three assists.
The championship final was exciting from beginning to end, as we played a very gritty and good skating team from Howard S. Billings outside Montreal. Although I thought we dominated the play early on, the score remained tied 0-0 after the first period. The second frame was much of the same, for neither team was able to capitalize on their chances. However, with just twenty seconds remaining in the period Federico Lorini made a great play off an offensive face-off and then chipped in the go-ahead goal before the intermission. The third period intensified when Howard S. Billings tied things up halfway through. With the score tied and Billings pressing with only two minutes left on the clock, we were able to send Julien Boutet on a breakaway off a magnificent blocked shot at the point by AJ Nelson. Boutet then put a great move on their goalie to give us the lead. In the final minute Federico Lorini scored his second goal of the game when he fired home a wrist shot off a defensive face-off into an empty net.
Final SC 3 Howard S. Billings 1 Semifinal SC 6 Centennial Regional 4
Game # 1 SC 14 Bishop’s College School 0| Wednesday, February 22Spartans set ETIAC record with 10th championship win
This evening the boys faced the Pipers from Alexander Galt in the ETIAC Playoff Final. The game was a chance to make history, for Galt won nine straight from 1988 to 1997, while Stanstead has won the last nine from 1997 to 2005. Galt started off strong and took a 2-0 lead after the first period. However, we battled back and tied the game in the second after goals from Steven Markowitz and Barry Roytman. The latter was a thing of beauty, with Roytman rushing from end to end to fire home the tying goal with nine seconds remaining in the period. The third frame was back and forth and included many special teams but we were able to gain the lead for the first time with just over three minutes to play. The goal came off a solid shot from the point from Barry Roytman. Federico Lorini played a solid game up front earning two assists. Today’s victory was a new record for most consecutive ETIAC Playoff championships, as we have now won ten in a row. Congratulations to everyone on the team! I hope you now take the time to mentally prepare for this weekend’s Provincial Championships and realize the importance of disciplined play. SC 3 Alexander Galt High School 2
Boutet and Hobbs net their 50th goals of the seasonWith eight games remaining in our season, both Danny Hobbs and Julien Boutet have already Alternate captain Julien Boutet also netted his 50 th goal of the season when he banged home a
Wednesday, February 15Spartans recapture league title with undefeated seasonSC 12 Bishop’s College School 1 Tuesday, February 14Stanstead beats MVR in ETIAC playSC 10 Massey Vanier High School 2Boutet (Hobbs, Murphy) Markowitz (Lorini, Perretta) Roytman (Ainslie, Smith) Perretta (Markowtiz, Lorini) Ainslie (Hobbs, Markowitz) Perretta (Markowtiz, Hobbs) Boutet Hobbs (Markowitz, Perretta) Roberton (Hobbs) Boutet (Hobbs) February 8-122006 Moncton High School Hockey Classic
Notable Performances:
Greco’s Skills Competition – BEST ALL-AROUND SCHOOL 2006 Julien Boutet: Named Tournament MVP Tournament 2nd Leading Scorer (8G - 6A - 14P) Winner of Breakaway event at Skills Competition Danny Hobbs: Tournament Leading Scorer (12G - 4A - 16 P) Finalist of Breakaway event at Skills Competition Barry Roytman: Named to All-Tournament MVP TEAM Bryan Nadeau Winner of accuracy shooting event at Skills Competition Koray Celik Finalist of Breakaway event at Skills Competition Sunday, February 12, 2:00 PM Sunday, February 12, 10:00 AM Saturday, February 11, 9:15 PM Saturday, February 11, 12:00 PM Friday, February 10, 2:00 PM Thursday, February 9, 2:30 PM Wednesday, February 1Third period rally helps Spartans defeat HuskiesWe got off to a quick start today against New Hampton School when Phil Grant fired a solid low shot from the point that was deflected by JP Couture standing in front of the net. Moments later Thomas Perretta banged home a rebound goal to give us a 2-0 lead. The game stayed close for the first two periods, for NH got one back halfway through the second and both teams headed into their dressing rooms with the score 2-1. After killing off the last 48 seconds of a penalty to start the third, Steven Markowitz rushed down the right wing and scored to give us a 3-1 lead. Hobbs and Boots then each scored a goal apiece to put the game away, although NH added a late one in the final minute. This game was exceptionally physical and certainly not lacking in intensity on both sides. A special mention goes out to Chris White for putting forward a solid performance in goal and making many key saves at timely moments. We are now off the ice for our February break but will be back for practice on Tuesday before departing for the Moncton classic Tournament on Wednesday afternoon. Have a restful and enjoyable break! You deserve it! Joey, AJ, Lachance – Get Better Soon!!! SC 5 New Hampton School 2JP Couture (Grant, Nadeau) Thomas Perretta (Ainslie, Boutet) Steven Markowitz (Ainslie, Murphy) Danny Hobbs (Grant) Julien Boutet (Ainslie, Roytman) Monday, January 30Spartans defeat Pipers and move to 9-0 league record
SC 7 Alexander Galt High School 0 Wednesday, January 25Another injury in win against MVRThe team played another solid league game today and controlled the play from beginning to end. Unfortunately, we suffered another injury when defenceman AJ Nelson took a big-time check early in the third period. At this point, his shoulder is bruised and mildly dislocated but we hope he will be good to go when we travel to the Moncton Classic. We’ve now suffered three injuries in the last two weeks. Perhaps some inactivity due to Winter Carnival Weekend and February Break will allow the boys to heal and hopefully start skating again soon. Next Up: New Hampton School on February, 1. We leave for Moncton on Wednesday, February 8. SC 8 Massey Vanier High School 1 Friday, January 20Mighty Spartans too powerful for archrivalSC 10 Alexander Galt High School 0 Wednesday, January 18Comeback falters against Vermont AcademyAfter being down 3-0 against Vermont Academy and failing to capitalize on three breakaway chances, the boys rallied for three unanswered goals of their own to head into the dressing room tied 3-3 after two periods of play. The team came out strong again in the third and took the lead for the first time on a great shot by Danny Hobbs alone in the slot. Unfortunately, we then had to kill 6 straight penalties in a row and allowed Vermont Academy to convert on three of them. The game was fast and included numerous big hits from both teams. SC 4 Vermont Academy 6 Tuesday, January 17Spartans down MVR in convincing win!
The team kept their undefeated league streak alive today by defeating Massey-Vanier High School in their own rink. The game was rather special, for two new Spartans were playing in their previous school’s rink for the first time since last year. Assistant captain Bryan Nadeau was clearly pumped and excited to be playing against his former teammates and coaches, while JP Couture also anticipated this return to his old school as well. The game was very close early on, as the score was 2-1 after two periods of play. However, we came out flying in the third and took things over with six unanswered goals. We are pleased with the overall team performance and especially the way we moved the puck for the entire game. All lines created solid scoring chances and the defense showed poise and sound play for three full periods. More specifically, the line of Boutet, Perretta and Ainslie definitely cliqued today, for they combined for a total of fifteen points. In particular, Julien Boutet netted five goals and two assists, while Thomas Perretta banged home two goals and three assists. Unfortunately, today’s win was overshadowed by a serious injury to team captain Joey Roy. Early in the first period Joey tried to avoid a check in the defensive zone but took a huge hit to the body and went down with a bad knee. The early assessment suggests that he will be out for three weeks. Needless to say this is a huge loss and very disappointing, for Joey is a senior and leader of this team. Our thoughts are with you Joey! Get better soon! The team has now suffered two huge injuries in the span of one week and will have to show tremendous character as we prepare for the next three weeks of play. SC 8 Massey Vanier High School 1
Weekend, January 13-14Weekend split in MaineFriday evening, the boys faced a much older team in playing Hebron Academy in their own rink. Although we were down only 1-0 after the first period, Hebron’s physical play proved too much for us as we took three consecutive penalties to open the second period. Hebron’s powerplay proved to be quite potent, for they scored three goals in under four minutes to put the game out of reach. Although Julien Boutet ended their shutout attempt in the third period, we were essentially unable to win battles for the puck against this mature team. This was our eighth game in eight days. Needless to say, fatigue and bus legs didn’t help, although Hebron deserves full credit for their victory, as they will surely prove to be a tough team to beat in their conference down the stretch. SC 1 Hebron Academy 7
The boys showed character Saturday afternoon against Kents Hill in our ninth game in nine days and the second game of our weekend road trip. After being down 1-0 in the first period, the team regrouped in the locker room and came out firing in the second. Led by three monster body checks by JP Couture, the boys tied the game up on a scrappy goal early in the period when Michael Ainslie banged home a rebound in the slot. Minutes later Danny Hobbs scored a beauty off a nifty pass from Freddy Lorini and the hard work along the boards by Steven Markowitz. Kents Hill battled back late in the period and tied the game 2-2 before both teams headed off the ice. We controlled the play for much of the third period, although Kents gave us a scare halfway through when they ringed one off the crossbar. Fortunately, a great shot by Danny Hobbs gave us the lead and Phil Grant put the game away in the final two minutes off a great play by Thomas Perretta. This was a good team win, for we played well in the two final frames after seemingly sloppy play in the first. Special mention goes out to JP Couture for his grit and crushing hits, as well as to Phil Grant for his terrific defensive play and well deserved late goal.SC 4 Kents Hill School 2
Wednesday, January 11Three in a rowThis afternoon we defeated a well-coached team from Webster Academy for the third time this year. Unfortunately, the team was without a few key players for this trip to Montreal. Notably, Phil Lachance suffered a serious season ending injury in Tuesday's blowout win against Bishop’s College School. He is now out with a broken ankle. Our thoughts are with him in this difficult time. Although today’s game was 1-1 until late in the third period, we essentially controlled the play and completely out-shot our opponents in every period. Their goalie played solid hockey and made numerous terrific saves throughout the game. However, the line of Hobbs, Boutet and Mike Ainslie proved to be too much in the end. We showed character and battle fatigue once again, for today was our seventh game in six days. (Next stop: Hebron and Kents Hill this coming weekend.) Spartans 3 Webster Academy 1
Stanstead College Invitational Senior Boys' Hockey Tournament, January 6-8Spartans come up short in Tournament finalThis year’s edition of the Stanstead College Invitational Tournament was a huge success. The eight participating teams competed strongly and conducted themselves like true sportsmen both on and off the ice. The games attracted many students, friends and parents and ultimately filled the arena all weekend. A special thank you goes out to Dugie Ross and Adam Spirk for running such a fantastic event again this year. Their dedication to the program and success of the tournament is truly far moving. THANKS! In addition, we would also like to thank all the tournament volunteers and minor officials for their diligent work. And last but not least, the fans! The arena rocked for all five of our games. Your support and enthusiasm helped to give us an extra boost on many occasions. It’s always special to play in front of a home crowed. The opening game against Berwick Academy was extremely defencive. After scoring early in the first period, the score remained 1-0 until the last three minutes of the third period. We dominated the first two periods but were unable to put the game away. Both goaltenders were on their game, which resulted in a 1-1 stalemate. (Stanstead MVP – Julien Boutet) Our second game against Rye Country Day School turned into an offensive blowout. We controlled the play from beginning to end, but unfortunately gave up the lone goal in the final two minutes of the game. The line of Hobbs (4 goals and 1 assist), Boutet (3 goals and 4 assists) and Markowitz (5 assists) exploded for 17 points, and completely dominated their opponents. (Stanstead MVP – Danny Hobbs) Game three against Northwood School was an absolutely fantastic performance from beginning to end. The team played sound defense, and allowed few second and third chances in our own end. Koray Celik made key saves when needed, while Bryan Nadeau fired two brilliant slapshots from the point to give the team a 2-0 lead until the three minute mark of the third period. Although Northwood battled hard and scored a late goal, Danny Hobbs and Billy Murphy managed two late empty net goals to put the game out of reach. This was a terrific team victory, for we moved the puck well and made a commitment to defense for three full periods. (Stanstead MVP – Bryan Nadeau 2 goals) The semi-final game against Rivers School started off with a bang, for we led 2-0 after three minutes of play in the first period. However, we didn’t put the game away early and allowed Rivers to come back and tie the game 2-2 late in the second. Tommy Perretta managed to break away on a beautiful individual effort to regain the lead with 10 seconds remaining in the period. Once again, however, the team let up and allowed Rivers to tie up the game on a very skilled tip in on a two-on-one break early in the third period. Fortunately, the boys showed character and resolve, and were able to finish the job with two late goals by Danny Hobbs and Julien Boutet. (Stanstead MVP – Barry Roytman 4 assists) The championship game was the first time that we didn’t score first in the tournament. Unfortunately, we allowed Berwick to score first after an innocent looking play turned sour. Berwick then added a second goal with 2.9 seconds left in the first period, which helped to really knock the wind out of our sails. After being down 3-0 in the middle of the second period, the boys managed to get one back and narrow the lead to 3-1. Despite getting a breakaway chance and two solid opportunities from the high slot, we were not able to get back in the game. Berwick’s goaltender played phenomenal hockey and was a solid wall between the pipes. As far as the weekend goes, this team has much to be proud about. Sure we are all disappointed, but I am so pleased with the character and determination that our guys showed throughout the tournament. The boys played their hearts out. Five games in three days is a lot of hockey, especially considering we played the final game with only 8 forwards and 5 defensemen. We never quit and battled hard all weekend. We now have to take away the positive and use it to move forward as we prepare for our next tournament at the prestigious Coca Cola Classic next month in Moncton, New Brunswick. (Stanstead MVP – Thomas Perretta) - Julien Boutet named to Tournament MVP team Game # 5 – SC 2 Berwick Academy 4 CHAMPIONSHIP Game # 4 – SC 5 Rivers School 3 Semifinal Game # 3 – SC 4 Northwood School 1 Game # 2 – SC 8 Rye Country Day School 1 Game # 1 –SC 1 Berwick Academy Wednesday, January 4, 2006Spartans Down New Hampton in New Year OpenerThe New Year began with a bang as we defeated the New Hampton Huskies 6-1 on a beautiful open ice this afternoon. Koray Celik and Chris White made key saves when needed, while the rest of the team put on a solid performance in what was a physical game with many penalties on both sides. The line of Hobbs, Boutet and Ainslie dominated the play and tallied four goals, with Danny Hobbs getting his second hat-trick of the season. The blue line was also quite sound today, contributing to the scoresheet with five assists and an absolute cannon of a goal by Bryan Nadeau. Great start to 2006 boys! It’s tournament time! Stanstead 6 New Hampton 1 Saturday, December 10
Unfortuanely, the storm that spread through the Boston area changed our plans for the weekend, forcing us to cancel Friday's game. However, we were able to play our scheduled game against Duxbury High School in Plymouth, Massachusettes on Saturday evening. The score essentially speaks for itself in this case, for we were mentally prepared and ready to play today, but things just didn’t go our way. After being down 2-0 in the first, we let Duxbury double their lead early in the second before getting a late goal and heading into the dressing room down 4-1 after two periods. Although we had our chances in the third, our efforts came up short despite getting two late goals. Good luck with your examinations this week, boys! Spartans 3 Duxbury High School 5 Saturday, Sunday, December 3, 4Spartans Win Big against Webster AcademyI was most impressed with our effort Saturday, for we dominated the play from beginning to end and completely outshot our opponents. In particular, our solid transitional play allowed us to control the flow of the game and create numerous scoring chances. In fact, we put forward a total team effort today, as all the lines contributed to the score-sheet, while one goal and three assists came from our defencemen. Moreover, the game also marked a full length 60 minute shutout for senior goaltender Marty Ausserhofer, who made key saves at critical times early on. Up front, both Danny Hobbs (1 goal and 3 assists) and Federico Lorini (2 goals and 2 assists) completed sound performances finishing with four points apiece. Spartans 7 Webster Academy 0 Sunday was our third game in three days but the boys didn’t show any fatigue and came out skating hard once again. The main difference from yesterday was that Webster Academy showed more determination and played more physically throughout. Although we took too many penalties again, the positive aspects continue to be the stellar play of Danny Hobbs and Federico Lorini, as they combined for four more goals again today. More importantly though, the team is getting goals from all three lines, as well as from our defensemen. We must now continue to work hard in practice this week and prepare mentally for two difficult games in Boston next Friday and Saturday evening. We just won three games in a row boys! Let’s work hard to keep things rolling and finish off strong before the holidays! Spartans 6 Webster Academy 3
Friday, December 2Boutet Lights Up Galt
This afternoon, the team played a solid game and really moved the puck well for three consistent periods. Although the score was only 1-0 after the first period, this game was really never in jeopardy, for we outshot our opponents by a wide margin. It was nice to see Steven Markowitz get back on the scoreboard today, as he jumped on a loose puck early in the first to put the team up by one. The line of Danny Hobbs and Julien Boutet then took things over, scoring three consecutive goals. AJ Nelson and Phil Lachance completed the scoring in the third with two nifty goals that involved some crisp passing and two sweet finishes. Although the whole team played well today, Julien Boutet clearly stole the show, finishing the game with two goals and three assists. All in all, it was a great team performance and very encouraging except for a plethora of penalties in the second half of the game. Good effort boys! Spartans 6 Alexander High School 0 Wednesday, November 30Spartans 3 and 0 in ETIACAlthough it wasn’t pretty by any means, the team won again today to bring their ETIAC record to a perfect 3 and 0 standing. We were only up by one after two periods. However, the boys were able to put it away in the third. A more concerted effort for three entire periods will be needed in the future, as our level of intensity and overall team play is unacceptable at this point. Spartans 5 Massey Vanier High School 0 Saturday, November 26Spartans Come Up Short On The RoadSaturday the team played a closely fought game against Berwick Academy. Although the Bulldogs scored twice early on, we managed to shut them out in the second half of the game but were unable to capitalize on our numerous scoring chances. Once again, our slow start did us in and allowed our opponents to take the lead. Fortunately, we will be able to play them again in our home tournament in early January. Spartans 1 Berwick Academy 2
Sunday, November 27 Sunday’s game against Bridgton Academy was perhaps our best effort of the season. We played the first two periods with conviction and generated a plethora of scoring opportunities, not to mention three breakaway chances. However, we were unable to put the nail in the coffin and failed to convert on our odd-man rushes. On the other end of the ice, our defensive play was much sounder, while the solid play of Koray Celik allowed us to leave the ice with a 1-0 lead after two periods. The go-ahead goal was an absolute beauty with five players touching the puck before it went in the net. After a quick side-change, Federico Lorini passed the puck up ice to Joey Roy who then sent it right in front of the net for an easy finish by Danny Hobbs. Needless to say, the team played with grit and intensity for the first two periods. The third period was another story though, as the team collapsed defensively and allowed four goals in five minutes and 20 seconds. It was an unfortunate turn of events but the reality is that the team played good hockey for most of the game. We must now move forward and show character and resolve in our coming games this week. Remember the words of Led Zeppelin boys: “There are two paths you can go down but in the long run there is still time to change the road you’re on…” Spartans 1 Bridgton Academy 4
Wednesday, November 22Spartans down Pipers in ETIAC debutThis afternoon the team hosted its first ETIAC league game of the season. Although the boys were slow to get started and found themselves down 1-0 early on, the game was never really in jeopardy. The boys controlled the tempo and had most of the play for the entire game. Unfortunately, many unnecessary penalties continued to be a dominant theme. However, the bright side of today’s outing came from our defencemen, for both Bryan Nadeau and Barry Roytman scored a goal apiece on shots from the blue line, totaling five points between the two of them. Although we did win our game today, there is no doubt that added intensity and an overall better commitment to moving the puck and improved positional play will be necessary in future games. Spartans 3 Alexander Galt High School 1 November 19-20Weekend splitThis past weekend the team played at home against the Midget AA Castors from Sherbrooke. Although the boys had been waiting for this game for some time, we clearly were out-classed on almost every aspect of the game in what was perhaps our poorest performance of the season. Although the score remained 0-0 for the first 25 minutes of play, we let ourselves get outmatched in the second half of the game as our opponents pounded our net with multiple shots from the slot. In fact, the bright side of this game was the magnificent play of Grade 11 goaltender Christopher White, who excelled for the first two periods. Chris kept the game close and allowed us to enter the locker room down 2-0 after two periods. However, the game fell apart in the third as we failed to capitalize on our own chances and continued to play shorthanded hockey because of too many penalties. Needless to say, this game is now behind us and we look forward to playing them again in their own rink later on in the season. Spartans 0 Sherbrooke Castors Midget AA 5
Sunday morning the team was back on the road bright and early as we headed down Interstate 91 to play Kimball Union Academy in New Hampshire. This rivalry has become a bit of a tradition over the past few years and a game in which we look forward to playing every season. In fact, the boys were clearly ready today and really came out of the gates with much more legs and grit than Saturday evening. We managed to score the first goal on a beautiful play by Phil Lachance after being handed a sensational outlet pass from Bryan Nadeau. We then went back to our old tricks and suffered two back- to-back goals as a result of undisciplined play. Fortunately, we were able to bounce back quickly and score three consecutive goals before the end of the second period. It was great to see Michael Ainslie’s creativity on Lachance’s second goal, while Danny Hobbs and Steven Markowitz were able to give us a two-goal cushion heading in to the room. Although we continued to take too many penalties in the third period, the boys killed them to perfection and were able to put the game away with goals by AJ Nelson and JP Couture in the final minutes of play. It was terrific to see our goaltending continue to excel today as the stellar play of Koray Celik gave us an opportunity to win. All in all this was a good overall team victory and positive day considering our past two outings. Great effort boys! Remember: “The powerful force of a positive attitude shows the way for others to follow”
Spartans 6 Kimball Union Academy 3 Wednesday, November 16Passive performance in Burlington lossAfter our strongest performance of the year on Sunday evening, the boys were primed and ready for today’s afternoon game against St. Mike’s College. Unfortunately, the boys came out flat and didn’t compete enough in our own end. We may have been tired after playing four games in four days over the weekend, and the bus ride down to Burlington certainly didn’t help, but the reality is that today’s effort was far too passive. Although we generated more than enough scoring chances to win today, our defensive play is what killed us in the end. We are going to have to make a better commitment to playing smarter hockey without the puck and picking up the open man in our own end in order to enjoy consistent success. We must now regroup and get ready to play a more determined and competitive style of hockey as we prepare for two big games this coming weekend. Think positive boys! We have to win the one-on-ones and be committed to fighting for loose pucks and cutting down on odd man rushes. INTENSITY! HEART! DISCIPLINE! And Talk – Talk – Talk out there… Spartans 0 St. Michael’s University JV 5 Spartans go 2-and-2 in Staten Island Thursday, November 10Spartans lose first one on the roadThis past weekend we traveled through Connecticut and New York City to play three big games against junior B teams and one game against Monseigneur Farrel High School from Staten Island. The weekend was a terrific bonding experience for this team, which consists of a total of 10 new players. The trip was also a real homecoming experience for four of our players (AJ Nelson, Thomas Perretta, Steven Markowitz and Barry Roytman) as they are all from Staten Island, New York. The team took some time to get going throughout the weekend, for the first game was against a very fast and high-energy opponent. The boys held their own and gave up few scoring chances, but in the end the tempo and bus ride proved to be major obstacles. The bright side of the game was the steady play coming out of the second period, despite being without injured veteran Julien Boutet. Unfortunately, the team couldn’t score even though we had two glorious 5-on-3 opportunities. It was a great learning experience against an older and faster team. Spartans 1 New England Falcons “Junior B” 5 Danny Hobbs (Lorini)
Friday, November 11Comeback too little too lateOur second game was played in Brewster, New York against another junior team. The boys played much better after having a good night’s rest and not having to travel. However, the team had to play once again without injured player Julien Boutet. Unfortunately, we started off slow again and gave up the first three goals early. The team did battle back nicely to get to within one, but ran out of time despite out-shooting another bigger and older team 34-19. We couldn’t capitalize on our power play chances and gave up too many unnecessary odd-man rushes. Steven Markowitz scored twice in his home state and in front of his family in the loss. Spartans 3 Brewster Bulldogs “Junior B” 5 Saturday, November 12I love New York!After spending Saturday afternoon walking around Manhattan, we all gathered at the Markowitz home for a magnificent team meal with many parents and friends who accompanied us on the trip. The evening was terrific on so many levels. A warm thank you goes out to all the moms who helped prepare such a fantastic meal! There is nothing quite like home-cooked Italian cuisine.
Sunday, November 13Boutet net’s a hat trick after returning from injurySunday was perhaps the turning point of our weekend from a hockey perspective, for the boys played two games with only a three-hour rest in between. The day was particularly special, as it was a real homecoming for our boys from Staten Island, considering they all grew up in these particular opponents organization. Moreover, the team also was at full strength, for injured Julien Boutet returned to the line-up and shined by scoring four goals during the day. Although the boys started off slow again in the first game against MSFHS, the team really controlled the tempo and dominated on all levels of play once the first period got going. It was nice to see the team start moving the puck more fluidly and fill the net after struggling offensively in the previous two games. Spartans 9 Monseigneur Farrel High School 3
Grant and Perretta each score twice in big win!The final game of the weekend was without a doubt our best outing of the year so far. We showed tremendous character and resolve as the play unfolded, for it was our second game of the day and the Staten Island Moose were also a bigger and much older team. In fact, after being down 1-0 after the first period, the boys regrouped and took over the pace of the game. We moved the puck with a purpose and used our speed to generate scoring chance after scoring chance. Fortunately, the gritty play of Phil Grant, JP Couture and Federico Lorini resulted in the tying and go-ahead goal, as Phil Grant banged home his first and second goals as a Spartan just before the second period ended. The team never looked back and continued to use our speed to put the game away in the third. In fact, it was beautiful to watch us stretch the play and send Julien Boutet and Thomas Perretta on consecutive breakaway goals to seal the deal. I am particularly pleased with our total team effort, for our defensive play without the puck was much improved, while our goaltending allowed us the time needed to get in the swing of things. In the end, this was a huge win for us, for we demonstrated that we are able to come from behind and win twice in the same day, as well as dominate older and bigger teams when we move the puck and tighten up defensively. This was a weekend to remember! Thanks to all the parents who provided billeting, meals and fan support. A big Spartan hug goes out to everyone who helped make this weekend possible! Spartans 5 Staten Island Moose “Junior B” 1
November 5, 6Spartans win big at homeThis past weekend the senior boys’ hockey team played their first two games of the season against a strong midget team from the Connecticut Falcons organization. The anticipation was great, as this year's team consists of many new players who were eager to get started. Fortunately, for the many fans who showed up, the play was fast, exciting to watch and very physical throughout the entire weekend. In fact, the team held its own in both games and showed tremendous promise through their gritty play and high level of speed and skill. The numbers on the scoreboard were a total team effort, as all three lines contributed to the two wins, while all three goaltenders split the playing time evenly amongst them. The solid performance of all three goaltenders contributed greatly to the positive atmosphere surrounding the team. Hopefully the boys will be able to build on this success as we prepare to travel to New York City to play three games against Junior B teams this coming weekend. Great start to the year! BIG APPLE here we come… Saturday, November 5 Danny Hobbs (Roytman, Lorini) Sunday, November 6 Thomas Perretta (Markowitz, Lesiak)
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Academie St-Louis then capitalized on their chances early and took a two-goal lead halfway through the first period. However, JP Couture banged home a rebound goal after he, Ainslie and Lachance put on a solid fore-check to cause the turnover that led to the goal.
each scored their 50th goals. Danny netted his 50 th on February 12 in the finals of the Moncton Classic Tournament in New Brunswick. He has since added three more and is the second leading point getter on the team with a total of 81. This is quite an accomplishment for this junior from Shawville, Quebec, who is in his first season with the Spartans. 
hat trick on February 14 against the Massey Vanier Vikings. Julien has since fired home two more and leads the team in points with a total of 90 overall. This speedy skilled junior from Amos, Quebec is now in his second season with the team and has just surpassed old boy PT Lacroix for the all-time most points scored in a season. 
This past weekend the team traveled all the way to Moncton, New Brunswick to play in the prestigious Moncton High School Classic. After three convincing round-robin wins, the boys rallied to win both their quarter-final and semi-final games, while facing much adversity due to injury. In fact, we played six games in four days with mostly two lines up front and four defensemen at the back. Needless to say the team showed tremendous character and resolve in making it all the way to the finals with such a short bench. Although we ran out of gas in the final game, the boys played their hearts out and left everything out on the ice. This was most definitely an impressive holistic experience from each and every player! You should be proud of yourselves boys! Fantastic effort and determination! Congratulations on winning the Greco Skills Competition and finishing 2nd out of 20 teams!
The boys won on the road today after a good practice on Sunday afternoon. The team moved the puck well, played disciplined hockey and controlled the play for most of the game. Marty Ausserhofer made three key breakaway saves in the first two periods, while Chris White mopped up in the third. Both goaltenders played well and were alert when needed. Up front all lines were firing, for the scoresheet was evenly distributed. It was great to see production from our two youngest players, as freshman George Roberton banged home a rebound in the first and sophmore Andrew Smith fired off two perfect wrist shots in the second and third. In addition, Federico Lorini played a very solid game up front utilizing his explosive speed and sound defensive ability to create many scoring opportunities off turnovers. This was a good team win considering we played without four regulars due to injury. 
