Posts Tagged ‘Chris Firriolo’

Just minutes ago, Aces Over Brooklyn interviewed Brooklyn Aces head coach Chris Firriolo and asked him about his thoughts going into the first game of the team’s championship series with the New Jersey Rockhoppers tonight.

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

Despite losing in regulation to the New Jersey Rockhoppers 7-5 last Friday and falling in a shootout to the Danbury Mad Hatters on Jan.25, Aces head coach Chris Firriolo is confident the Aces haven’t hit any ruts that can’t be smoothed out with a Zamboni.

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.

It may be ice-cold outside, but it’s always hot on AcesOverBrooklyn.com, where there are constant updates on the Brooklyn Aces.

In this exclusive interview done on Dec. 18, before the team took on the Danbury Mad Hatters, AOB interviews Brooklyn Aces head coach Chris Firriolo, who discusses the team’s newest addition, defenseman Tom Collingham, in addition to discussing the depth of his forward lines and some of the injuries that have recently taken a toll on his first-place club.

Check it out!

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

According to a press release by the EPHL, Brooklyn Aces head coach Chris Firriolo and team captain Chad Wilcox have been fined an undisclosed amount by the league following their actions on Nov. 29 against the Danbury Mad Hatters.

Danbury head coach Dave MacIsaac received a two-game suspension and was also handed an undisclosed monetary fine for his part in the altercation.

MacIsaac is eligible to return to the Mad Hatters on Dec. 13 when they take on the Hudson Valley Bears.

No other players on either team were suspended or fined.

On Dec. 18, Danbury will take on Brooklyn for the first time since the incident.

Photo by Patrick Hickey Jr.

If the dirt under your nails or the sand in your eyes that you can never get rid of could magically turn into a professional hockey player, the back of it’s jersey would read: KUPER, 8.

The Aces resident pest, B.J. Kuper is the James Bond of agitators in the newly-formed EPHL.

Make no mistake about it, just like Bond’s license to love, Kuper has one of his own as well.

To annoy.

“I’m a grinder, but my job first and foremost is to be a pest,” he said. “To be the first guy in the corners and to hassle defenders and draw penalties. It’s also my job to make the game as uncomfortable as I can for the opposition.”

However, despite his prowess as a pest, Kuper, like a double agent, has no problem masquerading as someone else. With two assists in three games this season, the 23-year-old looks like a first liner on the team’s grind-line with Mike Thomson and Chad Wilcox.

Outscoring their opponents 12-7 over their first two games this season, the Brooklyn Aces have combined a talented and speedy offense with an experienced defense and excellent goaltending.

Regardless of their perfect record thus far though, Aces head coach believes his team is capable of even more on the ice.

“We have to get better every day and every game,” he said. “I think we have to create a bit more traffic in front of the net and generate more offense from the top of the blue line in between the circles, that hot zone. 83 percent of the goals in the NHL are scored from that area. We’re also a team that depends on our forecheck. In order for us to be succesful, we have to be consistent on every single shift. That’s the only way these guys are going to get to the next level. They have to continue to work as hard as they possibly can.”

It’s been almost five weeks since Alan Friedman became the majority owner of the Brooklyn Aces and he hasn’t stopped smiling yet. Excited about the direction both the league and team is going in, the Brooklyn business owner and new head honcho of the Aces sees great things in the future ahead. Chatting over the phone on Tuesday night with AcesOverBrooklyn.com, the Canarsie-native discusses his ownership style and what he wants to accomplish this season with his team.

Aces Over Brooklyn.com- Considering the fact that the sports market of New York has enigmatic owners like the Dolan’s, Steinbrenner’s and Wang’s, it’s obvious that fans here want to know more about who calls the shots for their favorite teams. How do you see yourself as an owner?

Over the past eight summers, the New York Mets have proven that minor league baseball can thrive in Brooklyn with the Cyclones. On June 17, an agreement was made to bring an Eastern Pro Hockey League team, the Aces, to Aviator Arena, successfully making the borough a two-sport town and effectively proposing another question:

Can a minor league hockey team survive in Brooklyn?

As of right now, all signs point to yes.

With about a month left to go before the season starts on November 8, fans and media alike are anxiously awaiting the drop of the first puck.

However, no one is more excited than the team’s coach, Chris Firriolo, who sees the Aces as a team that can not only win, but can also develop talented players in Brooklyn that go on to join the ranks in the ECHL, AHL and ultimately, the NHL.

Nevertheless, he does understand what his biggest goal for the season is.