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New York Apple Core
ALUMNI UPDATES |
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Apple Core Alumni Light Up Madison
Square Garden
New York, NY – In
Wednesday night’s Rangers/Penguins game at Madison Square Garden, Apple Core
alumni Rob Scuderi and Mark Eaton put on an impressive showing
in their return to New York. Defenseman Mark Eaton found the back of the net
off a great feed from Sidney Crosby. The goal was Eaton’s first of the
season. In the 2nd period, Rob Scuderi got-off a quick shot from
the point which was redirected in front by Jordan Staal. The assist was
Scuderi’s 5th on the season and 6th point overall. The
Rangers won the game 3-2 in a shoot-out, but thanks to the efforts of the
Apple Core alumni, Pittsburgh was able to pick up one point in the S.O.
loss.
Scuderi and Eaton were
teammates on Apple Core’s 1996 Junior B National Championship team. Scuderi
went on to play for Boston College while Eaton starred on the Notre Dame
blue line.
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RYAN VESCE
SIGNS WITH SAN
JOSE SHARKS

Apple Core
alum Ryan Vesce,
26, has signed
with the San
Jose Sharks of
the National
Hockey League.
Ryan joins
fellow Apple
Core alum
Douglas Murray
in San Jose and
becomes the
sixth Apple Core
player to sign
an NHL contract
(Murray, Vesce,
Mark Eaton, Rob
Scuderi, Eric
Nystrom, Mike
Brennan). He
spent the
2007-08 season
with HIFK
Helsinki of the
Finnish Elite
League where in
56 games he led
the team in
goals (26) and
points (44).
In 2005-06,
Vesce led the
Springfield
Falcons in
scoring with 67
points (18g,
49a) while
skating in all
80 games. He
appeared in the
2006 AHL
All-Star Classic
and tied for
fourth in the
league in rookie
scoring.
Vesce played the
2006-07 season
in Binghamton,
posting 51
points (16g,
35a) while again
appearing in all
80 games for the
Senators.
The 5-foot-8,
175-pound native
of Lloyd Harbor,
N.Y., played
collegiate
hockey at
Cornell
University from
2000-04, posting
128 points (46
goals, 82
assists) and 50
penalty minutes
in 101 games.
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APPLE CORE SENDS EVEN
DOZEN TO
UNIVERSITIES
AND COLLEGES
Long Beach, NY
The New York
Apple Core continued
it's long established
ability to place players
at top Universities and
Colleges by placing (12)
players from this past
year's Eastern Junior
Hockey League Jr A team.
"The Eastern Junior
Hockey League is by far
the hot-bed for College
recruiters on the East
Coast" stated Apple Core
GM Henry Lazar.
Apple Core has
sent over (120)
players to top schools
as student athletes
since 1994.
Topping this year's
group is Sean
Escobedo, a
'90
birth date who received
a FULL scholarship to
Boston
University.
Sean's goal was to play
in Hockey East and
compete in the Beanpot
Tournament. Sean will
arrive for the 2009-10
season. Past AC players
who played for Coach
Jack Parker
include
Kevin Schaeffer, Jacobs
Redlihs and Matt Gilroy.
Also headlining
this year's group is
Nick Chiavetta
('88) who will
attend Robert
Morris University,
a D 1 school in
Pennsylvania, his home
state. A trio of players
Greg Fosso
('88), Pete Kaliscik
('88) and Mike Kavanagh
('88) will
attend SUNY
Plattsburgh and
play for long time coach
Bob Emery.
Plattsburgh
reached the Div 3
Championship game this
past season. Also going
the SUNY
route are
Matt Davie
('88)
and Bryan Elfant,('87)
both of whom
will be playing for
SUNY Cortland.
Apple Core
defenseman Jesse
Lehman ('88)
will join ex-teammate
Billy Crinnion
at
Colby College. Greg "The Ghost"
Ciciolla ('87) and Joe
Pavone ('87) will play for Coach
Mark Taylor
at Hobart College.
Playing up in the Boston
area will be Reid Hlavka ('87)
U-Mass-Boston, and
Bobby Leiser
('87) will tend net for
Fitchburg State.
The Entire AC family
are proud of these fine
student/athletes as they
move up to the next
level.
Alum Mike
Brennan will be
skating in the
Chicago Blackhawks
organization
and many others are
signing with European
Pro teams. Alumni
Mark Eaton, Rob
Scuderi, Doug Murray and
Eric Nystrom
will continue their NHL
careers. "Apple Core
will continue to shine
on LI as the Premier
College Development
Organization" stated
team President
Bob Santini.
"We hope to place
another dozen players at
high levels from the
2008-9 team" added
Santini
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ESCOBEDO RECEIVES FULL
SCHOLARSHIP
TO ATTEND BOSTON
UNIVERSITY
Will suit-up for
Terriers in 2009/2010
Long Beach, NY – The
New York Apple Core is
proud to announce that
defenseman Sean
Escobedo has been
offered a full athletic
scholarship to play for
legendary coach Jack
Parker at Boston
University in 2009/2010.
This past season, Sean
tallied 30 points in 45
EJHL contests for Apple
Core and was drafted 3rd
Overall in the USHL
Draft by the Tri-City
Storm. Sean will be the
4th player in
Apple Core history to
suit-up for Coach
Parker’s Terriers.
“This is a dream come
true,” said Sean
Escobedo. “I want to
thank the Apple Core
coaches and staff for
all they have done to
help me achieve my
goal.”
Congrats Sean!!
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Photo's
From The
2007 Alumni Game
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Apple Core Alumni play side by side in the NHL for the
Penguins.
Apple Core
Junior alumni Rob Scuderi and Mark Eaton, Apple Core alumni have added
another first to the long list of accomplishments for Long Island's premier
Junior A team, the NY Apple Core. Never before had (2) Apple Core alumni
played side by side on the same NHL team, but the two defensemen are doing
just that for the upstart Penguins. The Penguins beat the Rangers 6-5 last
night with both Rob and Mark getting a lot of ice time. Their parents won't
be calling up the coaches to complain.
Mark played for
AC in '93-95, making the long 146 mile trip--each way to play top Junior
hockey. That dedication paid off with a full scholarship to Notre Dame and
then being signed by the Flyers as a free agent. Mark was a great player and
teammate at the 'Core. Rob played at the 'Core from '95-'97, was a member of
the Apple Core National Championship team of '96, and received a scholarship
to play at Boston College where he had a great 4 year career. " Mark and Rob
were dedicated, respected the process and were leaders on and off the ice"
stated Coach Henry Lazar, who picked up Mark at the Verazzano Bridge many
times. "Their parents never said a word and that was a key in their maturity
process. You knew they were going to make it" added Lazar. Go over to the
Coliseum when the Islanders play the Penguins. Apple Core is proud that they
were part of these two fine players lives.
APPLE CORE ALUM DUO
SHINE
IN PITTSBURGH
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Long Island long
shot |
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Robert Picarello |
NHL.com correspondent |
Mar 20, 2006, 1:50
PM EST |
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Rob Scuderi
always had visions of playing in the NHL, regardless of his
Long Island roots. |

While it's a
long, hard road for any young player to make it in the NHL, it can
be argued that the path was even tougher for
Rob Scuderi.
A 26-year-old
defenseman for the
Pittsburgh Penguins, Scuderi grew up in Syosset, N.Y., a stone's
throw away from the Nassau Coliseum. But living near the home of the
Islanders didn't make his path to the NHL any easier. Long Island
isn't a traditional player-producing region in the U.S., like
Minnesota, Michigan or New England. So, getting noticed by NHL
scouts was a little more difficult.
"Where I grew up,
Long Island really wasn't that much of a hockey hotbed, but the
Islanders were awesome and my dad would take me to games all the
time," Scuderi said. "I got involved in hockey from a young age and
was fortunate to have good coaches and just got better and better as
I got older."
He also ignored
the doubters who said he'd never make it to the NHL coming out of
Long Island.
"When I was
growing up, I didn't spend too much time thinking about it. I was
having too much fun playing hockey. In a place like Boston, every
team has a town and on Long Island I think there were three or four
youth hockey programs in the entire place, so it was tough to get
ice."
But whatever ice
time Scuderi had, he made the most of it. As a matter of fact, the
young defenseman developed his game so well that Boston College came
calling in 1997. In his freshman season with the Eagles, Scuderi
scored 24 points in 42 games, prompting the Penguins to select the
19-year-old in the fifth round (134th overall) of the 1998 Entry
Draft.
In the three
years after being drafted, Scuderi did his college and NHL team
proud. He not only finished his collegiate career as the all-time
school leader in games played (168), Scuderi went out on top by
leading the Eagles to the 2001 NCAA championship and by being named
to the NCAA Championship All-Tournament team. Scuderi then took his
game to the AHL's Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. There, he honed
his skills on the blue line for two and a half seasons before
getting the call to the NHL.
On Feb. 12, 2004,
Scuderi found out he was going to be making his NHL debut against
the Panthers in Florida after Pittsburgh defender Martin Strbak hurt
his foot blocking a shot.
"Obviously it was
a dream come true," the 6-foot, 218-pounder said. "It's something
that every kid dreams about who laces the skates up at five or six
years old. I was just really happy to be there."
In all, Scuderi
played in 13 games in the 2003-004 season, notching a goal and two
assists. Even though he was only with the team for a cup of coffee
that first year, Scuderi claims he learned a lot.
"When you get to
this level right away you notice the speed, skill and size of the
players," he said. "Everyone's a little bit bigger and certainly
everyone's a lot smarter."
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Scuderi is
one of several young promising defensemen on the Penguins'
blue line. |
But the size and
smarts of the players didn't intimidate him one bit.
"I think that's
the biggest difference and adjustment everyone has to make.
Honestly, things like the improved speed and skill happens in every
transition -- when I went from junior hockey to college hockey and
then from college to pro. You find out that the speed, size and
talent is unbelievable."
Scuderi also
found out that, unlike the other levels of hockey, there was no room
for error on the backline in the NHL.
"I think it takes
some time and some seasoning in the minors, or what have you, to get
used to reading plays over and over and over again to know how to do
the right thing. You pick up on what is the safe play or the right
play. If the forwards make a mistake, the truth is they still have
two defensemen and maybe another forward and a goalie back there.
Most times they're probably going to have at least three guys back
there, whereas a young defenseman trying to break in, if they make a
mistake in the NHL, with the talent these guys have it's either a
goal or a scoring chance from what I've seen."
This season more
than ever Scuderi has had the chance to learn on the fly with the
big club, practicing against talented scorers like
John LeClair,
Sidney Crosby, and before they retired,
Mario Lemieux and Ziggy Palffy.
"Practicing
against them certainly will make you better that's for sure. You're
playing against all-stars and Hall of Famers, so it's certainly
going to make your game so much better. It almost makes the games a
little easier to play sometimes when you're constantly going up
against that caliber of play everyday in practice."
He also has
picked up a thing or two from the veteran defensemen on the team.
"I'm kind of a
quiet guy. I like to observe guys and how they play. We have older
guys here like
Lyle Odelein and you just kind of get a feel for what they do.
They've been here longer and I just kind of quietly observe those
guys and see what they do in certain situations and I know I'll pick
it up fast. I'm still learning and I have no doubt that in a matter
of time I'll be able to stick as a top six guy in this league."
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APPLE CORE ALUM-
MARK EATON:
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Pens' Eaton: Small profile, big presence |
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Shawn P. Roarke |
NHL.com Senior Writer |
Oct 10, 2006, 10:03
AM EDT |
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Penguins'
defenseman
Mark Eaton, a
free-agent acquisition from Nashville, is quite content with
not being the center of attention on his team. |
Usually, new
players to a team want to make an immediate impact. Not so for
Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman
Mark Eaton.
The 29-year-old
free agent will be happy if nobody in hockey-mad Pittsburgh knows
him after last Thursday's riveting season-opening show that included
player announcements. Eaton doesn't want the media surrounding his
stall in the dressing room after games and he doesn't want to be the
subject of sports talk radio hosts on the city's two all-sports talk
radio stations.
"The less press
the better, that's the way I like it," Eaton said.
Don't think that
Eaton is anti-social. He is among the most gregarious of the
Penguins, happy to talk to anyone that passes by his stall. Rather,
his aversion to the headlines comes from past schooling.
"I had a
coach that told me if he didn't notice me out there, I was playing
well and doing things right," he says. "That's my motto, my
philosophy for myself -- just fly under the radar."
So far, he has
followed his game plan to a tee. He had a solid pre-season and was
brilliant in the Penguins' home opener. He played nearly 20 minutes,
killed more than seven minutes of penalties, blocked a pair of shots
and finished even for the game, an emotional 4-0 win against the
rival Flyers.
Penguins goalie
Marc-Andre Fleury earned the shutout opening night, turning
aside 40 shots. Afterward, he talked about Eaton's play in front of
him, but he was certainly in the minority calling attention to Eaton
on this night.
"He did great,"
Fleury said, shaking his head in wonder for emphasis. "He was diving
everywhere, clearing rebounds, blocking shots with his head. He was
just great. He saved me a couple of times."
Granted, it is
hard for a defensive defenseman to gain notoriety anywhere among
casual fans; but that is even more difficult on a team like the
Penguins, which features young superstar
Sidney Crosby, superstar-in-waiting Evgeni Malkin and venerable
vets like
Mark Recchi and
John LeClair.
But Eaton has
arrived in Pittsburgh, signed as a free agent this summer from
Nashville, playing the simple no-frills game that has served him so
well since he broke into the NHL as an undrafted free agent with
Philadelphia back in 1999-2000 season.
Then, his lack of
a high profile might have worked against him as he was judged
expendable and traded from the Flyers the next season to Nashville
in exchange for a third-round pick.
In Nashville,
Eaton came into his own, following his game plan of being
inconspicuous through excellence, quickly developing into a
stay-at-home defender who excelled on the penalty kill and could eat
up considerable playing minutes game-in and game-out.
In 2003-04, Eaton
had a career-high 13 points and a plus-16 rating for the Predators
as they finished the climb from expansion straggler to playoff
contender. Last season, he blocked a team-high 170 shots and ranked
fifth on the team in average ice time per game, playing a tick under
20 minutes per game, as Nashville earned a top-four finish in the
Western Conference. He led Nashville's touted penalty-killing unit,
which finished fifth in the League, by playing a team-leading 5:22
per game shorthanded.
Not surprisingly,
new GM Ray Shero, the second in command in Nashville's front office
before this summer, made the signing of Eaton one of his first
moves. It did not get the same play as other summer moves, including
the selection of
Jordan Staal with the second overall pick of this summer's Entry
Draft or the free-agent deal that brought Recchi back into the fold,
but it was a solid move, nonetheless.
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Last season
with Nashville,
Mark Eaton blocked
a team-high 170 shots, and led the Predators' fifth-ranked
penalty-killing unit. |
Coach Michel
Therrien has paired Eaton with veteran defenseman
Sergei Gonchar, an offensive dynamo. Eaton's defensive
responsibility gives that top pairing the balance that Therrien
believes will key its success.
"We are
concentrating on the pairings with the defensemen," Therrien said.
"When we hired some guys from the free-agent market, we had a plan
for those guys. Like Eaton, when we went to get him, we figured he
would be a great match with Sergei. So, we put those guys together
since Day One and they've done a great job. I think the chemistry is
there and we feel comfortable with the pairing."
It is also
obvious that Therrien feels comfortable with Eaton despite the
limited personal experience he has had with the player so far.
"First of all, he
is the type of defenseman where he is not a flashy guy, but he is
always doing the right things on the ice," Therrien says. "He is
really dependable defensively. Ray Shero knew him really well in
Nashville, so you gotta give credit to Ray on that one."
As good as Eaton
is on the ice, he also believes he can bring veteran leadership to
this very young Penguin team as it tries to fight its way to
respectability. He has navigated the same difficult road during his
tenure in Nashville.
"We've certainly
joked about it a little bit in here, that I am a seasoned vet at
29," Eaton said. "But, I think that is a good thing. The young guys
that we do have, they have a year of experience, most of them. When
you are that young, with experience, you are only going to get
better. So, we expect better things out of those players this year
and also out of us as a team this year."
How much better?
That remains to be seen, but Eaton draws on his experiences with the
Predators to draw a healthy dose of optimism as they begin the long
trek toward April.
"It helps me in
some ways going through the transition years in Nashville," he
admitted. "From what I have seen, we're much further along than we
were in Nashville (in the beginning). That's a testament to the
young guys we have here.
"A lot of these
young guys here haven't had a taste of playoff NHL hockey. Once they
get that taste and once they get that scent, watch out because there
is nothing like playoff hockey and that that is what we are shooting
for."
When the Penguins
find their way to that promised land, Eaton may have to deal with
the press he so studiously avoids. But, he'll cross that bridge
happily when he comes to it.
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Apple Core’s
Vesce Signs With Ottawa
Ryan Vesce is the latest Apple Core alumnus to
have signed a National Hockey League
contract. Ryan joins an ever growing number of
former Apple Core players who are under
professional contracts to play hockey. Ryan
is
apparently the first to sign with the Ottawa
Senators organization.
Ryan is a true Long
Islander, born and bred on the Island. Ryan’s success flies
in the face of a number of hockey myths which still confuse
some Long Island players. Myth number 1: “You have to leave
Long Island to move up to the next level of hockey”. Truth:
Ryan played high school hockey on Long Island and played
three years with the Apple Core. The Apple Core participates
in the prestigious Eastern Junior Hockey League, an
officially sanctioned Junior A league. The level of
competition is the very highest and it is played in the
Northeast, under the very noses of more Division I and
Division III college coaches than any other region of the
country. Ryan went directly from the Apple Core to Division
I.
Myth number 2: “You can’t
go directly from high
school to college hockey. Truth: While showcasing
his talent with the Apple Core, in the EJHL, Ryan
was observed by numerous college scouts.
Eventually, Ryan accepted an offer to play for
hockey powerhouse Cornell University. Ryan
graduated from high school and went directly to
the beautiful Cornell campus in Ithaca, New York.
Ryan is rightfully proud
of his time at Cornell. He loved playing for young, but
already legendary Coach Mike Schafer. His entire time at
Cornell, Ryan’s team was ranked in the top 15 college
programs and in his last three years, in the top ten. There
was NCAA post season play and even a trip to the Frozen
Four.
Upon leaving Cornell,
Ryan went to Europe to play for Rogle in the Swedish First
Division Elite League. He returned to the U.S. and signed
with the Springfield Falcons of the American Hockey
League. Ryan spent the past season with the Falcons, where
he established himself as the team’s leading scorer. His
stats included 18 goals as well as his team leading 49
assists.
Independent research
revealed a number of other accomplishments not even
mentioned by the modest Vesce. Ryan was an AHL all star
selection even though it was only his rookie year. Among all
AHL rookies, Vesce was the fifth leading scorer and he
finished 34th among all AHL players. Ryan could
also boast iron man durability, having appeared in all 80
league games.
His prodigious scoring
ability no doubt convinced the Senators to lock up Ryan with
a contract before another NHL team stole him away. The
Senators’ training camp begins the third week of
September. Working out with talent the likes of Danny
Heatley, Daniel Alfredsson, Jason Spezza, Peter Schaefer,
Wade Redden and Brian Smolynski will be a humbling
experience for the 24 year old centerman. However, Ryan is
confident in his abilities and feels he’s “got what it
takes” to earn a spot on the big club. One of the problems
of being signed by a team as packed with talent as the
Senators is the uncertainty of knowing when there will be a
permanent spot available on the NHL roster.
Even if Ryan can’t secure
a roster spot in the opening day lineup, he’s willing to do
whatever it takes to get to the Corel Center as soon as he
can. He looks forward to playing against the four Apple Core
alumni who preceded him onto active NHL rosters. Doug Murray
returns for his second year with the Sharks and Eric Nystrom
will begin his career with the Flames. Of course, the big
Apple Core question for this year is whether Pittsburgh
veteran blueliner Rob Scuderi will be partnered with Mark
Eaton, recently acquired by the Penguins from the
Predators. That would be the first Apple Core defensive
pairing in NHL jerseys.
Ryan, not content with
being only a hockey hotshot, has partnered with a former
Cornell teammate as a clothing company entrepreneur. Their
company, Salmon Cove, designs and manufactures a unique
style of golf shirt that sports a stand up collar, rather
than the traditional fold over. The “Premier Shirt” is now
marketed in 11 stores. As a result of the success of the
Salmon Cove golf shirt, Vesce and Company are now moving
into jackets and tee shirts. If you’d like to check out the
gear, Ryan suggests you visit
www.salmoncove.com. It’s pretty cool.
Ryan Vesce is a player to
watch. It will be tough to crack the roster of a team as
solid as Ottawa. The Senators finished with 113 points last
year, tops in the Eastern Conference and second only
to league leading Detroit. Attending training camp with the
big club should prove to be a great opportunity to
experience hockey at the NHL level. Even if he’s sent back
down to the Falcons, it will give Vesce the chance to
solidify his credentials. Vesce had an outstanding rookie
year and looks to repeat as team scoring leader. Another
trip to the All Star game would further improve his chances
of being called up.
Vesce has demonstrated
he’s got the skills. At 5'8 he’s got the grit. The question
becomes whether the time is right for a new center on the
Senators. The Apple Core and the EJ communities are rooting
for Vesce, a great example of what U.S. junior hockey can
produce.
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