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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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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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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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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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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Despite that shocking information however, the Rockhoppers that wear skates in New Jersey aren’t worried about going extinct any time soon.

With three of the top offensive players in the league in Kyle Bozoian (17 goals & 18 assists), Chris Ferazzoli (15 goals & 20 assists) and Tom Boudreau (15 goals, 19 assists) and a pair of solid danglers in Drew Sanders (30 points in 24 games) and Logan Bittle (19 points in 15 games), Jersey can take it to any team in the league offensively. They also have a more than solid netminder in Nick Niedert (9-10 3.87 GAA), who has stopped the top flight Brooklyn offense before.

With Danbury Mad Hatters top scorer Igor Karlov gone to Russia, it appears as well that New Jersey has clearly become the second-best team in the EPHL.

Well, at least on paper.

However, the way the Aces defense has played in 2009, giving up 25 goals over the past seven games [which averages out to about a 3.60 GAA, which is stellar in this league], New Jersey is going to have a tough time producing.

Playing a huge part in that transformation has been the development of two converted forwards, Ian McLaughlin and Mike Thomson, who have made the transition to defense seamlessly and quickly. Solid at both ends of the ice and capable of playing in all game situations, Aces head coach Chris Firriolo has looked like a genius over the past few weeks for throwing the pair on the blue line.

“A few people were wondering what I was thinking at the time,” said Firriolo, with a grin, in reference to moving McLaughlin, a spare forward and Thomson, a depth player, to defense after injuries nearly decimated it a month ago. “I told them I’d been around the sport a little longer than they have.”

With the Aces defense playing their best hockey this season and 10 players in the lineup currently averaging a point a game or more [not counting the still injured Tony Resendes either], New Jersey will have their hands full. Nonetheless, if Niedert can step up again and the Aces fall victim to a flat start, a predicament that has occurred on several occasions this season, the Rockhoppers can and will win tonight’s game.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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The Aces started off quickly in the first, getting goals from McCollaugh, James Brannigan and the still white-hot Mike Christensen, giving them a 3-0 lead after one period of play.

Hudson Valley was far from finished for the night however. A goal by defenseman Chris Clark cut the Brooklyn lead to 3-1 at 5:33. The Aces bounced right back after recent addition Bobby Brannigan, the brother of the Aces and EPHL’s leading scorer, netted his first professional goal just 1:36 later to make it a three-goal game again. Tallies by Dan Malloy and Mark Lebenns [who some may remember was a training camp invitee of the Aces this season] cut the Brooklyn lead to 4-3.

A Chris Holmes goal at 3:45 of the third gave Brooklyn a two-goal lead once again, but former Ace Scott Estey scored 3:20 later to make it a 5-4 game.

That’s all the offense Hudson Valley could muster though, as the Aces added two more goals by the end of the third, one being McCollaugh’s second and the other being an empty net marker by Mike Thomson, giving Brooklyn the 7-4 win.

Notes-

With the win, the Aces are 13 points ahead of the second place New Jersey Rockhoppers.

In just 18 games, Brooklyn has scored 105 goals.

Eric Frank had two assists for Brooklyn.

Aces goaltender Miro Recicar made 22 saves on 26 shots, while Hudson Valley netminder Vincent Januska made a whopping 40 saves on 46 shots.

Aces captain Chad Wilcox did not appear in the game.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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Like most of the season, Brooklyn received contributions from all three lines, as three point nights from Kyle McCullough [three assists] and James Brannigan [one goal, two assists] and two-point nights from B.J. Kuper, C.J. Tozzo and Mike Thomson fueled a come from behind win.

Brooklyn also had six other players in the game including, defensemen Nick Grove, Doug Hoffman and Rob Miller, register points in the game.

However, things didn’t start exactly the way the Aces would have liked after a Tom Boudreau goal 11:13 into the first on the powerplay gave New Jersey a 1-0 lead.

8:04 into the second however, Aces sniper James Brannigan found the back of the net and tied the game. A Kuper goal at 15:10 then gave Brooklyn the lead and a Tozzo Marker just 40 seconds into the third put them up by two. Jersey cut the lead to one just 47 seconds later after a Justin Todd goal, but another Brooklyn goal, this time by Mike Christensen, gave the Aces their two-goal lead back.

With the game then 4-2 in the third, Boudreau added his second goal of the night, but just five minutes later, Tozzo followed suit, putting the game away at 5-3. New Jersey then took goaltender Nick Niedert [36 saves] off the ice and attempted another comeback, but Kuper tallied with an empty net with 49 seconds remaining to ensure a 6-3 Aces win.

Notes-

Aces goaltender Miro Recicar made 32 saves.

Brooklyn went one for five on the powerplay.

Ian McLoughlin and Chad Wilcox were the only Aces without a shot on goal.

Aces forward Tony Resendes led the team with six shots on goal.

Defenseman Mike Richards made his return to the lineup after being placed on injured reserve on 11-21.

With Eddie Neville still in Elmira, the Aces signed goaltender Anthony Felice as an emergency backup. Spending time as an emergency backup with the Trenton Devils of the ECHL recently, Felice also participated in the Danbury Mad Hatters tryouts.

The attendance for the game was 673.

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Nevertheless, even on an “off” night offensively, the Aces still got a more than quality performance from Eddie Neville, who made 34 saves in a 3-2 Aces shootout victory over the Danbury Mad Hatters.

In spite of Neville’s performance however, Danbury goaltender Derek MacIntyre was the real star of the game, stopping 54 of 56 shots, effectively keeping his team above water against the leagues top offense.

Brooklyn jumped out to an early 1-0 lead off a Rob Miller powerplay goal, but Danbury leading scorer Igor Karlov answered back 5:02 later with a powerplay marker of his own, tying the score at 1-1. The BMT line of James Brannigan, Kyle McCollaugh and C.J. Tozzo came through in the second, as Brannigan notched his 15th goal of the season, giving Brooklyn a 2-1 lead.

The lead didn’t last long however, as a K.C. Caudill less than three minutes in the third tied the game at 2-2.

Things then began to get a bit feisty, as Jesse Felten, Tozzo, B.J. Kuper, Chad Wilcox and Brannigan all ended up in the penalty box for fisticuffs in third. Nonetheless, in spite of all the jabs and haymakers, neither Brooklyn or Danbury could light the lamp and the game went into overtime.

After 20 minutes and only three combined shots in the OT period, the game went into a shootout where Felten lit the lamp after Mike Thomson, Brannigan and Tozzo were stopped by MacIntyre, giving the Aces their sixth win in a row.

Notes-

Brooklyn is now 8-1 for the season and eight points ahead of the second-place NewJersey Rockhoppers.

Brooklyn went one for seven on the powerplay and had 47 PIM.

Attendance: 1220

Photo by Marty Bromberger.

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Beating New Jersey in their two prior meetings and scoring 12 goals through their first two regular season contests, the Aces were the heavy favorite before the game.

New Jersey goaltender Nick Niedert had other things in mind though, making 60 saves in a 3-2 Rockhoppers win.

“You got to tip your hat to the guy,” said Aces coach Chris Firriolo. “They deserved to win tonight. He was the reason why they won.”

The game started well enough for the Aceshowever, as they were aggressive on the forecheck and fired a ton of shots early on Niedert. A fight early in the period by Aces forward and Bensonhurst-native Jerry Cardinale also got the fans into the game and seemed to sway the momentum. Nevertheless, the Aces offense, which came into the game with ten players averaging a point a game, couldn’t find the back of the net.

A hooking penalty from first line center C.J. Tozzo later in the first period gave New Jersey a powerplay and that’s when the game’s scoreless streak ended it’s course. A cross-ice pass from New Jersey forward Chris Ferazzoli hit an Aces defenseman’s skate and banked in off of goalie Eddie Neville’s pads at 15:20, giving the Rockhoppers a 1-0 lead going into the second period.

“I think we lost this game mentally,” said Aces forward B.J. Kuper. “I think the fans know that we were the better team out there, but we had a mental lapse and it ended up costing us.”

The Aces wasted no time getting back into the game physically in the second, as Chad Wilcox waited only 52 seconds before pummeling Rich Jondo and earning himself a five minute penalty for fighting. The Aces then reestablished their forecheck and got several solid scoring opportunities from Jesse Felten and Nick Grove, but Niedert held his ground and kept the Aces scoreless.

Things got worse for Brooklyn at 7:59 of the period, after Derek Porter put the Rockhoppers up by two after depositing a rebound past Neville. At 11:06, the Aces did have a golden opportunity to get back in the game, after Alex Hager got a penalty for tripping, giving them a five on three powerplay for 54 seconds. New Jersey was one step ahead however, silencing the Brooklyn attack and keeping the game at 2-0.

“Our boys looked a little flat tonight,” said Wilcox, who leads the team with 25 PIM. “Every time I’ve gotten in a fight this season, we’ve scored one right away. It doesn’t work all the time though and it didn’t work tonight.”

The Aces had another pair of powerplay opportunities later in the period, including one of the four minute variety, but again had problems finishing and left the ice in the second with the score still deadlocked at 2-0.

The third period began with a bang for Brooklyn, as Grove deposited a chance in front on the powerplay only 49 seconds in to cut the deficit in half. 36 seconds later however, New Jersey got their two-goal lead back on a transition goal by Dustin Henning.

The Aces did have an opportunity or two in the third, including another four minute powerplay with 6:21 remaining in the game.

This time, they cashed in.

Getting shots in from the point during the powerplay, James Brannigan banked in a rebound after a Doug Hoffman blast with 5:24 remaining, making it a 3-2 game. With 54 seconds still remaining on the powerplay, Brooklyn was unable to score the tying goal and ultimately lost 3-2.

Going 2 for 13 on the powerplay for the night, Firriolo believes his team had plenty of opportunities to finish the Rockhoppers off, but lacked the same tenacity that played a key part in their first two victories this season.

“We took this team for granted,” said Firriolo. “We’re a very skilled team, but we played poorly tonight. When you take 62 shots on goal, you have to score more than two goals. We handled them easily in the preseason and I think the guys thought we were going to walk all over them. It’s not good enough. We have to be a team that finishes. It’s a problem.

“The calls were in our favor tonight; we had enough powerplay opportunities; they were basically handing it to us. We just couldn’t do anything with it.”

Photos by Ron Hatcher.

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Speedster Jesse Felten got the Aces on the board 24 seconds into the game on Saturday and they didn’t look back, adding five more goals by the game’s end in a 6-2 rout over the Rockhoppers.

Felton told me after practice on Tuesday that he feels he can score a point a game this season.

So far, so good.

Brooklyn-native James Brannigan added two goals as well while Chris Holmes [goal, assist], Mike Christensen [goal, assist] and assistant captain Nick Grove [two assists] all registered two points.

If you’re a fan of this team, this is great news. Holmes and Christiansen are extremely talented players that will be depended on this season. Grove is a leader that can be a force on both ends of the ice and getting him started on the right foot after a year out of professional hockey is a great sign for them as well.

With that being said, with less than two weeks to go before the season begins, it looks like the Aces are firing on all cylinders. Good goaltending and solid defense win championships, but a great offense certainly makes things that much easier. While it’s obvious that no team can keep up this type of pace for an entire season, it’s good to see that the Aces have the firepower needed to keep themselves ahead of the pack.

It makes this first season in the EPHL an even more interesting one.

Site News:

I did an interview with Aces forward Chris Holmes last week, and that will be the next piece featured on the site. I apologize for the delay, but after attending the team’s practice, I had to write a recap of that and do a podcast. Holmes was a really nice guy and I’m sure everyone will enjoy the piece when I post it this week.

Also, I just want to say for the record that while this site is an individual venture, it is made possible in part to the fact that I am the sports editor of Bay Currents newspaper. I am not a freelance blogger or crazed fan. While I thank the team for putting a link to my site on their’s, I am not associated with the Aces in any way, shape or form. I am a credited journalist with a college degree in journalism. I’m not doing this to toot my own horn. Rather, instead to make a statement. I am covering the team because as a journalist, it is my job to report the news. I know that so far, the majority of my coverage has been positive. That doesn’t mean that I’m not going to be fair and unbiased once the season starts.

Just wanted to throw that out there.

Photos by Patrick Hickey Jr.

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