Posts from ‘April, 2009’

With scorers the likes of James Brannigan, C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough on the Brooklyn Aces roster on Dec. 18, 2008, many would be hard pressed to believe that the first penalty shot in team history at Aviator was taken by defenseman Doug Hoffman. However, that was indeed the case as the talented offensive blueliner squared off against Danbury Mad Hatters goaltender Derek MacIntyre.

Check it out!

Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

Here’s a new segment I’ll be implementing on the site to give you, the fans, some more insight on a handful of the players on the team that there isn’t much information on.

Enjoy.

Derek Kern spent just 24 days with the Brooklyn Aces this season, but in that time, he worked his tail off on every shift, proving that after four years removed from professional hockey [his last stint in the pros was in 2005, where he was a teammate of former Aces captain Dan Rohanna with the UHL's Kansas City Outlaws, where he scored seven goals and 18 points in 71 games.], he could still perform at a high level.

Playing on virtually every line on the team in his seven-game stint with the team, the 5′8, 165-pound Kern scored five points and provided toughness, despite his diminutive size.

Brooklyn Aces forward Eddie Chlanda proved in his first go round with the team this season that he could score, but after enforcer Chad Wilcox and other gritty players went down with injuries, he was put on waivers so the team could toughen up. After it appeared his chances of coming back to the team were minuscule, the hockey gods smiled on the sniper and the 26-year-old was brought back to provide offense for the playoff push.

By the end of his bogus journey with the team, Chlanda scored eight points in eight games, proving that his point a game days at Lebanon Valley and Curry College were no joke.

In this interview done during his first tenure with the team, Chlanda talks about his game and his road to Brooklyn. He also discusses a player from the local area that he’s often compared to which may surprise some of you.

As always, you can listen to the interview here @

Going from teaching youth hockey clinics at Aviator before Brooklyn Aces games to quickly becoming one of the team’s best stay at home defensemen, Chris Robinson is the league’s first real feel-good story.

However, unlike some other players, especially in the other sports, that see only short flashes of brilliance once their dreams are realized, Robinson looked like a brand-new Dodge Ram on the ice this season, grabbing his destiny by the horns and effectively checking and poke checking himself to the top of the Aces depth chart.

Scoring seven points in 24 games, “Robo” as he is called by his teammates, also proved to have more offensive upside than expected and showed remarkable poise, nabbing only 15 minutes in penalties despite playing with an edge every night.

In this interview conducted on March 8, right before the team faced off with the Danbury Mad Hatters for the last time on the road this season, the 24-year-old Robinson talks about how he’s adjusted to the pros and the wild road that got him there.

Going 16-5-3 with a league-leading 2.97 GAA and a .916 save percentage this season, Brooklyn Aces goaltender Eddie Neville was easily the most dominant goaltender in the EPHL, despite battling injuries and getting called up to the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL on a few occasions.

In the playoffs, Neville continued to do whatever it took to keep the Aces alive. However, in spite of going 1-1-1 in the playoffs with a 3.17 GAA, the team was unable to hold up their end of the bargain on offense, leading to a loss in the EPHL finals that Neville surely can’t be blamed for.

In this exclusive interview, conducted before game two of the EPHL championship series, Neville talks about his long road to the pros and how he got some help along the way from some players you may have never expected.

As always, you can listen to the file here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastEddieNeville.mp3

Despite the fact that the Brooklyn Aces faltered in the EPHL finals two weeks ago to the Jersey Rockhoppers, the team had several remarkable performances and a multitude amazing players step on the ice for them. In this post, Aces Over Brooklyn will reward those players with our first ever, year-end awards.

By the way, I may have had too much fun doing this as most of the awards are named after great characters from the hockey movies I grew up on, so just be prepared.

Enjoy.

The Dean Youngblood Award- Given to the player that shows excellence in goal scoring, while trying his best to maintain a gentlemanly standard for the rest of the league to follow.

Nominees-

James Brannigan: 22 goals in 17 games with eight fighting majors.

Mike Christensen: 37 goals in 37 games with one fighting major, against the Danbury’s diminutive D-man Mykul Haun.

A veteran of the UHL, CHL, ECHL and international leagues, Brent Ozarowski hung up his skates in 2006, and came back for one more game in 2009, this time with the Brooklyn Aces. Looking for offense after dealing with injuries to key players, Ozarowski came along at the perfect time.

Scoring three points while on a line with team leading scorers C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough, Ozarowski helped power a win over the Danbury Mad Hatters on Feb. 20 and drew praise from both his linemates and Aces head coach Chris Firriolo in the process.

In this interview done before his first pro game in nearly four years, Ozarowski talks about his style of play, while offering his best advice to the youngsters on the team.

You can listen to the file here @

http://www.podbean.com/podcast-download?b=153881&f=http://acesoverbrooklyn.podbean.com/mf/web/tqp6f5/Brento.mp3

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

According to a press release by the EPHL, Jersey Rockhoppers co-owner and president Curtis Russell has been named the new president of the league, replacing Tim Kolpien, who has stepped aside as president to focus on other growth opportunities for his primary business.

Kolpien, who is also the principle owner of the Danbury Mad Hatters, will however remain involved in the league by providing team support services offered by the league and is beginning discussions with potential owner groups about the team, which according to the press release, should be sewn up by May.

“It’s an exciting time for the EPHL,” commented Russell. “We had a successful first season, and we have meaningful regional opportunities for sponsors.  We expect to have at least six markets field EPHL teams for the 2009-10 season.  Despite the challenging economy, we are growing and will present an exciting product to new fans in New England next season.”

Brooklyn Aces defenseman Doug Hoffman, who led all full-time defensemen in the EPHL with 36 points this season, came by the basic journalism class I’m teaching this semester at Kingsborough Community College today in order to let the class interview him.

Talking for about a half hour about his goals in hockey and the rest of his life, Hoffman was on his game, answering questions from all comers.

He even spoke at length about his love of music and aspirations for a career in media one day.

You can listen to the interview here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/DougHoffmanInterview.mp3

Or if you’re one of those trendy I-pod owners, you can download it here:

http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

My name is Doug Hoffman. I’m a defenseman for the Brooklyn Aces minor league hockey team. I consider myself a very happy person because, well, I’m playing hockey. I’m doing what I love. I’m aiming to get to that higher level one day, but right now, I’m just enjoying myself. I’m playing a sport I love and I’m getting paid for it. It’s great.

I started playing in Long Island. It was not the best hockey area, but still, it was good for me in the beginning. My friend, Chris Higgins, who plays for the Montreal Canadiens and his father used to take me to skate in the neighborhood. Since then, it was hockey, hockey, hockey… it’s something I was always passionate about.