For Gandara, Hard Work Pays the Family That Helped Him Get Into the Off Sport

For a twelve-year period in the late 80’s and 90’s, AIC hockey featured a newsletter called SLAPSHOT. Back then it was mailed out to our subscribers four times a year. We have decided to revive the newsletter as a way to stay connected, as well as to inform our hockey alumni, the AIC community, friends and fans about what’s happening in the world of AIC hockey. Seth Dussault, the voice of AIC hockey, has agreed to be the editor. He will be assisted by the Coordinator of Athletic Communications, John Hanna, who will also be a principal writer. Moreover, Don Moorhouse, noted writer and radio personality in the Springfield area, who currently serves as the voice of UMass Hockey, will be an occasional contributor to the newsletter. As most of our readers know, Don played hockey at AIC for Coach Wright. It should be noted that all three of these individuals are AIC graduates. Our objective is to feature stories that are fresh, lively, and thought provoking, and that provide in-depth coverage into hockey at the college, past and present. In a sense this newsletter will celebrate the rich tradition that is AIC hockey. We hope you’ll enjoy it! For Gandara, Hard Work Pays the family that helped him get into the Off sport. By Seth Dussault “My mom’s family is actually from Nova Scotia, so hockey ran in the In many ways, senior left wing David family,” he said. “I was the youngest out Gandara seems to not fit the mold of a of all my guy cousins and I grew up typical hockey player. going to all of their games with my Born deep in Southern California, grandpa." the 5'1 0” forward is a Native American, "Naturally I wanted to play as well.” as a member of the Morongo Tribe. For a man whose family is so Yet Gandara embodies exactly what important to him, hockey brought him a a hockey player is. He has been a long way from home; his first stop was leader at every level he has played, efforts, commenting that “David is a the NAHL with the Chicago Hitmen. both on and off the ice, and the work tremendously dedicated player; he’s all “I met a lot of life-long friends. I was ethic instilled in him in his upbringing in. During the dog days of summer, he’s lucky enough to have great billets who has helped him to be successful. grinding it out in the weight room.” made me feel right at home, which “I was always one of the smallest Gandara says the work ethic comes made it not as difficult,” he said of his kids on my teams growing up so I had from his tribal heritage. “My family has time with the Hitmen, adding that "The to take the strength and conditioning always preached hard work to me. The competition helped me make the jump part very seriously,” Gandara said of tribe has been very supportive of me after only playing one year.” his intensity in the weight room, where through my career and my dad updates It took more jumps than that for him he has won the Wally Barlow Fitness them all about my successes,” he said, to turn into a regular in AIC's lineup. He Award three years in a row. “I have adding that “Most of my family lives on played thirty games in his first two always just wanted to be the best the reservation there, and they have years, scoring his first collegiate goal hockey player I can be; being in the been some of my biggest fans against Army his sophomore year. best shape you can be helps. This part throughout my hockey career. My Last season, however, Gandara's of the game is something that can cousin has driven out to Air Force to improvements earned him a larger role. definitely help you on the ice.” come watch me.” Playing all 36 games, he tallied a career Head Coach Gary Wright has taken While his tribe loves his successes best six goals and seven assists. notice of Gandara's weight room on the ice, it was his mother's side of See GANDARA, Page 4 Teammates By Don Moorhouse unanswered questions about life during The endless line of glowing red lights In October of 2001 , Red Sox legends our four year stint with the AIC Yellow on the Parkway told me that this Dom DiMaggio and Johnny Pesky Jackets. We have shared exponentially wouldn’t be an easy trip. It was Saturday jumped in a car in Massachusetts and more since leaving that team. on a holiday weekend. But I knew Matt drove to Florida to visit a dying Ted There have been weddings, funerals, would appreciate it. I thought at the least Williams. christenings, a trip to Nassau County I would be honored as the guest who Why would two octogenarians grind Coliseum for a Springsteen concert, and traveled the longest route to honor a out a 1 ,300 mile road trip to visit the one-on-one visits to ponder those still friend. “greatest hitter of all time?” unanswered questions. Not even close. Because they were teammates. This most recent trip started at Bill Teggart was there from Ontario. The fascinating story is captured by Quinnipiac where I was doing a radio Barry Smith came from Florida. Tony writer David Halberstam in the book The broadcast for UMass hockey. It was a 4 Sericolo, now a respected NHL Teammates, and it’s a story that is p.m. game, over at 6:30 p.m. and I was linesman, came over from working the relatable to anyone who has shared bus on the road by 7. See TEAMMATES, Page 5 rides and locker stalls, wins and losses, Coach's Corner and their love of the game, with a By Gary Wright teammate. We had a slow start to our season, which began with five challenging non- We are lucky here. As members of conference games, all losses, before getting into our conference schedule. We are the AIC Alumni Hockey group, we generally ambitious about playing the national powers in college hockey, and our haven’t had to say goodbye to a hope and belief is that those games will make us more battle-tested for the rigors of teammate. Atlantic Hockey. To a certain extent it already has. We recently went through a 3-0- This group, conceived by Matt 1 conference streak, which has invigorated our season. The key is to push hard to Schimenti and buoyed by support from foster a strong playoff surge. guys like Bill Teggart, Bryon Lewis, and Our team has a number of home games during the second semester, which Frank Zanetti, has been growing since includes a contest with 8th-ranked UMass Lowell at the Olympia. The AIC-UMass its inception in 2008. We have had Amherst game (Tue. Feb 9) at the MassMutual Center is certainly one of our alumni games at The Olympia, a battle scheduling highlights. We anticipate a big crowd and it should be a great event for at West Point against former Cadets, both schools and for Western Mass hockey in general. The fact that the game will and a trip to the Outdoor Game at be held right down State Street from our campus is exciting. We hope that many of Rentschler Field in Connecticut. you will make an effort to get out and support our team. Over the past few seasons There are other interactions beyond we have had friends and alumni watch us on the road as well. the annual gathering, chance Interestingly, Mike Babcock, the former Detroit Red Wings coach and current encounters in youth hockey rinks, coach of the Toronto Maple Leafs, wrote a book titled Leave No Doubt. It’s mostly planned get-togethers for stories and about his experiences coaching the Canadian Olympic team to a gold medal in drinks, and most recently a surprise Vancouver. In the book, he talks about deciding to replace Martin Brodeur in net birthday party for Matt Schimenti over with Roberto Luongo after the loss to the US. Babcock met with Brodeur and told Thanksgiving weekend. The event was him he would be replacing him in net. His response was “Yup.” As difficult as it held at a restaurant in New York City’s was, Brodeur, one of the most decorated goalies in NHL history, took it like a pro. meatpacking district. For the rest of the Olympics, he was supportive and positive. “Talk about leaving On a Saturday night. In New York your ego at the door” is how Babcock summed up the situation. City. On a holiday weekend. In 1 989, I had a similar predicament with one of our AIC goalies, although on a Again, this story is relatable to anyone smaller stage. Mark Buckley and Bryon Lewis had rotated in net, practically who has shared a locker, a seat on the throughout the season. Both of them had given us great goaltending on a team that bus, a post-game box lunch. was 24-7. At the end of the regular season, the decision was made to break the We were teammates. rotation and go with Mark in the playoffs. I planned to meet with Bryon and deliver Matt and I spent countless hours on what undoubtedly would be disappointing news to him. I wasn’t looking forward to the bus, too many minutes on the our meeting. When I told Bryon our plans, he reacted pretty much the way Brodeur bench, and a hockey bag full of did, with courage and class. Bryon, too, left his ego at the door. 2 X's & O's Section Breakouts A: As a starting point this is a basic D to D By Asst. Coach Stephen Wiedler breakout setup. Quick puck movement is This season we’re employing a new essential in beating the opposing team’s breakout variation used by the Boston forecheck. When not executing a strong-side Bruins and others. It’s a commitment to quick up, we commit to a single D to D pass in breaking out on one side of the ice and an attempt to neutralize the opposition’s overwhelming that side with support, forecheck. especially high percentage short support options. In this breakout, quick B: Here are the support options our LD has to puck movement is essential in trapping advance the puck after receiving the pass. By the opposing forwards deep in our zone flooding the now strong side of the ice, the as we transition to offense. The term puck carrier is encased in support options. flooding refers to our weak-side wing Each option has another layer of support to often coming across the ice and rapidly advance the puck, giving us a greater supporting the puck carrier, rather than chance of exiting our d-zone with possession. staying wide. Having all these options is important, C: After passing to the LD, the RD jumps into a but the breakout can get bottled up at support or defensive net front position, and can times. This is where our strength in join the rush. The C swings low to support the numbers comes into play. Should a LD. The LW posts up low as a board-side short pass be bobbled, or a turnover occur, support option. The RW floods to the strong side we are able to immediately outnumber of the ice as the high support option. the opposition around the puck, giving us a greater chance at regaining and advancing the puck.

Wright Of Passage: A Graduate former GAs coaching at the collegiate Joe Exter, now an assistant at Big Ten Assistant's Journey To College level, including seven at the Division I Ohio State, served under Wright during Coaching ranks, along with Jeff Matthews, the his first year of college coaching By John Hanna head women’s coach at nearby Amherst experience in 2005-06. A New England College. Before his time on the bench at native, Exter began his fifth season on With 32 years of head coaching Amherst, Matthews compiled a .730 win the bench for the Buckeyes this past fall, experience at American International percentage as a prep school boys coach but will always remember where he got College and over 40 years of top level as well as spending a few years at his start in the collegiate ranks. hockey involvement, Gary Wright has a Division I foe RPI, but he got his start "My experience at AIC provided me vast array of knowledge which he has under Wright at AIC. with the opportunity to learn the passed on to many assistants “Coach Wright is extremely thorough essentials of what it will take to coach throughout the years. in bringing in young men of the highest and recruit at the Division I level. I was The NCAA allows two full-time character, which made for an given responsibilities in all areas of assistants, and AIC uses a Graduate outstanding experience for me all coaching which helped prepare me for Assistant to fill the second position. around,” mentioned Matthews. “I am my future coaching positions” Since the installment of the position, the forever grateful for the opportunity commented Exter. program has seen many young talented granted to me and will always look back Wright has also had the privilege to individuals fill that role and move on to fondly of my time spent with him and the mold a few of his former players into successful college coaching careers. Yellow Jackets.” collegiate coaches as both Eric Lang “Our objective is to hire guys who Matthews’ team is currently one of (’98) and Mike Field (’08) are currently really want to coach, as they’ll be more only two remaining unbeaten teams in serving as lead assistants at the motivated to work hard,” said Wright. the Women’s Division III ranks, at 8-0-2 See COACHING, Page 5 There are currently eight of Wright’s and ranked fifth in the nation. 3 Fit To Play: The Wally Barlow GANDARA (cont'd from Page 1 ) Fitness Award are consequences, from extra lifts to The work ethic ingrained in him was By Seth Dussault being scratched from the lineup. again a big part of that success. It hangs in the locker room, the first As Coach Towns puts it, "the fitness “I think it was just being persistent thing visible upon entry every time a test helps display deficiencies in our and working hard to become a better player walks through the door. It is a players, and allows us to focus on those player,” Gandara said, adding that simple, unassuming plaque, but one that areas of weakness to improve and “Obviously the more experience you get carries much significance to AIC hockey: develop our athletes." playing helps you develop.” the Wally Barlow Fitness Award. But the coaches prefer success. Most “David’s game has been on the rise Given to the three players on the of the players pass, and it is a point of since arriving at AIC, and he has team who rank at the top of the annual pride to be at the top of the list and have emerged as an important player in our fitness test, the award is a credit to the your name etched onto the award. line-up,” noted Coach Wright. “He players who put in the work required to Nineteen players have won the award possesses cheetah-like speed and he’s be in the kind of shape that elite hockey more than once; 1 2 players in program a high energy player. His battle level players need to be in to compete at their history have earned the award three has improved significantly, which has best, during the summer months, when times, with Guillaume Caron '04 and made him a more productive player. We no coach is watching. Todd O'Neill '05 taking the award in all are looking to him to score some big “The fitness testing is an important four of their seasons. goals down the stretch.” aspect of the program. It sets the tone Not accidentally, there is a correlation Gandara returned credit to the early in the season and shows who has between winning this award and coaches. “Coach Wright and Towns prepared and who hasn't," said assistant leadership; former captains Jereme have helped me work on my game and I coach Mike Towns. Tendler '08 and Chris Campanale '1 2 have tried to really work on those areas The award is named after former AIC are both multi-time winners, and current that they felt needed to improve,” he athletic trainer Wally Barlow, who captain Chris Porter was one of the said. wrestled for Great Britain at the 1 936 three winners this season. His improvement was also noticed by Olympics and served as the athletic Nothing matters more than winning his teammates, who voted him one of trainer for the Springfield Indians before games—and the players all know that the team's captains this season, another AIC, which included two years as the success in the weight room is the first honor he credits to elbow grease. team's head coach. step to that goal. Porter summed it up: “I have tried to take the same The test is centered around “With the way the game is trending approach as I always have,” he said of measuring key components of strength now, more and more has to be done in wearing an 'A', “just work hard and try in both the lower and upper body, as the off season to be ready for the puck and get the most out of my teammates well as agility and endurance, all critical drop,” he said. and myself." attributes for hockey players. Bench presses, pull-ups, and planks measure upper body strength, squats and vertical jumps show lower body strength, a 5-yard T test measure quickness and agility, and a 300-yard shuttle run and a mile run in under six minutes test endurance. The results are compiled to give an overall view of which of the team's athletes are the most physically fit. It is notable that some players—even leading scorers and top defenders—have failed the test. There

4 COACHING (cont'd from Page 3) longest tenured Division I coach in the had the opportunity to be a candidate for Division I level including an Associate country, Wright has a lot to offer fellow a full time position at other colleges. Head Coach title for Field. coaches, as shown over the years with However, by the time they leave AIC, Lang, now in his fourth season at who he produced and where they have our GAs have generally accrued as Army West Point, was a four-year letter coached. much coaching and recruiting winner under Wright and began his Other former assistants who have experience as most full time assistants coaching career at AIC as well as coached or are still coaching in college in the field” added Wright. serving as a head coach for both hockey include Trevor Large (Canisius), So, as current graduate assistant women’s and men’s hockey at the Glenn Stewart (UNH), Josh Liegl Mike Towns finishes his duties this Division III level before landing his job (Dartmouth women), Paul Cannata spring, it will be interesting to follow his with the Black Knights. (Northeastern), Rob Abel (Brown & journey throughout coaching, as well as “As a coach who has been in the Dartmouth), Matt Voity (UMass), Bobby seeing the next bright and talented industry for the past 1 0 years, I now Ferraris (Mercyhurst), Frank Genovese individual to come through the AIC realize the importance of all of the (New England College), Dave Guden graduate assistantship program. hockey and life lessons Coach Wright (MCLA) and Greg Klym (Mercyhurst & “In my opinion for a coach who is was instilling, both as one of his players Union). getting started in the profession there is and as his assistant” mentioned Lang. “It’s been especially enjoyable no better place to learn than AIC. It will “He held us accountable, taught us to following the coaching careers of many help you see if you have what it takes to never make excuses, and to always of our former grad assistants. We have survive the grind that coaching can be treat people the right way. He was had success in finding up and coming and I am forever grateful to AIC and always developing us, constantly individuals, who initially may not have Coach Wright,” concluded Exter. pushing us for more, and challenging us to think of better ways to do things, with character building being the most important part of the process.” Field, who went on to become a full- time assistant for Wright following his graduate assistantship, is currently in his first season as an Associate Head Coach at Arizona State, where they entered their first season as an NCAA sanctioned Division I program this fall. “I’ll forever be grateful that he took a chance on me both as a player and coach,” stated Field. “One of the Recently, former AIC graduate assistants Trevor Large (third in line) and Eric Lang (fifth in line) coached greatest advantages of working at AIC is together at Army West Point. that you get hands on experience with TEAMMATES (cont'd from Page 2) we have now, that there is a all aspects of a Division I program.” Rangers game at Madison Square responsibility to the guys around you Field, one of the most recent Garden. Joe Rotondo and Tom Fenton, both on and off the ice, and long after individuals to come through AIC's both now working for Matt, rounded out the buzzer sounds on the four-year graduate assistant program, remembers the contingent of AIC guys in the room. journey through challenge, adversity, the stressful days, but knows AIC gave I wonder if the recent and current and triumph? him an opportunity to become a Division members of AIC Hockey understand the I hope they do. I coach and it is safe to say his future is value of their experiences as members I hope that 30 years from now bright. of a team. Do they know that every win someone is driving a hundred miles or AIC is known throughout the hockey and every loss shared is building a bond so to New York City, on a Saturday, on a world for producing talented young that will pull them together 30 years holiday weekend to surprise a friend. coaches who are instilled with tools and from now? Because they were teammates. knowledge needed to succeed. As the Is there the same understanding that 5 AIC Hockey Trivia The above picture hangs in the AIC Hockey locker room as part of a collection of photographs depicting the history of AIC Hockey. To win an AIC hockey hoodie or t-shirt, be the first person to correctly answer the following trivia question: "Name both the player for AIC (left) and the person dropping the puck for this ceremonial faceoff." Answers can be sent to [email protected]. The winner will be contacted by e-mail.