Posts under ‘Preflight briefings’

Despite missing 12 games this season due to injury, Brooklyn Aces center Mike Christensen is still ranked fourth in the EPHL with 25 goals. Often regarded as one of the top two-way players in the league, playing in every game situation, Christensen has also proved that there’s a lot more to his game than his offensive ability. Over the 12 games he was out of the lineup, the Aces learned that the hard way and were unable to find a player as versatile as Christensen to fill the void.

Now healthy and back in the lineup, Christensen has wasted no time picking up where he left off, scoring two goals in his first game back on Thursday against the Hudson Valley Bears.

In this interview done before his first game last Thursday, Christensen talks about his road back to the ice and what he wants to accomplish the rest of the season.

Through his first six games with the Brooklyn Aces this season, defenseman Andrew Scampoli proved to be a solid offensive player, scoring six points and looking as if he’d found himself a nice niche on the Aces powerplay. However, soon after, Scampoli was offered an opportunity to play in Holland. Gone for the next two months, Scampoli left a void on the Aces team that despite solid offensive contributions from Doug Hoffman and Nick Grove, was never replaced.

Simply put, Scampoli was the X-factor the team needed on the blue line. Now back with the team, Scampoli and the Aces can attempt to continue right where they left off- on top of the EPHL.

In this interview with Aces Over Brooklyn before the Aces took on the Hudson Valley Bears on Sunday, Scampoli talks about his expectations the rest of the season and what his trip to Holland was like.

Aces Over Brooklyn- How does it feel to be back?

With injuries to key players bogging down the Aces as of late, new players have been brought in to not only pick up the slack, but provide the missing toughness the team needs to keep the opposition on it’s toes.

Sean Walsh is one of those players.

Playing with the grit necessary to be a focal point of any decent checking line, Walsh, who was signed last week, brings the type of intensity the Aces will need down the stretch this season and alongside other newbies Mike Baccaro and Matt McGilvray, the team has some much needed spunk as of late. Walsh is much more than just a lunch paler however and has produced offensively in the past, which could be crucial to his staying potential with the team.

Originally a short-term signing, Walsh may in fact get a chance to stick around and show the rest of the league what he is truly made of.

Joining the Brooklyn Aces right after the new year to compensate for the plethora of injuries on the team’s blue line, 6′5 defenseman Gabe Yeung has been a solid addition, scoring seven points in 12 games and providing the team with the added toughness needed to play against the rest of the league.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn during the team’s last homestand, Yeung talks about his game and what it feels like to play in Brooklyn after starting the season in Hudson Valley.

Aces Over Brooklyn- When you were in Hudson Valley, many teams thought of you as more of a shutdown defenseman, but in Brooklyn so far, you’ve been producing offensively as well. What’s that about?

Gabe Yeung- It feels pretty good, especially because I know these guys can really play. Not to take anything away from the guys in Hudson Valley, but it’s pretty hard to get going when you have so many different players coming and going as we did. With the lineup this team has now, my job is so much easier and I already feel comfortable around them.

Anyone who has ever shared the ice with Aces center B.J. Kuper knows that he anchors the team’s energy line for a reason. Energetic, passionate and relentless, not to mention an annoying pest, Kuper knows his job and does it well. However, with 10 goals and 25 points in 22 games this season, Kuper has transformed himself into something much more than a role player and currently ranks among the top two-way players in the league.

Because of his hard-work and multi-faceted play this season, he’s also earned the nickname “Super.” Make no mistake about it, Kuper is the league’s resident super hero.

He can do it all.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn during the team’s last homestand, Kuper talks about the transformation of his game and some of the players he’s played with this season.

Aces Over Brooklyn: How does it feel to be averaging a point a game so far this season?

Seven points in 17 games may not seem like something to go crazy about, but Aces defenseman Ian McLoughlin’s game is more about desire than numbers. Originally one of the team’s extra forwards when the season began, McLoughlin filled in on defense after injuries to Mike Richards and Dan Rohanna and hasn’t look back since. Now a dependable two-way defenseman with enough speed to make opposing teams think twice about taking chances with the puck in the offensive zone, McLoughlin has filled a niche for Brooklyn and is quickly earning rave reviews from his teammates and coaches.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn during the team’s last homestand, McLoughlin talks about making the change to defense and some of the blueliners he tries to emulate when on the ice.

Aces Over Brooklyn: After a few injuries, you were moved to the blueline. Knowing that you were originally slated on the roster as a forward, how do you think you’ve handled the move?

Through 12 games this season, Brooklyn Aces defenseman Nick Grove has sparkled on both ends of the ice, scoring 10 points and manning the point on both the powerplay and the penalty kill. However, what is even more impressive is the fact that this season marks Grove’s return to professional hockey after a year and a half away from the sport. At 26, Grove is still a candidate to advance to higher levels, but at the same time is the consistent and reliable veteran the Aces will need in order to make the playoffs and perhaps even win a championship this season. Chatting with AcesOverBrooklyn.com, Grove talks about his game, his teammates and his favorite part of this young season.

Aces Over Brooklyn- You were out of hockey for a while, but it seems like you’ve just jumped right in and you haven’t missed a beat. How do you feel right now?

Despite playing on the third line for most of the season, Aces forward Mike Thomson has shown the offensive tenacity of a first-liner, scoring four goals and adding five assists in just eight games.

Proving he’s more than just an energy player, Thomson fit right on on the team’s second line with Mike Christensen and Jesse Felten when Chris Holmes was called up to Elmira for a game a week ago.

However, if that wasn’t enough to show what he means to the Aces, the 24-year-old has also recently drawn the praise of the Brooklyn coaching staff due to his hustle and snarl in corners and his willingness to be play team-first hockey.

“He’s done a really good job for us this season,” said Aces coach Chris Firriolo. “He works really hard and shoots the puck extremely well, but I think his biggest asset is the edge he plays with every night. He’s a very good hockey player and because of that, we’re anxious to see how he continues to develop as the season progresses.”

This will be a new segment I’ll be trying out on the site every Monday for the next few weeks called “Pre-Flight Briefing,” where I will engage an Aces player in a quick three-minute Q & A session in order to give you guys a better idea of who they are and where they come from. If there are any players in particular you’d like me to interview or any questions you’d like me to ask for future segments, feel free to contact me. Until then, enjoy!

After a few games this season, the Aces realized they needed another puck moving defenseman to compliment Doug Hoffman, Rob Miller and Nick Grove if they were going to continue to dominate the rest of the EPHL on both ends of the ice. Soon enough, Andrew Scampoli was brought in from Danbury and the Aces haven’t lost a game since. During his short time with the team, Scampoli has been everything the team could have asked for and is currently tied for the league lead in goals by a defenseman with three and third in points with eight. Speaking with the Aces defenseman after his first game with the team on November 14 against the Hudson Valley Bears, Scampoli talks about his game and his new team.