Posts Tagged ‘C.J. Tozzo’

Brooklyn Aces assistant captain C.J. Tozzo has made a habit of making sure his name is on the scoresheet this season. Last night against the Hudson Valley Bears, the hard-working star netted six points, leading his team to a 9-1 win.

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.

With Mike Christensen and Rob Miller back in the lineup last night, the Brooklyn Aces had the depth at the blue line and on the forward lines that they’ve lacked recently and as a result were able to skate over a beleaguered Hudson Valley Bears team in an 8-1 impressive win.

“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.

Not only is Brooklyn Aces forward C.J. Tozzo one of the team’s best grinders, penalty killers and snipers, he’s also the team’s captain. Scoring 62 points in just 35 games this season, Tozzo has done everything to keep the Aces above water and despite their recent struggles and injuries to crucial players, Tozzo is still producing offensively and doing all the things a good captain should.

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.

Newcomer Chris Robinson played his heart out in his pro debut against New Jersey on Friday, so it makes sense that fellow newbie Eddie Chlanda, combined with the surging C.J. Tozzo both had a goal and an assist in a 5-2 win over the Danbury Mad Hatters on Saturday night.

Danbury defenseman Dan Hickman led off the scoring at 1:19 of the first, scoring his tenth goal of the season. Chlanda scored his first goal of the season just 3:49 later and a B.J. Kuper powerplay tally at 15:28 gave Brooklyn their first lead of the night. 28 seconds later, a Jesse Felten Marker put the Aces up 3-1.

After a scoreless second period, the Mad Hatters got right back into the game after an Erik Kent goal, his 14th of the season, making it a one-goal game. Scoring just 18 seconds in, Danbury had almost a whole period to get back in the game, but never did. An Eric Frank shorthanded goal at 9:45 made it a two-goal game once again at 4-2.

The way the Aces have been playing this season, going 21-2-2 through their first 25 games, you wouldn’t expect them to have problems against any team in the EPHL, right?

The New Jersey Rockhoppers have been responsible for two of Brooklyn’s losses this season however, thanks in part to brilliant goaltending by Nick Niedert, who seems to step up his game every time the two teams play.

Making 30 saves on the night, Niedert kept the Aces at bay for two periods, but wasn’t able to stop Aces assistant captain C.J Tozzo, whose two goals in the third paved the way for a 4-2 come from behind win.

“We played pretty bad in the first two periods,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “We played very well in the third period though and came back strong.”

Going into last night’s game unbeaten in 2009, the Aces knew beforehand that they’d have their hands full against a talented New Jersey Rockhoppers team, especially with veteran Chad Wilcox on injured reserve and steady defenseman Nick Grove on the sidelines.

Playing their first game since leading scorer James Brannigan was called up to the Utah Grizzlies of the ECHL, the Brooklyn Aces knew they had to prove to the rest of the league they had what it took to maintain their spot atop the EPHL standings.

Going into the third period tied 3-3 with the Rockhoppers, a team that has been playing with much more confidence over the last few weeks, C.J. Tozzo scored on New Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert, giving Brooklyn a hard-earned 4-3 win in a statement game that proved the Aces’ unquestionable heart.

Things didn’t start off well for Brooklyn however, as New Jersey got on the board first after a Kyle Bozoian marker at 11:29. The lead didn’t hold for long after the surging Jesse Felten tied it just 1:25 later. The Rockhoppers had the last laugh in the period though, as Chris Ferazzoli lit the lamp for the 13th time this season, giving New Jersey a 2-1 lead.

Through the first eight games of the EPHL’s inaugural season, the Brooklyn Aces have flown high above the competition, amassing a 7-1 record while leaving a trail of smoke over their opponents, outscoring them 52-23.

However, despite possessing the league’s best overall defense, that features talented two-way defensemen such as Rob Miller, Nick Grove, Andrew Scampoli and Doug Hoffman, in addition to the rock-solid goaltender combo of Eddie Neville and Miro Recicar, the Aces offense has been the real story of their magical season.

Nonetheless, while the Aces have gotten offense from a variety of sources, the team’s first line, aptly tabbed “The BMT Line,” of James Brannigan, Kyle McCollaugh and C.J. Tozzo, have left their opponents in pieces, ranking first, second and third in team and league scoring.

“They really work well together,” said Aces head coach Chris Firriolo. “They are definitely a top line in this league, for sure.”

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.”

Every successful team in hockey history has had a slew of role players that can produce when the time comes and pick up the proverbial lunch pail when times are tough.

The New York Islanders dynasty of the early ’80s had players like Andurs Kallur and Butch Goring who consistently came through in the clutch. The 1994 New York Rangers had Esa Tikkanen and Craig MacTavish who annoyed defenses and won big faceoffs. The Devils still have John Madden and Jay Pandolfo, who drive opposing offenses crazy every night with their endless hustle.

The Brooklyn Aces have C.J. Tozzo.

“I’ll do whatever they need me to,” he said. “I don’t see myself as a one-dimensional player. I can fill a variety of roles. I like to use my speed to create offensive opportunities and find my teammates. Because of that, I’d ideally like to be in a playmaking center type role and play with a good scoring winger with speed. I’m the type of player who can create offensive opportunities, but I’m responsible defensively as well.”