CAM PERITZ TO WESLEYAN....A++

Cam Peritz in Action

Pope Francis, Jan. 15, 2017

Photo by Alfredo

Cam Peritz should get an A++ for his college hockey opportunity and decision. The Pope Francis High Hockey star started as an 8th grader at Cathedral and made his presence known right away by scoring some goals in key games. He currently is ranked 2nd in scoring in Mass Division I High School Hockey with 39 points in 20 games as he has led Pope Francis to a 15-4-1 record and a very probable Super 8 selection. He is also a leading candidate as Western Mass Player of the Year.

So why do I consider his college opportunity / decision A++ ?  With his credentials I am sure he would have had Division I college opportunities, something that most high school hockey players dream of. This would also, most probably, have included one or two years of Junior play. On a personal level Junior play is something that I never fully bought into since with all other sports athletes have an opportunity to play directly in college right out of high school. Oh, I understand Junior play and the reasons why, and the excuses they give which I don't fully buy into. What colleges get are essentially semi-pro players who end up playing college hockey at 24 or 25 years old!

Enough of that, let's look at Cam's decision. First and foremost, let's first look at education. Wesleyan University, part of the New England Small College Athletic Conference (NESCAC) offers some of the best education in the country. The fact that they are "smaller" schools with relatively lower enrollment is even better since the education is more personal and more effective. People in Western Mass are very familiar with Amherst College and what a great school that is. They are also a member of NESCAC. Cam is an excellent student and he will fit well at Wesleyan. 

To play directly out of high school, WOW!  What an opportunity !  I love it for all the reasons I gave above. I say, why not?

I have watched and followed Cam play since he was an 8th grader at Cathedral. When I first heard about his decision to go to Wesleyan, I was absolutely thrilled for him. My thoughts were, and still are, that this is EVEN BETTER than any DI opportunity that he may have had. Having watched and photographed many NESCAC games while in Amherst, I know that it is a very good and competitive brand of hockey. It is also great that being in Middletown, CT that family and friends can see him play.

My personal rating of Cam's decision and opportunity, for what it is worth,  is A++ .

Alfredo DiLascia
Image News Service

THE BEAR IS LOOSE IN BOSTON !

The word "Bruin" is a Dutch word for brown, but it is also associated with a folk term for brown bears. Anyway, the Bear (Boston Bruins Hockey) is loose in Boston!

East Longmeadow's Frank Vatrano

2 Goals, 2 Assists in Last 2 Games !

New interim Coach, Bruce Cassidy, has the Bruins Hockey Team on a roll with 3 wins in a row over San Jose, Vancouver, and Montreal. More that he has brought some excitement to the Bruin's game and has unleashed their offense. Former Coach, Claude Julien, is a good and well respected coach, who placed more emphasis on the defense. Cassidy is willing to take some risk with defense while applying more of an onslaught on the offensive side. To be honest, they are now much more exciting to watch, I love it!  It should be noted that the first 2 goals of the game by the Bruins in their 4-0 win last night over the first place Montreal Canadiens were scored by defensive players Adam McQuaid, and Zdeno Chara.

Cassidy also seems willing  to give his younger players more of a role in Bruins play and that will certainly pay off. He is very familiar with the play of David Pastrnak and Frank Vatrano who he coached with the Providence Bruins. Pastrnak is only 20 years old and already has 25 goals and 23 assists this season in 51 games. Vatrano returning from a pre-season injury has 8 goals and 5 assists in 24 games, but he has scored 2 goals with 2 assists in the last 2 games under Cassidy.

The Bruins Stanley Cup playoff chances look a little brighter as they sit in 3rd place in the Eastern Division Atlantic Conference with 64 points. They are tied in points with the 2nd place Ottawa Senators with 64, but the Senators have played less games.

Lot's of pride in Western Mass for the great play of East Longmeadow's Frank Vatrano! It looks like he will thrive under Bruce Cassidy's offensive minded coaching!

Go Frank Vatrano, Go Bruins !  

Alfredo DiLascia

Image News Service

Boston Bruins Fire Coach Claude Julien

Coach Claude Julien Fired by Bruins

A popular Coach with both players and fans, and just a good guy. After being fired today, there is little doubt that Coach Claude Julien will land on his feet and most likely will coach again in the NHL. But sometimes a change is good. The Bruins have been tottering on the edge of making the Stanley Cup Playoffs, and for the Bruins organization not making it 2 years in a row is unacceptable. After 55 games they have a 26-23-6 record with 58 points and momentarily they are out, but still have a chance. 

Watching them play recently they have tried hard and played aggressively, but they seem to need an injection of a renewed spirit, and a different coaching wrinkle.

Under Julien the Bruins made the playoffs in 7 of his 9 years and won the Stanley Cup in 2011...a pretty good record. But you could kind of sense by his body language that Bruins General Manager Don Sweeney was not all that comfortable with Julien as of late. He was in somewhat of a dilemma since Julien was popular, particularly with the players, and he did have a decent record. But you could sense he wanted a change. Many felt that him bringing up Providence Coach Bruce Cassidy as an Assistant Coach this year was a signal that he was getting ready to act.
  

Assigned as Interim Coach, Butch Cassidy, has a lot of coaching experience, having coached in the NHL with the Washington Capitals and most recently with the Providence Bruins in the AHL. This move could be very good for East Longmeadow's Frank Vatrano since Cassidy is very familiar with his play when he played, and starred, for Providence in the AHL. He recognizes Frank's ability to score and put up points and my guess is that he will play him differently where he will put him in a better position to do so. We shall see.

It should be an interesting and revealing end of season for the Boston Bruins Hockey Team.

Go Bruins !

Alfredo DiLascia
Image News Service

Frank Vatrano Scores Winning Goal for Boston Bruins !

Frank Vatrano

Celebrating Goal Last Night

Frank Vatrano scored what amounted to be the winning goal last night in the 4-3 Bruin's win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. This was the 3rd win in a row as the Boston Bruins battle for a playoff spot for the Stanley Cup. The win gives the Bruins 58 points for 3rd place in the Atlantic Division, 3 points ahead of the Toronto Maple Leafs who have 55. The 58 points also ties them in points with the 2nd place Ottawa Senators who have played less games.

 

Vatrano's Goal came with 7:37 left in the game and solidified the lead at 4-2 at that time. But the Lightning came back and scored so his goal proved to be the winning goal that the Bruins needed. In 19 games the East Longmeadow, MA native has 6 goals and 3 assists for 9 points.

 

Post game it was nice to hear the NESN announcer, Tom Caron, mention Vatrano's background at Cathedral High School, as well as UMass Amherst. Speaking of Cathedral, two former Cathedral Hockey stars will go at it at the Mass Mutual Center in Springfield tomorrow night as Holy Cross visits AIC for a game at 7:05 PM, a good chance to support local hockey and see Peter Crinella (Holy Cross) and Austin Orszulak (AIC) play.

 

Hope to see you at the game !

 

Alfredo DiLascia

Image News Service