He is a one of a kind netminder.

While several of the goaltenders in the EPHL have great goalie masks, such as Eddie Neville’s, which features “The Thing” from Marvel Comics, or Derek MacIntyre’s “Mad Dog” or even Nick Niedert’s “Skull” mask, Felice’s is by far the coolest.

Sporting a Star Wars-themed goalie mask, Felice is able to pay homage to his favorite movie, while playing the game he loves.

To him, it’s a match made in heaven.

“Everyone loves the mask,” Felice, who is a big fan of Yoda, the elder Jedi master, said. “It’s just like my own little creation. I’m a big Star Wars fan.”

Created by the same artist that fabricated former New York Rangers goalie Mike Richter’s signature Lady Liberty mask in the early 90s, Felice’s mask features the face of Darth Vader on the front, with an X-wing and tie-fighter encounter on one side and a battle between Vader and his son Luke Skywalker on the other. The level of detail is what really makes it stand out in the crowd though, as the lighting from the light-sabers and the stars in the galaxy around the X-wing make it look more like something you’d see in a comic book and nothing like what most hockey fans would expect to see on a net minder’s equipment.

Once Felice puts this artistic masterpiece on, he becomes poised and focused on the ice, possessing the temperament of a Jedi, rarely smiling and always keeping his mind on the game.

However, when asked about his mask after a game, he breaks every rule of Master Yoda’s and lets his feelings out about his head gear.

“Shortly after I got it made, I was in a tournament and the goalie on the other team spotted it,” said Felice with a wide smile. “We were getting ready to hit the ice and he just gets all excited and says ‘That’s an awesome mask.’ All of a sudden, he takes his chest protector off. Granted, this is right before we’re about to play and he shows me a rebel alliance tattoo he has on his shoulder. It was pretty cool.”

At 35-years-old, some might say that Felice must have high midi-chlorian counts in his bloodstream to be playing pro hockey with players that weren’t born at the time of the release of the first movie in the series.

However, there is a more obvious reason for his vigor.

A personal trainer and manager of a New York Sports Club facility while off the ice, Felice is always in excellent shape and is ready to play anytime anyone needs him.

Just like the light-saber carrying heroes of his childhood, he too understands his job and is ready to help his young hockey padawans in any way he can.

“It’s tough to come off the bench cold sometimes, but it’s still fun,” said Felice, who showed his support for his teammates by staying by their side during the team’s playoff run, despite the fact that the Aces starting goalie, Neville, returned to the team. “I’m older than most of these guys, so it’s been a real privilege. I tell them to always cherish these moments and not take them for granted.”

Note- If you scroll over a picture and right-click, you’ll have the option to “View image.” If you do so, you can see much bigger versions of the photos used for this article.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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As we all know, in professional hockey, players get traded. This past season, the Brooklyn Aces used their fair share of players, both that they acquired through free agency and trades. In this segment, we’ll get a closer look at the guys who crossed paths with the Aces but were never able to truly set their feet there.

The best player to be a part of the organization, but never play for the team last season was Scott Estey, who the Aces gave up in the expansion draft once the Hudson Valley Bears joined the league. Going on to score 53 points in just 32 games with the Bears, the 21-year-old Estey proved his ability and then some and even earned a call up to the Reading Royals of the ECHL, where he scored a goal in four games.

In this interview conducted during Aces training camp, Estey talks about his game and his feelings about the upcoming season that ended up turning out quite different from what he expected.

You can listen to the interview here @

http://www.podbean.com/podcast-download?b=153881&f=http://acesoverbrooklyn.podbean.com/mf/web/2xpgey/ScottEstyes.mp3

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In this exclusive interview with Aces Over Brooklyn, McLoughlin talks about his season and what he’d like the fans to think about him years from now.

Check it out!

As always, you can download the file here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastIanMcLoughlin327.mp3

Or you can download it from I-Tunes here @

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

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In game one, Neville was one step ahead of Jersey goaltender and EPHL MVP Nick Niedert the entire night and played perhaps one of the biggest roles in the first playoff win in the franchise’s history.

Making 35 saves on 37 shots, it’s obvious that Neville wasn’t as busy as Niedert, but he made the big saves when he had to.

That’s all you ask a goaltender to do, especially in the playoffs.

However, much like the play of his entire team, Neville was never the same goaltender after the 25 minute stoppage in play by referee Mike Geoffrion in game two.

Through the first 104:26 of the series, Neville made 53 saves on 56 shots. Through the rest of the series, Neville gave up a whopping seven goals on only 47 shots. From these numbers alone, it’s obvious that something changed.

Some may say that the Aces lost their momentum. Others may say that Jersey took advantage of an opportunity and didn’t look back.

Either way you look at it however, Neville was in net and played a part in the eventual outcome of the series.

While the first two goals he gave up after that fracas had more to do with the Aces defense allowing Matt Tyree and Chris Ferazzoli access to prime real estate in the offensive zone, the second goal Tyree scored, just 13 seconds after Kyle McCullough gave the Aces the lead, was definitely one that charismatic goaltender should have stopped.

The same thing goes for the goal he gave up in overtime to Tom Boudreau goal in overtime that while being induced by sloppy defensive play behind the net, Neville had a perfect look at the shot.

In spite of that, it’s hard to bash a goaltender that takes two of the three games he plays into overtime and keeps it close enough to warrant an extra attacker for the last few minutes of the third game.

Simply put, if the Aces or any distraught fans are looking for a scapegoat in Neville, they should look somewhere else.

Grade- B+

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In game one and most of game two, Rob Miller, Dan Carney and Chris Robinson especially were making great first passes out of their zone, springing guys like C.J. Tozzo, Mike Christensen, Kyle McCullough and Jessie Felten on numerous occasions. This was perhaps one of the biggest reasons why the Aces offense was able to hold it’s ground for the first half of the series.

On the powerplay, while the team went one for 12 throughout the series, a far cry from the regular season, when they led the league in powerplay efficiency, the defense did its part to induce opportunities. Miller, Carney and Doug Hoffman combined for 13 shots through the first two games, with most of them coming with the man advantage.

Nonetheless, in spite of their ability at the point through the first two games, just like the forward lines, they made several small mistakes that ended up hurting them throughout the series.

In game three, Miller registered a whopping eight shots on goal while Carney and Hoffman had none.

In addition, after playing sound in their own zone in game one by playing physical and making the smart first pass, the last period of game two and the entirety of game three, the Aces defense lacked the snare and poise it needed to get the best of Jersey.

Limiting Chris Ferazzoli to just one shot in game one, the Aces defensemen did a decent job of keeping the sniper out of the play. The rest of the series however, Ferazzoli was allowed to take high percentage shots, which of course led to goals. Gone was the tough board play and crease-clearing the team’s defense was actively partaking in through the first half of the series.

You could say that the Aces never recovered the momentum after referee Michael Geoffrion’s 25-minute penalty calling flub that ended up giving the Aces an extra attacker when the on-ice manpower was supposed to three on three and Jersey seized an opportunity and made the most of it, playing with an intensity they lacked through the first 40 minutes of game two.

However, the truth of the matter is had Ferazzoli been kept in check, via physical play or better neutral zone and defensive zone coverage, the Aces may have come out victorious against Jersey.

Grade- B

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Despite posting 21 shots in the three game series, Aces leading scorer and EPHL rookie of the year C.J. Tozzo scored only once. That’s not to say that Tozzo was ineffective, quite the contrary, but his teammates weren’t positioning themselves in front of the net to take care of the rebounds his shots produced.

Aces forward Tony Resendes said after game three that the team knew that Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert had problems controlling his rebounds and one of their main goals in the series was to induce those second chance opportunities and to get traffic in front, which was one of the reasons why the speedster was continually following up his shots in the series. It didn’t happen often enough however and that is one of the reasons why the team’s offense produced as little as it did.

Aside from Tozzo, the team’s second leading scorer, Kyle McCullough tallied only once as well. Even sniper Mike Christensen, who scored 34 goals in just 37 games was held in check, registering only a goal and an assist in the three games. The only players that ended up producing in comparison to the Jersey trio of Matt Puntureri, Tom Boudreau and playoff MVP Chris Ferazzoli were Jesse Felten and Resendes, who both registered three points.

Speaking of Felten, his play in the series may have been the team’s only real bright spot among the forwards. Hustling in corners and taking hits from the likes of Rich Jondo at intervals that would have put a plethora of dents in a brand new Hummer, Felten proved just how valuable he was to his team after battling consistency for most of the season. His line as well, the “Red Line” with Andrew Scampoli and “Super” B.J. Kuper were probably the only trio that got consistent pressure on the forecheck and were able to provide a consistent spark.

Nothing against the three, as they proved with their play this post-season how talented they really are, but when your third line is your best combination in the playoffs, you usually don’t come out on top.

Unfortunately for Brooklyn, this was the case.

On the defensive side of the puck, the team wasn’t able to maintain their forecheck throughout the series and those lapses in judgment ended up hurting them every time. Take Eric Frank’s penalty in overtime in game two and his missed back-check in game three that ended up in big goals for Jersey.

The same thing could be said for the play of some of the forwards on the powerplay during the series, who tried to do too much, rather than set up the cycle and get shots from the point on the easily-screened Niedert.

In the end, they played right into Niedert’s hands and with some luck from the goalpost, referees and their own inability to stick with their game plan, they couldn’t edge out a team that they had success against in the regular season.

Grade- C+

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Aside from being completely overjoyed as a lifelong hockey fan, I knew I had a chance to do something very special.

I soon after spoke to my editor and publisher for the two websites and newspapers I do most of my writing for and was assured I had the beat. However, by early October, for reasons that I’d like to not get into, both of the publications I wrote for felt it would be best if they didn’t cover the team at all or at a pace that to me, wasn’t going to be worth my time.

Well, having already blogged about the New York Islanders for two seasons and having covered the Brooklyn Cyclones for three, plus covering the Rangers and Devils in addition to the Isles at times during that span, I knew that I could handle the web stuff that bogs down most writers, taking pictures and the actual writing itself.

So on October 4, 2009, this site was born and in all honesty, it’s become almost like a child to me. Sure, it’s plain and it doesn’t load very quickly if you don’t have a DSL modem, but it’s the only place in the world where you can get up to date information on the team. The fact that people came to my site to read articles they couldn’t find anywhere else, means a lot to me.

It didn’t start out that way though as after the team’s first home game of the season, I was waiting for the Q35 bus outside Aviator, not knowing that it came every 45 minutes to an hour that late at night. Freezing my tail off, I went to stand behind a tree to stay warm, when I stepped on someone’s arm.

Yes someone’s arm.

So here I am, standing over a homeless man sleeping behind the tree next to the bus stop. At the time, I figured the guy was dead, so I called 911. While waiting for the ambulance to arrive, my bus arrived and I was forced to make a decision. Being the young and upstanding Republican I am [wink], I waited for the ambulance to come. Once it did, along with police, I was happy and shocked at the same time. Once the police pointed a flashlight in his face, he rolled over on to his back and said, “My arm hurts.”

Well yeah dude, I stepped on it.

I ended up getting home around 2:30 A.M. and then had to finish my story.

After I finished, I remember looking at my cat and asking her if she wanted to switch day jobs with me.

Unfortunately, being so tired at the time, I forgot that felines usually don’t speak.

At that point, I knew this season was going to be an adventure.

In the end, I wasn’t let down in the least.

From watching James Brannigan break a water main after one of his shots hit the post in pregame warm-ups to seeing the exploits of guys like C.J. Tozzo, Kyle McCullough, Doug Hoffman, Mike Christensen, Jesse Felten, Tony Resendes, Eric Frank and who could forget, Mike Geoffrion, this was a season I am not to forget anytime soon.

However, this site has allowed me to do so much more than just provide up to date information on the Aces. As an Adjunct Lecturer in English and Journalism at Kingsborough Community College, this site has allowed me to give my students a place where they could showcase their work. While only two of them ended up making the cut, the fact that they will always remember the first place they got published was on AcesOverBrooklyn.com will always make me smile. It’s also allowed me to help out some of the kids at the school’s radio station, WKRB and give them insight into the team on one of their radio shows, Hockey Night in Brooklyn.

Over the course of the season, I’ve also met so many great people. Tom Willms, who not only does a great job calling games over at IYMSportsRadio.com, but he’s one of the nicest people I’ve met in the four and a half years I’ve been writing [Thanks for all the Gatorade's in the playoffs!]. The same goes for Bill Thebert over at EPHLFanZone.com, who is not only an excellent photographer, but is genuinely kind and extremely hilarious. John Landers, who works for “The Maven” Stan Fischler is another good guy that knows the game and is always a good guy to shoot the breeze with.

The same goes for all the people who worked for the league like Kristin Frascelli, who worked the scorers table during Aces games and of course Ryan Wegs, who in addition to having an excellent singing voice [Anyone who heard him sing the National Anthem before game three knows exactly what I'm talking about.] is easily the hardest working guy in the EPHL.

In spite of that though, if it wasn’t for Aces head coach Chris Firriolo, things would have been so much tougher for me this season. Simply put, the guy made sure all of his players were always available to me and went out of his way to make sure I had what I needed before I left the rink. In my travels, I have never found a coach at the professional level that was that available to the press.

Thanks coach.

The same thing goes for Aces equipment manager Dan Barry and captain Rob Miller. These two guys were always willing to go out of their way and let me ask them questions. Miller was even willing to come to my Journalism class and let 25 journalism students, mostly women, who had never watched a hockey game in their lives, interview him. That my friends, takes more guts than getting in front of a Chris Holmes slapshot.

All in all, I can say that every member of the 2008-09 Aces was a decent guy that never made my life difficult.

As a matter of fact, I think this team ranks as one of the best I’ve ever covered in terms of letting me tell their story.

Most of all though, I want to thank all of you, my readers. Regardless of how often you read this season, just the fact that you clicked on my work, helped me put food on the table for my family and helped me realize how important this site is to the fans that love this team.

Thank you all.

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Today however, Niedert proved for one last time just how dominant he could be, making 43 saves as his Rockhoppers defeated the Brooklyn Aces 4-1 to claim the very first EPHL championship.

“Niedert was dynamite tonight,” said Aces head coach Chis Firriolo. “He showed why he was MVP.”

Despite an absolute lack of offense, the Aces were the aggressors in the first, out-shooting the Rockhoppers 16-9. Niedert was on top of his game, making several solid saves, but was also aided by a Jesse Felten shot that rang off the goalpost around the midway point of the period. On the other side of the ice, Eddie Neville wasn’t tested much, but held his ground and played his part in keeping the game scoreless after 20 minutes of play.

“He was great early on and it shut us down,” said Aces forward Kyle McCullough of Niedert. “I’m proud of the way we battled though. We worked really hard.”

The Rockhoppers came out much stronger in the second and scored the first goal of the game at 3:55 on the powerplay, courtesy of a shot in front by Chris Ferazzoli. Neville was stellar the rest of the period however, making 12 saves.

Felten’s line with Andrew Scampoli and “Super” B.J. Kuper continued to pressure the puck and get opportunities, but Niedert was just as strong, making 17 saves in the period.

Tony Resendes tied it at 1-1 at 6:15 in the third on an amazing wrist shot that beat Niedert over the shoulder after hitting the post. 25 seconds later, Drew Sanders scored, beating Neville glove side on a wrister of his own, giving Jersey their 1-goal lead back at 2-1.

“I was just trying to pick the guys up and get us back in that game,” said Resendes. “Things changed very quick though.”

With the game still close, Firriolo decided to try the team’s luck with an extra attacker, but Matt Puntureri scored at 18:34 with the empty net to make it a 3-1 game. At that point, the Aces were desperately trying to get back into the game but were stonewalled by Niedert. At 19:15, the Rockhoppers got another goal from Ferazzoli, his fifth of the series to put the game away at 4-1 and help Jersey claim the first ever EPHL championship.

The class of the league throughout the regular season, the Aces were heartbroken with the loss.

“I feel so bad for the guys; they worked so hard,” said Firriolo. “Last night was our night and it got taken from us, but the bottom line is we didn’t score. It was tough.”

Notes-

The Aces powerplay was 0 for four.

Neville made 30 saves on 33 shots.

Ferazzoli was named the playoff MVP.

Video-

Jersey’s celebration after the win.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. Video by Sherrie Ocasio

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You can download the file here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastChrisFirrioloPregame328.mp3

You can also download the file to your I-Pod here:

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

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After the game got sorted out last night, the Aces were a different club and weren’t forechecking the way they were earlier in the game.  Jersey’s fourth goal, scored by Matt Tyree, was a weak wrister that seemed to have changed direction, but compared to the other goals Jersey has scored in the series, it was by far the weakest one. The Brooklyn defense also allowed Tyree to get a decent enough shot on Eddie Neville and possibly even got in his line of sight, something that wasn’t happening through the game’s first 40 minutes.

If the Aces are to come out today and forget about what happened last night, they’ll have to get on the board early and establish their game. They have to get the “Red Line” of B.J. Kuper, Jesse Felten and Andrew Scampoli involved in the offensive end, so they can pester the Jersey defense and get them off their game. As far as the way the team’s two top lines compare, they pretty much cancel each other out and are both extremely talented. The Aces last line of Kuper, Felten and Scampoli however have been an X-factor of sorts for Brooklyn and will play a huge role in tonight’s game.

In addition, the team will have to find a way to keep their three snipers, C.J. Tozzo, Kyle McCullough and Mike Christensen involved. If they can get these guys to take shots, the offense will come. Tozzo has 15 shots in the series thus far and has been the best player for the Aces aside from Felten. After both Christensen and McCullough were silent in game one, they played much better last night, a huge reason why the team got the game to overtime. If the Aces can find a way to get all three lines going, they’ll be able to tire out a Jersey team that doesn’t have the speed or depth they do.

However, the biggest factor in the game is the powerplay. Last night, the Aces powerplay was void of the cycling, smart shot selection and poise it had in game one and over the last week of the season. Forwards were taking shots from weird angles, forcing the puck hard around the boards to the point where it left the zone. It’s simply a case of some players trying to do too much, rather than depend on each other and play smart, like they were earlier in the season. If that doesn’t stop, things will be that much harder for the Aces tonight.

The trophy is there and waiting for both teams and in the end, it’ll come down to who wants it more.

After last night’s win the Rockhoppers have the momentum in their favor and will be the team to beat early on.

Expect the first period to be an extremely exciting one as both team’s will try to establish their dominance early on.

That is unless the Aces decide to pull a Twisted Sister and decide that they aren’t going to take it anymore.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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“I’ve never seen anything like that in hockey and this is professional hockey,” said Aces forward Eric Frank. “This isn’t the first time these guys have made a mistake either. It’s always something new with them.”

“He shouldn’t be allowed to work in this league again,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo of Geoffrion. “He was terrible.”

Here’s the breakdown of the penalties Geoffrion called that caused the confusion:

At 19:42 of the second, Geoffrion called both Anthony Becker and Chris Robinson for roughing. On-ice manpower is affected, making it a four on four.

Geoffrion then called Rockhoppers captain Tom Boudreau for hooking at 0:48 of the third, resulting in a Brooklyn Aces four on three powerplay for two minutes.

At 1:20, Geoffrion called both Justin Todd, Kyle McCullough and C.J. Tozzo for roughing. On-ice manpower is not affected. EDIT- C.J. Tozzo was also called for roughing, but it isn’t in the game’s boxscore. At that point, the game should be three on three.

At 2:07, Geoffrion called Drew Sanders for holding, which should have given the Aces a four on three powerplay for 41 seconds.

At that point, the Aces had McCullough and Tozzo in the box, while New Jersey had Boudreau, Todd and Sanders.

Remember now, McCullough as well as Todd, do not affect on ice-manpower. The only players that play a role in on-ice manpower are Tozzo, Boudreau and Sanders.

However, this is right around the time Rich Jondo and several members of the New Jersey Rockhoppers began to argue the on-ice situation and rather than stand his ground, Geoffrion, skated to the scorer’s table and then both benches to explain the situation.

The Aces were also livid, forcing the referee to continue explaining himself to all three parties, resulting in one of the weirdest situations the league has ever seen.

Things were never cleared up however, as the Brooklyn Aces never got their five on three powerplay like they believed they should have, which they should have gotten according to the boxscore. Instead they played four on three for 41 seconds, due to Tozzo’s penalty, which was in fact was not the right call as Tozzo’s penalty should have made it a three on three situation.

However, the two breaks in action to explain it all possibly played an impact in the final outcome.

As well, because of Tozzo’s penalty, which wasn’t in the boxscore [McCullough's also wasn't on the  scoreboard] New Jersey lost a powerplay opportunity worth 1:28 that they should had once Boudreau left the box.

1:04 later at 3:11, Doug Hoffman went into the box for holding and by 5:15, just four seconds after his penalty was over, Matt Tyree [3:54] and Chris Ferazzoli scored the goals that ended up changing the entire dynamic of the game.

In addition Firriolo also complained that Geoffrion nixed the time on the penalties and ended up keeping Hoffman in the box longer than he was supposed to be.

“It was awful,” said Firriolo. “He blew the game. It wasn’t fair to the guys. He had no control of the game.”

Attempts at finding Geoffrion after the game outside the locker room and in front of Aviator for comment were unsuccessful.

Site News:

I have made several edits in this piece throughout the day to reflect the new developments, such as Tozzo being left off the boxscore completely, McCullough penalty not being on the scoreboard and to change off-ice officials to “the scorers table”.

Special thanks to IYMSportradio.com’s Tom Willms and EPHL assistant Kristin Frascelli to helping me clear this up.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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The way the Aces see it however, they were robbed.

With the Aces up 3-2 in the third, referee Michael Geoffrion was unable to sort out the massive amount of penalties he called, leading to a 25-minute stop in the action that Brooklyn never recovered from.

“He took this game into his own hands,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “He was terrible.”

Things did start out Brooklyn’s way however after Chris Holmes scored at 2:36 to give them an early 1-0 lead. Tony Resendes had an opportunity of his own a few minutes later, but missed the net on a two on one chance. That was all the offense in the period as both Neville and Niedert were solid, especially in traffic, where most of the chances were generated. However, with only 20 shots through the first 20 minutes, the majority of it was played in the neutral zone as neither team was willing to take chances big enough to induce real scoring opportunities.

Playing a huge part in the team’s win last night, the “Red Line” of “Super” B.J. Kuper, Jesse Felten and Andrew Scampoli paid dividends again as Felten assisted on a Chris Robinson goal at 1:42 with traffic in front to make it a 2-0 game.

“We were playing great,” said Resendes. “We were working them up and down the ice.”

A Chris Ferazzoli marker at 13:10 made things interesting, as the enigmatic Jersey forward was able to catch Neville out of position and slap the puck into a virtually empty net.

Brooklyn quickly bounced back at 18:51, after Mike Christensen scored after the puck was chipped towards his way inside the circles, making it a 3-1 game going into the third.

Things got a bit weird in the third at 3:07 when Geoffrion had no idea how many players were supposed to be on the ice after a few penalties were called, causing a nearly half hour episode that needed to be explained to both coaches. During this time, fans began to grow restless and players from both sides began to get off their respective benches and skate around the rink to stay warm.

Jersey defenseman Rich Jondo played his part in keeping the game from getting back in gear as well, protesting every time it seemed Geoffrion was ready to drop the puck.

“I have never seen anything quite like it,” said EPHL commissioner Jim Riggs after the game of Geoffrion’s prowess as an on-ice official. “How’s that for a quote?”

When things finally returned back to normal, Matt Tyree scored at 3:54 to make it a 3-2 game. 1:21 later, Ferazzoli scored his second of the game with a ton of traffic in front, tying the game at 3-3.

“If that delay didn’t happen and our guys didn’t get cold, we would have won 4-1,” said Firriolo. “It ruined everything.”

At that point however, Brooklyn was still in the game after McCullough answered the call this time for the Aces, scoring on a wicked wrist shot that beat Niedert with just 4:25 remaining. Just 13 seconds later, Tyree scored his second of the game, sending it into overtime for the second consecutive night.

As both teams headed off the ice, tempers began to flare as both teams voiced their displeasure with one another, adding even more intensity.

It took 7:10 into the overtime period for Jersey to light the lamp again, this time after a penalty was called on Eric Frank for hooking at 6:14, which opened the door for a Boudreau marker that gave Jersey the win.

Now faced with a must win game tomorrow, the Aces know that they can’t make any excuses and must come prepared.

Otherwise, their season will be over.

“We have to come back and win tomorrow,” said Frank. “That’s what it comes down to.”

Notes-

The Aces went 0 for five on the powerplay.

C.J. Tozzo led all skaters with eight shots.

Neville made 38 stops on 43 shots.

Attendance for the game was 1,517.

Site News:

Expect a breakdown of the entire penalty calling situation by early morning, as well as a pregame piece as always.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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2. Neville and Scampoli Lift Aces Over Rockhoppers 3-2 in Game One The Brooklyn Aces’ Andrew Scampoli has been hearing all season...
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You can listen to the interview here @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastChrisFirrioloPregame327.mp3

Or download it to your I-pod here @

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

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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If the Aces are to win again tonight and claim the EPHL championship, Neville will be asked to rise to the occasion once again.

“Eddie was the man tonight,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo after last night’s game. “New Jersey was dynamite tonight and made him work. It was one of the top three hockey games I’ve been a part of in the 14-years I’ve been involved in this sport. Neville was phenomenal.”

Speaking of phenomenal, the Aces “Red Line” of “Super” B.J. Kuper, Jesse Felten and Andrew Scampoli were also a big part of the team’s success, as they were aggressive on the forecheck, in the corners and weren’t scared to take shots on net. Of the Aces three forward lines, the Red Line produced 12 of the team’s 37 shots and drew several penalties with their hard work.

“That entire line was dynamite,” Firriolo said.

While Kuper and Scampoli obviously had their moments, Felten was on fire, registering seven shots on goal and showing the energy of a Jack Russell terrier in the corners.

“This was the Jessie Felten I knew we were getting when he came here this season,” said Firriolo. “He played an amazing game.”

However, things aren’t all peaches and cream for Brooklyn. New Jersey had its share of success last night as well and with Pat Serpico playing his best hockey of the season and Chris Ferazzoli back in the lineup, complimenting the already potent offensive trio of Kyle Bozoian, Matt Puntureri and Tom Boudreau, New Jersey has the potential of causing serious havoc in the Aces end if given an opportunity.

Firriolo is aware of this perhaps more than anyone and will absolutely remind his team to pay special attention while in their own end, limiting turnovers and any sort of breakdowns that could put them behind the eight ball.

“I told Alan [Aces owner Alan Friedman] after the third period that this game could go either way,” said Firriolo. “And it was going to be a shame for whoever lost.”

In order to ensure a victory, the Aces will have to continue to not only get the amazing goaltending they got from Neville last night, but will have to play top notch defense and get the likes of Kyle McCullough, Tony Resendes and Mike Christensen, three players who were noticeably absent from the scoresheet last night, a bit more involved. Three of the teams best offensive players this season, the three produced only nine shots and were a combined -2.

If they can get them going and can shutdown the Jersey offense, the Aces will claim the EPHL championship.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Tonight, he proved them right, scoring the game-winning goal with 4:26 left in overtime, giving the Aces a 3-2 win over the New Jersey Rockhoppers in the first game of the best of three EPHL Championship Series.

“I called for it and as soon as I did, it was on my stick,” said Scampoli. “I knew if I got it off quick I had it and luckily I put it right where I wanted.”

However, while Scampoli’s heroics gave the Aces the win, goaltender Eddie Neville was the real star, making 35 saves, including 13 in the third period to keep the Aces in the game.

“Eddie was the man tonight,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “New Jersey was dynamite tonight and made him work. It was one of the top three hockey games I’ve been a part of in the 14-years I’ve been involved in this sport. Neville was phenomenal.”

Things were fast and frenetic in the first, with both teams playing feisty and intense hockey. Both goaltenders made several quality saves early on, but Drew Sanders scored at 6:47 to give the New Jersey Rockhoppers an early 1-0 lead, beating Neville on a snap shot inside the right circle.

The Aces answered back at 15:42, after EPHL rookie of the year C.J. Tozzo tied the game on a blast from the top of the left circle.

“I was coming up the ice and I had a chance to come up the blue line,” said Tozzo. “After that I just decided to try and rip one past his glove.”

Despite the game continuing at a breakneck pace throughout the second, both Nick Niedert and Neville were on top of their games and kept the game deadlocked at 1-1 going into the third.

Things changed quickly in the third however, as only 16 seconds in, Chris Ferazzoli tallied to give New Jersey a 2-1 lead. About five minutes later at 14:41, Jesse Felten tapped in a rebound after a Miller shot from the point that tied that game at 2-2 and got the crowd back involved.

“That puck hit about four people. I think it hit me in the face too,” said Felten. “When it finally got to the ice, I just slapped at it and it went in. It felt great.”

The Aces then got themselves into penalty trouble a few times the rest of the period, but were able to kill them off and keep the game at 2-2. Neville was the team’s best penalty killer during that span and made a remarkable save on Pat Serpico with six seconds left, sending the game into overtime.

“I just knew I had to get my body in front of that puck,” said Neville. “I had to get my boys into overtime.”

Once in the extra frame, the Aces took advantage of an effective forecheck, as Scampoli had an opportunity to shoot after the Aces hounded the puck in the New Jersey end. Wasting no time after Felten drew a pair of defenders and Tozzo slid him the puck from behind the net, Scampoli laced a wrist shot past a shocked Niedert, giving the Aces a 3-2 win in game one.

Winning their first game in over a week, Brooklyn seemingly has it’s confidence back and just at the right time, but knows they have work ahead of themselves tomorrow for game two.

“We really needed this,” said Firriolo.

Notes-

Miller led all skaters with two assists.

Tozzo and Felten both had seven shots on goal.

Neville made 35 saves on 37 shots and dedicated the game to his grandmother, who had heart surgery yesterday.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Check it out:

As always, you download and listen to the file directly @

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastChrisFirrioloPregame326.mp3

Or you can download it on your I-Pod here

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

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In Eddie Neville and Miro Recicar, the Aces have the best tandem in net in the EPHL. However, of the two, Neville has been tested more against the better teams in the league, with Recicar getting the majority of the team’s games against the Hudson Valley Bears and also an unusual amount of offensive support through the majority of the season to boot.

If Neville’s value was in question or unknown going into last week, the team’s play over the last three games of the season proved just how important he is to the success of the team. With Neville out the last week of the season with a neck injury, the Brooklyn Aces struggled, as Recicar was not on top of his game. Falling behind in every game during that span, Brooklyn was not the same team it was when Neville was between the pipes and it showed.

With the New Jersey Rockhoppers possessing EPHL MVP and iron man Nick Niedert between the pipes, the Aces will need whoever is in net to be on top of their game. After the team lost their regular season finale on Saturday, Aces head coach Chris Firriolo told the press that Neville will be back in net by Thursday and will be the team’s goaltender for the playoffs. If Neville can steal the show and outclass his buddy Niedert, this will be an amazing series to watch, as both team’s possess high powered offenses and will be forced to get extra physical to create space.

The fists already began to fly on Saturday when the game was tight and both goaltenders had control of the game. Despite the fact that the rivalry between these two teams pales in comparison to the hatred between the Aces and Danbury Mad Hatters, the game got pretty hot-tempered. With a championship on the line, the almost friendly atmosphere that most of the games between these two teams have had this season will be thrown out the window. Even though the Aces don’t have a real enforcer with Joe Pelle traded to the Hudson Valley Bears at the deadline, they have a few players in Chris Robinson and Bill Horton that have no problem dropping the gloves if they have to.

Because of that, this can be an extremely entertaining series.

Site News:

I appeared on the Hockey Night in Brooklyn program on WKRB 90.3 FM last night to talk about the Aces and the playoff series.

You can listen to that here:

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/HNIB32509.mp3

You can also check out my other appearances on the show here.

By Patrick Hickey Jr.

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2. Aces Playoff Report Card: Eddie Neville With a 1-1-1 record and a 3.17 GAA and a...
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The Danbury Mad Hatters toughness proved to be a hindrance to the team on Friday, as Drew Madeiros, Obi Abuba and Erik Kent were virtually untouched in the offensive zone all night and were able to generate scoring opportunities when they needed to. Because of that, despite the fact that the Aces were the better team over the last 40 minutes of the game, Danbury’s ability to create space by being physical played a huge part in Kent’s goal that ended up clinching the game.

Against the Rockhoppers, the Aces simply weren’t able to finish on offense. Going two for six on the powerplay, the team took advantage of the mistakes New Jersey made, but away from special teams, the team was unable to generate turnovers from their forecheck and were forced to play a back and forth game with New Jersey, which is high-risk and low reward, especially considering how potent the Rockhoppers offense is.

If this continues and the Aces aren’t able to generate scoring opportunities and draw penalties, Brooklyn is going to have to dig down deep to ensure a championship against New Jersey.

However, the team’s biggest problem over the past two games came from the most unlikely of sources as Aces goaltender Miro Recicar was shaky at best, allowing several goals that ended up deflating his team’s morale and forcing them to play from behind. A more than solid first save goaltender, Recicar was even fooled by Kent’s slapper in the third period, that again, played a huge role in the team’s loss that night. The next night, Recicar failed to spot a Patrick Serpico shot that was entangled in his pads, falling into the back of the net and again, forcing his team to come from behind.

In order for the Aces to get back to their winning ways, mistakes and breakdowns such as these will have to stop. If they don’t, this series will be a tough one to watch for Brooklyn fans. If they can however get quality goaltending from Eddie Neville, who is expected back by Thursday after suffering a back and neck injury last week and can continue to produce on special teams, things will be much different.

Predicting what will eventually happen in this series however is rougher than predicting the weather in New York City lately.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

No related posts.

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After spending most of his college career at Niagara University and Plattsburgh as a defensive forward, Tozzo strutted his stuff with the Aces this season, leading the league in scoring with 96 points on 34 goals and 62 assists.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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23 years old and a first-year pro with the Jacksonville Barracudas the last time the two shared the same sheet of ice in 2003, Miller was probably too young to remember Duguay’s heyday with the Rangers and Detroit Red Wings, when he was an enthusiastic and dangerous center with an excellent shot and great hockey instincts.

However, despite his ability on the ice, Duguay will always be remembered for captivating the women wherever he played, with his trademark Jon Bon Jovi-esque long hair, earing and sasson jeans.

Oo- La-La.

This time around, Duguay, despite over 27-years since his last 40-goal season, still maintained his devilish good looks, but at 51, he acknowledged his game isn’t what it used to be.

“This is not a comeback,” said Duguay with a laugh. “The idea was that I’d come out of retirement for a game or two when I was over 50 for the Garden of Dreams charity. Would I do it again? I don’t know. I’m learning now, that you have to be in great shape in order to play this game today. I don’t train that hard anymore; I just train hard enough to be healthy and tonight was definitely an eye-opener. I’ll be sleeping with ice-packs tonight.”

Nevertheless, his former teammate and pal, doesn’t see too much of a difference in his game since the last time they skated together.

“When we played together, it was only six games, but he worked really hard,” said Miller. “He was in good shape then and he’s in good shape now. He’s still pretty much the same guy.”

Duguay sees things quite differently though.

“It’s funny how things worked out,” he said. “Because of that, this was really familiar to me. I told him before the game if he’d like a Miller from Duguay. It didn’t work out that way.”

With 274 goals to his credit as a player, a pro championship under his belt as a coach and now a successful gig on MSG as an analyst, Duguay doesn’t have much left to prove in the sport.

In spite of that though, he was willing to put his body on the line for a few nights in order to become better at his newest endeavor.

“One reason why I wanted to do this was because I don’t want to lose touch with the game,” Duguay said. “If I’m going to analyze it, it helps that I’ve done it [recently].”

After 60 minutes of hockey, about 12 of which Duguay spent on the ice, taking key face-offs at both ends of the ice and playing on the powerplay, it was obvious he still knew what he was doing.

He even drew an assist on a C.J. Tozzo goal with 23 seconds left in the game, forcing it into overtime.

“At that point, I was barely standing up,” he said. “It was hard for me to almost celebrate. I did have a few opportunities tonight though.”

When it was all said and done, dozens of his still dedicated female fans, donned in leather that hasn’t touched their skin since the last time he played in the NHL, waited patiently outside the Aces locker room to catch one last glimpse of the former heart throb.

Inside, Duguay spoke with reporters and looked much less than the playboy he was 25 years ago, as his hair and undershirt were encompassed with sweat.

It was obvious his days of scoring on Billy Smith and adventuring at Studio 54 were long gone.

Nonetheless, for those 12 minutes he was on the ice in Brooklyn, his earing shined brightly and his hair was still rockin’.

The legend of Ron Duguay is still alive and well.

Oo-La-La.

Even if it isn’t quite as most of us remember it.

“He said he was a bit surprised by the pace of the game,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “But he held his own out there and played a smart game.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In his first season as a professional coach, after spending last season with the Syracuse Stars Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club of the Eastern Junior Hockey League, Firriolo went 35-9-6 and maintained the team’s hold on first place the entire season despite injuries to key players such as Mike Christensen, Rob Miller and Eddie Neville.

Firriolo also proved his worth as a general manager this season, consistently bringing in quality players in order to keep the team on top, such as Gabe Yeung, Bill Horton, Tony Resendes and Eric Frank.

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

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In an interview done this past weekend, Horton talks about his game and how it felt to be traded to the best team in the league just in time for the playoffs.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen to the interview here:

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

Or you can download it from I-Tunes here:

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

Site News:

Aces Over Brooklyn was mentioned in an article by the New York Times.

Check it out here:

http://slapshot.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/03/22/locks-still-flowing-20-years-later-duguay-returns-updated/

In addition, expect my interview with Duguay on AOB during the week.

In other news, I will be adding a page over the next few days that will feature the drawings of artist Bill O’Neill. He drew an amazing caricature of Jesse Felten a few weeks ago and over time, he’ll add more.

In addition to O’Neill’s page, the Twitter page and the page with my appearances on Hockey Night in Brooklyn, I’m hoping to continue to give you guys the most up to date information on the Brooklyn Aces anywhere on the web.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Clinching themselves a playoff spot in the process, New Jersey looks to have the Aces on their heels as the two prepare to face off in the post-season next week.

“We should have won tonight,” said Aces goaltender Miro Recicar, who was shaky despite 34 saves. “This will not happen in the playoffs.”

Things started off slow as both teams were unwilling to take any real chances in the offensive zone. Both goaltenders were also solid, as were the Aces penalty killers, who killed off a pair of powerplay opportunities.

Things then began to open up at 9:18 after a powerplay goal by Dan Carney put the Aces up 1-0.

The Rockhoppers tied it up at 14:24 on Patrick Serpico’s fifth goal of the season that Aces goaltender Miro Recicar seemed to have lost in his pads, making it a 1-1 game going into the second period.

“That goal took the momentum out of us,” said Firriolo. “It was a bad goal and it made us flat.”

The game maintained its seesaw-like pace in the second period with neither team being the aggressor. A Rob Miller shot from the point eventually turned the tide, as a juicy rebound left in front was deposited into the back of the net by Kyle McCullough at 18:41, making it a 2-1 game.

The third period was easily the most entertaining period of the season, as both team battled with an intensity and a packed house around them. Serpico scored again at 7:12 to tie the game at two on another questionable goal and 3:04 later, Matt Puntureri tallied to give New Jersey a 3-2 lead.

“Miro didn’t do the job tonight,” said Firriolo. “That was the difference in the game.”

Brooklyn didn’t give up despite a huge change in momentum and got a powerplay goal from C.J. Tozzo, which Duguay got the primary assist on and Mike Christensen helped set up by providing a textbook screen in front of New Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert, tying the game with just 23 seconds left and sending it into overtime.

After four and a half minutes of high intensity hockey, New Jersey ended up getting the best of Recicar again, as Puntureri potted his second goal of the game and giving his team a 4-3 win.

With the win, New Jersey has clinched a playoff spot and will face the Aces in the post-season this Thursday.

Losing the last two games of the season, Firriolo, despite showing his frustration, sees some good coming out of his team’s recent struggles.

“Our guys are sick and tired of this,” he said. “And they know that this can only happen so many times before they turn things around.”

Notes-

Contrary to what many thought before the game, Duguay played in all game situations, including the powerplay.

“I’ll be sleeping with some ice-packs tonight,” he said.

Miller had three assists for Brooklyn.

The Aces powerplay was two for six.

Chris Holmes and Ian McLoughlin were both healthy scratches and are both expected to play in the playoffs.

Attendance for the game was 1,810.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Defeating the New Jersey Rockhoppers.

That may come to the surprise to some of the conspiracy theorists out there that feel that this is a meaningless game for Brooklyn and they won’t give their all, especially with former Ranger sniper Ron Duguay in the lineup.

Quite the contrary, actually.

Not playing the same dominating hockey against both the Rockhoppers and Danbury over the past month, Brooklyn will look to go out with a bang in the regular season and do not see Duguay as a distraction at all.

“It’s going to be fun having him here,” said Aces forward Jesse Felten after last night’s loss. “We still know what we have to do tomorrow though. We want to beat those guys.”

With that in mind, expect the Aces to come out with some extra energy tonight. Whenever they’ve gotten themselves into trouble this season, most of the time it has to do with the way they start. Combine that with a lack of offense and you’ve got yourself a recipe for disaster. If they can get an early lead and pressure the puck, they’ll be in great shape. However, if Rockhoppers goaltender Nick Niedert decides to go and make 50 saves against them, something he’s done a few times this season, this could be a long night for the Aces.

The last game before the playoffs, the Aces desperately need a win here to reestablish their confidence and get some momentum swinging in their direction. As mentioned in previous pieces over the past few days, this is not the same Aces team anymore and despite the fact that they are dominant offensively and have good goaltending and defense, they cannot afford to make mistakes in their own end with the puck. If they continue to do so, either Danbury or New Jersey will be able to defeat them in the playoffs.

However, if the Aces play their system and are aggressive on defense and play smart offense, meaning they take shots from the point, get traffic and get goals in bunches, they will be the same team that mystified the league earlier in the season and will be able to do a lot more than just hold on the rest of the way.

That’s why getting on track today is so important for them.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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A more fitting song would have been the Bee Gee’s classic, “Stayin’ Alive,” as with the win, Danbury finds themselves just four points behind the New Jersey Rockhoppers with two games left for the final playoff spot in the league.

As for Brooklyn, a tune much more subdued would have done the trick as the Aces failed to put the nail in the coffin of a Danbury team that they may have to face in the playoffs.

“We should have won that game,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo, who was visibly irate after the game. “They outplayed us in the first period, but I felt like we dominated them in the second and were the better team in the third. There’s no reason why they should have won this game. The puck bounced their way a few times and we made a few mistakes.”

Despite the exciting finish to the game, the first half of the first period was quiet offensively as both teams mustered a combined six shots on goal through the first ten minutes. Things began to change at the 11:50 mark of the first period when Drew Madeiros lit the lamp from the top of the left circle, giving Danbury an early 1-0 lead. Things could have been much worse however, but Brooklyn was able to kill a 1:11 five on three, keeping the score locked at 1-0.

After failing to get shots on goal and earning a mouthful from Firriolo from the bench, Aces defenseman Doug Hoffman got a shot on from the point the bounced right to an awaiting Kyle McCullough, who promptly deposited it in the back of the net at 5:49, tying the game at 1-1.

At 11:41, Brooklyn garnered their first lead of the night after McCullough tallied again, this time on a vicious wrister from the right circle.

“This was playoff hockey,” said McCullough. “I thought overall we played well, but those breakdowns really hurt us. Over the past month, we’ve done that and it’s something we have to cut down on.”

The third period proved to be an interesting one, as the Aces lost the lead in the third on what appeared to be a harmless Jonathan Lounsbury wrist shot from the point that made it through traffic at 7:16 of the third and tied the game at 2-2.

Things continued to go Danbury’s way in the period after Erik Kent blew an absolute howitzer past Aces goaltender Miro Recicar at 5:14 and giving the Hatters a late 3-2 advantage.

“It was a bad goal,” said Firriolo. “He should have had that one.”

The Aces did have an opportunity to get back in the game shortly thereafter, earning a powerplay on a Dan Hickman roughing penalty. Tony Resendes then answered the call, scoring on the powerplay to tie the game with 3:40 left.

Despite the upgraded intensity resulting from the goal, neither team came through over the final 220 seconds and the game went into overtime.

Just 57 seconds into the extra period however, Jones scored after skating around the net and two Aces defenders, to only find himself with an abundance of room in between the bottom of the circles and firing a shot that found the back of the net and gave his team another day to fight for their playoff lives.

Angered with the loss, the Aces believe they are still confident going into the playoffs and don’t mind that New Jersey’s and Danbury’s last game of the season may determine their opponent this post-season.

“We wanted to win tonight,” said Aces forward Jesse Felten. “It was a tough loss. We’d like to see New Jersey in the playoffs, but if it’s Danbury, we know we can beat them too.”

Notes-

Chris Holmes was a healthy scratch and is expected to play tomorrow against New Jersey.

Danbury outshot the Aces 14-6 in the first period, but Brooklyn ended up only being outshot 37-35.

Attendance for the game was 1,111.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Forget the fact that the Hatters were eliminated from post-season play after New Jersey defeated the Bears in overtime last night. [EDIT 11:09- Danbury will be eliminated with a loss tonight or a New Jersey win on Saturday. My apologies. With some of these games canceled, it's become a rough to know how many games are actually left in the season.]

Something much bigger is at stake here.

Pride.

Always a heated contest, Brooklyn will nevertheless look to continue to fine tune their non-aggressive forecheck and play smart puck pursuit hockey. If they can, Danbury will have no problem rubbing shoulders, which should make for an excellent hockey game from start to finish.

With their last game of the season against the New Jersey Rockhoppers on Saturday, the Aces will also use this game to see what line combinations they’ll end up using during the post-season.

It seems that the “Three Amigos” line of Mike Christensen, Chris Holmes and Jesse Felten will get a shot to see if the chemistry is still there as the trio have been been shifted together several times as of late, but not yet on a regular basis.

Felten especially was happy to be reunited with his former linemates.

“It’s great that the Three Amigos are back,” he said with a laugh a few games ago. “I love playing with those guys.”

With Mike Thomson gone, the Aces will also have to see who will be able to pick up the slack and produce. Garnering three assists in his first game back with the team since early February and showing some mighty impressive stick-handling moves as well, it looks like Eddie Chlanda should get his fair share of ice-time over the next pair of games. If not, Tony Resendes has been his usual firecracker-self as of late and because of that, could earn himself an expanded role for the post-season.

The Aces defense, which played a huge part in the team’s success against Hudson Valley on Tuesday, thanks to a re-energized Doug Hoffman and Andrew Scampoli and some great play by Dan Carney, Rob Miller and Chris Robinson, who will also be tested. Can they continue to move the puck with the same efficiency against a much tougher team in Danbury? Can they generate offense and keep the puck low against Derek MacIntyre, a goaltender that shut them out the last time the two teams played?

If they can, the Aces will have passed one very huge test and will be ready for the post-season. If not, questions will arise in regards to just how good this team really is.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Shortly afterward, Thomson was claimed by the Hudson Valley Bears.

In 42 games with Brooklyn this season, Thomson had 52 points.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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It was there where he first met Ron Duguay.

Scoring 45 points in 60 games that season, it still ranks as Miller’s best as a professional. Nevertheless, the memories he shared with Duguay are another big reason why he still smiles when discussing his rookie season.

“He was my coach that year and we played together,” said Miller. “He’s such a good guy.”

Playing six games with Miller that season, Duguayhis best Reggie Dunlop impersonation and scored four points as a player-coach, despite formally retiring in 1992. While those numbers alone are far from his 30-goal days with the Red Wings and Rangers, the charismatic forward, then 45 years old, proved he still had some gas left in his tank.

“He signed a waiver because he didn’t want to wear a helmet,” Miller said. “He ended up getting stitches in his head.”

Because of Duguay’s exuberance for the game, Miller is preparing himself for another memorable experience when Duguay plays with the Brooklyn Aces this Saturday.

“It’s going to be a lot of fun,” he said.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Sporting the beginnings of what look to become future playoff beards, the Aces ran the table on a Hudson Valley team that despite a hard luck season, never gave up.

Now with only two games remaining, due to the ever-growing possibility that the last game of the season with the Bears will be canceled, the Aces are warming up for the playoffs.

“We’re looking towards a championship now,” said Aces defenseman Doug Hoffman. “We got the W and we’re moving on.”

Hudson Valley got the scoring started at 15:09 of the first on a Kevin Straub goal that put the Aces down early. Brooklyn fired right back however, getting goals from C.J. Tozzo and Hoffman 20 seconds apart at 17:09, giving them a 2-1 lead.

With 12 seconds left in the period, Christensen scored his team-leading 32nd goal of the season, putting the Aces up 3-1 going into the second period.

“It was a good win,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “Those guys [Hudson Valley] worked hard this season though and without them, the league couldn’t have survived. I have a lot of respect for them.”

The first 12 minutes of the second period was a much calmer hockey experience, as both teams played aggressive defense and got good goaltending. Nevertheless, Brooklyn eventually broke the stalemate and scored two goals in 59 seconds, as Christensen notched his second goal of the game on a beautiful hesitation give and go with Dan Carney that left him with a wide open net- and a goal in traffic by “Super” B.J. Kuper, putting the Aces up by four.

Hudson Valley also produced some thrills late in the period as well, but was unable to cash in on a penalty shot by Tori Jacob at 15:31, keeping the game at 5-1.

At 15:32, the big bad Brooklyn offense produced again, as Christensen netted his third goal of the game to make it 6-1 with only 20 minutes remaining.

“It feels good,” said Christensen. “But we have an important weekend coming up. These goals are just a bonus. Winning is better.”

Continuing right where they left off in the second, Chris Holmes scored for Brooklyn at 5:51, making it a 7-1 contest. At 14:46, Tozzo tallied again, putting the game away at 8-1.

With the win, Brooklyn garnered its 34th win of the season and are looking forward to their next game, this Friday against New Jersey, to see how prepared they really are for the playoffs.

“I told the guys that the season starts tomorrow,” said Firriolo. “They understand that and we’re going to try and finish what we started.”

Notes-

Aces forward Kyle McCullough was a healthy scratch tonight, a reward for a 91-point season despite nagging injuries.

Aces backup goaltender Anthony Felice made an appearance in the third and made five saves.

New addition Bill Horton was a +2 with two shots in his first game with the team.

“He did a good job,” said Firriolo. “He was solid.”

Eddie Chlanda had three assists his his first game with the team in over six weeks.

According to Firriolo, Aces goaltender Eddie Neville is expected back for the playoffs.

Attendance for the game was 742.

Video-

Jacob’s penalty shot vs Miro Recicar:

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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However, after the team’s 6-4 loss to the New Jersey Rockhoppers, expect Brooklyn to get back on track against the last-place Hudson Valley Bears.

The game can also end up being a pivotal one for two Aces in particular, as both of the team’s assistant captains, C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough, currently find themselves with 90 points. While it’s obvious they won’t both score 10 points tonight, great games against Hudson Valley could play a huge factor in the duo being the first two players in league history to get to 100 points.

While Tozzo has put winning ahead of any personal goals, he did say it was something that has crossed his mind.

“Obviously you think about it and it would be nice,” said Tozzo. “But right now, we’re concentrating on playing well going into the playoffs and getting back on track. The way I feel about it now is that it would be a huge bonus, but we want to make sure we’re all on the same page and create a cohesive unit for when we get to the playoffs.”

The Aces will also have Eddie Chlanda and Bill Horton in the lineup, two players brought in for the playoff push. In five games with the Aces earlier this season, Chlanda, who compares his game to that of current New York Islander Trent Hunter, has five points. While Horton is less of an offensive player than Chlanda, he’s a steady defenseman with size that should be able to give the Aces defense even more depth.

With the new additions and the team’s loss on Sunday still looming in their memories, expect the Aces to come out strong and work on pressuring the puck in all three zones, something that when they’ve done it consistently, has played a huge role in their success. Also expect Aces defensemen Rob Miller and Doug Hoffman to continue to shoot from the point, something they’ve been doing much more of lately and a huge reason why they’ve been averaging over a point through their last five games.

So while it may still appear to just be a sparring match between the best and worst teams in the league, this game should still end up being an important one for the Aces.

Site News:

I will be appearing on WKRB 90.3 FM this Thursday at 6:30 to discuss the Brooklyn Aces on the new talk show “Hockey Night in Brooklyn, with Jonathan Rios.”

Tune in!

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Kaminski has gone scoreless in two games this season with the Hudson Valley Bears.

Brannigan is still currently under contract with the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL, where he has scored eight goals and 15 points in 25 games. In only 17 games with Brooklyn this season however, the Brooklyn-native has 22 goals and 35 points.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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According to a source within the organization, the team has released Brent Ozarowski and Joe Lovell, two players that could not perform in the playoffs due to the fact that they played less than five games in the regular season.

In one game with Brooklyn, Ozarowski marveled on a line with Kyle McCullough and C.J. Tozzo, scoring three points. Lovell was also steady in his time with the team, scoring three points in three games.

After leaving the team’s last home game after the first period, due to a coach’s decision, Mike Thomson, who was third on the team with 52 points, was placed on team suspension. [Edit, EPHL Press Release 10:54 P.M.]

No other information regarding this situation is currently known at the time.

The team also traded recently acquired enforcer Joe Pelle, who had 12 PIM in two games with the team, for hulking defenseman Bill Horton.

In 37 games with the Danbury Mad Hatters and Hudson Valley Bears, the 6′2, 240 pound Horton has three goals and nine points.

“Joe Pelle was a great addition for us, but we felt he wasn’t going to be around enough for us because he’s a part time player,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo just minutes ago on the phone. “We like Horton’s size a lot.”

The team also resigned forward Edie Chlanda, who was put on waivers on February 4. In five games with Brooklyn this season, Chlanda has five points.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Boudreau led off the scoring at 7:41 of the first and the score stayed that way into the second period when Matt Puntureri tallied at 3:21 to make it a 2-0 game.

That’s when Brooklyn began to rally together, as Scampoli scored at 10:09 to cut the lead in half. However, New Jersey was a step ahead, getting a goals from J.P. Pauly and Boudreau over the next four minutes to give themselves a 4-1 lead going into the third.

Again Brooklyn fought back, getting goals from “Super” B.J. Kuper and Scampoli at 5:20 and 5:32, cutting the New Jersey lead to 4-3 with 14:28 left to play. Yogi Berra must have been in attendance for the game, because it was Deja-vu all over again., as the Aces attempted a comeback was spoiled by the Rockhoppers for a second time.

In a span of 31 seconds, New Jersey got goals from Rich Jondo and Anthony Becker at 11:26 and 11:57, making it a three goal game. Mike Christensen scored his team leading 31st goal for Brooklyn at 16:15 with the man advantage, but it wasn’t enough, as the Aces would be kept scoreless by Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert [44 saves] the rest of the way in an eventual 6-4 loss.

Notes-

Aces forwards Joe Pelle and Mike Thomson were not in the lineup.

Aces captain Rob Miller and fellow D-man Doug Hoffman had two assists apiece.

Aces goaltender Miro Recicar made 35 saves on 41 shots.

Brooklyn went one for four on the powerplay.

Attendance for the game was 741.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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That makes today’s game with the New Jersey Rockhoppers an incredibly interesting one, even though there’s no telling who the Aces will play in the post-season as of yet.

Currently only two points separate the Danbury Mad Hatters and New Jersey with both teams having only five games left to play. If you ask most fans in the league, they probably feel a series between the Aces and Mad Hatters would be great, as both teams aren’t on the friendliest terms with one another, making for a physical and emotional series. However, New Jersey is the better team of the two and if they would play Brooklyn, the quality of the games would be better than if Danbury reached the post-season.

Overall, it’s going o be quite interesting to see who ends up claiming that final playoff spot.

With a win today, the Aces can play a big factor in that eventual outcome.

Nevertheless, Aces head coach Chris Firriolo is trying to keep his team focused the rest of the season and continue to develop the team’s revamped forechecking and puck pursuit systems that have played a big role in the team’s turnaround over the past few games.

“We’re not really thinking about that now,” said Firriolo. “We just want to get ready for the playoffs.”

Felice Ready- With Eddie Neville out indefinitely with a strained back and neck, the Aces called on a familiar face on Saturday night, signing 35-year-old netminder Anthony Felice, who has had a few stints with the team this season. Making seven saves on eight shots in the third, Felice was solid and told Aces Over Brooklyn that he knows that Brooklyn is in a tough spot right now and is ready to help.

“I told them I’m at their disposal,” he said after last night’s game. “I’m here to do whatever they need me to.”

With a solid backup on the bench, the Aces have one less thing to worry about and should have no problem maintaining their focus against a talented Rockhoppers team that is fighting for their playoff lives.

Should be an interesting one.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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“Just were having fun out there,” said Aces forward Mike Christensen. “We were smiling and working hard. We started out slow, but we rebounded well.”

Despite the fact that the Aces were the aggressors through the early going, Hudson Valley got on the board at 2:56 on a harmless wrister Elvis Tominovic that made it through a screen by, giving the Bears a 1-0 lead. After the goal, the game began to take a more physical and frenetic pace; definitely not what most would have expected before the game.

However, at 8:54, a Christensen slapper with the puck on edge from the top of the left circle with the man advantage beat Hudson Valley goaltender Peter Maro [18 saves in the first period], tying the game at 1-1. After several minutes of free-flowing and physical hockey, a beautiful Jesse Felten wrap-around after a Dan Carney shot from the point with 47.6 seconds left broke the stalemate and put Brooklyn in the driver’s seat going into the second period.

Nevertheless Aces head coach Chris Firriolo wasn’t happy with what he saw.

“I think that we were very selfish. A few guys didn’t move the puck,” he said. “It doesn’t matter if we win or not any more; it’s about getting ready for the playoffs. I don’t want anyone developing any bad habits now, so I let them know how I felt.”

Brooklyn got on back track quickly in the second, as Christensen tallied again at 4:01 to make it a 3-1 game. Hudson Valley wasted no time and got right back into the game as well, nabbing a powerplay goal from Tommy Westfall at 8:40 to make it a one-goal game again at 3-2. Brooklyn was patient and eventually got the lead back at 12:26 on a gorgeous backhand move by Tony Resendes. At 13:11, Andrew Scampoli got jealous and scored a nifty goal of his own, thanks to a great pass from Rob Miller, putting the score at 5-2. 4:50 later, another marker from Felten made it a 6-2 game.

C.J. Tozzo padded the lead with a goal at 5:17 in the third that put Brooklyn up by five. The Aces weren’t finished offensively however, as Chris Holmes scored top shelf at 11:35.

Hudson Valley didn’t give up despite the huge deficit, getting another goal from Westfall at 11:08 and making it a 8-3 game. Brooklyn then answered back 39 seconds later, as Resendes scored on another amazing backhand, putting the Aces up again by six and putting the game away at 9-3.

Playing the Rockhoppers again today, the Aces, who have already clinched a playoff spot and first place in the EPHL, can play a huge part in who they play in the post-season, as

“We’re very confident right now,” said Jesse Felten. “We’re really clicking.”

Notes-

Kyle McCullough had five assists.

Aces forward Mike Thomson left the game after the first period due to coach’s decision.

Aces emergency backup goaltender made seven saves on eight shots in 20 minutes of action. Miro Recicar made 26 saves on 24 shots through the first two periods.

Attendance for the game was 1,112.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In one prior appearance with Brooklyn this season, also against the Bears, Felice made two saves on three shots in 10 minutes of action.

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According to the source, he suffered a strained neck and back. However, it is still unknown when he’ll be back in net for the Aces.

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The Brooklyn Aces are the EPHL regular season champions.

But what does that mean for today’s game against the Hudson Valley Bears, a team that has been playing spoiler for the past month and a half when they were mathematically eliminated from playoff contention?

Anyone in the league that knows what they’re talking about will tell you that despite the fact that Hudson Valley have had trouble winning this season, they play hard every game. Full of part-time players that cannot dedicate time to practice during the week, the Bears make the most of what they have, but it’s often just not good enough. Nevertheless, they don’t give up and because of that, they have sent numerous players to the ECHL and AHL this season.

Because of that mindset, the Bears are a great team for the Aces to continue to develop their new forecheck against. While the Aces were powered by an amazing offense and excellent goaltending through their early season success, their game against the New Jersey Rockhoppers proved that they will have to be solid on defense and continue to pressure the puck if they want to induce scoring opportunities and win in the post-season.

Simply put, the speedsters on Brooklyn like B.J. Kuper, Jesse Felten and Tony Resendes were at the top of their games defensively last night, challenging the puck carriers in their own end and giving their teammates and themselves plenty of high percentage scoring opportunities. If they can do that again tonight, expect double-digit goals for Brooklyn.

While the forecheck was stellar last night, the Aces were tougher than usual as well. That had a lot to to do with the physical play of Rob Miller and Chris Robinson, but more to do with Joe Pelle, who in about nine minutes of ice time, was wreaking havoc, doing everything from taunting the Rockhoppers verbally to spraying ice on New Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert in between whistles.

Despite the fact that Pelle won’t be in the lineup tonight, because he too is a part-time player and a full-time college student that lives in Philadelphia, the momentum he’s created should play a very big part in today’s game as well.

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“I think right now they’re just checking for a possible concussion and any spinal chord injury. Taking him off the ice on the stretcher was a precautionary measure. He was moving his hands and feet at that point, so it’s a good sign.”

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Last night was a different story however, as the Aces played one of their best games in recent memory getting plenty of offense and defeating the second-place Rockhoppers 6-3.

“We did a lot of work on our non-aggressive forecheck this week and it paid off tonight,” said Aces captain Rob Miller, who had three assists on the night. “It wasn’t a few weeks ago and now it looks like we’re fine-tuning it.”

Things started the Aces’ way after a Chris Holmes goal at 1:59 gave them an early 1-0 lead. New Jersey was resilient however and 51 seconds later, an Anthony Becker tally tied the game. Already an incredibly quick game, with both teams taking heavy risks with several long, cross-ice passes to try and induce offense, the speed picked up even more, making for some free-flowing hockey with not many whistles. Brooklyn took advantage of this at 12:11 as “Super” B.J. Kuper nabbed his 14th goal of the season to give his team a 2-1 advantage.

It was then that both teams began to take the body a bit more and the game slowed down a tad. Nevertheless, the Aces continued to dominate, getting a Kyle McCullough marker during a four on four at 18:49 to give them a two-goal lead after the first 20 minutes.

“I think we went at it and we got a few pretty goals,” said Firriolo. “They’re a real good team and they battled. I tip my hat to them. We just have to stay healthy now and get ready for the playoffs.”

After an energetic first period, the game hit as somber note as Brooklyn goaltender Eddie Neville was run into and slammed his neck into the goalpost in the process. The whistle then quickly blew and Neville was carried off the ice by off-ice officials and members of both teams.

“I was worried,” said Miller. “But then he started moving his arms and his feet, so that was good. He’s getting a CAT scan right now. Hopefully everything is going to be alright”

The Aces then sent out Miro Recicar, who continued right where Neville left off, keeping New Jersey off the scoreboard. Despite the absence of Neville, the Aces forecheck continued to dazzle and their defense got even tighter, as they limited New Jersey to just 16 shots through the game’s first 40 minutes.

A C.J. Tozzo goal at 14:04 also padded the Aces’ lead, giving them a three-goal lead going into the final period.

1:03 in the third, Tony Resendes scored, putting Brooklyn up by four goals. At 5:02, reeling of the momentum from a Joe Pelle scrap, Jesse Felten scored on a beautiful deke move, fooling Rockhoppers netminder Nick Niedert and making it a five-goal game. New Jersey did attempt to battle back, making the most of a five on three powerplay on a Matt Puntureri marker that cut the lead to 6-2. At 13:08 the Aces defense was unable to clear the crease, leading to a Tom Boudreau goal that made things interesting at 6-3.

Firriolo then called a timeout and attempted to calm his team down. The move worked as defenseman Chris Robinson soon leveled Jersey forward Kevin Todd and captain Boudreau was sent to the sin pin for taking down McCullough, effectively killing all of the Rockhoppers momentum, leading to an eventual 6-3 Brooklyn win.

With the win, Brooklyn has a 12-point lead over New Jersey with only six games left to play. With the season series in Brooklyn’s favor, the Aces have officially clinched the EPHL regular season title.

“This is a very good feeling,” said Tozzo. “It’s really exciting and it’s a testament to all our hard work and the great job our coach has done. We overcame a lot of adversity.”

Notes-

Miller led all skaters with three points.

Currently Neville’s status is not known. However, Aces officials did say he was in he middle of a CAT scan after the game. Expect an update in another post shortly.

Pelle’s scrap with Dustin Henning has been added to the team’s fight page.

With New Jersey’s loss and Danbury’s win last night over the Bears, the Rockhoppers have a slim one-point lead with only five games left to play.

Aces defenseman Ian McLoughlin was a healthy scratch.

Attendance for the game was 1,099.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Duguay will play for the Brooklyn Aces on Saturday, March 21 when they take on the Rockhoppers at Aviator Sports and Recreation Center. The following day, he’ll don the orange and black when Jersey faces off with the Danbury Mad Hatters.

As part of Duguay’s signing, the EPHL will be joining forces with Duguay to promote the Madison Square Garden charitable organization, The Garden of Dreams. Throughout both games, the teams will be conducting auctions of hockey memorabilia and special opportunities to benefit this fund.

In 860 NHL games, Duguay scored 274 goals and 582 points. In 12 NHL seasons, he spent six in Madison Square Garden with the Rangers.

Photo by AAEvents.com

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Despite the fact that the rivalry between these two teams pales in comparison to that between the Aces and Mad Hatters, this match-up will pit the two top offenses in league against one another.

However, the game will have a heavy focus on the defensive side of the puck as well, as regardless of who is in net for Brooklyn, expect a top-notch battle between the pipes as both Miro Recicar, Eddie Neville and New Jersey’s Nick Niedert have played stellar hockey all season.

With that being said, expect a tight game from start to finish that will be decided by how well each team recovers from their mistakes. Earlier in the season, the Aces offense and goaltending covered for many of their breakdowns, but as of late, they’ve come back down to earth. Despite playing spirited hockey against Danbury last Friday and generating plenty of shots, turnovers in the neutral zone and a bad decision with the puck by Neville in the first period ended up leading to their demise.

In the end, it wasn’t the team that played better hockey or had the better team that won, it was the team that played their system with more efficiency that ended up the victor.

If the Aces are to snap out of the recent funk they’ve gotten into, they’ll have to establish their forecheck and pressure the puck in all three zones. If they do that, they’ll produce turnovers and high percentage scoring opportunities. With a roster filled with talented offensive players, Brooklyn will then have to put their money with their mouth is and convert.

Struggling for offense over the last three weeks, a win against New Jersey will be a huge confidence boost. It won’t be easy though against Niedert, a goaltender that has had plenty of success against the team this season. Also considering the fact that New Jersey has the pieces on the forward lines and on defense to not only keep pace with the Aces offensively, but on special teams as well, this will be a spirited game from start to finish.

In the end, it’ll be decided by how well both teams can play in their own end and how much they’re willing to do in order to induce offense. This late in the season, expect more physicality on the ice as well. With both teams possessing their own tough guys in Jason McCrimmon and Joe Pelle, the game has the possibility of getting explosive very quickly.

All in all, this has all the intangibles to be one of the best games this season.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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On the shelf with a broken hand, Miller watched from behind the bench as his team began to struggle for the first time all season. Serving as the team’s assistant coach during that span, Miller was unable to be the impact player he was before the injury, causing the intense stare he usually sports to become downright scary.

He knew he had something to prove.

Now back in the lineup, Miller is ready to lead the Aces into the playoffs.

In this interview with Aces Over Brooklyn less than an hour before his first game back with the team, Miller talks about his expectations for the rest of the season and the long road back to the ice.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastRobMillerInterview311.mp3

Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:

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

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Out of the lineup for over a month, Baccaro was an effective checking forward, but was unable to be an offensive force. With the team struggling for offense, Baccaro became expendable, especially with new arrival Joe Pelle on the scene.

In four games with the Aces, Baccaro had one assist and was a -1.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Boy, was I in for a shock.

On my way to my seat, I saw the very same players I’ve been writing about over the past few months in ways that I never thought I’d see them before.

Aces defenseman Dan Carney had his feet up on the seat in front of him, reading an article on hand gestures in what appeared to be Time Magazine, looking like a college professor and not a guy with over 700 pro games under his belt.

Goaltender Miro Recicar was invisibly playing solitaire on his I-Pod, not making a sound.

Armed with a blanket and slippers, Mike Christensen, known for his energy on the ice, was comfortable and ready for the long haul.

Forward Eric Frank was recovering from Bronchitis, as the noises from his coughing were permeating throughout the rest of the bus, while Chris Holmes was asking the guys what movie they wanted to watch on the way there [we eventually decided on "Semi-Pro"].

On the way to Danbury to face off with their arch-nemesis, the Mad Hatters, the Aces bus was far from a party, but was relaxed enough to show the true dynamics of the team. Poised and determined, Carney and Recicar are leaders, but do so on the ice, rather than with their mouths. The same goes for defenseman Chris Robinson, who didn’t make a peep until the ride home.

Towards the back of the bus was where the trouble makers were. That was where Eddie Neville, C.J. Tozzo, Kyle McCullough and Mike Thomson were. Chatting about everything from their favorite movies and water parks to their disgust of Jesse Felten’s pregame meal of hot fries; these guys were enjoying the ride immensely, but were still mixing in plenty of conversation about the game at hand.

Towards the front of the bus, Aces defensemen Doug Hoffman and Andrew Scampoli traded war stories and every once in a while, someone else added on the rest of the details, making for some of the best hockey stories I’ve ever heard [sorry, but they're off the record].

Never riding the team bus with any of the teams I’ve covered over the past five years, being allowed to gave me a chance to see how close-knit the Aces really are.

Aces head coach Chris Firriolo and many players on the team have stressed how close they all are this season, but as a reporter, you wonder if it’s really the case. Seeing these guys roughhouse and talk to each other, there’s no doubt in my mind- they are a team.

Once the bus pulled up to Danbury and equipment manager Dan Barry pulled everything into the locker room with the efficiency and strength of a Spartan Warrior [he surprised me; I didn't think he was that strong] the team was introduced to recent addition Joe Pelle, who after a quick interview with yours truly, began to make the rounds and make sure all his teammates knew he had their back. Confident and charismatic, Pelle is a good fit for Brooklyn and the more games he can play in, the better.

After watching the guys suit up and do everything from playing soccer and taping their sticks to kill the time before the game, it was finally time for them to get started.

That’s when I figured it was my time to bid them adieu until after the game, but Firriolo, in an extremely generous gesture, allowed me to stay in the team locker room during his pregame speech. It was apparent that he wanted his team to come out tough, going as far to mention that I had addressed their lack of grit over the past week, making me feel like I was going to get crosschecked by whichever member of the team got to me first. He also wanted his team to limit the amount of shots they gave up and asked me to tell them how many they’ve been giving up lately. “Over 30 a night over the past five games,” I muttered, again scared for my life.

However, the Aces spared me and went out on the ice.

While Danbury Arena isn’t exactly Madison Square Garden, let me just say for the record that while the fans in Danbury are infamous for their cruelty, I personally wish that the fans in Brooklyn had some of that gusto. Overall, it’s like having the ultimate home team advantage. Simply put, they make the team playing against them absolutely miserable for 60 minutes. Only there can an amazing player like Tozzo be called “Nozzo” or a top-notch offensive D-man like Hoffman be called “Hoff-Boy.” The fact that the Aces lost 3-0 that night was bad enough for the team, but the fact that they had to deal with those rabid fans made it that much tougher.

After doing my post-game interviews, I boarded the team’s bus again and headed for home. This time around, the attitude was a bit more somber as the team was dealing with its defeat. However, they did learn that I do the voice for the introductions to my podcasts- you know the deep movie phone voice- which provided a few chuckles. I even performed a few lines and random profanities that continued to lighten the mood. Afterwards, I did Robinson’s voicemail for his phone and soon after, conversation started to gravitate back towards the other things in life besides hockey.

Christensen then closed his eyes, or at least pretended to. Felten was out of hot fries. Carney continued to read his magazine. Recicar got sick of solitaire. The trouble makers were still talking and enjoying the sights.

Soon enough, it was time for me to get off the bus and meet my girlfriend, who was waiting in the parking lot, ready to drive my sleep-deprived carcass home.

On my way to the car, I caught one more look at the guys, as they headed into Aviator with their equipment.

After six hours in the car and three more on the ice, they still had enough energy to crack a smile.

Thanks to the Aces for allowing me to partake in this adventure. It’s something I won’t forget soon.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Enter Joe Pelle.

Acquired as a part of the deal that sent defenseman Nick Grove to the Hudson Valley Bears two weeks ago, Pelle is a wrecking ball who makes life miserable for the opposition every time he’s on the ice.

A part-time player, Pelle may not play every game the rest of the season, but when he is in the lineup, you can bet he’ll be a noticeable force.

In this interview with Aces Over Brooklyn done on Friday before his first game with the team, Pelle talks about his game and addresses the concerns some have had about his conditioning. Honest and charismatic from start to finish, Pelle will be an interesting player to watch the rest of the season.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastJoePelleinterview.mp3

Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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After scoring only three goals in their last two games against the Danbury Mad Hatters and New Jersey Rockhoppers earlier in the weekend, the Aces scored three goals in the first period, on goals by Mike Thomson and a pair by speedster Tony Resendes, giving them an early 3-0 lead. Hudson Valley did keep themselves in the game for the first 20 minutes though, getting a goal from Scott Burns with one second left that made it a 3-1 game going into the second period.

The Aces regained their three-goal lead in the second on a Mike Christensen goal at 2:02. Quickly thereafter the Aces turned the table on the Bears, getting goals from Rob Miller, Andrew Scampoli and B.J. Kuper, taking a 7-1 lead into the final period. Things could have gotten even worse for Hudson Valley as well, but Ian McLoughlin was unable to convert on a penalty shot at 10:02.

Resendes added his third tally of the night in the third at 6:42 and Tozzo scored the final goal of the game at 14:42, putting the Aces up by eight and inducing a 9-1 win.

With the win and a win by New Jersey, the Aces maintain their ten-point lead atop the EPHL.

Notes-

Aces goaltender Miro Recicar made 31 saves.

Thomson had five points.

Eric Frank, Doug Hoffman and Joe Pelle were not in the lineup for Brooklyn.

Jesse Felten was the only member of the Aces without a point on the night. He did however have three shots on goal and five minutes in penalties.

Attendance for the game was 178.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Despite having a 10-point lead over the New Jersey Rockhoppers for the top spot in the EPHL, Brooklyn has been unable to muster offense against them and their arch rivals the Danbury Mad Hatters.

Scoring 14 goals in their last two games against Hudson Valley, look for the Aces to take out their frustration on the last place Bears today.

However, expect a few other things as well.

Over the past few games, the Aces offense has been struggling to get goals. This has stemmed from the defense’s inability to take shots from the point that forwards can control from the rebound or while in traffic in front of the net. Unable to get a forward in front of the net, the Aces have seriously limited their defense’s ability to produce offensively. It’s something that Aces head coach Chris Firriolo wants to see more of, so expect it to be implemented and experimented with more today.

With talented offensive defensemen in Doug Hoffman, Rob Miller, Andrew Scampoli and Ian McLoughlin, if the Aces can get them the puck in that hot zone, in between the blue line and the top of the circles and have a player or two in front of the net looking for a tip, they’ll have no problem producing offensively, against any team in the league. However, as previously stated, it’s been something they’ve had problems with over their last 10 games.

In order for the Aces offense to rekindle their fire, players like Mike Thomson, Chris Holmes and even Jesse Felten will have to be buzzing in front of the net. Guys like Mike Christensen, Kyle McCullough and C.J. Tozzo haven’t let up offensively all season, but somehow, the Aces still find themselves having problems defeating the better teams in this league. If that is going to stop, the secondary scorers will have to start producing more.

Expect some of that today, while the Aces begin to plan for their next game with New Jersey on the Mar. 13.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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The struggling Aces offense did light the lamp first though at 5:52 of the first on a Kyle McCullough marker that gave them a 1-0 lead. The score stayed that way until Rockhoppers tough guy Jason McCrimmon scored his second goal of the season at 10:06 of the second to tie the game at 1-1. 5:52 later, New Jersey scored again, this time off the stick of Justin Todd, giving the Rockhoppers their first lead of the night at 2-1 going into the third period.

That’s when the Christensen show finally began.

Just 2:48 into the third, the shifty Aces center scored his 26th goal of the season to tie the game at 2-2. However, Brooklyn was unable to feed off the momentum, as 49 seconds later, Tom Boudreau scored to make it a 3-2 game.

Luckily for the Aces, Christensen wasn’t done yet and at 9:24 he scored again, this time with the man advantage, taking the game into overtime.

After five minutes of scoreless hockey in overtime, Christensen tallied in the shootout, but none of his teammates could follow suit. Boudreau and Matt Tyree scored for New Jersey though, inducing a 4-3 shootout win.

Notes-

The Aces powerplay was one for three on the night.

Joe Pelle was not in the lineup for Brooklyn.

Eric Frank had an assist and was a +2 after missing a game due to Bronchitis.

In addition to his two goals, Christensen also assisted on McCullough’s goal, giving him three points on the night. In 30 games this season, Christensen has 27 goals.

Both Eddie Neville and Nick Niedert made 48 saves on 51 shots.

Attendance for the game was 1,129.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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You wouldn’t expect the team with the best offense in the league all season to have problems scoring, but that’s exactly the case with the Aces lately whenever they play the Hatters or the New Jersey Rockhoppers, the two very teams that are vying for the playoff spot to meet Brooklyn in the post-season.

With only nine games left, the Aces is concerned, but feel they can turn it around.

“We have to snap out of it; I know we can. We can turn it around,” said Miller. “Hopefully, it’s like a light switch.”

While the offense has been a huge concern, the bigger concern is the lack of grit the team has had since the exodus of Chad Wilcox. Despite adding Joe Pelle to the lineup last night, who did his part, mixing it up with Matt Cosmos, the Aces were unable to match wits physically with Danbury, which played a huge part in the team’s offensive opportunities last night.

Before the game, Aces head coach Chris Firriolo preached that his team get pressure in front of the net. However, because of their inability to get down and dirty, they were unable to and as a result, could not get high percentage scoring opportunities on MacIntyre.

If this continues against a much better team in New Jersey tonight, with a goaltender in Nick Niedert that has success against them, Brooklyn could be in for a long night.

“When you have a player like Joe Pelle in the lineup, you’re more or less allowed to have more liberties,” said Aces captain Rob Miller after last night’s 3-0 loss to Danbury. “I told coach [Firriolo] after the second period that and our guys weren’t doing it. We don’t do the same things other teams do.”

One player that was willing to mix it up though was Aces assistant captain C.J. Tozzo, who fought with Alex Redmond and was consistently finishing his checks all night. However for the Aces to be succesful, the entire team will have to match their former captain’s aggressive skating style and pressure the puck, something they haven’t consistently done as of late either.

While the Aces probably won’t be asked to be as gritty against New Jersey tonight, an overall approach to being tough and giving themselves space on the ice will play a part in their offensive attack.

“We know we have a great team with great players,” said Aces defenseman Chris Robinson. “We just have to put it together.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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DANBURY, CONN-

For the Aces, this loss was an especially frustrating one, as the the team failed to convert on five powerplays and 35 shots on goal.

“We haven’t scored goals against Danbury or New Jersey in the past three weeks,” said Aces captain Rob Miller. “When you don’t score, you’re in trouble. It was happening when I was behind the bench and it’s still happening with me on the ice. We have to snap out of it.”

R.J. Gates led off the scoring for Danbury, taking swift advantage of a puck handling flub by Aces goaltender Eddie Neville and deposited a wrister in the back of the net at 7:08 of the first.

“Eddie was great tonight, but that mistake put us behind the eight ball,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “We were never able to get back on track after that.”

Newcomer Joe Pelle attempted to get the Aces back in gear in the second, taking on Danbury’s Matt Cosmos in a spirited-scrap, but Brooklyn couldn’t translate their efforts into anything that could be written on the scoresheet.

Danbury on the other hand continued to play an aggressive forecheck and made the most out of every Brooklyn mistake.

“I feel like they [the offense] made MacIntyre’s job too easy tonight,” said Neville. “Those guys are always in front of me and pushing into me and we weren’t doing that. No one was willing to pay the price in front of the net tonight.”

Already down 1-0, the Aces fell into deeper trouble in the second, after a Jesse Felten turnover led to a Brian Hannafin goal that doubled Danbury’s lead.

With a two-goal lead going into the final period, Danbury continued to play aggressive hockey and the Aces, despite continuous offensive pressure, were unable to get anything past MacIntyre. With 1:02 left Neville was removed for an extra skater and Danbury took advantage of that as well, nabbing a Chad Jones shorthanded marker that sealed the Aces fate at 3-0.

Scoring 14 goals in their last two games before last night, Brooklyn understands that they have to step up their play against Danbury and the New Jersey Rockhoppers, or else their playoff experience will be one they’d soon rather forget.

“Right now we’re not the best team in the league,” said Firriolo. “Right now, we’re probably third. That can can change though and it can change very quickly.”

Notes-

Neville made 37 saves on 39 shots.

The Aces are still nine points of New Jersey and 14 points ahead of Danbury for the top spot in the EPHL.

Pelle’s scrap with Cosmos has been added to the team’s fight page.

Aces forward Eric Frank missed last night’s game with Bronchitis, but will be in the lineup today against New Jersey.

Attendance for the game was 1,220.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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With the addition of enforcer Joe Pelle, the Aces will have the toughness they’ve lacked since former captain Chad Wilcox’s exodus. With Dan Carney and Mike Christensen back from a one-game stint with Elmira of the ECHL as well, the Aces will be fortified on both the forward lines and on defense.

Nevertheless, they’ll still have to be on top of their game, as the Mad Hatters are fighting for their playoff lives, currently five points behind the New Jersey Rockhoppers with only 10 games left to play.

Danbury head coach Dan MacIsaac has also voiced his displeasure with the league as of late, furious over the fact that recently-acquired Zach Flynn wasn’t able to play in the team’s last game against New Jersey.

“Let me go on the record as saying that this league is trying to (mess with) us,” MacIsaac told the News Times on Wednesday. “And our team is just going to stick together and play through all the this. They make up rules as they go along. We couldn’t dress our new player tonight, Zack Flynn, because we were late on calling to get him into the lineup. When every other team has broken rule after rule after rule, that have nothing to do with a five minute late penalty. As far as I’m concerned, I’m done with this league. It’s a joke. Our guys right now are battling right now to win the trophy for them, not for the league, for them.”

Already known as a tough and emotion-fueled team, MacIsaac’s comments should keep his team fired up and ready to fight for their playoff lives. With a 7-3 record over their last 10 games, Danbury has made up serious ground over the past few weeks and will fight tooth and nail against the Aces to keep it that way.

Coming off of a two-game series with the Hudson Valley Bears where they scored 14 goals, the Aces will be looking to avenge their 4-1 loss to Danbury on Feb.21 and create the same type of offense. Having Christensen, Tony Resendes and Rob Miller back has seemingly rejuvenated the team’s offense and with C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough playing some of their best hockey all season as well, Brooklyn will attempt to reproduce their success against a much better team in Danbury tonight.

If they can, expect a very interesting game.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Let’s face it, the Aces have not been the same team since they lost their former captain Chad Wilcox to a knee injury and suspension almost two months ago. Despite possessing the best offense in the league, alongside amazing goaltending and sturdy defense, they’ve lacked the jam at times that played an integral part in their first half success.

It wasn’t that the organization didn’t notice the problem either. However, when Aces head coach Chris Firriolo said last that he was considering making a trade to bring in toughness last week, many fans on the message boards believed it was semantics and an attempt to rally his team together and get them to play with more of an edge.

“We have three lines that can go out there and produce offensively, but we’ve gone the whole season without a line that can just bang and bang,” Firriolo said after the team beat the Hudson Valley 8-4 last week. “We need more than just a grind line. We need a few hard-nosed players that aren’t scared to take the body. I think that’s what we have to try and do.”

While Firriolo still won’t have his dream of grind line truly realized, through the trade of veteran defenseman Nick Grove, the Aces were able to land Pelle, who will most likely be used in the same role Wilcox was, playing about 10-12 minutes a game on various lines. The only question is, can he be as effective as Wilcox?

Anyone that has seen him on the ice this season will tell you that he plays with an intensity very similar to Wilcox and goes out of his way to deliver the big hit, something Wilcox didn’t do with much frequency this season. Pelle’s ability to be more than someone who drops the gloves and a player that can help provide space for the talented players on the ice without resorting to fighting will also be a big bonus.

With Chris Robinson and Mike Thomson beginning to play tougher over the past few games as well, the Aces will be a grittier team in the corners, but will now have a player in Pelle that is willing to drop the gloves when the time comes. One of the reasons why 6′5 defenseman Gabe Yeung was let go earlier in the season was his inability to be an enforcer and play the type of hard-nosed hockey the team needed him to. In Pelle, the Aces will get a warrior that will have no problem adjusting to his role as an enforcer. Despite the fact that he doesn’t have to fight in order to do his job, he will fight and will do it as often as possible to ensure no one takes liberties with his teammates.

While his overall effectiveness has yet to be determined, with their core back on the ice and added toughness in Pele, the Aces will be a much different team the rest of the season.

Video by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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All three have played a key role in the team’s success this season- Christensen has 25 goals in just 28 games and Carney is a +7 in nine games. The team’s starting goaltender for most of the season, Neville has a 16-4 record with a .914 save percentage.

The Aces also acquired gritty forward Joe Pelle from the Hudson Valley Bears to complete the transaction made almost two weeks ago when the team sent veteran D-man Nick Grove to the team for future considerations.

In 12 games with the Bears this season, Pelle has three assists and 173 penalty minutes.

Speaking of Grove however, he was also called up to the Trenton Devils of the ECHL today, making him the seventh player who has played in the Brooklyn organization this season to play in the ECHL.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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With Rob Miller, Tony Resendes, Andrew Scampoli and Mike Christensen back in the lineup over the past few games, Brooklyn has looked much more like the dominant team they were earlier in the season. However, they’ll have to prove just how much better they’ve gotten against much tougher competition and will need to step up their physical games as well if they want to continue their winning ways.

With only seven points separating the Rockhoppers and Mad Hatters for second place in the EPHL, with less than 10 games remaining, both teams will be playing with a playoff mentality and a level of desperation this weekend that Aces haven’t seen all season. When you take into consideration how Danbury has dominated Brooklyn physically in the past and how comparable New Jersey’s offense is to the Aces’, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to see that Brooklyn will have to bring it’s A game this weekend if they want to silence the critics that believe they are far from the team they were earlier in the season.

One way the Aces can accomplish that feat is if they can continue to get offense from all three lines. While C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough have been consistent and potent offensively all season, Brooklyn has had problems at times getting production from other sources. However, having Christensen back in the lineup fortifies the team’s second line, as Chris Holmes, who is already a dangerous offensive threat by himself, plays even better when paired with Christensen.

The same thing can be said for Scampoli’s and Miller’s prescence on the blue line. Already proving his worth to the team, Scampoli has three points since returning and is well on his way to giving the team the added offense they need from the defense position.

With two points in his first two games back, Miller too has produced when needed, but will be asked to take the body over the last stretch of the season as well. If the Aces captain can get back to the physical game he possessed before his injury and players the likes of Chris Robinson and Mike Thomson can continue to play gritty, the Aces will have enough toughness to hold water with a team like Danbury. Will they be able to dominate them? Probably not, but with their offense, all they have to do is be able to hold their ground and let their offense do the talking.

In the end, that’s how they’ll have to make their statement.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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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.

Aces Over Brooklyn- How does it feel to be back in the lineup after being out for almost a month?

Mike Christensen- It feels great. It’s never fun to sit and watch, especially when you’re injured, but I’m excited to be back. It was tough, but now I’m looking forward to tonight and the rest of the season. We’ll see how it all goes.

AOB- Over the past month, you’ve shown a lot of emotion in the stands. Let’s face it, you’re a nice guy that players on the other side of the ice respect. But over the past month, you’ve looked extremely angry and have even thrown Gatorade bottles in the press box when the Aces have given up bad goals. Was it that hard for you not to be on the ice?

Christensen- [Laughing] Sometimes, it’s hard to control your intensity, especially when you’ve seen the last ten games your team has played and your that close to coming back. I’ve always had that type of intensity and sometimes it just builds up and comes out in loud ways I guess.

AOB- You’ve shown a ton of chemistry with Chris Holmes this season, have they told you that you’re going to be back on a line with him?

Christensen- I’m sure Holmes and I will remain as linemates. That’s how we’ve practiced all week. Funny thing about Holmsie is before the season started, he was the last person I ever thought I’d be on the same line with. I didn’t think we’d be compatible. Today, during practice, I was joking around with him and I told him that I don’t even have to look for him anymore; I know where he’s going to be. If I get a feeling, I can toss the puck and he’ll be there to get it.

AOB- Why do you think he’d be the last person you’d be compatible with?

Christensen- Because he’s such a skilled player. He’s played pro hockey before and I was intimidated by it and his ability. Before you even watch him play, he just has this attitude that he’s a good player, which he absolutely is. I just wasn’t sure if I could live up to his expectations of what a good linemate was supposed to be. Because of that, I was really nervous to play with him at first.

AOB- Before your injury, your coach often referred to you as one of the best two-way players in the league. I like to take it a step further and say that at the time of your injury, you were well on your way to being the best pure goal scorer in the league. Because of all the different things you can do on the ice, where do you see yourself fitting in over the last stretch of the season?

Christensen- More than anything, I want us to win eight or nine of the last ten games and get back to that. If something were to happen with me where I got in a slump and wasn’t able to produce offensively, I would just want us to win. This home stretch and getting back on track is so much more important than anyone’s numbers.

Photos by Ron Hatcher and Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Averaging over a point a game at the time of his injury, Resendes was one of the most dynamic players on the Brooklyn roster and despite bringing in several players during his absence, the Aces were never able to replace his talents.

Now back in the lineup and completely healthy, the energetic forward has regained his place on the team and is looking forward to producing offensively again and being a prime part in the team’s playoff run.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn before his first game back last week, Resendes shares his feelings on his recovery and what he expects to do the rest of the reason.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:

http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastTonyResendesInterview302.mp3
Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:

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

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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The Aces offense continued right where it left on Thursday, scoring three goals through the first 4:16 of the first period, getting a goal from Frank and a pair from McCullough. Hudson Valley answered back just 11 seconds later however on a Lynn Beedle tally that cut the Brooklyn lead to 3-1 going into the second period.

The next 20 minutes of action were quiet offensively, as the only note on the scoresheet was a C.J. Tozzo goal, his 26th of the season at 17:15, that gave Brooklyn their three-goal lead back at 4-1.

The Aces started the third period off on the wrong foot, as Chase Decker scored for the Bears and made it interesting at 4-2. The game stayed that way until the final minute, when Frank and Ian McLoughlin scored 35 seconds apart to put the game away at 6-2.

With the win and New Jersey’s win over Danbury, the Aces maintain their 13-point lead in first place with only ten games left to play.

Notes-

Aces goaltender Miro Recicar made 24 saves on 26 shots.

Aces defenseman Andrew Scampoli led all players with nine shots on goal.

In addition to his goal in the second, Tozzo also had three assists and was a +4.

Attendance for the game was 268.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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With another game against the Bears tonight, the Aces will get another chance to employ their neutral zone trap and aggressive forecheck and will have a chance to iron out any kinks for their next game against the Danbury Mad Hatters next Friday.

Using six defensemen in their last game, the Aces had three steady combinations that played a huge part in the team’s success. While Aces head coach Chris Firriolo liked what he saw from his D-men and believes he’ll keep six defensemen on the roster for the time being, he may be forced to cut one when the playoffs begin.

“I liked the way all six D played out there tonight,” said Firriolo. “We may keep six and see what happens.”

With three steady forward lines as well, Firriolo also liked the play of his forwards, who were aggressive on the forecheck all night and induced several turnovers.

“I thought Christensen and Holmes especially were dynamite all night,” he said. “They were all over the puck.”

So with the team seemingly on the same page for the first time in a few weeks, could this be the return of the dominant Aces team that destroyed everything in it’s path through the first two months of the season?

As of right now, that appears to be the case, which does not bode well for the Bears tonight.

However, it’ll be impossible to tell how dominant a re-energized and healthy Brooklyn team can truly be until they face off against the New Jersey Rockhoppers and Danbury Mad Hatters next week.

Nevertheless, today’s game should be a good way of seeing how serious Brooklyn is about getting back in gear.

Notes-

Despite missing the third period on Thursday, Aces leading scorer Kyle McCullough will be in the lineup today.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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“I’m happy with the way we played defensively tonight,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “All three lines played well out there as well; I liked the combinations out there.”

While the defense was solid all night, the Aces wasted no time building a lead, getting a goal from Christensen at 3:38 of the first period on a shot that banked in off a Hudson Valley defenseman. Just 21 seconds later, Christensen scored again after Tony Resendes fed him the puck on a two on one, making it a 2-0 game. At 9:29, the Aces made it a three-goal game after Eric Frank tapped in a rebound in front while on the powerplay.

Swarming the net and exhibiting their most aggressive forecheck all season, Brooklyn looked much more like the dominant team they were earlier in the season and nothing like the team that has gone 5- over their past ten games..

“They weren’t pretty, but I’ll take them,” said Christensen of his two goals. “Defensively though, I thought we were really sharp. Everyone skated hard tonight.”

At 13:16, the Aces continued to pad their lead, getting another goal in traffic, this one by C.J. Tozzo, putting the score at 4-0. Just 24 seconds later, Brooklyn tallied again courtesy of the stick Kyle McCullough, putting the Aces up by five going into the second period.

Brooklyn got right back on the scoresheet in the second, needing only 1:21 before garnering another McCullough tally and making it a 6-0 game. At 7:21, Tozzo added a shorthanded goal to his resume, giving him his second goal of the night and his team a scary 7-0 lead. Hudson Valley finally broke through with a goal from Mark Lebenns at 19:13

While the Brooklyn offense was on it’s game, the defense was even better, limiting the Bears to just 17 shots on goal through the first two periods.

Things got hairy at the end of the period however, as Aces goaltender Eddie Neville, who was still livid after being ran into earlier in the period and Lebenns’ goal, which he believe was scored after the net came off it’s moorings, was given a 10 minute major for unsportsmanlike conduct and a game misconduct, forcing Brooklyn backup goaltender Miroslav Recicar into action.

He only had to face shots in the period though, as the Aces clamped down on defense. Another marker from Tozzo at 14:14 gave him the hat trick and secured a 7-1 win.

With the win, the Aces are now 11 points ahead of the New Jersey Rockhoppers for the top spot in the EPHL.

“Everyone was on the same page tonight,” said Aces captain Rob Miller. “This is the way we want to play the next time we play New Jersey or Danbury.”

Notes-

Neville made 16 saves in 40 minutes of action, while Recicar made five saves in the third.

McCullough and Tozzo both had five points on the night, while Tony Resendes and Mike Thomson both had three assists each.

Miller was +2 with an assist in his return.

Attendance for the game was 1,023.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Despite being one of the steadiest defensemen in the league this season with 22 points in 34 games, Brooklyn believed Grove was expendable once fellow defensemen Rob Miller and Andrew Scampoli rejoined the team.

According to the Aces, a revised work schedule also played a part in the move.

“Things have changed for him lately and we felt that he’d be a better fit with Hudson Valley right now because he’s very close with the staff over there,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “He’s been one of the best defensemen in the league all season, but we have seven [defensemen] right now and we had to make a move.”

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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That’s not to discount the efforts of players like Derek Kern, Eddie Chlanda and Matt McGilvray over the past few weeks, who were productive offensively and did an admirable job, but before the time of their injuries, Miller and Christensen were both without a doubt playing at an optimal level. Now that they’re back in the lineup, you can expect to see a much more polished Aces team with the cohesion and chemistry they had back in December, when they were virtually unbeatable.

“We’re going to be in much better shape once we get Robbie Miller and Mikey Christensen back,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo last Sunday. “With them back in the lineup we can see what we’re going to look like for the rest of the season and into the playoffs.”

While Miller and Christensen will undoubtedly help the team on even strength, both can be positive additions on the powerplay and penalty kill as well, two areas where the Aces haven’t been as solid as they’d like to be as of late. With stronger special teams, the Aces will have a much easier time on even strength and will be able to make the most of their opportunities on offense.

Averaging close to 40 shots a game this season, Brooklyn hasn’t been able to finish lately. One reason for that has been that many of the same players have been asked to kill penalties and play on the powerplay, making them less effective during even strength. With Miller and Christensen back, the players that have been overworked over the past few weeks will be fresh enough to cash in if they have an opportunity to.

If that wasn’t bad enough for the Bears, they will also be without one of their  leading scorers in Scott Estey who has been called up to Reading of the ECHL. While Jon Gerverd and former Ace Josh Coyle has been rock solid this season and Peter Alden also has seven points in eight games, will that be enough firepower to match wits with Brooklyn? Hudson Valley has also been playing with added grit as of late and haven’t given up on a game all season despite their record, but in spite of that, things don’t look very good if you’re a Bears fan today.

Photos by Ron Hatcher and Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Despite his team’s 8-4 win over Hudson Valley on Sunday, the enigmatic coach believed his team was lacking something in the physicality department.

It would be a minor concern for most coaches, but Firriolo sees it as an important element that could make or break his team’s season.

“We need toughness,” said Firriolo after the game. “We need some hard-nosed guys.”

He’s even proposed making drastic changes to his team in order to make them tougher on the ice.

“We’re going to try and make a few trades to add some toughness,” he said. “I liked what I saw from a few players on Hudson Valley today, so it’s something we have to look into.”

While the Aces have held on to the top spot in the EPHL all season, despite a plethora of injuries, many believe the team hasn’t had the same snare since captain Chad Wilcox went down with a knee injury in January.

Even Firriolo himself acknowledged Wilcox’s presence on the ice.

“We really miss Chad Wilcox out there,” he said. “I didn’t think I’d say it, but we do.”

However, with the team’s offensive problems recently, Brooklyn may be hard pressed to trade talented offensive players, even ones that are having trouble finishing, for those that can provide the team with the physical edge they need to dominate teams like the Danbury Mad Hatters and New Jersey Rockhoppers.

Nevertheless, Firriolo would like to see the matter addressed- and soon.

“We have three lines that can go out there and produce offensively, but we’ve gone the whole season without a line that can just bang and bang,” he said. “We need more than just a grind line. We need a few hard-nosed players that aren’t scared to take the body. I think that’s what we have to try and do.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In eight games with Brooklyn this season, McGilvray scored three goals and was a +2.

Activated from injured reserve, Miller will add some of the toughness the team has lacked since former captain Chad Wilcox went down with an injured knee last month.

In just 11 games with Brooklyn this season, Miller was an offensive presence as well, scoring 10 points and going a more than solid +14.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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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?

Andrew Scampoli- It’s good. I was keeping track of the boys when I was gone and it was good to see that they were doing great and were still in first place. It was a little weird last night though; I think the boys could tell that my legs weren’t quite there and I got held back quite a few times. I think it’s important though because I was really out of it. I hope over the next few games I can get back to where I was and help the team the way our coach and I want me to. It’s great to be back, but now it’s time to get back to work.

AOB- What do you think is the biggest difference between playing here and in Holland?

Scampoli- The ice surface and style of play. There were a lot of North Americans out there, a lot. They were very physical of course, but with a bigger ice surface there, it softens the game up. Here, every time I have the puck, there’s a guy on the other team right on top of me. I think that last night, playing against a team like Danbury, that is so physical, made it hard for me to get back on track as quickly as I would have liked. It was a huge test though. Now that I’m back, I know I have to make quicker decisions with the puck.

AOB- What are your expectations the rest of the season?

Scampoli- The rest of the season, I hope I can help the team like the five or six games I was here before. I want to try and help on the blue line and move the puck up and get it to these forwards, who look like they can score at will at times. Overall, I just want to make the contributions the coach expects me to.

AOB- What do you think is the biggest difference in the team from when you were here earlier in the season and right now?

Scampoli- Not much. There are a few players here now that have come since I was here and I wasn’t here for what happened with Chad Wilcox and James Brannigan, but I don’t think there’s too much of a difference. The same philosophies are still in play and things are still the same. This team wants to win.

AOB- Did you always know that you were going to come back to the team after Holland or was it something you eventually decided to do?

Scampoli- I had a general idea that was going to be the case and I hoped things would work out that way. I’m happy that they did. When I talked to coach [Firriolo] and told him that I got this opportunity, he was really supportive and he told me right away that when I came back, he’d like me to rejoin the team. We kept in touch the whole time I was there and a week before my flight I let him know I was coming back and he told me he wanted me to come back and help this team make the playoffs and hopefully get that championship.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In six games with the Aces, Carney has done just that and has nabbed two assists in the process.

Playing his college hockey at Colorado College and spending time in the WPHL, BISL, BNL, CHL, UHL and IHL over the past 17 years, Carney is a leader that can help guide the Aces to the first championship in EPHL history.

In this interview with Aces Over Brooklyn, Carney talks about his game and what it feels like to be a part of the Aces.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastDanCarneyInterview.mp3
Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Putting together a six-goal second period, the Aces did just that, coasting to an impressive 8-4 win.

“It took us a while,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo of his team’s offensive game. “But we came out with the win. I think we have to tighten up a bit more [defensively]and today gave us a chance to work on things like trapping. We have a lot of respect for this team and I’m happy we got the win.”

With Zamboni problems before the game however, the ice wasn’t in optimal shape, having only been partially resurfaced. As a result, both teams’ offensive games suffered through the early stages of the period and gave the game a choppy feel. Despite that, the Aces made the most of things and broke open the scoring on a Mike Thomson goal in traffic at 9:16. At 13:27, Chris Robinson tallied to make it a 2-0 game.

Things could have been much worse for Hudson Valley, but netminder Peter Maro was simply magnificent, making 21 saves in the period. The Bears offense also came through at the end of the period on a Josh Coyle goal with 4.8 seconds left, making it a 2-1 game going into the second.

Not happy with their inability to finish offensively in the first, the Aces came out with guns a blazing in the second, getting a Kyle McCullough marker just 38 seconds into the period that made it a 3-1 game. At 2:13 Brooklyn continued their offensive onslaught on a Jesse Felten tally that stretched the lead to 4-1. Just 28 seconds later, Felten scored again, seemingly putting the game away at 5-1. Brooklyn wasn’t done however and Eric Frank lit the lamp on a deflection soon after at 3:58, putting his team up by five and taking Maro out of the game in favor of Chris Polino.

At 6:06, Matt McGilvray scored for Brooklyn in traffic, taking the game even further in the twilight zone. At 7:21, Frank laced a vicious wrist shot over Polino’s shoulder and put Brooklyn up by seven.

Hudson Valley refused to die though and at 9:53 got another goal from Coyle [which was originally awarded to Chris O'Brien but changed by the referee], putting the score at 8-2.

“It felt good to get a few goals tonight,” said Frank. “Even though I’d like to do it more against teams like Danbury and New Jersey.”

The Bears continued their comeback attempt at 4:24 of the third on Coyle’s third goal of the game on a wrister in traffic that cut the Aces lead to 8-3. Things began to get a bit rough as well, as Hudson Valley’s Pete Alden and Felten dropped the gloves after Alden hit Aces forward Ian McLoughlin from behind. Frank later dropped the gloves with Dana Guilbert after the Hudson Valley D-man was holding him up behind the Bears goal. Things never escalated to the point of pure chaos however, as the Aces were simply trying to run down the clock and induce a win.

“My mother doesn’t like it when I fight, but I had to stick up for my teammate,” said Aces forward Jesse Felten with a smile. “We have to do things like that.”

Before the Aces could settle things down completely though, the Bears got one last tally, this one from Tori Jacob at 18:24 that put the score at 8-4 before it was all said and done.

With the win, Brooklyn’s first place lead over the New Jersey Rockhoppers is at nine points with just 12 games remaining.

“We’re in good shape right now; we feel like the rest of the schedule benefits us,” said Firriolo, who’s team will play the last-place Bears twice over their next two games and three times over their next five. “We still have things to work on though.”

Notes-

The Aces scored on six of their nine shots in the second period.

Aces goaltender Eddie Neville made 26 saves.

Attendance for the game was 1,277.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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However, against a team with only three wins this season in the Hudson Valley Bears, the last thing the Aces are thinking about is playing consistently. Instead, if the Aces have their way today, they’d like to make a statement, scoring 10 goals and then reverting their focus towards Thursday, when defenseman Rob Miller should rejoin the lineup and the team can begin to prepare itself for the playoffs.

Aces head coach Chris Firriolo especially is looking forward to next week.

“No other team in this league has had to deal with the amount of injuries we’ve had to,” he said on Friday. “Having Rob Miller back is going to be huge for us. By then, we should be as healthy as we’ve been all season and I expect us to continue where we left off.”

While Miller should be ready this Thursday, when the Aces take on the Bears yet again, Mike Christensen, who was medically cleared to play a few games ago, should be ready to go today as well, giving the Aces back arguably the best two-way player in the league.

That’s obviously not good news for the Bears and the rest of the league. Christensen’s return also has serious long-term ramifications as well, as it should go a long way in fortifying the Aces inconsistent offense the rest of the season.

However, after scoring just one goal last night against Danbury, the Aces need more than just a sharp Christensen. Scoring five points the last time the Aces took on the Bears, Eric Frank hasn’t registered a point in two games. Tony Resendes, who scored the game winning goal on Friday against New Jersey, was conveniently absent from the box score last night. If Frank and Resendes can get back on the scoresheet and the dependable C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough can continue to produce at the breakneck pace they have been all season, the Aces should be in great shape tomorrow against the Bears.

If not, someone else is going to have to step up and make sure the Aces can find the back of the net enough to induce a victory.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Both teams were unable to light the lamp in the first, after goaltenders Miro Recicar and Derek MacIntyre made a combined 22 saves. Danbury got a goal each from Drew Madeiros and Dan Hickman in the second however, giving them a 2-0 lead going into the the third.

The Aces wasn’t no time getting back into the game in the third though, as after only 11 seconds, Aces captain CJ. Tozzo scored for the 24th time this season and cut the Danbury lead to 2-1. 11 minutes later, an Obi Aduba marker stretched the lead to 3-1, while a Chad Jones tally in the last minute made it a 4-1 game and cemented the Mad Hatters win.

Notes-

Tozzo led all players with eight shots on goal.

Recicar made 39 saves on the night.

Aces defenseman Andrew Scampoli was a -2 with one shot on goal in his first game back after spending the last two months playing in Holland.

New addition Brent Ozarowski was not in the lineup.

Aces defenseman Dan Carney was the only plus player on the team.

Attendance for the game was 1,431.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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This time around however, Firriolo shouldn’t have that problem.

Having Tony Resendes back in the lineup for the first time since Dec. 18 was a huge shot in the arm and it paid quick dividends, as the feisty forward scored the game-winning goal in overtime last night.

Offensive defenseman Andrew Scampoli, who arrived from Holland last night too late to play, will also be in the lineup tonight and will give the Aces’ defense a totally different look. When he originally left the team in November, Scampoli was tied for the league lead in points by a defenseman with eight and considering that alone, he should also provide the Aces offense and powerplay with a huge spark.

If that wasn’t enough, it seems like the Aces have struck gold with new addition Brent Ozarowski, who had three points last night on a line with the team’s top scoring duo of C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough. Looking for chemistry with another player since James Brannigan left for Utah at the end of December, Ozarowski, a guy with over 200 ECHL games and time in Europe under his belt, may be just what the team is looking for.

However, with center Mike Christensen due back anytime, someone will have to go.

The Aces aren’t ready to make a decision on anyone’s status though and instead want to ride the effort the team is putting out and prefer to think about personnel changes later.

“We don’t know how long we’re going to have him, but it was great to see that Tozzo and McCullough were able to play with a guy like that,” said Firriolo. “He’s got a great shot and great vision out there and he definitely helped our boys out there. It was fun to watch.”

Also noticeable last night was the Aces team-wide grit. Mike Thomson and Chris Holmes especially played with a chip on their shoulders, something that has been relatively absent since the loss of enforcer Chad Wilcox.

If the Aces offense can continue to build off of last night’s effort and get the toughness and goaltending they need, Danbury is going to have their hands full.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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With Andrew Scampoli arriving late from Holland and Vladislav Kouroedov having problems with league paperwork, Resendes and Brent Ozarowski were the Aces’ only new additions in the lineup last night.

Nevertheless, the two combined for two goals and four points and fueled perhaps the team’s biggest victory of the season.

“It was a big win,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “We had some breakdowns early and if things like that continue to happen, we’re going to run into trouble, but we’ll take it. I’m happy that we came out hard when it counted.”

While the Aces were in fact the far better team offensively in the first, out-shooting the Rockhoppers 22-12, New Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert [44 saves] was again uber solid. Kyle Bozoian opened up the scoring with a powerplay goal in traffic at just 0:35, beating Aces goaltender Eddie Neville and giving the Rockhoppers a 1-0 lead. Brooklyn wasted no time getting back into the game however, as a C.J. Tozzo one-timer from the slot after a beautiful pass from Kyle McCullough at 2:21 tied the game at 1-1.

“We were just making smart decisions and we took advantage,” said Tozzo. “Things get easier out there when simplify your game.”

The Aces’ top duo continued to marvel throughout the period, as McCullough tallied on the powerplay at 7:18, this time on a pass from Tozzo, giving them a 2-1 lead. The next few minutes were quiet offensively, but Aces forwards Mike Thomson, Chris Holmes and Matt McGilvray were busy on the boards, nailing several quality body checks. It wasn’t enough to frazzle the Rockhoppers though, as a Logan Bittle snapshot after a Dustin Henning shot from the point at 13:19 tied the game at 2-2 to cap the period’s scoring.

What the second period lacked in offensive prowess, it surely made up for with intensity. With both goaltenders on their games, both teams began to get frustrated, but couldn’t induce any offense, keeping the game 2-2 going into the third period.

Things changed quickly in the third though after Ozarowski lit the lamp at 3:15 on a nasty wist shot that beat Niedert glove side and gave Brooklyn a 3-2 lead. New Jersey tied it up 4:28 later on another goal from Bittle and got the lead just 79 seconds later, Matt Tyree put them ahead 4-3 with a goal of his own.

Firriolo called a timeout soon after and the Aces responded in grand fashion. With just 2:23 remaining, McCullough laced a one-timer past Niedert to tie the game at 4-4 and send the game into overtime.

Once into the extra period, the Aces got several quality opportunities, but didn’t come through until Resendes found the back of the net on a mini-breakaway attempt at 2:57, inducing a 5-4 Aces win.

“God blessed me with some good legs,” said Resendes, who ironically missed two months with a knee injury before last niht. “I knew I had a chance if I just skated hard, so that’s what I did.”

With the win, Brooklyn stretches it’s lead to 11 points over the Rockhoppers, with only 14 games remaining.

“This was a humongous game for us,” said Tozzo. “Everyone really worked hard out there and pulled through. We made some mistakes and they capitalized because they’re a good hockey team, but overall, we were able to come back as a group.”

Notes-

Firriolo announced after the game that Andrew Scampoli will be in the lineup today against the Danbury Mad Hatters. Mike Christensen could also be in the lineup, but is currently questionable.

Firriolo also announced that once Rob Miller rejoins the team on the ice on Thursday, he will be named the team’s fourth captain this season.

Ozarowski had three points and was a +4 in his Aces debut.

Neville made 33 saves on 37 shots.

The Aces powerplay was one for three.

Attendance for the game was 1,033.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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A veteran of the CHL, UHL and leagues in Germany, Ozarowski has over 200 ECHL games under his belt as well. According to HockeyDB.com, the 32-year-old’s best season came in 2002-03 when he scored 57 points in 51 games for the Ravensburg EV.

His last professional action hockey came in 2005-2006 with the Reading Royals, where he scored two points in six games.

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Sure, they don’t have the offense on the blue line that Brooklyn has, especially with the addition of Andrew Scampoli, who rejoins the Aces after spending the past few months, but they have an equally as dangerous and deep offense and a more than capable goaltender.

However, this time around, the Rockhoppers will find themselves in unknown waters. Leading scorer Chris Ferazzoli was recalled to Cincinnati of the EPHL during the week, forcing his team to play without him for the first time this season. Relatively injury free all season, it’ll be interesting to see how well the Rockhoppers perform without their primary offensive catalyst.

The Aces on the other hand, in addition to getting the slick skating Scampoli back today, will also have Tony Resendes and Vladislav Kouroedov ready to go, which should go a long way in helping revitalize the team’s struggling offense. Added names on the lineup card alone will not be enough to defeat New Jersey though. After Sunday’s 5-3 loss, the Aces will have to do a better job of finishing and while the returning duo of Scampoli and Resendes and the addition of Kouroedov will help in that process, players like Kyle McCullough and C.J. Tozzo, who have been stellar offensively all season, will have to continue to their solid play.

The way Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert played against them last week however, making 39 saves, the Aces will need more than Tozzo and McCullough firing on all cylinders and will need to produce with the man advantage. If they can, New Jersey will have their hands full defending against the revamped Aces offense. If not, expect another tight game that’ll go down to the last minute of play.

There’s a reason why both of these teams have a combined 19 losses in 71 games this season and because of that and the moves both teams have made over the past few days, the rivalry between these two teams [which still pales in comparison to the one between the Aces and Danbury Mad Hatters] is surely to get much more intense before the season is over.

It all starts again tonight.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Feeling the departure of sniper James Brannigan and injuries to talented stars like Mike Christensen and Tony Resendes more than ever, the Aces are in need of a spark plug.

With Resendes back in the lineup on Friday, the addition of Vladislav Kouroedov and Christensen back soon as well, Brooklyn will finally have the depth back in the forward lines that they had earlier in the season.

Going through a myriad of free agent signings over the past month and a half, the Aces got solid offensive contributions from players like Eddie Chlanda, Josh Coyle and Derek Kern, but none have had the staying power of Eric Frank, another player brought in to provide offense. Before their injuries, both Christensen was Resendes were playing excellent hockey, with Resendes coming off player of the week honors and Christensen climbing as high as second on the league goal scoring charts. Without them, the Aces have missed a huge element of speed and spunk and as a result, the offense hasn’t been as sharp.

Once this duo is back on the ice however, you can bet the Aces offense will have the multifaceted look back that made them so dangerous through the first 30 games of the season. The addition of Kouroedov may also be a pleasant surprise, as the 34-year-old’s coaching resume alone should help some of the talented youngsters refine their game down the stretch. If he can produce with some kind of consistency as well, the signing will prove to be a steal.

However, with the addition of Resendes and Kouroedov and the return of Christensen, a makeover on the forward lines will have to take place. The top six forwards on the team, C.J. Tozzo, Kyle McCullough, Chris Holmes, Eric Frank, Jesse Felten and B.J. Kuper are all presumably safe, but newbies Matt McGilvray and Mike Baccaro may be in danger of losing their spots.

Things got even spicy when you think about the fact that Aces head coach Chris Firriolo likes to keep an extra forward on the bench. With the defense having too many players and Mike Thomson and Ian McLoughlin being able to play forward, do one of them get moved into a spot shift role?

Any way you look at it however, changes are ahead for the Aces offense that will try to rekindle the efficiency they had earlier this season.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Originally hired by the New Jersey Rockhoppers as their assistant coach in August, Kouroedov becomes the second former coach to lace up the skates for Brooklyn this season.

According to HockeyDB.com, his last professional action came in 99-00 with the Knoxville Speed of the UHL, where he scored three points in nine games. Before that, he played with the Spartak Moscow team in the Russian Professional Elite League. He also played his junior hockey in the Russian Junior League.

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Veteran Nick Grove has been battling injuries for most of the season and Doug Hoffman has been battling offensive consistency for the past few weeks. Dan Carney is still getting in the thick of things after being out of hockey for a few months. Chris Robinson has quietly carved out a solid niche for himself as a stay at home defenseman and can even land a big hit when he has to, but hasn’t been as noticeable the past few games. The forward turned defenseman combination of Ian McLoughlin and Mike Thomson has been eerily solid, but may be served better on the forward lines, especially considering how inconsistent the offense has been lately, against every team not named the Hudson Valley Bears.

With defenseman Andrew Scampoli being activated on Monday, the Aces will now have a top notch, puck-moving defenseman in the lineup and someone that will fit in well with anyone he’s paired with. His presence on the powerplay will also be a huge addition and with Hoffman, should put the team in a much better situation to produce with the man advantage.

The same thing does for Rob Miller, who is scheduled to return on Feb. 24. Possessing much more grit than Scampoli, Miller would look great with either Carney or Robinson, giving the team a great shutdown combo that could play against the top lines in the league. With his offensive ability as well, Miller too expects to spend time at the point on the powerplay.

However, with Scampoli and Miller back in the lineup, the team will have to part ways with as many as two defensemen it currently has. The only question is who? Thomson and McLaughlin are both extremely talented forwards that could help revitalize the offense, but Aces head coach Chris Firriolo has said on numerous occasions that he prefers the both of them at the blue line. Robinson was originally brought in on an emergency basis and lacks the seniority of the other D-men, but he has earned his stripes over the past few weeks. Grove and Hoffman have been steady most of the season, but have been inconsistent as of late. The question remains as well if the Aces can wait for Carney to get re-accustomed to professional hockey in the middle of a playoff run.

Considering all of this, Firriolo is going to have some difficult decisions to make over the next week.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr. and Sherrie Ocasio.

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Brought in for the team’s last homestand, Walsh was a gritty presence, but couldn’t find his way on the scoresheet, going scoreless in three games. He was also a -4.

In seven games this season with Brooklyn, Kern was a solid-two-way contributor, scoring five points and accumulating 24 minutes in penalties.

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In this interview, done in late January, Tozzo talks about his game his team and what it’s felt like to prove the people wrong who never gave him an opportunity to produce offensively.

Candid from start to finish, Tozzo proved why he’s the captain of this team. Because of that, this was easily one of my favorite interviews this season.

Click the link below to listen!

Aces Over Brooklyn Podcast- C.J. Tozzo Interview

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In five games with Brooklyn this season, the Long Island Native had six points.

Aces Over Brooklyn has also been informed by a source within the Aces organization that forward Tony Resendes has been activated from team suspension as well. One of the team’s most dynamic offensive threats before suffering a sprain of his MCL on Dec. 18 against the Danbury Mad Hatters, Resendes has 13 points in 10 games this season.

Both are expected in the lineup on Friday when the Aces take on the New Jersey Rockhoppers at Aviator Arena.

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Making 39 saves on the night, the gritty netminder guided his team to a 5-3 win over the Brooklyn Aces.

Things didn’t start off the Rockhoppers’ way however, as a Mike Thomson marker at 6:49 of the first gave Brooklyn an early 1-0 lead. New Jersey then bounced right back, getting tallies from Tom Boudreau and Chris Ferazzoli at 10:22 and 15:56, giving the Rockhoppers a 2-1 lead going into the second.

New Jersey extended the lead on a Kyle Bozoian score that made it a 3-1 game. Aces defenseman Doug Hoffman scored on the powerplay at 10:51, cutting the lead to 3-2 with only one period of play.

Nevertheless, the Rockhoppers weren’t done offensively, as Anthony Becker’s 16th goal of the season make it 4-2. Brooklyn still has some fight in them and Thomson ended up lighting the lamp for the 18th time this year, making it a one-goal game with 2:20 left to play.

Taking goaltender Eddie Neville out of the net for the extra man, the Aces were unable to tie the game. Ferazzoli added an insurance goal at 18:49 with the empty net to put the game away at 5-3.

Notes-

With the loss, New Jersey is just 10 points behind the Aces for the top spot in the EPHL.

Neville made 45 saves on 49 shots.

The Aces powerplay was one for four.

Attendance for the game was 1,292.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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You wouldn’t expect the Brooklyn Aces to think much of last night’s 11-2 win over the Hudson Valley Bears, a team that they haven’t lost to all season, but it may be exactly what the doctor ordered for an extremely talented offense that was in a nasty rut before that game.

Leading the way with five points last night, Eric Frank snapped out of a mini-scoring slump, powering the Aces to victory. Jesse Felten too was on his game, scoring two points and getting back on track as well. The same goes for Mike Thomson, who has two goals and an assist.

While the focal point of the Aces offense this season has always been Kyle McCullough and C.J. Tozzo, who are first and third in scoring with 64 and 62 points respectively, Brooklyn will need to get game-breaking performances out of secondary players the likes of Frank, Thomson and Felten if they wish to continue to pace the league.

Squaring off against one of the best netminders in the league today in Nick Niedert, the Aces will have their hands full today, but can make things much easier if they take some of the pressure off of Tozzo and McCullough.

Speaking of game-breaking performances, Aces goaltender Eddie Neville has been on his game as of late, giving up only two goals in his last two games. In order for Brooklyn to continue their winning ways, Neville will have to continue to be as sharp as he has been. Considering how solid he’s been as of late, today’s opponent, the New Jersey Rockhoppers, will have to get plenty of pressure to ensure their success.

With plenty of offense on the forward lines that feature snipers Chris Ferazzoli, Tom Boudreau and Kyle Bozoian that pressure will come with the territory and it’ll be up to the Aces defense core will have to limit the high percentage scoring opportunities. That means a crease clearer like Chris Robinson will have to do the majority of the heavy lifting down low if Brooklyn is to come out victorious.

Scoring their first powerplay goal in quite some time yesterday, the Aces powerplay will also be a crucial factor in determining their success. With players like Felten and B.J. Kuper skating hard every night, Brooklyn always gets it’s fair share of powerplay opportunities. If they can come through on a few today, they’d make their lives a heck of a lot easier.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Scoring 11 goals against the Hudson Valley Bears, Brooklyn got just that, eliminating any short term questions regarding their offense and with a loss by the New Jersey Rockhoppers as well, they managed to stretch their lead atop the EPHL to 12 points.

EPHL leading scorer Kyle McCullough led off the scoring for Brooklyn at 4:13. For almost 14 minutes after the game was quiet offensively, as Hudson Valley goaltender Peter Maro held down the fort for the Bears. Things soon broke down for Maro however as three goals in 1:35 by Jesse Felten, Mike Thomson and Eric Frank gave Brooklyn a 4-0 lead going into the second period.

The offense continued to surge in the second period as Ian McLaughlin, Thomson and Matt McGilvray lit the lamp for Brooklyn through the first 10 minutes of the second. Hudson Valley finally got on the board in the second with a Scott Estey powerplay marker at 15:39, but that was reciprocated by another Frank goal, this one on the powerplay as well at 18:21.

With an 8-1 lead going into the third, the Aces were caught off guard early by the Bears, as Estey tallied early at 2:41 to make it an 8-2 game. Brooklyn bounced right back however, as Frank’s third goal of the night at 4:23 put them up 9-2. McGilvray’s second goal of the game at 11:01 made it a 10-2 game and Chris Holmes’ 16th goal of the season was the nail in the coffin at 13:09.

Notes-

Aces goaltender Eddie Neville made 35 saves, while Maro made 38 saves on 49 shots.

B.J. Kuper and Mike Baccaro were the only players on Brooklyn without a point on the night, but were a combined +5.

Aces forwards Derek Kern and Sean Walsh were not in the lineup.

The Aces powerplay was one for six.

Attendance for the game was 208.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Despite the fact that the Aces have dominated the Bears all season, this time around however, Hudson Valley will have a markedly different look.

For starters, once former Aces forward Josh Coyle was released a few weeks ago by Brooklyn, Hudson Valley quickly snatched him up. The end result has been beneficial for both parties, as Coyle has eight points in his first four games.

The team also signed forward Justin Bodine, former ECHLer Lynn Beedle and defensemen Ken Francis, who was Third Team All-SECHL at Marist last season and Peter Dannenhower, who spent time last season with the Valley Forge Freedom of the MAHL. While these players don’t pack the same punch as Coyle, the Aces will have to make sure they’re on their game and can defend against these new additions. Add in the solid offensive play of John Geverd [37 points in only 23 games] and Scott Estey [16 goals in 23 games] and the return of goaltender Len DiCostanzo last week and it’s possible that the Bears may be at their best tomorrow.

Playing against the white-hot New Jersey Rockhoppers last night, the Bears won’t be the fresher team, so it’s up to the Aces to jump on them early. With problems on the powerplay and producing offensively as of late, scoring only four goals over their past three games, the Aces need someone to tep up. Leading the league by a healthy margin all season, Brooklyn will have to snap out of their recent offensive funk and fast.

Even Aces coach Chris Firriolo was concerned after the team’s last win.

“We can’t finish right now,” he said. “We haven’t scored a pretty goal in a while either. We have to start bearing down more and focus.”

However, with Eddie Neville coming off of his first professional shutout last week, Brooklyn will be heavily fortified in net again. If the offense continues to fail to put up numbers, Neville or the Aces other netminder, Miro Recicar, will have to be on his game.

With Mike Christensen still out of the lineup for at least another week as well, the Aces will be missing one of the best players in the league and will have to find the right combinations and produce where it matters most, on the scoreboard.

Otherwise, this game may end up a lot closer than many may think.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Those three players, Matt McGilvray, Sean Walsh and Mike Baccaro have given the team a much different look than the offensive juggernaut they’ve been most of the season.

Even Aces head coach Chris Firriolo acknowledged the job the three did over the team’s last homestand.

“They did a good job out there,” said Firriolo after the team’s last game at home on Sunday. “They were warriors and really helped us out.”

With that being said, Firriolo no longer has the three potent offensive lines he had earlier in the season, when he and the rest of the league had a problem identifying what line was in fact the best the team had. Regardless, he now has an energy line that isn’t scared to get gritty in corners and take the body, something the team has been in desperate need of with Chad Wilcox’s status still up in the air and Mike Christensen out for the next few games.

Once Christensen returns to the lineup however, things will be shaken up once again, but there are plenty of intangibles in place to ensure the Aces hold on to the top spot in the league.

That means the newly formed line of Baccaro, McGilvray and Walsh is in serious jeopardy of being broken up.

Baccaro was a linemate of Aces captain C.J. Tozzo’s in college and could possibly be reunited with him on a line with EPHL scoring leader Kyle McCullough. This could also make for an interesting line combination of McGilvray, Christensen and Holmes, which would leave the dependable line of B.J. Kuper, Jesse Felten and Eric Frank, in tact. That would leave Derek Kern, who has jumped right into the fire since joining the team and made himself a factor on the ice [ironically, Kern is a firefighter as well] and Sean Walsh being the extra forwards who are spot shifted.

The role has been one that Kern has flourished in, scoring five points in seven games, which could possibly force Walsh out of the picture. However, Walsh was originally signed for the weekend homestand last week and despite playing well, was never guaranteed a spot the rest of the season.

Nevertheless, in spite of that, it’s hard to know what Firriolo will end up doing with his forward lines, but one thing remains crystal clear.

The lifespan of his new checking line may be a short one.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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He soon suffered a hand injury that has kept him out of the lineup since then, but is expected back by the end of the month to help fortify the team’s blue line, just in time for the playoff run.

In this almost hour-long interview, ironically done with my Basic Journalism students at Kingsborough Community College last month, Miller opens up about his career in hockey and his future.

For hardcore Aces fans, this is the quintessential Miller interview and one where you’ll get the best idea of how much he loves the sport and who he is as a person. For newer fans, this is an amazing inside look into a person that has dedicated his life to one of the greatest games in the world.

Playing nice with these green journalism students, Miller talks about the code of aggression in the sport, how difficult it is to maintain a relationship while on the road and what it was like growing up an identical twin.

Like I said, it’s a very interesting interview.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://www.switchpod.com/users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastRobMillerInterview.mp3

Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Ron Hatcher.

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Over the past five games however, despite the continued offensive production and leadership of C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough, the Aces haven’t been able to replace the two-way ability of Christensen, who is currently on the shelf with a strained MCL.

“I think we’re really missing him right now,” said Aces goaltender Eddie Neville on Saturday. “He does a lot for us out there. Before he got hurt, he was one of the best players in the league.”

Another player solely missed on the ice is former captain Chad Wilcox, who is nursing a knee injury and serving a 30-day suspension by the team for an incident that transpired a few weeks ago against the New Jersey Rockhoppers.

While the enforcer’s status is still up in the air, there is a small opportunity he could be back with the team before the season.

“There’s an outside chance Wilcox can come back,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “Which would help us a lot. I don’t know anything for sure. It’s something that we have to evaluate more as an organization.”

Defensively, the Aces have proved that despite being formidable on the blueline, they’re missing something. Players such as gritty veteran Rob Miller, who injured his hand in December and is expected back at the end of the month and Andrew Scampoli, an offensive D-man who left the team in November to play in Holland and is also expected back at the end of the month, are needed more than ever and give the team the look on the ice they need to dominate.

Firriolo too acknowledged his defense is banged up and is looking forward to seeing what these two can bring to the table.

The addition of ECHL vet Dan Carney, who is also injured after breaking his thumb in his first game with the team, also bolsters the team’s defense and makes the future a bit brighter. With Christensen due back in about two weeks and Carney due back this weekend, Firriolo feels his team will be ready to continue their winning ways by then.

“We’re just trying to get through this week and get healthy again. We have Miller coming back and Scampoli,” he said. “Dan Carney is another player that can really help us and once Christensen comes back, I think we should be fired up and ready to go.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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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.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn before his first home game as an Ace on Feb. 7, Walsh talks about his game and what to expect from him on the ice.

Aces Over Brooklyn: How does it feel to be in Brooklyn?

Sean Walsh: It feels really good to be playing again. Things are a bit different here from what I’m used to, being from Syracuse and all; it’s a lot more fast-paced, but I’m getting used to it.

AOB: Most of the fans here and at home have never seen you play before. Can you tell us a little about your game?

Walsh: I’m hard-nosed and rough with the puck. I’m always playing for the puck and looking to get shots at the net.

AOB: Was there a player you tried to emulate growing up?

Walsh: Every year it was different. One year it was a good two-way player like Sergei Fedorov and the next it was someone who was tougher like John LeClair. I think that’s how it was for everyone growing up.

AOB: The team has recently lost two tough guys in Chad Wilcox and Gabe Yeung, do you think you are capable of helping the team in the toughness category?

Walsh: I think so. I’m not afraid to drop the gloves, but I’m not the type that’s going to go out there and say “Let’s go,” every time I step on the ice either. In spite of that, I think I’ll drop the gloves a few times while I’m here.

AOB: Since many of the fans at home love looking at a players stats and coming up with their own opinion, what do you think a perfect game for you is stats-wise?

Walsh: A couple of points and no minuses. I don’t like being on the ice when the other team scores.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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In spite of that though, the team had plenty of jam in yesterday’s 1-0 win against the Danbury Mad Hatters and are now looking to put their recent stretch of bad luck behind them.

“I think we did what we had to do tonight,” said Aces goaltender Eddie Neville after the game. “Everyone worked as a team and did what we have to do out there in order to be successful. We have plenty of guys that can do different things and it was important since we didn’t score much. I don’t think we have anything to be concerned about.”

Fighting injuries to two-way standout Mike Christensen, veteran defensemen Dan Carney and Rob Miller and enforcer Chad Wilcox [who is also serving a 30-day suspension], it would be all too easy for Brooklyn to relinquish their spot atop the EPHL.

Fuggetaboutit.

Confident after defeating their rivals at home, the Aces are biding their time until they get healthy again and are ready to get back to their dominant ways.

“If we have to lose a few games down the stretch to make us a better team come playoff time, so be it,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo a few days ago. “We’re banged up right now and in a few weeks, when we get guys like Rob Miller, Andrew Scampoli [currently playing in Holland] and Mikey Christensen back, I’m confident that we’ll be in much better shape. The guys are working really hard right now, but it’s a long season. Things like this will happen when you have injuries.”

For the time being however, the Aces are looking to savor the tough win.

Nevertheless, they understand that things aren’t going to be as easy as they were before.

“Any time you can get a grind it out win like that it’s great,” said Aces forward Eric Frank after the team defeated Danbury last night. “It was nice to take this win into next weekend. We got hit by some bad luck in the first two games and we weren’t doing what we were supposed to be doing out there. We needed this win really bad. The past few weeks have shown us that we’re not that much better than the rest of the league and if we want to keep winning we have to continue to work hard out there.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr and Ron Hatcher.

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On this day however, Aces goaltender Eddie Neville proved just how big his heart was, making 41 saves in what ended up as not only being the league’s first shutout, but perhaps the team’s biggest win of the season.

“I was seeing the puck well,” said Neville. “[Aces Assistant Coach] Rob Miller mentioned to me before the game that their hasn’t been a shutout yet this season. It got under my skin a little bit;  it was motivation and I knew that if I had to give up nothing to help this team win, I was going to do whatever it took.”

While there were no goals in the first period, it was raunchy one that featured a multitude of physical play, producing 38 penalty minutes between the two teams. Drew Madeiros alone accumulated 18 minutes in penalties during the period dropping the gloves with Matt McGilvray and Derek Kern. The only problem was the Brooklyn players didn’t drop theirs.

“Hockey is a game filled with passion and emotion,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “I think that what happens out there, happens. Both team’s played hard and came out with a lot of heart.”

Things continued that way through the second, but changed quickly after Aces captain C.J. Tozzo potted a shorthanded goal at 10:36 after a beautiful give and go with a little hesitation from Kyle McCullough to give Brooklyn a 1-0 lead. Danbury didn’t let up however and got even tougher. Nonetheless, they weren’t able to get anything past Neville, who was confident and poised in goal, making 21 saves through the first two periods.

Danbury’s problems on offense didn’t stop them from throwing the fists again however, as Erik Kent proceeded to punch Eric Frank several times in the face after the two were shoving behind the Danbury net. Again, the Brooklyn player involved did not drop his gloves. However, no fighting major was called.

“I feel beat,” said Frank after the game. “These guys are a pain in the neck to play against. We just realized that we didn’t want to go into the box for five minutes. It wasn’t an equal trade of for us. We wanted to stay on the ice. ”

The third period was just as intense as Danbury again dropped the gloves, this time as Obi Aduba not only boarded Kern, but also began pummeling him with his fists. Nevertheless, Aduba received a minor penalty for roughing, a major penalty for boarding and a game misconduct, but nothing for fighting. The Aces could not make the most of the powerplay however, as the game was deadlocked at 1-0.

Things then got furry over the last 30 seconds as Brooklyn defenseman Chris Robinson went to the penalty box for cross checking. Danbury goaltender Derek MacIntyre was already at the bench at that point, giving the Mad Hatters a two-man advantage the rest of the game.

Neville then rose to the occasion once again for Brooklyn, making a barrage of saves and ensuring a much needed 1-0 win.

Securing the first shutout in EPHL history, Neville looked nothing like the stressed out goaltender he was yesterday. Winning the team’s first game since Jan. 29, Neville was happier to play as big a part in the team’s win as he did.

“Tonight we were on the same page,” he said. “We bought into the team concept. It wasn’t pretty, but it was a win. It feels good.”

Notes-

Not one fighting major was called in the game.

The Aces powerplay was unsuccessful in seven opportunities.

Kern racked up 20 minutes in penalties to lead both teams.

Attendance for the game was 1,098.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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The Brooklyn Aces, the best team in the EPHL, has lost three games in a row and has had problems on defense and with their usually rock-solid goaltending combination of Eddie Neville and Miro Recicar. However, scoring only three goals their past two games, it seems like their offense, which has been infallible all season, may have hit a bump in the road as well.

“We don’t have the same chemistry going,” said Firriolo. “It’s been hard, we just have to find some stability. It’ll happen, we just have to find some new combinations. It’ll happen during the week.”

With the likes of newbies Mike Baccaro, Matt McGilvray and Sean Walsh all a part of the team’s newly formed checking line, Firriolo’s point couldn’t be any clearer. While all three were solid last night, registering a combined seven shots on goal, it’s obvious that they are still getting accustomed to the league.

With one line needing time to get adjusted, the rest of the Aces squad has to step up. Despite registering 36 shots on goal and producing plenty of quality scoring chances, Aces captain C.J. Tozzo, who is the middle of a 16-game point scoring streak, feels that his team was missing something last night.

“We’re a skilled team, but when we don’t have it here [pointing to his heart] we aren’t going to win,” said Tozzo. “We’re going to bring it tomorrow.”

The sullen looks on the players faces after the game confirmed it. They don’t like losing. Their fifth regulation loss of the season, the Aces still hold a 12-point lead over the Rockhoppers and an 18-point lead over Danbury for the EPHL points lead. Nevertheless, it’s looking like the team has hit it’s biggest wall of the season.

In spite of that, they feel that they have hat it takes to rebound, even against a team like the Danbury Mad Hatters that is playing their best hockey of the season, winning three straight, in spite losing their two best scorers in Igor Karlov and Duane Whitehead a few weeks ago.

“I know that we have the character we need in this dressing room,” said Neville. “We’re going to come out hard and win tomorrow.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Making 35 saves against a hungry Brooklyn offense, the Rockhoppers netminder powered a 4-1 win over an Aces team that is looking far from the first place team it’s supposed to be.

“We’re going to create offense, we’re a skilled team; we just have to take advantage of our opportunities. We’re just a bit too vanilla right now ,” said Aces captain C.J. Tozzo. “We were a bit soft. We have to get hungry again.”

Things started off well for the Aces however, as Chris Holmes slapped his way on to the blank scoreboard in the first, depositing his own rebound past Niedert at 8:36 after a sexy pass from Kyle McCullough, giving Brooklyn a 1-0 lead.

Taking 19 shots in the period, the Aces avoided the flat early efforts that have become a concern this season. Brooklyn goaltender Eddie Neville was also sound in the period, making nine saves, many of them with confidence and from in front of the crease.

“I felt good,” said Neville “I felt confident.”

New Jersey was the aggressor in the next period however and after just 3:39, the Rockhoppers tied the game on an Anthony Becker howitzer that beat Neville. Things stayed that way the rest of the period as both Niedert and Neville made several spectacular saves. Aces defenseman Doug Hoffman did his fair share of puck stopping in the period as well, blocking a Matt Puntureri shot in the slot and later sliding across the crease to stop a barrage of New Jersey opportunities to keep the game tied going into the third period.

“He played great defense tonight,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo of Hoffman. “It was good to see him do that out there.”

The game’s frenetic pace continued into the third, but a Kyle Bozoian goal at 7:36 put New Jersey in the drivers seat. Brooklyn continued to put shots on Niedert, but every time, the Rockhoppers netminder obliged, keeping them scoreless the rest of the way. A Chris Ferazzoli marker at 10:39 put New Jersey up for good and a Matt Tyree empty net marker at 18:33 put the game away for good.

Dropping three games in a row for the first time all season, Firriolo isn’t concerned, but he wants his team to regain the offensive form that has them at the top of the league.

“We can’t finish,” he said. “I thought we played our best period all season in the first, but we couldn’t finish. Right now, we’re the top dogs and every one is gunning for us and they’re going a good job. Like I’ve said before, I’m not concerned. Every great team goes through a run like this. At the end of the day, it’s better that this happens now than later. We have to focus.”

Notes-

Forward Mike Baccaro, a teammate of Tozzo’s at Plattsburgh State, made his professional debut for Brooklyn, registering three shots.

Mike Christensen and Dan Carney were both out of the lineup. Christensen is suffering from a strained MCL and Carney has a broken finger. While Christensen’s status is still unknown, Carney, affording to Firriolo is expected to be in the lineup against Danbury.

The Aces powerplay went 0 for 3.

Neville made 34 saves on 37 shots.

Attendance for the game was 1479.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Armed with plenty of scoring ability and the uber-dependable Nick Niedert in net, the Aces know things won’t be easy against their New Jersey neighbors.

Relatively injury free all season, the Rockhoppers have gotten better with every game this season and will provide Brooklyn with a more than tough test tonight.

Battling injuries for over a month, Brooklyn has had a cast of players brought in to help keep the ship sailing at top speed. While the new additions have all been moderately succesful, the team hasn’t had the same type of chemistry they had earlier in the season. At 24-4-2-1, it would be crazy to think the team was in jeopardy of losing their spot in the playoffs [They'd have to suffer a fate worse than the 2007 Mets for that to happen.]. Nevertheless, their play as of late hasn’t been inspiring.

Coming off his second ineffective start of the season, it’s most likely Miro Recicar will be on the bench in favor of Eddie Neville. Unfortunately for Brooklyn, Neville isn’t coming off of his best performance of the season either, giving up four goals on 36 shots against the Hudson Valley Bears on January 29. Nonetheless, in spite of their recent play, both Neville and Recicar have been a huge factor in the team’s success this season. If either one can step up and regain the form they’ve had for most of the season, the team should regain their winning ways.

Another thing that could help the Aces is their powerplay. Going 0 for 6 last night, the team’s play with the man advantage has to be better if this team wants to take two points tonight. Consistent for most of the season, the Brooklyn powerplay will need to get their defensemen involved, especially Doug Hoffman, who has been slumping offensively as of late. If the big man can get a few shots from the point, Brooklyn’s crafty forwards like Jesse Felten and Chris Holmes may be able to slap in a rebound. Establishing Hoffman’s shot from point could also give C.J. Tozzo and Kyle McCullough some more space to create, which could nab the team a few goals as well.

With quality goaltending and a few powerplay goals, the Aces should be in adequate shape to end this losing streak. However, any lapses in judgment will be ones they’ll pay for, as the New Jersey offense, featuring the likes of Kyle Bozoian, Logan Bittle, Chris Ferazzoli and Tom Boudreau is not one to be fiddled around with.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Devin Rask led off the scoring, beating Aces goaltender Miro Recicar on a shorthanded goal at 10:45 of the first, giving the Mad Hatters a 1-0 lead. The game stayed that way until 3:37 when EPHL scoring leader Kyle McCullough lit the lamp and tied the score at 1-1.

2:58 later, Obi Aduba, fresh from a stint with the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL, scored his 14th goal of the season, giving Danbury their second lead of the night and making it a 2-1 game. Despite several scoring opportunities the rest of the period, MacIntyre kept the Aces at bay, holding the lead going into the final period.

MacIntyre couldn’t keep it that way for long though, as Aces captain C.J. Tozzo scored shorthanded at 3:38 of the third to tie the game at 2-2. That’s all the offense the team could must off MacIntyre however, as Brooklyn was stifled the rest of the night by the crafty goaltender. Later in the period, Danbury got the winning goal from Heath Gordon, which was also shorthanded, at 4:59. Drew Madeiros then added the insurance goal at 8:43, putting the game out of reach, dealing the Aces their fourth regulation loss of the season and second in as many games.

Notes-

The Aces outshot the Mad Hatters 39-21.

McCullough led the Aces with eight shots on the night. Eric Frank had five.

New addition Sean Walsh was a -3, but managed six shots on goal.

Tozzo had a goal and an assist on the night.

Recicar made 17 saves.

Despite the win, Danbury is still six points behind the second place Rockhoppers for the final playoff spot in the league.

Attendance for the game was 887.

In other news, former Ace Josh Coyle scored in his first game with Hudson Valley tonight.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Leading by two with less than three minutes left in the third, the team gave up a pair of goals in less than a minute and soon forfeited a point when Danbury tough guy Hank Carisio scored in the shootout to give his team the win.

Because of their play that night and a regulation loss a week later to the New Jersey Rockhoppers, the Aces will look to put an exclamation point on the ice tonight when they take on Danbury on the road.

Two players in particular that will look to put their best foot forward tonight are Aces’ goaltenders Miro Recicar and Eddie Neville, both of whom are coming off less than stellar performances in their last appearances.

Regardless of whom is in net however, Aces head coach Chris Firriolo isn’t concerned.

“They’ve been great all season,” he said. “They know what they have to do out there and I talked to them after practice about how important they are to the team. They are both very tough on themselves and are very proud goalies. They’ll be fine.”

With Carisio and Obi Aduba back in the lineup after getting called up to Elmira a week ago, the Mad Hatters will have a bit more toughness to support the likes of talented offensive players in Erik Kent, the recently activated Eric Lind, Dan Hickman and crafty grinder Drew Madeiros.

Carisio, especially, who has nine goals and 24 points this season, has proven himself to be more than an enforcer and has become a more than formidable thorn in Brooklyn’s side.

While acknowledging Carisio’s ability, Firriolo believes his team can overcome the gritty player’s prescence by simply playing tougher as a team.

“He’s the heart and soul of that team,” said Firriolo. “He got a lot of ability and is as tough as they come. We can’t let players like that cause problems for us though and if we work hard in the corners and take the body as a team, we should be in good shape regardless of who we play.”

With 6′5 defenseman Gabe Yeung on waivers, the Aces will need a pinch of grit with a side order of offense from new additions Sean Walsh and Matt McGilvray in their first appearances with the team. With center Mike Christensen possibly out of the lineup with a lower-body injury as well, the importance of Walsh’s and McGilvray’s performances tonight become even more pivotal. Pests like B.J. Kuper and Jesse Felten will also have to keep their legs moving and get under the collective skin of Danbury, drawing penalties and keeping the Mad Hatters on their toes.

If the Aces can find a way to spend considerable time on the powerplay and can avoid a flat effort early on and avoid another third period collapse, both of which have been a problem for the team at moments this season, they should be able to get back in the win column. However, if Carisio, Madeiros and company are allowed to play physical, the Aces will have their hands full.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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As a matter of fact, the bench boss sees this period in the season as one that has provided his squad with the experience they’ll need to finish the season the same way they started it- on top.

Citing injuries to his blue line and forwards as a main reason for the team’s losses recently, Firriolo is proud of the way his team has performed.

“We were playing those games with eight forwards and for defensemen,” he said of the team’s last three games against Hudson Valley, Danbury and New Jersey. “We were really banged up. I don’t look at it as a downfall, it was just a couple of bad bounces. I said this before, but I think we should have won that game in Danbury. In New Jersey, we just played bad. We just weren’t very good. We didn’t get good goaltending either and as bad as we played, I think we could have won that game if we got better goaltending. However, that’s not a knock against our goaltenders, they’ve been great all season. Like I said, I’m not concerned. With the injuries we’ve had this season and for us to show up like we have, I’m very proud of them.”

Over the course of a long season, every team hits a patch in the rough though. Even a team like the Aces that only has three regulation losses in 30 games this season.

Firriolo doesn’t believe his team is going through one of them right now however.

“I honestly think we’ve been in worse situations this season than we are right now, even when we were winning,” he said. “These guys are putting everything out there and it’s a long season, you can’t win every game. You’ll always have a week where things don’t go your way. We’ve had things rough this season. We lost our leading scorer James Brannigan and a veteran defenseman in Rob Miller. Then we lost a guy who has the capability to be one of the best players in the league in Tony Resendes and then our captain and enforcer Chad Wilcox [who Firriolo said has been suspended by the team for 30 days]. Nick Grove and Chris Holmes have been battling this season as well. In spite of that, we’ve still found a way to win. We’ve had more injuries than anyone else and we’re still in first place by 16 points. I think it says a lot.”

With injuries continuing to mount after new addition Dan Carney broke a finger in his first game back and Mike Christensen possibly missing time with a lower body injury, Firriolo knows that he can’t make excuses.

Simply put, he knows the team has to continue to win.

Putting Gabe Yeung, Eddie Chlanda and Joe Lyle on waivers yesterday, for a variety of reasons including on-ice chemistry and injuries, Firriolo quickly snatched up two capable forwards in Sean Walsh and Matt McGilvray, proving that he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure the team continues to win.

That includes the possibility of making a trade to bolster the team offensively or defensively.

“We’re making some drastic roster moves,” he said. “We’re making moves now to put us in a situation to win the rest of the season. We had a great first half, but we know that how we started doesn’t mean much. It’s how we finish.”

In spite of that however, Firriolo is anxious to see what his team is capable of once they are completely healthy. With Miller scheduled to be back on the ice by the middle of the month and defenseman Andrew Scampoli returning to the team after playing in Holland for the past two months, the Aces blue line will be in better shape than they’ve been in all season.

Firriolo also believes Mike Thomson deserves a longer look on defense, especially after showing remarkable poise with another converted forward, Ian McLoughlin, which could open up a spot on the forward lines via trade or acquisition. With a horde of accomplished scorers on the roster already, the Aces may get even tougher offensively in the days or weeks to come.

Always one step ahead, Firriolo, like an expert chess player, is planning his moves for what could be a championship season.

“We’re looking to the future,” Firriolo said. “We’re going to ensure our status and do whatever it takes to make sure we’re in a situation to play well into the playoffs.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Scoring seven points in 12 games with Brooklyn after being picked up from Hudson Valley in early January, the Aces coaching staff wanted more toughness from the 6′5 blue liner.

“He was playing in all situations in Hudson Valley; he was the backbone of that team,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “We wanted something different from him here and he didn’t quite fit into that role. At the end of the day, I’m a huge Gabe Yeung fan, but we’re looking for something else right now. He also has an opportunity to play in England that he has to think about.”

Battling concussion problems all season, Lyle, who was let go by Brooklyn earlier in the season and was picked up by the Bears, seemed primed for more health-related issues, forcing the Aces to part ways with him.

“He’s a good player,” Firriolo said. “His health comes first though. We wish him the best.”

Scoring five points in five games with Brooklyn, Chlanda too finds himself looking for a new team.

With the trio off the roster, the also Aces picked up forwards Sean Walsh and Matt McGilvray.

Scoring 67 points in 47 games with the Syracuse Stars of the OPJHL in 2004, Walsh’s last action game last season with the SPHL’s Twin City Cyclones, where he scored nine points in 22 games.

McGilvray has spent the last four seasons at Johnson and Wales University, scoring 137 points in 102 games. He’s also nabbed eight shorthanded goals in that span.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Looking for a place to thrive after being used in defensive roles at Colorado College and the ECHL that didn’t show off his 97 mph slapshot, Brannigan needed a change of scenery and a chance to prove just how talented he really was. Playing amazing hockey during his time in his hometown, Brannigan was leading the league in scoring with 22 goals and 35 points when he was called up to the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL on Dec. 29 .

Now just a heartbeat away from the AHL and even the NHL, Brannigan has seven points in 12 games with the Grizzlies. Chatting over the phone from Utah in this exclusive interview done last night, Brannigan talks about his time in Brooklyn this season in addition to his hopes for the future and how he’s enjoying his time in the Mid-West.

Check it out!

As always, you can listen directly here at:
http://media.switchpod.com//users/patrickhickeyjr1/AcesOverBrooklynPodcastJamesBranniganInterview.mp3
Or you can download the file on to your I-Pod or I-Phone here:
http://phobos.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=294739484

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Battling injuries to key players the likes of Joe Lyle, Nick Grove, Rob Miller and Tony Resendes and not to mention the half dozen other players like Kyle McCullough and Chris Holmes that have been playing injured over the past few weeks, the team is in desperate need of a few days off.

Despite their record this season and a 16-point lead over the Rockhoppers, the Aces can’t afford to finish the season on one leg. Aces head coach Chris Firriolo knows that better than anyone and feels that once the team can get healthy, they’ll regain the consistency that got them to where they are this season.

“Once we get a few guys back, things are going to be very different,” Firriolo said. “Things are really tough and we’re battling. I’m really proud of them for that, but once we get healthy again, I don’t think we’re going to be having some of the problems we’re having right now.”

While the Aces offense has continued to put up remarkable numbers all season, with McCullough and C.J. Tozzo not slowing down after the departure of James Brannigan, the defense has been severely impacted by injuries to Grove and Miller. Doug Hoffman has done a decent job in his own end, but his job to produce offensively, which he has done consistently pretty much all season.

Converted forwards Ian McLoughlin and Mike Thomson have shown flashes of brilliance at times as well, but with Lyle now possibly on the shelf, they may have too much responsibility to handle. Gabe Yeung has been solid since arriving from Hudson Valley, as has newbie Chris Robinson, but both are crease clearers and don’t have the two-way presence of Miller and Grove. ECHL veteran Dan Carney was brought in on Friday and went -3 in his debut, making the situation that much more confusing.

Simply put, the Aces blue line is easily the most talented in the league. However, the right combinations have to be made in order for each player to thrive in their respective roles and they have to get healthy. If they don’t, Eddie Neville and Miro Recicar have to step up their games as well.

That has been where the biggest problem has been over the past three games, as the defense’s lapses have not been covered up by the usually steady tandem of Neville and Recicar. The top duo in the league, Neville and Recicar have been just as responsible for the team’s success this season as McCullough and Tozzo and have at times, single-handedly keeping the team in games. If they can’t get back on track soon and the defense’s problems with consistency and injuries aren’t solved, this team will continue to run into problems the rest of the season.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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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.

AOB- You were an Ace in the beginning of the season, but were let go in the expansion draft when the Bears joined the league. What do you think of the way Karma worked out?

Yeung- I’m really appreciative of coach Firriolo, who I think wanted me along. Now, I feel happy that I can give something back to him and the fans in Brooklyn and show them what they could have had from the beginning.

AOB- You’ve been playing a bit of forward as well. That’s a lot of responsibility. How have you been handling it?

Yeung- I’m an older guy, so the more responsibility, the better. I want to be a leader on this team and I want the guys to go out there and work hard. Anyway that I can do that and help the team, I’m all for.

AOB- In Hudson Valley, you and Tommy Westfall were the two key veterans and because of that, you both were flooded with responsibility. You come here and while you have a duty to do on the ice, the team has options and you aren’t forced to play perfect hockey. In spite of less responsibility and ice-time here though, you’re a much better player. Why?

Yeung- Every time we played in Hudson Valley, we knew we were going to be shorthanded and it wasn’t a good feeling. Knowing you have to play 110 percent and you will lose isn’t a great feeling as a player. The situation here, like I said, is so much different and I feel like I’m really feeding off of it.

AOB- You’ve been on a ton of teams and in a bunch of leagues over the years. You’ve kind of gotten the smörgåsbord of pro hockey sampling by playing with all these different players as well. What is different about the EPHL?

Yeung- The EPHL is brand new and I think in a few years, it’ll be as powerful as the Southern Professional Hockey League. I think the thing that sets it apart is the amount of young players and lack of veterans. Once these guys start getting noticed for how talented they are, the league is going to take off. It’s up to me and the other older guys out there though to make sure that happens out there.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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A native of Smithtown, Long Island, it was always Chris Higgins’ dream to one day play for the Montreal Canadiens. Drafted by the Habs in first round in 2002, the fiery winger has done more than accomplish his goal, he’s seized an opportunity and turned himself into one of the most talented players on the team. Rattling off three consecutive 20-goal seasons, Higgins has made himself a household name in Montreal. This season however, the 25-year-old suffered a devastating shoulder injury that kept him off the ice for over a month. Now back on the ice, Higgins is ready to be the leader the Canadiens need to make the playoffs this season.

Chatting with Aces Over Brooklyn after dropping the ceremonial first puck at Aviator Arena before the Brooklyn Aces took on the New Jersey Rockhoppers on Jan. 23, Higgins discusses his up and down season and his hopes for the rest of the year.

Aces Over Brooklyn- You were having an up and down season before you went down. How are you feeling now?

Chris Higgins- I’m feeling really good right now, I’m just about 100 percent. I’ll be playing against Tampa in our first game back after the All-Star break. I’m ready to go. This is the fun part of the season, right before the playoffs and every team is trying to get those points so they can get in because the funnest part of the season is always the playoffs. I can’t wait.

AOB- You were always a huge Habs fan growing up on Long Island. Was that tough?

Higgins- Yeah it was. I was always the only Canadiens fan I knew. That’s for sure. I can say that with the utmost amount of certainty. I was alone because all my friends were Islanders and Rangers fans and they still are. When I play against those teams though, it always makes things extra special.

AOB- What are your expectations for yourself the rest of the season?

Higgins- I want to win the cup. We have a team that is capable of doing it. That is what’s on everyone’s mind in the organization right now.

AOB- In order to do that though, the team has got to step up their play on special teams. Last season, the Canadiens had an excellent powerplay and this season it hasn’t been nearly as good. While the organization is quick to say that former Canadiens defenseman and current Isles defenseman Mark Streit wasn’t as pivotal to the units success last season, what do you think?

Higgins- He [Streit] was a big reason why our powerplay was number one. He’s got a great shot as many of you guys in New York now know. He’s not afraid to use it either. He’s a great guy off the ice and he deserves to be playing every minute that he’s been playing this season. I’m glad he’s been given a shot to be a number one defenseman.

AOB- Did it hurt a bit knowing that All-Star game was in Montreal this season and that if you were healthy, you could have made it? Let’s face it, you’re an extremely popular player there and it’s quite possible you could have made the team. How do you feel about that?

Higgins- It was a bit of a disappointment. It’s something I thought about a lot when I was training. It didn’t happen for me, but it did for Mike Komisarek, which in a way was as special for me as it was for him

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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B.J. Kuper broke open the scoring at 1:38 on the powerplay after a Matt Tyree tripping penalty, giving Brooklyn an early 1-0 lead. The Aces wouldn’t score again until 12:37 of the second, when Mike Christensen scored on the powerplay. In between that lapse in offense for Brooklyn, the Rockhoppers got four goals from the quartet of Tyree, Kyle Bozoian, Matt Puntureri and Anthony Becker. Soon after Christensen’s goal, the Rockhoppers got another goal from Becker at 14:01 and one from Logan Bittle at 15:57, making it a 6-2 game going into the third period.

The Aces tried to fight back in the third as a Jesse Felten marker, his 19th goal of the season, at 1:50 cut the Jersey lead to 6-3. 5:57 later, Puntureri lit the lamp again, as New Jersey reclaimed their four-goal lead. C.J. Tozzo and Derek Kern tallied later in the period to cut the Rockhoppers lead in half and even took goaltender Miro Recicar out of the net for the final 1:03, but couldn’t get the equalizer.

With the loss, which was Recicar’s first in regulation all season, the Rockhoppers gained two points on the Aces and are now 18 behind Brooklyn for the top spot in the EPHL.

Notes-

The Aces powerplay was two for four on the night.

Aces defensemen Joe Lyle and Nick Grove were not in the lineup.

The Aces newest addition, Dan Carney had an assist on Kern’s goal and was -3 on the night.

Recicar made 33 saves on 40 shots.

Kern’s goal was his second in four games with the team this season. He also has five points.

Attendance for the game 1,468.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Tonight’s game against the New Jersey Rockhoppers is going to be a huge test.

Calling it the most important game of the season after their win against the Hudson Valley Bears, the Aces know they can’t afford another sloppy third period if they want to come out victorious tonight. Giving up a big portion of their goals in the third period over the past few games, Brooklyn knows they’ll have to be on top of their collective games.

Forced to sign the likes of Derek Kern, Eddie Chlanda and Chris Robinson last week to rejuvenate their team, all three have been solid and have played a part in the team’s continued success. However, with ECHL veteran Dan Carney and Mike Christensen back after dealing with a personal matter for the past few games, the Aces will have an extremely experienced defenseman in the lineup who can play both sides of the puck and one of the best two-way forwards in the league. That alone should give the Aces an even bigger jolt tonight.

Nevertheless, the team is still battling injuries to key players such as Rob Miller, Tony Resendes and Nick Grove. Defenseman Joe Lyle’s status is also unknown after he spent the last two periods of the game in the stands. With that being said, the Aces chances at winning tonight may not depend on their ability to score goals, but on how well Carney and the rest of the Aces defense can work together and limit New Jersey’s opportunities.

Despite making 32 saves last night, Firriolo also didn’t seem too impressed with the play of Eddie Neville, who looks to have become the team’s backup after being returned from Elmira a few weeks ago. Firriolo also announced that Miro Recicar, who hasn’t lost a game in regulation all season, will be in net tonight.

With New Jersey possessing extremely talented forwards and a top-flight goaltender in Nick Niedert, they’ll be a formidable opponent for Brooklyn tonight. Coming off a huge win against the Danbury Mad Hatters last night, the Rockhoppers will be in great spirits and will push the Aces to their limit.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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“He’s going to be with us tomorrow,” said Firriolo. “He’s going to be a big help and we hope to keep him around.”

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Last night, the 6′1, 205 pounder did his best imitation of the former Isles 50-goal scorer, tallying twice in the first period. His teammates weren’t two shabby either, as C.J. Tozzo and Chris Holmes both had two goals on the night as well, capping off a 10-4 Aces win over the fledgling Hudson Valley Bears.

“It’s good to get a win like that,” said Chlanda. “We had a lot of offense and were moving the puck well. We’re going to try and do that in Jersey tomorrow.”

Chlanda opened up the scoring at 1:35 of the first, taking advantage of a defensive zone turnover by the Bears and beating Hudson Valley goaltender Chris Polino with a sneaky wrist shot. The Bears fought back at 2:42, getting a Scott Estey marker that quickly tied the score. Derek Kern gave Brooklyn their second lead of the night after he deposited a wrister following a beautiful pass from Chlanda at 3:42.

The wild and crazy first period continued after the Bears tied the game at 6:06 on a powerplay goal by John Geverd. After things looked like they were ready to calm down, Chlanda tallied again on a semi-breakaway, putting Brooklyn up for the third time in the period and sending his team into the locker room with a 3-2 lead.

“It’s a different game when you play Hudson Valley,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “We got sloppy and over confident at times. At the end of the day, it a win, but it’s a tough game to play before tomorrow against New Jersey, which is going to be the biggest game of the season for us.”

It didn’t take the Aces long to continue the offensive surge either. Just 42 seconds into the second, Jesse Felten lit the lamp for his 18th goal of the season, extending the Brooklyn lead to 4-2. At 4:27, a Holmes shot from the top of the left circle with the man advantage deflected off a Bears skate and went in, stretching the lead to 5-2.

Taking another minor penalty shortly thereafter, Hudson Valley’s demise was apparent. Failing to remember which players were on the ice after an icing call around the 7:30 mark, the Bears looked disheveled and unorganized. At 13:56, Holmes was the beneficiary of another deflection that found it’s way into the net, putting the Aces up 6-2. The Aces new captain, Tozzo, ended up drawing an assist on the play, making him just the second player in league history to nab 50 points in a season. 57 seconds later, Tozzo got greedy and lit the lamp himself, giving Brooklyn a five-goal lead.

“It’s relieving,” said Tozzo. “It was a struggle through college because I was put in a different role. It feels really good to put some numbers up again.”

Taking that five-goal lead into the third period, the Aces were playing conservative and it cost them early on a Scott Horvath goal at 3:08 that cut the lead to 7-3. Hudson Valley continued to bounce back at 5:24, on another tally from Estey, which cut the lead to 7-4. That was the only offense the Bears could muster the rest of the way, as Brooklyn finally clamped down on defense.

Soon after, the Aces reclaimed their five-goal lead and even added to it on tallies from Mike Thomson Doug Hoffman and Tozzo that put the finishing touches on a 10-4 win.

Bouncing back after a rough loss last Sunday, the Aces still aren’t without their problems. Not nearly as dominant in the third period as they have been in recent weeks, the team’s coaching staff sees it as a problem that needs to be fixed and fixed fast.

Especially against the second-place New Jersey Rockhoppers.

“Tomorrow is going to be a big test,” said Firriolo. “It’s a tough time for everybody. I think we’re at about 60 percent now [due to injuries to Nick Grove, Rob Miller, Tony Resendes, etc]. We have a bunch of fill-in guys in the lineup and they’ve done a great job, but tomorrow night is going to be huge for us. We can’t waste any time and have to take it right to them.”

Notes-

Aces center Mike Christensen is expected to rejoin the team today.

Hudson Valley defenseman and team-leading scorer Dan Malloy was not in the lineup.

Aces defenseman Nick Grove was also out of the lineup.

Aces center C.J. Tozzo was named the team’s captain before the game and alongside teammate Kyle McCullough, the duo are the first two [and only] players in league history to score 50 points in a season.

“It’s a great honor to be named captain of this team, especially as a rookie,” Tozzo said. “It’s easy though because all of these guys are professionals on and off the ice. This is a team full of leaders.”

Aces goaltender Eddie Neville made 32 saves on 36 shots, while Polino made 38 saves for the Bears.

Holmes, who had been struggling a bit over his past few games, didn’t care about the luck that induced his pair of goals on the night.

“I’ll take them any day,” he said. “I never score goals that way, they were like changeups; no one was ready for that. It was great.”

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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For Brooklyn, it couldn’t have come at a better time.

Dealing with a multitude of injuries, the Brooklyn Aces fell apart over the last 2:58 of their last contest, giving up two goals and later losing in a shootout in a game that many feel the team should have won.

Headed in a completely different direction with nearly the polar opposite overall record, the Bears may have 25 games left to play this season entering tonight’s game, but make no mistake, they will be playing the role of the spoiler the rest of the way.

Sure, players the likes of Dan Malloy (5g-23a-28pts), John Geverd (7g-17a-24pts) and Scott Estey (10g-12a-22pts) are having good seasons and should be factors, but considering the fact that the Aces have six players on their roster [not including the departed James Brannigan] that have more points than the Bears’ top trio, it’s obvious that Hudson Valley will lose tonight’s game if it turns into a shootout.

With goaltender Len DiCostanzo called up to Bridgeport as well, Hudson Valley will be forced to use someone else in net. Using eight other goalies this season, all with GAA’s of over 4.00, the Bears have not been the recipient of quality goaltending to say the very least. That, combined with their lack of scoring depth make it extremely difficult for them to compete with the other teams in the league.

Things get even tougher for Hudson Valley when you think about the fact that Brooklyn have had three and a half days to think about their last loss and three and a half days for key players the likes of Kyle McCullough and Nick Grove to get healthy after dealing with nagging injuries. Tony Resendes may be even closer to his return after suffering an MCL injury on Dec. 18 and Mike Christensen, arguably the best two-way player in the league, is expected back after missing two games for personal reasons.

With those intangibles in play, the Hudson Valley Bears will have a very small margin for error tonight. However, if they get quality goaltending and the Aces can’t rebound after their worst three-minute effort of the season on Sunday, this game can become a hairy one.

Update- 6:10 P.M.

After being put on waivers by the Aces on Sunday [AOB was originally informed he was released] Josh Coyle has been picked up by the Bears, but won’t be in the lineup tonight.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Teaching the youth clinic at Aviator Arena before Aces home games, Robinson’s only solace on the ice was skating with his co-workers after teaching his classes.

It was there where Aces head coach Chris Firriolo saw him skating.

“When you’ve been around the game as long as I have, you know when you see someone special,” said Firriolo. “What’s so great about him is he keeps everything simple. He’s not flashy, but he’s tough and plays smart. He’s been dynamite since he got here and hasn’t been timid. He just jumped right into the fire. We’re going to do everything we can to keep him here. He’s great.”

A week later, Robinson was coming out of the team’s locker room- not as a member of the Aviator staff, but as a professional hockey player ready to make his debut.

If the 5′11, 200 pound defenseman wasn’t inside the former hangar, now ice-rink where the team plays, his smile would have been visible for miles.

“We talked for a few minutes and he asked me about my background,” said Robinson, a week after his first conversation on the ice with Firriolo and just an hour before he’d skate on to the ice as a pro for the first time. “Then we talked again to find out if we could find something that worked for the both of us and we did. I’m not nervous at all; I’m just ready to get out there.”

Robinson’s story is far from a lucky one however.

Earning his chops with the Danville Wings of the NAHL and the Lincoln Stars of the USHL before playing his college hockey at University of Wisconsin-River Falls, he built a reputation on toughness and smarts. However after his junior career was finished, he decided to enter the work force, eventually finding himself at Aviator, teaching kids how to play the game he loved.

“I knew there was a team here,” said Robinson, who models his game after former New Jersey Devils defenseman Scott Stevens. “But I never expected any of this. I loved what I was doing here and I still do. I’m going to continue helping these kids and the sport.”

In spite of his minimal thoughts about going pro, Robinson’s co-workers, who are now thrilled to see one of their own on the ice as professional, knew it was something he thought about at times.

To them, he now embodies the dream they all still share- to be a professional hockey player.