2018-2019

(From the Stanstead College yearbook)

Bantam Boys

First, I would like to thank all the people who contributed to the success of this great season. We played 12 games. We won 9 and lost 3. This is our best record since I began coaching the Bantam Supersonic Spartans. and it is because of you, players, but also because of all the caring people that surround you. Here are some of them: Mr. Rioux, who made this season possible. Coach Varro, who brought so many positive things to the team, your parents, Mr. Angelitti, all the faculty and staff at the school who encourage and promote your athletic development. I cannot name everybody, since there are so many. However. you should be grateful to have the privilege to play and to participate in such a beautiful and supportive environment.

This season we had a good team spirit, we had fun and we all worked hard together. We had a great bunch of kids. We were not always consistent, no. How could we lose 1-7 against EagleBrook, and then beat the exact same team 7-1 one day later? We were not always all there. Remember that 2-7 loss against Galt, when we ended the game with 9 players on the bench? Overall, we had many games in which each and every player gave his best effort and commitment. I want to thank our rookies this season: Presley Langevin, William Towner and William Morson, Joseph Riddell, Fernando Ponce, Howard Gu. Boys, you gave a boost to our team.

I want to thank the older guys who came and supported the younger ones: Captain Mc Pokora. the pillar of the team. The prep team boys: Ho Lee. Moritz Schilling and David Blais. I want to thank our returning players. They all improved their game this season: Kevin Hu, Kevin Meng. Charles Goudreau. Logan Beasse and. of course, with 13 goals scored each, Denis Vittenberg and Dominic Pokora. This was an awesome season. Kids, thank you.

(From the Stanstead College website, October 16th)

Showing who we are

The Stanstead College Varsity Boys Hockey Spartans will take to the ice this weekend in Lake Placid, New York against the Northwood School Huskies.

The Stanstead College Varsity Boys Hockey Spartans will take to the ice this weekend in Lake Placid, New York against the Northwood School Huskies. These games at the Olympic Centre, which played host to the 1932 and 1980 Olympics, will mark the Spartans’ first games of the year. After a successful 2017-2018 season, many of last year’s players have moved on. Some of this year’s players are ready for bigger roles, while others have joined the family and are eager to hit the ice as a Spartan for the first time.

This is a special year in Stanstead College hockey as it marks the 125th year that hockey has been played here. You don’t achieve this type of longevity and success without strong commitment. As we have prepared for our opening weekend, a constant message has been that each and every member of the team must be committed to doing the little things shift in and shift out. With so many new Spartan faces, it will be important that we focus on playing the game the right way and trusting that this will lead to success throughout the season.

Many former Spartans from last year have already jumped out to quick starts with their new teams. Sean Larochelle and Fabio Iacobo are helping the Victoriaville Tigers through a rebuilding year, the Campbell brothers are playing in the BCHL for the Victoria Grizzlies, and having some great success. Alex leads the team in scoring and was recently added to the NHL watch list, and his brother Charlie continues to work his way onto the scoresheet as well. As we said often last year, don’t sleep on Charlie; when you do, the puck will end up in the back of the net. Joining the Campbell’s in the BCHL is Samuel Feldman who is playing for the Surrey Eagles.

Moving east to Ontario, two of last year’s leaders on the blue line are playing in the OJHL. Former captain Trevor Grasby is patrolling the blue line for the Aurora Tigers, and Chris Dedayan is crafting his trade with the Kingston Vees. As we continue east into our own province, both Shon Olivier Roy and Dakota Albino are playing in the Jr AAA loop, Dakota for Lac St. Louis and Shon for College Français.

Two Spartans from last year’s team headed south to the USA: Karen Davtyan is playing in the EHL for the Walpole Express and Olivier Faucher is playing in the USPHL Premier League for the DME Hockey Academy. Finally, two players headed back home to play: Jesse Salo returned to Finland is playing for the Blue U20 Jr. A team, and Keiran Gallant is playing and putting up big numbers for the Kensington Wild in the NB/PEI Midget AAA league.

Without a doubt this is a lot of turnover, but the show, and the tradition must go on. This year’s team will be captained by Richard Hall (Shelburne, Vermont). The assistant captains will be Andrew Amousse, Brendan McCarthy and Gregory Lapointe.

A special shout-out to David Jankowski (2015, St. Lawrence University) and Erkka Vanska (2015, Sacred Heart University) who will both start their NCAA Division One careers this weekend.

Please be sure to check back for more stories throughout the course of the season. As a rule, few names will be mentioned, but it is my hope that you will get a good sense of what is going on week in and week out with the Spartans as well as continue to give updates on more of our alums.

(From the Stanstead College website, November 7th)

Who's who on Varsity Boys Hockey Spartans

As the Varsity Boys Hockey Spartans head to their first MPHL weekend in Burlington, Vt., it’s time to look at who’s on the team.

The makeup of the 2018-2019 roster is much as in years past: half of the old team is gone and a new half has arrived. Although we have moved on some incredible talent to juniors, our new recruits and players who have moved up from our U16 team combined ought to make us very competitive again this year. The group includes an interesting mix of speed, size and skill. Time will tell, but this year’s edition ought to be a dynamic and fun team to watch.

Returning players

Senior Thomas Scarfone is back in goal for his second and final season as a Spartan. He put up exceptional numbers last year and is poised for another big year ahead.

Up front, we return a core of senior forwards who will all take on a big leadership role. Greg Lapointe will be a huge piece of our offence, while Andrew Amousse and Brendan McCarthy will bring two-way play and much needed maturity to our group. Other returning forwards include sophomore Cole Huckins, who is destined for a breakout season. Cole possesses all the tools and will definitely be attracting attention from the hockey world. Lastly, Matthew Johnson enters his junior year benefitting from a full year of experience under his belt.

At the back, the team returns senior captain Richard Hall, who brings steady play and a respected voice. He is joined by Samuel Willits, who also benefits from a year of experience entering his senior season. Sam is a steady defender and also ready for a big year ahead.

New Recruits

In goal, the team welcomes William McEvoy from the Rockland Nationals U18 program.

On defense, newcomers include Isack Bandu from the Grenadier de Chateauguay Midget AAA team, as well as Michael Deforel from Luins, Swizerland, and Xavier Jean-Louis from College Jean Eudes.

Rounding off our back end, we have three former U16 team players who have moved up after a few years at Stanstead: BJ Roy, Todd Northgrave and Bodie Nobes.

Our new forwards include: Devon Devries from the Grenadiers de Chateauguay Midget AAA team, Alex Lindroos from Espoo, Finland and Conner Ehmann from Eagle River Alaska. In addition, Blake Chasse from the Halifax McDonald’s, as well as Sean Chisholm from the Hamilton Bulldogs. Rounding off our forward group, we have three Spartans who have moved up from our U16 program, having benefitted from a few years at Stanstead as well: Jeremie Gagnon, Hugo Lecavalier and Caleb Goudreau.

Our Spartans continue to be coached by Dan Poliziani and Matthew Thompson. Both are respected men of experience and bring great commitment and passion each and every day.

(From the Stanstead College website, December 10th)

VB Hockey capture Rider cup in Albany

For the third year in a row, the Spartans are travelling back up Interstate 91 with hardware in hand.

The last two years, the Spartans captured the William W. Barber Tournament hosted by St. Mark’s and Middlesex School, both located in Massachusetts. This year, a little change of scenery brought the team to Albany, New York, to play in the Rider Cup at Albany Academy.

The 8-team bracketed tournament saw the Spartans play against three solid opponents, two of which are well known.

In the quarter-final game we defeated Wyoming Seminary by a score of 4-1, which set up the third meeting in three weeks against Highway 143 rivals, Bishop’s College School Bears. The Bears jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, but over time the Spartans composed themselves and turned the events in their favour with a 4-2 victory.

The final game was a face off against Ridley College. Likely the hardest working team we have played this year, Ridley came out with the same game plan that resulted in them beating us last weekend in St. Catharines. We were down 1-0 early but once again did not fold. Halfway through the game we scored to make it 1-1, and by the final whistle we had a 4-1 win, and the Rider Cup to skate off the ice with.

Winning is difficult. Any weekend where you have to play three games and win them all is difficult. For the third straight year we have secured a New England holiday tournament win, a feat probably unmatched by any other team.

As I write this, shortly after our bus viewing of the movie Elf, it is obvious that the Christmas season is upon us. On Monday, we will have our Skate With The Spartans event from 6 to 6:50 pm at the Pat Burns Arena. It would be great to see as many members of the Stanstead community join the Spartan hockey players for a skate and some treats.

The varsity boys will finish off the 2018 portion of their schedule this coming Friday and Saturday against Seacoast Prep, and for the first time in history, Thayer Academy, coached by former NHLer Tony Amonte, will come north of the border to take on the Spartans. Game times are:

Friday 5:00 pm

Stanstead vs Seacoast

Friday 7:00 pm

Thayer vs Bishop’s College

Saturday 2:30 pm

Stanstead vs Thayer

Let’s fill up the Pat Burns Arena this weekend.

(From the Stanstead College website, December 21st)

It's beginning to look at lot like Christmas for VB Hockey

As the proud dad of a 2-year-old, it is safe to say that the Christmas season is alive and well in our home. My wife and I are constantly reminding Gabriel that he needs to be a good boy and to be honest, threatening him that if he is not good, Santa won’t bring him presents. Parenting 101 if you ask me :)

The simple question now is why and how does this relate to hockey?

Your first thought may be that dealing with a 2-year-old or a bunch of teenagers really isn’t that different, or that our kids also don’t want their presents to be taken away, but really it’s another parallel.

Much like Gabriel is feeling the anticipation of Christmas, with classes and exams for some behind us, it is natural for teenagers to shift their focus and anticipate going home, the holidays and the magic of the Christmas season. It is natural to loosen up and be done with the demands and responsibilities of a student-athlete.

With that in mind we headed down to Exeter, New Hampshire to play Phillips Exeter Academy, the second-oldest boarding school in the United States of America. We came away with a 4-4 tie against a very good opponent. We had some teenage brain cramps, and for 10 minutes in the second period it seemed like our heads had drifted into what was going to be under the tree, instead of who was in the slot or where is my lock? And in hockey, 10 minutes of daydreaming usually means by the final buzzer it’s going to feel like a Christmas morning of coal, and no one wants that. With under a minute left in the third, we tied the game up – call it a Christmas present to take our last trip home without that losing taste in our mouths.

We enter the break with a 21-4-2 record. We have played games in Quebec, Ontario, Vermont, New York, New Hampshire, and Minnesota. We have played in front of many scouts, passionate fans, family members and loyal supporters at home at the Pat Burns Arena.

The Christmas season will give 23 players a break, a time to relax, and some time for Christmas joy, some time to recharge the batteries, for both the second half of the hockey season and all the academic challenges that await us.

Merry Christmas to all who we have come into contact with throughout our travels.

(From the Stanstead College website, January 23rd)

Athlete of the week: Dominic Pokora

Dominic Pokora is unanimously regarded as one of the top players in the league. Dominant at both ends of the rink, he was the hardest working defender last week in a 7-1 loss at Eaglebrook, and then recorded 5 goals and 2 assists in a 7-1 victory. However, he is a co-recipient of this week’s Athlete Of The Week because of his commitment to improving. Never satisfied, Dominic refuses to rest on his laurels and is consistently the hardest worker on every shift and in every practice. Dedicated, passionate and not afraid to have fun, congratulations to Dominic for this well-deserved award!

(From the Clarion, February edition)

Varsity Boys look ahead to playoffs

After winning two games against Rice Memorial and Rothesay Netherwood School, 3-0 and 8-3 respectively, the Stanstead College Varsity Boys hockey team suffered a devastating loss to Bishop’s College School. The loss clinched a thirdplace finish in the MPHL and a chance at redemption against our rivals later on in the playoffs. The boys will head into the break with a final game against Vermont Academy before competing in their league playoffs upon their return. Despite past regular season success, Stanstead College has never earned the title of League Champions in the MPHL. The boys will be looking to change that come February 15th. Go Spartans!

(From the Clarion, March edition)

A look back and a look ahead

T he Stanstead College Varsity boys ice hockey team will have a change in their program starting next fall. Before moving, on we look back to their last weekend in the MPHL.

March 15th - 17th in Buffalo, New York was the playoff weekend in the Midwest Prep hockey League, also known as the MPHL. The Stanstead College Spartans headed out to Buffalo with success in their minds. This would be the last MPHL appearance for the Spartans as they leave the MPHL for new challenges following the next fall. The atmosphere was intense, and the stakes were high, but the Spartans kept themselves together and managed to put up a good challenge for every team they played.

The Spartans had a couple of absences that infected their roster but the intensity that the Spartans played throughout the whole playoff weekend was something players on the team hadn’t experience before. After winning Rice Memorial High, by a score of 4-1, the Spartans turned their looks towards the semi-final matchup. The semi-final game against Lake Forest Academy, a team who the Spartans had lost to twice out of two games played, got delayed by an hour and the team decided that they did not wait a full hour extra to lose in a game that important. Just like any other game, Stanstead College had its ups and downs but by being supportive and helping each other out, the Spartans managed to defeat a team they’ve been struggling against all year long. The Spartans finished second in the league.

The Varsity boys ice hockey will face new challenges including new opponents beginning next fall with new people with new talents and qualities they will bring to the team, it will be interesting to see how the Spartans will prepare for upcoming challenges.

A tough uphill fight

Stanstead College hosted the 2019 Graham Neil Provincial Hockey Tournament over the weekend of Feb. 23 and 24. The tournament brings 10 hockey programs from around Quebec together annually to compete for the championship.

This year, the host team Spartans were set to contend and put together a deep run in the elimination rounds. First came the qualifying matches on Thursday, headlined by meeting with Loyola High school who have yet to lose against the Prep Boys.

In the first period, Stanstead came flying out of the gates putting up three goals, including a buzzer beater from Martin Lefebvre with 1 second left on the clock. This set the tone for the second period, heading into the final half with a favorable lead. The Spartans iced the game as Félix Filiatrault scored, and the game finished 4- 0, kicking off their home tournament with a win. Friday Morning brought an early matchup against Regina Assumpta College in the second preliminary game.

The game began much like their performance from the night before; goals came early and often as Andrew Bouchard scored a big goal nine minutes into the period. In the second, the Spartans put up three more, however at the cost of surrendering their first goal against of the tournament, winning 5-1.

As the day went on, the hype grew tremendously and seats in the Pat Burns Arena began to fill around 9 o’clock. The storied competition between Stanstead College and Bishop’s College was set to add another chapter to the oldest rivalry in their histories. BCS was ready to upset Stanstead in front of a crowd filled with their student and faculty body, as they scored twice to silence the building heading into the second period with a seemingly insurmountable lead.

The Spartans were down, but not out, piling hits on the Bears and winning puck battles, they rallied from the 2-0 deficit as Rihito Hamano and Zachary Stephens both scored huge goals to bring the game back to a 2-2 tie. The momentum shifted as the crowd finally had something to cheer about, and with 2 minutes remaining Thierry Bernier scored to win the game 3-2 for Stanstead, giving the College a quarter finals matchup against Heritage High.

Presented with great opportunity, the Prep boys made light work of the eighth seed team and won 2-1, propelling them into the semi-final matchup facing Selwyn House, a team yet to be defeated by the Spartans this season. Fatigued and beaten up from the previous game, the team faced unfavorable conditions, as the game began. Near the end of the 1st period, goals came from Marc-Antoine Ducharme and Olivier Daniel, putting Stanstead in a position to defend their lead.

However, Selwyn house had proved difficult to defend and put up 3 unanswered goals, including the game winner with 15 seconds remaining, to send them to the finals. This put an end to the wounded Spartans’ hopeful championship run, as Selwyn House went on to lose in the finals to none other than Loyola, the first team defeated 4-0 by the Stanstead College in the tournament.

The Graham Neil tournament championship proved a marathon, not a sprint, as the trophy was handed to Loyola, and the home team Spartans fell short of sweet victory.

(From the Stanstead College website, June 10th)

Two Spartans drafted to QMJHL

Two varsity hockey Spartans were among those drafted by the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) this past Saturday, including the school’s first-ever first-round pick.

Cole Huckins, a Grade 10 student from Fredericton, NB, was picked up in the first round and 16th overall by the Acadie-Bathurst Titans of New Brunswick. Bodie Nobes, Grade 10 from St-Thérèse, Que, went in Round 4, 66th overall to the Cape Breton Screaming Eagles in Nova Scotia.

Cole and Bodie are both finishing their second year at Stanstead College and were important contributors to the Varsity Boys Hockey Spartans’ success this past season.

Coaches Dan Poliziani and Matthew Thompson as well as Director of Hockey Operations James Rioux were on hand at the QMJHL draft in Quebec City to support the student-athletes.

"Cole is a dynamic forward with exceptional skill, size and a strong physical aspect to his game,” said Mr. Rioux. “He has played the past two seasons in our program and we are thrilled with his progress and level of achievement.”

Mr. Rioux said that being a first-round pick was an honour and significant accomplishment.

“More importantly, Cole is a well-rounded young man with much athletic ability,” he said. “As the former Male Junior Athlete of the Year in 2018, Cole has blossomed into a dominant varsity hockey player, but he also loves playing rugby. He's fully involved in life at Stanstead College and clearly has a solid future ahead of him no matter what option he chooses."

Cole’s father, Phil Huckins, is a Stanstead College alumnus (1981), originally from Ogden, and himself a former Spartans hockey captain and senior male athlete of the year.

Mr. Rioux called Bodie Nobes an exceptional skater with much agility and mobility.

“Bodie has a natural offensive side to his game with outstanding potential,” he said. “He played his Grade 9 year on our Prep U16 team before becoming a regular varsity player this past season. Being a fourth-round pick is also an honour, but many would agree that Bodie is as talented as other defenseman taken earlier in the draft.”

Besides playing hockey and lacrosse in the spring, Bodie took on a major role in Stanstead College’s annual play this past spring. He also helps out with Border Minor Hockey, working with younger players on the ice whenever he can.

"Both Cole and Bodie are thrilled to have been drafted into the QMJHL,” said Mr. Rioux. “Throughout the year, they have also been exposed to NCAA options south of the border. As young student-athletes, it is wonderful that they have a number of doors open to them for their future. Our hockey staff here at Stanstead College is excited for these boys and the opportunities that lie ahead for them."

(From the Clarion, December edition)

Varsity Boys bring home Rider Cup

For the third year in a row, the VB Spartans hockey team travelled south to participate in a competitive tournament with multiple skilled hockey teams.

The past two years, the Spartans have played in Massachusetts at tournaments held by St. Mark’s and Middlesex school. This year was different, as we travelled a good five hours to Albany, New York, where we played three games. There were eight different teams in this tournament ranging from St. Catharines, Ontario to Kingston, Pennsylvania.

Our first game, we matched up against an older Wyoming Seminary, a good, hard working team that gave us some trouble. We managed to come together as a team and beat them by a score of 4-1. Since we beat Wyoming Seminary, we were matched up in the semi-finals with a familiar team that we have seen plenty of times in the past. We had to play our rivals, Bishop’s College School Bears. The first period, the Bears came out flying and the Spartans came out slow. BCS jumped ahead to 2-0 start which gave us something to overcome. The team rallied together in the second period and came back from the 2-0 deficit, winning the game 4- 2. This secured our spot in the championship game against another team that we were familiar with.

The championship game was played against Ridley College, a team that had beaten us previously. Ridley is a hardworking and skilled team where all their players were a threat when they are on the ice. Ridley beat us recently in our league weekend in St. Catharines, Ontario, so we figured out there playing style and what they are all about. Once again, we got off to a slow start and were down by a score of 1-0. We composed ourselves for the second time in a row and came back to win the game 4-1. The Rider Cup was ours.

Overcoming adversity in never an easy thing to do and we were faced with it in multiple different occasions. Through hard work and team work, we successfully got three wins and secured a championship banner and trophy for Stanstead College.

Coach Matt Thompson agrees, “Winning is difficult. Any weekend where you have to play three games and win them all is difficult. For the third straight year we have secured a New England holiday tournament win, a feat probably unmatched by any other team.”

Prep Hockey tops 150 year rivals

On Saturday, December 15th, the prep boy’s hockey team hosted BCS at the Pat Burns Arena. With an injured lineup, the prep hockey team suited up to play against a very formidable opponent. This BCS team had many players who played at the varsity level and was sizing up to be the most challenging team the young prep boys had played to date.

Stanstead College was founded in 1872, while BCS was founded in 1836. From the beginning, these two private schools have been sworn rivals. The meeting between these hockey teams was an important one as it is one of only two occasions these teams will confront each other this season.

From the start, the intensity was high. Hit after hit, blocked shot after blocked shot, both teams fought relentlessly to make their respective schools proud. In the end, only one team could prevail.

At the end of the game, as Mr. Rioux stated, “The team that worked the hardest, won.” The prep hockey team emerged victorious, winning by a score of 5-1. The goals were scored by Olivier Daniel (2), Jeremy Tremblay, Marc-Antoine Ducharme and Rihito Hamano. Going into the Christmas break, this victory over Stanstead’s sworn rivals is a great way to conclude the prep team’s home campaign for the 2018 year.