It is hard to believe we are fast approaching March 20, 2021, the one-year anniversary of the day Governor Lamont officially shut the state down because of COVID. We've endured so much, but, as we acknowledged in our last newsletter, we certainly emerged changed and with a newly found appreciation for many of the things we took for granted.
COVID impacted two seasons from a hockey perspective, causing canceled tournaments, delayed tryouts last season, new rules/protocols, and forced downtime this season. The ups and down tested us but ultimately reinforced our love for hockey and its positive impact on our players' and families' lives. The camaraderie, competition, routine, physical exertion, sense of belonging, and competition all provide focus, build confidence, and bring joy. This impact is amplified in these COVID-challenged and sometimes difficult times.
"COVID has created numerous disruptions this year, but our players, coaches, and volunteers have persevered. It has been awesome seeing everyone back on the ice for the last month, and the positive impact on everyone's mental health has been noticeable. We cannot thank our families enough for their due diligence in keeping everyone safe."
Ed Rodham
President/Director of Hockey Operations
In looking back at our COVID timeline, the 2019-2020 season abruptly ended for many teams, several who never got to finish their tournament play or, as in the case of our U14 Green, start their tournament play. Despite the negatives, there were many positives. Five teams competed in their respective league tournament finals, and the three teams qualified for USA Hockey Regionals!
- U10 Black: CGHL Finalist
- U12 Black: CGHL Finalist
- U14 Black: Tier II CHC Finalist, qualified for Regionals, and finished as the #14 team in the country
- U16 Stars/Sharks: Tier II CHC State Champions, qualified for Regionals, and finished as the #6 team in the country
- U19 Black: Tier II CHC Finalist, qualified for Regionals
We hope the 2020-2021 season continues without interruption and we are able to finish what we started. Stay vigilant, follow rink protocols and let's keep everyone safe and the kids on the ice doing what they love, playing hockey!
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In each newsletter, we ask a few coaches to provide a quick update about their team's season. In this issue, we focus on our older teams including U14 Black (Paul Weske, Kevin Shea, and Ed Rodham), U14 Green (Chris Andersen, Carolyn DiNapoli, Jim DiNapoli, and Joeseph Laird), U16 Black (Ed Rodham, Karlyn Donovan, and Brian DePodesta), and U19 Black (Ed Rodham, Joe Buccheri, and Karlyn Donovan).
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U14 Black
We were very excited to return to the ice. Our players brought great energy to practice and it translated to excellent performances in our first three games. In particular, we are one of our league leaders in goals against.
The highlight thus far is how much we have grown in all aspects of the game. Most of our team did not play together last year. They have done a wonderful job becoming a team, developing friendships, and having a lot of fun despite the social restrictions that we face.
This is a group that loves to play hockey and be around other Sharks.
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U14 Green
It's been a crazy season so far with the pandemic, but we're excited to be back on the ice. The team's unity, at returning Sharks welcomed new players immediately. Despite the lack of continuity in the season, they're improving and having fun.
Our challenge is the limited number of teams to play, so we've opened our options and are playing boys. The support from the families and the organization has really shown what the Sharks are all about - family, fun, commitment, and a love of hockey.
A notable highlight was Avery Z. scoring five goals in one game, which results in the team shaving Coach Chris' head at the end of the season!
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U16 Black
Our season started in July, and we had some good early-season success with a semi-final finish at Beantown and a Finals finish at NAHA. The team is extremely young, with almost all players being first-year U16s. We had some early-season NEGHL struggles as the girls adapted to the speed and physicality of the U16 game.
The team was starting to come together when the late November COVID “pause” was implemented. We were 5-1 in the last six games before the break. With eight prep school players and the rest playing CT High School hockey, our team takes a mini pause during the winter months and then picks up again in March for the CHC state playoffs.
It’s going to be fun watching this team continue to grow both this year and next.
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U19 Black
The U19 Black is a very talented team, and when they play team hockey, they are a lot of fun to watch. The team includes ten prep school players, so COVID has dramatically impacted our ability to get the girls together regularly. Our season started in July and included some early-season NEGHL games. Many of these players are in a great position to secure roster spots on college teams in the coming years.
We have several players that have come up through the Sharks system, such as Anabel Lota, who started with us in 2012, Dani Buccheri (2015), JiJi Cohrs (2016), Jenna Hunt (2016), Miya Imaeda (2014), Ella Miller (2015), and Katie Porrello (2016). Dani, Katie, and Jess Pitaniello are part of Sharks history as all were part of one of our National Championship teams. It is a great privilege to watch these players grow on and off the ice.
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2021 - 2022 Tryout Update
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It’s true . . . we are fast approaching 2021 - 2022 Travel Team Tryouts! Although tryouts for national-bound teams typically begin 48-hours after the completion of USA Hockey Nationals, USA Hockey pushed the dates for Nationals to April 29 – May 2, and CHC and CGHL playoffs have been moved into March/April (pending State approval), which will impact the timing.
We are awaiting a final decision from the CHC on the approved dates for tryouts. For planning purposes, our CGHL team tryouts are scheduled for the late March/early April timeframe. Our national-bound tryouts will occur in line with CHC/USA Hockey defined rules. Once the parameters are clarified, we will quickly provide all of the facts and open the registration site.
As always, we look for ways to expand our offering of a high-quality hockey experience for all levels of play. In this regard, for the 2021 - 2022 season, we are excited to offer Tier I teams at the U10 and U12.
We will continue to provide updates regarding season-end tournaments, tryout registration, and our Summer Skills program over the next few weeks!
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During the 8-week hockey pause, our U12 Minor coaches motivated the team to use the downtime productively through a Puck Challenge. Twelve players participated, shooting 45,000+ shots. Ten players shot over 2,500 pucks and received a puck to recognize their achievement.
The coaches wanted to recognize six players that shot the daily 100 puck maximum:
- Avery Cairns
- Elena Losito
- Emma Weiss
- Maggie Apicella
- Megan Losito
- Mirabel Cole
According to Head Coach John Weiss, the challenge was a huge success. He commented, "In the last 5 games we played before the pause, we scored 4 goals. In the 5 games we've played after the pause, our team scored 9 goals against similar opponents. I speak for all the coaches in saying we are extremely proud of the team's dedication and progress."
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The community stepped up to support the Hockey Helps the Hungry. The Virtual Food Drive raised $6,284 for the Connecticut Food Bank! Over 80 donors from hockey organizations across the state participated; it was truly inspiring.
We're especially proud of the Sharks' contributions. Fifty current and former families and coaches contributed more than $2,500. Our U16 Black team is the winner of the team competition, and each player will receive a Hockey Helps the Hungry t-shirt!
This important service project wouldn't happen without Sophia Rodham and Jenna Guglielmi. Five years ago, they wanted to do something to help with food insecurity. Together, we collected 300 lbs. of nonperishable food at the East Haven Rink. Their compassion and commitment to making an impact shows. The program has expanded deeper into the hockey community and raised enough money to purchase 12,000+ meals for families in need.
As Sophia and Jenna said, "We are overwhelmed by the tremendous response the food drive. Given the uncertainty associated with the pandemic, it's been an inspiration to all. A heartfelt thanks to those who have donated, the Connecticut Food Bank's mission is so critical right now. We are grateful and so appreciative of our families, friends, teammates, coaches, competitors, and other members of the hockey community who have united to make a difference."
Learn more about the campaign or donate (the portal official closes on February 28).
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We thank Kye Gerfao from our U14 Green team for putting together a video to wish the Connecticut Whale good luck as they played their bubble season in Lake Placid. We appreciate the clinic participants and travel players that participated in the process. The Whale players were so appreciative!
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We love getting pictures of Sharks outside or inside of the hockey rink. Please scroll through your gallery and email your photos to pmiller@shorelinesharkshockey.com.
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