JUNIOR  A EJHL NEWS RELEASES
2011-2012

Apple Core Jr. and Pics play to a split

As of Jan 31, 2012

 Long Beach, NY – In what was billed the most important series of the season to this point for the Core’, the home team used a 4-goal third period outburst on Sunday to earn the much needed split with the Springfield Pics.  The team now trails the 4^th place Boston Bandits by 4 pts and with this upcoming weekends match-up in Bridgewater, the latest “most important series” of the season, will now take place on the road. 

On Saturday evening, Springfield sniper Tyler Bouchard’s bank shot tally off the back of the arm of AC starter Sal Magliocco (36 saves) with just over 11 mins to go in the third period was enough to lift the Pics over the Core’ in a very spirited affair in Long Beach.  Justin LaCorte’s rebound goal at 11:03 of the first knotted the score at one with assists given to Josh Roberts and Mike Mascaro.  A tripping penalty late in the first would put the Pics on the power-play when Tyler Young potted yet another short-handed goal, as he put home a feed from LaCorte in the closing seconds of the period making the score 2-1 at the break.

 The Pics would tie the score early in the second and both goalies were forced to make a number of key stops for the remainder of play in the period as neither team wanted to end up on the losing end.  Apple Core forward and leading scorer, John DeFeo, took a drop pass and clanked the post mid-way through the period and the offensive frustrations began to show for the home team. The period would end with the score tied and the Pics holding the advantage in shots on goal.

 Apple Core would throw 13 shots towards Pics starter Linus Lundin (26 saves) in the final period however were not able to break through with the go-ahead goal. After the Bouchard tally, Springfield added an empty-netter making the final, 4-2. 

After the game, Apple Core head coach, Frank Bretti commented, “This was a hard fought battle by both teams.  I felt that throughout the course of the game we missed the net a lot with our chances and their goalie seemed to come up with some big saves when they needed it most.  We were in the game and then they scored a couple of back-breakers that we couldn’t recover from.  In the end, it was their top players upfront and their goaltender that ultimately were the difference in the game.” 

Looking to bounce back from a frustrating defeat the night before, Apple Core took to the ice on Sunday morning determined to get a good start, and that they did.  The Core’ rattled off three straight goals in the opening period including two of the shorthanded variety, taking a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.  Tyler Young started the scoring as he broke up the boards with the puck on the penalty kill, outworked a Pics defenseman and roofed a forehand past Lundin (9 saves).  The goal was Young’s team leading 23^rd of the year.  Moments later, the Core’ would again find themselves down a man when Mike Mascaro received a pass from Young and made no mistake, firing the puck upstairs giving his team a 2-0 lead.  The game’s first even strength goal came at the 13:34 mark as AC power forward Josh Roberts gathered the puck in the slot area and buried his first goal in Long Beach since joining the team.

 The second period would be a different story.  In what could clearly go in the “you don’t see that to often in junior hockey” category, Springfield would be on the receiving end of  7 straight power-plays, including 5 in the second period.  Tyler Bouchard would continue his strong weekend for the Pics as he potted a power-play tally four mins into the stanza making the score 3-1.  Moments later, on the next shift, Apple Core would battle back and respond in a big way as Ryan Connolly deflected home a good point shot from Kyle Zelanka giving the 3-goal lead back to the home team and chasing Springfield starting goaltender Linus Lundin.  The Pics continued to pressure and would score the next 3 goals, tying the score 4-4 at the end of the second period.  The stage was set for an exciting third period of hockey between two teams desperate for points. 

To the surprise of nobody, the third period opened with yet another penalty called.  This time, John DeFeo would go off for a tripping infraction.  On the ensuing power-play, Tyler Bouchard would again strike as his slap-shot found the net giving the Pics their first lead of the game, 5-4.  A delay-of-game call would give NY the man-advantage where Justin LaCorte riffled a one-timer past Pics goaltender Kevin Venturoso (17 saves).  Assists on the goal were given to Masucci and Fishman.  The game would remain tied for the next 5 mins before the Core’ would find themselves on the power-play with a chance to pull ahead for good.  With the game in the balance, it was the work of veteran’s Rich Prunesti and John DeFeo down below the hash marks on the man-advantage that allowed AC to possess the puck.  Prunesti would control the puck out of the corner and then find teammate Ron Fishman sneaking down the weakside from the point position.  Fishman received the pass and fired a laser-like wrist shot over the shoulder of Venturoso putting his team ahead 6-5 with 7 mins to play.  Apple Core would continue to pressure until DeFeo struck with a one-timer of his own, hammering the Prunesti feed, putting the game on ice and breaking NY’s 5-game losing streak.  Magliocco backstopped for NY and recorded 25 saves in the victory.

 The win was a “must have” and afterwards, Coach Bretti remarked about how important this game was, “Well obviously we got off to a great start but anything less then that would have been unacceptable considering this was Springfield’s third game in three days.  We spent half the second period killing off penalties which wore down our team and gave the Pics life as they mounted a comeback. But I thought we settled down as a team in the third and our guys showed a lot of character scoring 4 in a row, leading to a big win for us, keeping us in the hunt for home ice advantage in the opening round of the playoffs.”

Weekend Notes:  AC defenseman and Williams commit, Zander Masucci had 4 assists on the weekend.  Tyler Young leads the EJHL in short-handed goals with 7.

  Standings Southern Division: 

 Looking Ahead

 Apple Core heads to Bridgewater, MA this weekend for two games against the Boston Bandits.  The Bandits sit 4pts in front of AC in 4^th place in the Southern Division.  The Core’ will be looking to stake a claim to that final home playoff spot with a successful weekend.  Saturday’s game is at 1:55pm and Sunday’s face-off is scheduled for 9:30am.

As of Jan 24, 2012

 FOXBORO, MA- Apple Core traveled north this past weekend for a two game series with the division leading South Shore Kings.  A quick look at the league leaders in points would tell you that this had the potential to be a high scoring weekend, and that it was.  The teams would combine for 21 goals on the weekend with the Kings earning two victories, 7-5; 6-3.

 In Saturday’s matinee, Apple Core went 4-4 on the power-play and Josh Roberts added his first since joining the club however were unable to pull off the comeback after surrendering three, third period goals to the Kings, resulting in a 7-5 defeat.

 The game was an offensive exhibition as both teams skated well generating numerous scoring chances on both ends.  The teams ended up with 37 shots each, including 15 by the Core’ in the final period.  The Kings would get on the board first; however Apple Core would answer with the next two early in the second period.  John DeFeo got the scoring started for AC as he tucked home a rebound off the Frank Musick point shot on the power-play.  On the next shift, winger Mike Mackie-Kwist would pot his first of three on the day as he shoveled home a lose puck in front on the backhand.  He would have a hand in all but one of the NY goals in the game giving him a 4-pt day.  Matt Noreen (30 saves) got the call in net for the Apple Core and was called upon to make a number of timely saves including a semi-breakaway with 9 mins to play in the second keeping the score 2-1 AC.  Minutes later, Justin LaCorte found himself in alone on a short-handed breakaway with a chance to increase the lead however South Shore starter Derrick Roy (32 saves) turned aside the attempt.  The Kings would eventually break through with a power-play goal of their own after multiple failed clearing attempts by NY.  Shane Walsh found a loose puck and put it past Noreen tying the score 2-2.  Less then a minute later, the Kings would retake the lead 3-2 as the second period drew to a close.

 The stage was set for an exciting third period and two minutes in, Josh Roberts was the beneficiary of some unselfish passing by Rich Prunesti and Kevin Lohan and hammered home his first of the season since joining the team at the break.  The Kings would then change the game dramatically as they rattled off the next three goals in a five minute span, making any Apple Core comeback much more challenging.  Mackie-Kwist would record two more power-play tally’s completing his hat-trick and giving him 9 goals on the season, however the Core’ fell 2 goals short in the end, 7-5. 

Postgame, Coach Frank Bretti voiced his opinion, “I felt we played well enough to win the game and it got away from us late.  The fact that we scored five goals on the road against the first place team in our division is a real positive but, as a team, not being able to keep them off the board in the third was what did us in”.

 In Sunday’s second game of the weekend, both teams started fast but in the end, it was the Kings day as EJHL leading scorer Jim Vesey recorded a hat-trick leading the home team to a 6-3 win.  Mike Mackie-Kwist continued his strong play on the weekend as he gathered the rebound of the Ron Fishman point shot on the power-play and popped it past Kings goalie Rob Levin (21 saves) to knot the score at 1-1.  The tie score would remain short-lived as just over a minute later Mike Reardon would put South Shore out front for good.  South Shore would then score the next 5 consecutive goals essentially putting the game on ice.  Mike Mascaro and Ryan Connolly netted late goals and Sal Magliocco made 31 saves in net for the Core’ as the scoreboard read a final of 6-3 in favor of the home team. 

“South Shore is a strong offensive team, we exchanged power-play goals early in the game and then their offense showed its strength, explained Coach Bretti.  “We fell too far behind and dug ourselves to deep of a hole to get out of.  To come on the road, at this point of the season and come away with no points is very disappointing for us.  We need points, we can’t afford to have these empty weekends.”

 Notes: Congratulations to John DeFeo (Glen Head, NY) and Tyler Young (Sayville, NY) who were acknowledged by the EJHL last week being named “Offensive Player of the Week” and “Rookie of the Week” respectively for their play during the 3 game road trip against the Selects and Huskies.  DeFeo leads AC in scoring and Young leads AC and is tied for 6^th in the EJHL in goals with 21.

Standings Southern Division:

 Looking Ahead 

Apple Core returns home on Saturday for a critical two game series with the Springfield Pics.  As the standings show, the Pics are only 3 pts behind the Core’ with the same number of games played.  The top 6 teams in the division make it to the post season, each point is super-important this time of year.  Saturday’s game is at 4:30pm and Sunday’s face-off is scheduled for 11:00am.

As of JAN 19, 2012

Long Beach, NY- Apple Core is proud to announce that right-handed defenseman Ron Fishman (93’) has committed to Middlebury College for next fall. The Roslyn, NY native is in his first season of junior hockey.  He spent two years at The Portledge School before graduating from The Gunnery School.

“Middlebury has a storied hockey program that, under the direction of Coach Beaney, has won 8 National Championships.  They are a team that is considered a National Championship contender every year and

 I’m looking forward to being part of that going forward,” remarked Fishman.

“I would like to thank my family, friends and coaches for all the support given to me throughout the years.  Apple Core gave me the forum to gain exposure and present myself to college coaches with the strong schedule that we play.  I have enjoyed being under the supervision of Coach Bretti who has been very helpful through the process.”

Apple Core E.J. Head Coach Frank Bretti commented, “Ron got off to a great start with us but unfortunately ended up missing the majority of the first half with an injury.  I feel that when healthy, he is one of the top offensive defensemen in the league and we’re really looking forward to having him back coming down the stretch.  His vision and strong skating allow him to beat forecheckers on the breakout.  His strong offensive ability allows us to have a true quarter-back on the power-play. Ron also is capable of breaking a game open at any time”.

Bretti continued, “Middlebury College speaks for itself in terms of its academic and hockey tradition and we are all excited for Ron and his family for this accomplishment. He’s very dedicated both on and off the ice and has been a pleasure to coach.  Ron has a great future ahead of him.”

Middlebury College is located in Middlebury, VT and is a member of the NESCAC conference.
 

As of JAN 19, 2012

WARWICK, PA – The Revolution’s CJ Cruz put his team out front 2-1 with 2:41 on the clock in the third and his team held on to defeat NY Apple Core 3-1 on Wednesday afternoon in Warwick, PA.

 In a penalty-laden affair which included 10+ infractions per team, it was Philadelphia that would get on the board first off a scrum in front of NY starting goaltender Sal Magliocco (31 saves) at the 10:09 mark of the first period.  The Core’ would begin the second period on the man-advantage when off a nice rush up ice, Ron Fishman fired a pass to a streaking Tyler Young who was able to step inside the defense and outwait Revolution starter, Reed Schlender (39 saves) tucking it past him on the forehand for the equalizer.  The goal was Young’s team leading 21^st on the season.  The game would then open up a bit as both teams went to the offense requiring both goalies to make timely saves.

 Philadelphia would kill off a NY power-play to start the third period which set the stage for the late wristshot goal by Cruz.  Apple Core fired a total of 40 shots on net, 17 of which were in the final stanza however were unable to solve Schlender.  The empty-netter made the final 3-1.

 Injury Notes:  Justin LaCorte (7-10-17) returned to action and is expected to remain in lineup this weekend against South Shore.

 A dejected Coach Frank Bretti after the game stated, “I thought the game was a hard fought battle for both teams but in the end their goaltender was the difference”.

 Looking Ahead 

This weekend, NY will head to Foxboro, MA to battle the Southern Division leading, South Shore Kings.  The teams split their earlier meeting on Long Island.  The games will be Saturday at 3:00pm and Sunday morning at 9:30am.

As of JAN 17, 2012

 TROY, NY – Apple Core took to the road this past weekend for three important E.J. league games coming out of the break.  On Friday evening the team took to the ice against the Capital District Selects before heading to Massachusetts for a two game series with the New England Huskies, Saturday and Sunday.  The Core’ would end the trip with 2 wins and a frustrating overtime loss to the Huskies on Sunday morning.

In Friday’s game against the Selects, the Core’ spotted the home team 2 first period goals before exploding for 8 consecutive enroute to an 8-3 final.  After a lackluster first period for Apple Core, Kevin Lohan got the offense rolling five minutes into the second period as he blasted a slapshot past Select’s starting goaltender Matt Palella.  NY would then find their groove as Joe Mitchell and Rich Prunesti tallied quickly making the score 3-2 in favor of the road team.  Defensive breakdowns by the Selects lead to multiple breakaways for AppleCore culminating with Ryan Connolly’s goal off assists by Mike Davie and Frank Musick. 

 With the score 4-2 to start the third period and the Core’ on the man-advantage, defenseman Ron Fishman took a pass from Zander Masucci and fired a wrist shot that lit the lamp for the road team, making the score 5-2.   A solid individual effort by Mike Mascaro on the shorthand, breaking down the wing to beat the goalie for his second of the season made the score 7-2 before EJ All-Star, John DeFeo potted his second of the night completing the outburst.  The final score was 8-3.  Apple Core would end the game going 1 for 4 on the power-play and starting goaltender Sal Magliocco was there when needed making 23 saves in recording the win.

 Friday’s game was the first for forward Josh Roberts with the E.J. team after joining the club at the break.  The winger played a strong two-way game and should play an instrumental role down the stretch.  Mike Davie also returned to the lineup and played well in his first game of the second half recording two assists.

 Head Coach Frank Bretti commented afterwards, “Overall I thought we had good offensive output.  It was good to see some guys get back on the score sheet and hopefully this will help build confidence offensively coming down the stretch.  A positive start to the road trip for sure.”

 TYNGSBORO, MA - In game two of the trip on Saturday night in Tyngsboro, MA, Apple Core forward Tyler Young continued his goal scoring ways recording his third hat-trick of his rookie season, giving him a team-high 20 goals.  Rich Prunesti netted his 16^th of the season and John DeFeo added three assists to close out the scoring, resulting in an impressive 4-1 victory.  Sal Magliocco made 36 saves and the Core’ went 2 for 4 on the power-play.

 “I thought we played a solid team game with good energy, remarked Coach Bretti.  Our players competed with purpose and were determined to win the game and that showed with the outcome”.

 With a chance to sweep the weekend series and get their 3rd road win in a row, Apple Core took to the ice Sunday morning against the Huskies knowing they would be in for a battle.  Core’ captain and Williams commit Zander Masucci got NY on the board first just 5 minutes in as he took the Joe Mitchell pass off the boards and fired a wrist shot that beat Huskies starter Josh Hillegas (35 saves).   “This was a big weekend for us getting back into league play” commented Masucci.  “Coming up here and getting 5 of 6 points is a positive start especially being that we had that losing streak before the break so it’s nice to get back that winning feeling.”

New England would tie the score and eventually take the lead on the power-play early in the second period before Apple Core leading scorer John DeFeo continued his strong play on the weekend burying his first of two in the game.  Mike Mascaro and Rich Prunesti recorded assists on the play.  With the score tied 2-2 and the second period winding down, the Huskies were awarded a penalty shot and Ian McGilvrey was able to beat Core’ starting goaltender Sal Magliocco (52 saves).  In the closing seconds of the period, DeFeo re-directed a Masucci point shot which tied the score 3-3 heading into what was sure to be an exciting third period.

 Both teams exchanged chances in the final period of regulation however were unable to break the tie.  The game would need more time to be decided as teams took to the ice for five minutes of sudden death.

 The result was not in question for long as just 1:39 into the extra stanza, Huskies center-icemen, Tyler Griffith shot off the faceoff as the puck was dropped beating Magliocco earning the home team the extra point.

 After the game the Captain was upbeat on what is ahead for Apple Core in this second half, “we’re finally getting healthy with key guys back in the lineup which is critical for us to have a successful second half run.  We’re excited to have Roberts join the club, he’s fit in well but we’ll need everybody going to make this final push” commented Masucci.

 The Head Coach echoed that sentiment, “We knew before the game started that we would be in for a tough battle today and that’s exactly what we got.  The game was played with tough, playoff-type intensity and its unfortunate that it ended with that kind of goal but we need to move forward and take the positives from this weekend into our work week” Bretti stated. “We had a good weekend, we wanted 6 pts but we earned 5 and that’s not bad considering we played 3 tough road games in 3 days.  We will use this weekend to jumpstart us into this final 14 game stretch, we’re looking forward to it.” 

Standings Southern Division:

Looking Ahead

 Apple Core continues with games away from Long Beach this week as they head to Philadelphia for a Wednesday matinee against the Revolution at 2pm.  This weekend, NY will head to Foxboro, MA to battle the Southern Division leading, South Shore Kings.  The teams split their earlier meeting on Long Island.  The games will be Saturday at 3:00pm and Sunday morning at 9:30am.
 

As of JAN 15, 2012

 LONG BEACH, NY – The Eastern Junior Hockey League announced the rosters for the 2012 EJHL All-Star Game, which will take place on Monday, January 16, at the Tri-Town Ice Arena in Hooksett, NH and forward John Defeo was selected to represent Apple Core on the South team.

 “We are excited for John to get this opportunity to represent both himself and the organization”, remarked Coach Bretti.  “He has been one of our top offensive players day in and day out over the course of the season and to get a chance to play on that stage with some of the top players in our league is a nice accomplishment and something that should be a lot of fun.”

 In his second full season with the EJ team, DeFeo has played in every game and currently leads the Core’ in scoring with 29pts on 10g and 19a.

Face-off is Monday at 12pm and the game can be seen live on www.fasthockey.com
 

As of JAN 11, 2012

 MARLBORO, MA – The Core’ opened the second half of the season by participating in the EJHL Winter Showcase held in Marlboro, MA.  The team played 3 non-league games including their first opponent on Friday, EJHL South member, East Coast Jr. Eagles.  Apple Core used the weekend to get back on track, returning to their winning ways taking 2 of 3 games and are off and running in the second half.

 In Friday night’s game, Sal Magliocco’s goaltending and two goals by John DeFeo, and one each from Tim Genova and Tyler Young, propelled the Core’ to a 4-0 win over the East Coast Jr. Eagles.  After dropping a closely contested game against the Philadelphia Junior Flyers on Saturday morning, the team bounced back to defeat the New Jersey Rockets 5-2 on Saturday evening.  Two goals by Mike Bronzo, and one each from Mascaro, DeFeo and Tyler Young allowed the Core’ to end the weekend on a winning note. Goaltender Matt Noreen played solid in net and picked up the win for the Core’.

 Injury Update – Ron Fishman, Kevin Szopa and Kurt Krotz all returned to the lineup this past weekend.  Justin LaCorte, Jimmy Brown and Mike Davie both missed all 3 games in Marlboro however are expected to return this for this weekend’s road trip.

New Faces – The Core’ welcomes two new faces to the roster for the second half of the season.  Timmy Genova who played with Apple Core’s Empire team last season, joined the EJ team before the holiday break.  Forward Josh Roberts makes his way to Long Beach via Trail, BC of the BCHL.  Roberts is a native of Connecticut and played his high school hockey at Trinity-Pawling Prep before heading west to begin his junior career.  Welcome to the club.

 Looking Ahead
 Apple Core will return to regular season league play this weekend as they hit the road for 3 games in 3 days.  On Friday, they will be in Albany at the Houston Fieldhouse to face the Capital District Selects at 7pm.  The team will then travel on Saturday to play the New England Huskies for 2 games.  First game against the Huskies is slated for 6:45pm Saturday night while the second game is scheduled for 10:30am Sunday morning.
 

As of Dec 16, 2011

 WAYNE, NJ – On Wednesday night, the Hitmen jumped out to a 4-0 lead and held on to defeat NY Apple Core 6-2 in an EJHL Southern Division matchup.  The result represented the first time in three attempts this season that the Hitmen were able to beat the Core’ and dropped NY’s record to 12-13-1. 

In a rather uneventful game, both teams found their way through a sluggish first period with the Hitmen tallying two late goals to take the early lead.  Jack Riley’s goal 11 seconds into the third period made the score 4-0 making any Apple Core comeback attempt that much more difficult.  NY would continue to skate and created chances off the rush including a breakaway by Rich Prunesti that was turned aside by Adam Miller (24 saves).  The continued hard work would pay off as John DeFeo was able to break through and end the shut-out bid with his 10^th goal of the season.  Seconds later, Tyler Young re-directed home his 16^th of the season and the lead was cut to 4.  That was as close as it would get as the Core’ came on too little too late and dropped their 4^th in a row.  Sal Magliocco got the start in net and turned aside 43 attempts by the Hitmen.

Looking Ahead

 Apple Core will host a big series this weekend with the Bay State Breakers in the team’s final games before the Christmas break.  Saturday’s game is at 5:45pm and on Sunday, the puck drops at 11:00am.
 

No Points in Huskies Showcase for EJ team

As of Dec 14, 2011

FITCHBURGH, MA – The Apple Core EJ team knew they had a big challenge ahead of them as they prepared for last weekend’s Husky Showcase in Fitchburgh, MA.  Beginning with their first game on Friday night, the team would play 3 of the top teams in the EJHL over the course of 24 hrs, a tough task to say the least.

 Friday night’s game against the defending league Champion NH Monarch’s was a well played Jr Hockey game that didn’t have a penalty called in it until late in the second half.  Connor Gorman’s goal for the Monarch’s with 8 mins to play in the second half was the only tally in the game and was enough for the New Hampshire team to hold on for the 1-0 win.  The Core’ had 23 shots on goal however were unable to solve Monarch’s starting goaltender Terry Shafer. Sal Magliocco was very good in net for AppleCore turning aside 31 of the 32 shots he faced. 

Saturday would see the Core’ drop two games on the day.  After taking the early lead against Valley on a perfect shot by Tyler Young, AppleCore surrendered the next 2 goals, including the game winner with just over 3 mins to play, and dropped another 1-goal game, its second in 2 days.

 In their last game on the weekend, AppleCore faced the fist place Jr Bruins and were defeated by the score of 11-4 in a penalty-filled affair.  Rich Prunesti’s power-play goal 9 mins into the second period off an assist from Frank Musick made the score 5-2 in favor of the Bruins and that was the closest the Core’ would get on this night.  Tyler Young continued his scoring ways as he potted his 15^th and 5^th SHG of the season picking the pocket of a Bruin defenseman and beating Boston starter Derek Metcalf high short-side.  AppleCore would fire 38 shots on goal however the penalties were the story as the Bruins converted on 6 of their 8 power-plays.

 The results dropped NY into a tie for 4^th place in the Southern Division only 4 pts behind 3^rd place Bay State.  The next 3 games are against teams ahead of the Core’ in the standings and will provide an opportunity for NY to close the gap as the league prepares to head into the Christmas break.

Injury News:  Ron Fishman, Kevin Szopa, Kurt Krotz and Mike Bronzo remain out of action rehabbing various ailments.

 Looking Ahead

 AppleCore looks to bounce back and get back to its winning ways this week as they travel to Wayne, NJ to play the Hitmen on Wednesday, Dec 14^th at 6pm.  This upcoming weekend the Core’ will host the Bay State Breakers for 2 games.  Saturday’s game is at 4:30pm and on Sunday, the puck drops at 11:00am.
 

Apple Core and Boston battle to a weekend split

As of Dec 3, 2011

 LONG BEACH, NY – Apple Core returned to action after the Thanksgiving break hosting the Boston Bandits for two games. In the second game of the series, the Core’ was able to gain the split by scoring four times on 40 shots resulting in a 4-2 win.

 Saturday night’s game was evenly played throughout with both teams exchanging scoring opportunities.  The game was tied going into the third period before the Bandits rattled off 4 goals eventually winning the game 6-3.  Apple Core forward Tyler Young would open the scoring just 42 seconds in as he banged home his third short-handed goal of the season to give NY the early 1-0.  The lead would be short-lived as one minute later Boston would tie the score on the same power-play off a goal by Scott Vasquez.  Apple Core would continue to pressure the rest of the period firing 13 shots on goal yet only had one goal to show for their efforts.  Strong play by Boston netminder, Tyler Kapp (38 saves) frustrated the Core’ for most of the game.  After a Boston short-handed goal made the score 2-1, NY defenseman, Kevin Lohan’s wristshot from the point found its way to the back of the net tying the score with 4:50 to go in the second period. 

The third period began with two quick goals by the Bandits before John DeFeo converted a perfect 3 on 2 off a nice feed from Rich Prunesti making the score 4-3 with 13 mins to go.  NY would throw everything at the Bandits however was unable to solve Kapp as the Boston goaltender kicked aside 14 shots in the third period alone eventually earning the victory for his efforts.  Boston went 2 for 7 on the power-play and Apple Core was 0 for 6 in the contest.  Matthew Noreen started the game for the Core’ and made 17 saves on 23 shots.

 Apple Core Head Coach, Frank Bretti commented after the game, “I thought both teams played tough in a game that was tied going into the final period.  I was disappointed with the fact that, as a team we let up four goals at home in the third period but we have to give Boston credit; they did a good job of converting on their opportunities in the offensive end”.

 In Sunday’s second game of the weekend, Apple Core was determined to do a better job of finishing opportunities early in the game.  Ryan Hubbard (36 saves) started in goal for the Bandits and with just over 9 mins to go in the first period, Rich Prunesti potted his 13^th goal of the season, 1-0 Core’.  The home team would carry the majority of play for the first period and Mike Davie’s hard work was rewarded with a goal on the power-play giving the Core’ the early 2-0 lead.  A 4-minute high sticking penalty on AppleCore with no time left on the clock at the end of the second period put the home team on the defensive early in the third.

 The line of Tyler Young, Mike Mackie-Kwist and Justin LaCorte had a strong game playing well in all three zones throughout.  Young continued his excellent play of late as he netted his 13^th goal of the season, a short-handed goal, on a slapshot from just inside the blueline making the score 3-0.  Boston would score the next two goals before Apple Core starting goaltender, Sal Magliocco (27 saves) would make a number of point blank saves, including a break-a-way stop to keep the deficit at one.  Mackie-Kwist would ice the game for the home team on a great individual effort with just over a minute to play in the game.  A hard fore-check by Young forced Hubbard to get caught out of his net with no stick allowing line-mate Mackie-Kwist to rip a shot short-side high ending any hopes of a Boston comeback.  The final score was 4-2 in favor of the Apple Core and gave the home team it’s 12^th win of the season.

 Coach Bretti was pleased with the result, “I thought we received a solid team effort all around, this was a good bounce back win for us”.

 Notes: This weekend marked the return of Mike Mascaro and Colin Reilly to the Apple Core lineup returning from injuries.  Ron Fishman remained on the injury list recovering from a lower back strain.  Kurt Krotz  and Mike Bronzo (shoulder) also remain on the sidelines.

 Standings: The battle for 2^nd place in the EJ’s Southern Division remains a tight one.  NY Apple Core, NJ Hitmen and the Bay State Breakers each have 12 wins on the season and are within 1 point of each other going into this weekend’s games in Fitchburgh, MA.   The South Shore Kings remain in first place in the division with 38 points overall.

 Looking Ahead 

Apple Core travels to Fitchburgh, MA this weekend for three games in two days.  Friday night the Core’ will match-up with the defending league champion Monarchs at 5:25pm.  On Saturday, NY will faceoff with the Valley Jr Warriors at 9:50am and then will wrap-up the weekend by battling the Jr. Bruins at 5:10pm.
 

Young and Prunesti lead Apple Core Jr.
to split with Bay State

As of Nov 25, 2011

 KINGSTON, MA – In a match-up of the 3^rd and 4^th place teams in the EJHL’s Southern Division, Apple Core and the Bay State Breakers split their weekend series to remain separated by 1 point in the standings.

 On Saturday night, the home team Breakers scored 5 first period goals and received a 25 save performance from Ben Halford shutting out the Apple Core 9-0.  Shane Shiring potted a hat-trick as the Breakers took game one of the two game set. 

There were not many positives for the Apple Core and Coach Bretti didn’t try to sugar-coat anything, “give credit to Bay State, we didn’t have a chance tonight. They were on us from opening face-off.  I felt like we were down before the game even started, they got on us early and didn’t stop.  They clearly deserved this one” 

Sunday morning would be a different story.  In the last game for both teams before the Thanksgiving break, Apple Core rattled off the first 7 goals of the game including 4 goals from forward Tyler Young and cruised to an impressive 7-3 road victory. 

Rich Prunesti got the Core’ on the board first as he was able to re-direct the puck past Breakers starting netminder, Matt LaPrade, with the assists going to John DeFeo and Frank Musick with 4:38 remaining in the first.  Apple Core would continue to work hard as the first period progressed and Sal Magliocco (25 saves) kept the zero on the board.  The fist period ended with the score 1-0 Core’ and the shots 16-6 in favor of the road team.

 Even with the shortened bench, the strong team effort would continue in the second period for NY.  Immediately following a strong penalty killing effort by Apple Core, Prunesti would continue his strong all around play of late as he was able to net his second of the game, 12^th of the season,  seven minutes into the period taking the pass from DeFeo and ripping a slapshot past LaPrade, 2-0 Core’.  NY would then find themselves on the power-play and with no options in front, Justin LaCorte walked out from behind the net on the forehand and lifted the puck past LaPrade making the score 3-0.  Two minutes later, Tyler Young began his scoring barrage as he tucked the puck home after some good work behind the net by DeFeo.  The goal would chase the Breaker’s starting goalie and Saturday night’s winning goaltender, Ben Halford, relieved LaPrade.  Apple Core would sense the opportunity to put the game away and continued to pressure the Breaker’s defensive core.  An interference call on Kevin Lohan put the Core’ down a man and Magliocco was forced to make a point-blank stop from the slot maintaining the shutout.  A tremendous individual effort by Young would ensue as he was able to beat three Breakers to the puck, outworking them behind the net and coming out in front to beat Halford for a short-handed tally, 5-0.  The period would come to a close with the shots 33-17 in favor of the road team.  Apple Core was rolling offensively.

 The Core’ would continue to get solid efforts from all 8 forwards and 6 defenseman as the game wore on.  Tyler Young finished off his impressive game as he banged home is 3^rd goal of the game off a beautiful feed from Mike Mackie-Kwist.  The hat-trick for Young would be his second hat-trick of season.  The Breakers would pull Halford for the 2-man advantage and an empty-net goal from the blueline by Young would conclude the scoring for the Core’.   The Breakers would finish with a flurry scoring the game’s final 3 goals on the power-play however it was too little too late as Apple Core was able to gain the road split with a convincing 7-3 victory.

 With the conclusion of the game, so begins a much needed break for the Apple Core club.  The team will have 12 days off between games allowing them to rest some bruises and get back some important bodies including Mike Mascaro, Ron Fishman, Colin Reilly and Kurt Krotz.

 After 20 games played, John DeFeo leads the team in scoring with 7-16-23.  Rich Prunesti leads the club in goals with 12 and Tyler Young leads the team’s rookies with 11-6-17. 

After the game, a satisfied Frank Bretti spoke about the win, “we as a team focused on trying to get a territorial edge early in the game and we were able to accomplish that helping us to the early lead.  I felt we received solid contributions from all three groups today, players showed great character pulling away and wining by 4 goals with such a depleted bench. A great road victory going into the break verses a very solid Breakers team”.

Looking Ahead 

Apple Core is now on Thanksgiving break until December 3^rd when they welcome the Boston Bandits to Long Beach for a two-game series.  Saturday’s game will be at 8:15pm and Sunday’s faceoff is 11:30am.
 

Apple Core Jr. ends skid,
comeback to beat Hitmen 3-2

As of Nov 18, 2011

LONG BEACH, NY – AppleCore hosted the Hitmen on Thursday night in a rematch of last week’s contest in Wayne, NJ.  The Hitmen were out to avenge the loss and it was evident in their play for the majority of the game on Thursday night.  NJ jumped out to an early 2-0 lead in the first period, however AppleCore would not go quietly into the night as the home team rattled off three unanswered goals and battled to the 3-2 victory.

 The Hitmen jumped out early and controlled the majority of the time of possession for the first period.  NJ took the early 1-0 lead after some strong forechecking down-low created the opportunity for Steven Swavely to put the puck past AppleCore starting goaltender Sal Magliocco (37 saves).  The Hitmen would keep coming and 4 mins later Jack Barre converted off an AppleCore turnover making the score 2-0 in favor of the road team.  The shots and time of possession were in favor of the Hitmen however with the period winding down, Core’ center-iceman Rich Prunesti would cut the lead in half as he stuffed home his 9^th of the season on a wraparound with just over 2 mins left to play in the period.  Assists were given to John DeFeo and Joe Mitchell on the play.  A small skirmish at the end of the period would give the Hitmen a power-play to start the second.

 The second period involved some back and forth play early however as the period wore on, the Hitmen wound up with the better of the opportunities.  Strong penalty-killing by Tyler Young, Frank Musick, Zander Masucci and Justin LaCorte enabled the Core’ to kill-off the Prunesti penalty to start the period.  Magliocco was called upon to make some point blank stops and did so keeping the deficit to one goal and the period drew to a close.

 The shots were 27 to 12 in favor of the Hitmen as play began in the third yet there was only a one-goal differential.  The game would get more heated as most rivalry games do as the final stanza wore on.  The physical play picked up and battles were taking place in all three zones.  Seven minutes into the period, John DeFeo gathered the puck at his blueline, passed the puck to Mitchell who gained the offensive blueline and found Prunesti breaking to the net.  Prunesti was able to tuck the puck past NJ starter Colin Brennan (20 saves) tying the score at 2.  The goal gave AppleCore the momentum it needed and Justin LaCorte finished off the comeback ten minutes later.  Mike Mackie-Kwist and Mike Davie battled to gain possession of the puck allowing Davie to find LaCorte open in front for the one-timer into the vacant net.  The Hitmen would pressure for the final two minutes of the third however Magliocco and the defensive unit of Musick, Ataev, Zelanka, Lohan, Brown and Masucci stood tall carrying the Core’ to victory.

 After the game, outside a jubilant home locker-room Rich Prunesti commented on the significance of the victory for his team, “It was important for us to end that 2 game losing skid, this win was a 4pt swing because they are in our division. This was a big comeback for us on home ice, now we go to Boston coming off a win rather then 3 losses”.

 Coach Bretti added, “The Hitmen played very well and carried the momentum for two periods. We were able to start the third only down one and I felt we were able to gain some of the momentum back and got the better of play as the period wore on.  We continued to skate and capitalized with some timely goals and got the win”. 

When asked about what this type of win showed him about his team, Bretti remarked, “Without a doubt this team showed its true character tonight.  Considering the depleted lineup we’ve been playing with, not giving in and battling until we were able to break through tells you a lot”. 

Looking Ahead

 This weekend Apple Core heads back up to Massachusetts to face the Bay State Breakers for 2 important division games.  The first game will be held on Saturday at 6:50pm followed by an 11:40am face-off on Sunday morning.  Both games will be held at The Bog Arena in Kingston, MA.
 

Apple Core Jr. drops 2 of 3 in Warrior Showcase

As of Nov 14, 2011

 HAVERHILL, MA – After reeling off three consecutive road wins, AppleCore headed north to participate in last weekend’s Warrior Showcase for three league games.  The Core’ matched up against Rochester, Jr Bruins and the NE Huskies and was only able to capture 2 points on the weekend keeping them in a tie for third place in the Southern Division with 19 points.

 Friday night against the Rochester Stars, AppleCore found themselves down a goal with under 3 minutes to play in the second half.  A Rochester turnover with 2:30 to play in the game put Tyler Young in alone on Stars goalie Gordon Ceasar.  Young deeked and tucked the game-tying goal past Ceasar with an assist going to John DeFeo.  The goal pushed the game to overtime where Justin LaCorte continued his strong offensive play chipping the puck past Ceasar just 3 mins into the extra session giving the Core’ their 4^th win in a row.  AppleCore starting goaltender Matthew Noreen was sharp stopping 21 of 23 shots on goal for his second win in as many starts.  Shots were 37-23 in favor of AC and both teams went 0-1 on the PP.

 Coach Bretti remarked, “I thought this was a tight game and both goalies played well.  I credit our players for working to the end and finally capitalizing to send the game to OT.  The line of Mackie-Kwist; LaCorte and Young was very good today carrying us throughout the game.  Noreen was solid as well keeping us in the game allowing us to tie it late”.

 On Saturday morning, the Core’ faced off against the league leading Bruins looking to continue their winning ways.  Derek Metcalf got the call in net for the Bruins (18 saves) and Sal Magliocco (29 saves) was in between the pipes for NY.  A goal by Mike Mackie-Kwist with 1 minute to go in the half cut the Bruins lead in half going into the break.  The Bruins then rattled off 3 consecutive goals in the second half to push the deficit to 5-1, the eventual final score.  AppleCore was unable to continue their strong offensive output against the Bruins as Metcalf was up to the task.  The Core’ would pressure however were not able to break through and dropped their first game in the last 5.

 “Their goalie played very well, made some timely saves when we were really pressuring”, commented Bretti.  “The Bruins showed why they are the best team in the league, they don’t need many opportunities to score goals, they converted and made us pay when they had the chance”.

 In the afternoon contest against the New England Huskies, a goal just one minute into the contest gave the Huskies the early 1-0 advantage and it would build from there.  Husky goaltender Tom Conlin made 24 saves in all leading his team to the 4-0 victory over NY.  AppleCore would pressure throughout the game but it was not meant to be.  Conlin kicked away attempt after attempt and the Core’ was unable to generate a goal on 5 power-play chances all contributing to the eventual loss. Magliocco (28 saves) was in net for NY.

 After the team’s third game in just over 24 hrs, Coach Bretti stated, “We have to credit the huskies, they had good jump and scored early”.  “Honestly, this game concluded a tiring week for our team and I think we just ran out of gas.  We didn’t have much left in the tank for this one”.

 The loss dropped the Core’s record to 9-7-1 keeping them in 3^rd place in the EJ’s Southern Division, 3 pts behind the Bay State Breakers for 2^nd.

 Looking Ahead

 This week AppleCore will face the Hitmen in Long Beach on Thursday night at 7pm before heading back up to Massachusetts to face the Bay State Breakers for 2 important division games.  The first game will be held on Saturday at 6:50pm followed by an 11:40am face-off on Sunday morning.  Both games will be held at The Bog Arena in Kingston, MA.

As of Nov 10, 2011

“Williams is a great opportunity for me to be a part of something up and coming”, remarked Masucci. “I’m very excited about the direction of the program
under Coach Kangas and am looking forward to taking the next step in my hockey career.”

“I want to thank my teammates, Coach Bretti, Henry and especially my family for their support in giving me the opportunity to play 2 years of juniors which allowed me to grow as player”.

Current Head Coach Frank Bretti commented, “We as an organization are extremely proud of Zander and this accomplishment.  I personally have enjoyed working with him witnessing the way he carries himself both on and off the ice.  He is a great leader who has a great work ethic and competes at a high level.  The coaches respect him, the players respect him and we feel there are great things ahead for him at Williams College both as a student and athlete.”

Zander’s coach last season and current AppleCore GM, Henry Lazar stated, “I am very proud that Zander will be going to Williams College, one of the top academic Colleges in the country. I think one day Zander will be running his own company and I’ll be working for him”.

Williams College is located in Williamstown Massachusetts and competes in the highly competitive NESCAC conference.
 

As of Nov 10, 2011

 WAYNE, NJ – In the team’s second road game in as many nights, AppleCore received solid goaltending and explosive scoring to defeat the NJ Hitmen 7-1 putting them a tie for 3^rd place with Boston in the EJ’s Southern Division.

The game was played with quick pace as both teams displayed skill and grit as the first period wore on.   AppleCore’s persistence would pay off as Bronzo netted his first of the game finishing off a breakaway that was started by a flip up ice by Frank Musick with just over 2 mins remaining in the first.  One minute later, it was Young who was able to tuck the puck past Rohrkemper

off a nifty feed from Mike Mackie-Kwist.  The goal would send the Core’ to the locker-room with a well-deserved 2-goal lead.

 The Hitmen would continue to pressure the AC defense and pumped more rubber on goal as the second period began.  Magliocco was up to the challenge making stop after stop until 7 mins into the stanza, when forward Ryan Connolly worked a beautiful 2 on 1 with Bronzo and buried his 2^nd goal of the season pushing the lead out to 3-0.  Five minutes later, the Core’s offense continued its impressive period as all 3 forwards touched the puck in a 3-man rush up ice allowing Bronzo to slam the puck home into a virtual open net.  The assists were given to Mike Davie and Connolly.  The second period would come to an end with the score 4-0 in favor of the road team.

 The third period would pick up where the second left off as both teams exchanged opportunities on the offensive end.  An early penalty-kill by AppleCore after a high-sticking call just 12 seconds in proved critical in stemming any momentum that the Hitmen were hoping to generate.  Two mins after the kill,  NJ forward Devin Loe was able to end the Magliocco shut-out bid as his tally made the score 4-1 with 13 mins to play in the period.  That would be all the Hitmen offense could muster up on this night.  The unselfishness would  continue for AC as Young added his second of the night off a beautiful pass from line-mate Justin LaCorte.  Mackie-Kwist found LaCorte who backhanded a pass to Young for the finish, 5-1 NY.  All that was left was for the rookies to finish off what they started.  Bronzo gathered the puck off the backboards and tucked home his 3^rd of the night and 2 mins later Young re-directed a Musick point shot that found the net completing the hat-tricks and giving NY AppleCore its 3^rd road win in a row.

 “We got off to a good start, got good goaltending and made some great offensive plays in this game” concluded Coach Bretti in the postgame.  “This team has shown great character of late and winning 3 road games in 4 nights is proof of that”.

 Justin LaCorte finished with the game with 3 assists.  The win moves the AppleCore record to 8-5-1 and a tie with Boston for 3^rd place in the division.

Looking Ahead

 This weekend AppleCore concludes its busy game week by playing in the Warrior Showcase in Haverhill, MA.  The Core’ will play 3 games in 2 days.  On Friday they matchup with the Rochester Stars and Saturday they battle with Boston Jr Bruins and the New England Huskies.  All games will be played at the Haverhill Valley Forum Arena in Haverhill, MA.
 

As of Nov 9, 2011

 PHILADELPHIA, PA – A three goal outburst with less then 10 minutes to play in the third period propelled AppleCore to a decisive 6-2 victory over the Revolution.  The road win was the team’s second in three days and moved the season mark to 7-5-1 overall heading into Wednesday’s matchup with the division rival Hitmen.

The opening period was controlled by AppleCore as the road team pumped 13 shots and scored two goals on the Revolution goaltender Reed Schlender.  After two successful penalty killing efforts by the Core’, it was Rich Prunesti who put NY ahead 1-0 gathering the puck off the boards in the neutral zone and beating Schlender on the forehand off the rush for his first of two goals in the game.  AppleCore would add to the lead late in the period after a good keep by Alex Aetev at the offensive blueline led to a Keegan Traves goal as the first period came to a close.  Traves was a call-up from the Empire team given the current injury situation with the EJ club and he was able to contribute immediately scoring in his first game.

 The game would open up a bit in the second period as both teams would find the back of the net.  The Revolution struck first as John Hotchkiss scored just 2:50 in making the score 2-1.  A Frank Musick slap shot would push the Core’ lead back to 2 goals, 3-1.  The goal was Musick’s first of the season and was assisted by Kyle Zelanka.  Shortly thereafter, some sloppy play in the AppleCore end led to the second Revolution goal as CJ Cruz beat Sal Magliocco (32 saves) with a snapshot making the score 3-2.  The Core’ would get chances as the period went on as Revolution forward Ben Pulley was called for a 5 min major.  The power-play worked the puck well however was unable to break through.  Magliocco was called upon to make some quality saves on the man advantage keeping the score 3-2 as the horn sounded on the second.  The shots were 25-19 in favor of AppleCore. 

As the third period began, the Revolution pressed to get the equalizer.  Magliocco was up to the task making a number of big stops many of which were in close below the faceoff dots.  AppleCore was able to defend well until Prunesti carried the puck through the neutral zone, split two Philly defenseman and buried the puck on the backhand through the legs of the Revolution netminder making the score 4-2.  The goal seemed to take the air out of the Revolution’s attack as less then two minutes later, it was Mike Davie who finished off a 2 on 1with a beautiful shot raising the deficit to three and all but icing the game for the Core’.  Defenseman Jimmy Brown’s first goal of the season on a wrist shot from the point with three minutes remaining would conclude the scoring and AppleCore would skate off with a well-deserved 6-2 win.

After the game Coach Bretti was quick to point out the play of his blueline, “I thought our defense did a great job of getting shots through to the net.  We talked about that before the game as being one of the keys to winning and we were able to accomplish that today, a big road win”.

 Shots were 39-34 in favor of AppleCore.  The win places the Core’ in a 4^th place tie with the Hitmen in the Southern Division.

 Looking Ahead

 No rest for the Core’ as they travel to Wayne, NJ for a matchup with the Hitmen on Wednesday, gametime is 5:15pm.  After the Hitmen game, the team will travel to Massachusetts and will play 3 games in 2 days.  On Friday they matchup with the Rochester Stars and Saturday they battle with Boston Jr Bruins and the New England Huskies.  All games will be played in Haverhill, MA at the Haverhill Valley Forum Arena.
 

As of Nov 7, 2011

 SPRINGFIELD, MA – On Saturday night AppleCore faced off with Springfield in a matchup of Southern Division rivals.  The Pics used three second period goals to break the game open and finished with a 9-3 victory over visiting AppleCore.

 The Core’ jumped out early when Rich Prunesti combined with John DeFeo and Tyler Young 35 seconds into the game to put AC ahead 1-0.  Springfield would then score 8 of the game’s next 9 goals including two on the power-play and anchored by the goaltending of Linus Lundin (27 saves) took the first game of the weekend series.

 Alex Ataev and Kevin Szopa scored the other goals for the Core’ in the loss.

 Sal Magliocco took the loss for AC facing a total of 56 shots.  Springfield would go 3-6 on the powerplay and the Core’ went 0-4 on their man advantages.

 On Saturday afternoon, the same two teams faced-off in what would be a spirited affair that included 17 penalties combined.  AppleCore again jumped out to an early first period lead rattling off three un-answered goals including Kevin Lohan’s first of the campaign and this time was able to make them stand as the team battled to an important road split wining the game 3-2.  Matthew Noreen got the call in net for the Core’ and was solid with 34 saves earning his first victory of the season.

 Mike Mackie-Kwist tallied 2 assists and Tyler Young and Joe Mitchell scored goals in the victory.

 The win marked the third time in the last 3 series that AppleCore earned a split by winning the second game of the weekend.  The first 2 series were home games.

 “This was a huge win for our club” remarked coach Bretti.  “After losing the way we did on Saturday to be able to bounce back the next day and respond with that type of performance to avoid being swept was big”.

 AppleCore ended the weekend with a 6-5-1 record and has games in-hand with the other teams in the EJ’s Southern Division.  Fishman, Mascaro, Krotz and Reilly remained out of the line-up this weekend, rehabbing injuries.

 Looking Ahead

 The road games continue this week for the Core’ with 2 mid-week games.  The team travels to Philadelphia for a Tuesday afternoon tilt against the Revolution at 2pm and then head back south on Wednesday for a 5:15pm game against the rival NJ Hitmen.  On Friday, the team will travel to Massachusetts and will play 3 games in 2 days.  On Friday they matchup with the Rochester Stars and Saturday they battle with Boston Jr Bruins and the New England Huskies.  All games will be played in Haverhill, MA at the Haverhill Valley Forum Arena.
 

As of Nov 2, 2011

 LONG BEACH, NY – Apple Core received timely goals and stellar goaltending on Saturday night to earn a hard fought 3-2 victory over the visiting Valley Jr. Warriors.  Goaltender Sal Magliocco made 43 saves and John DeFeo’s goal half way through the second period lifted the team to their second consecutive home win.

 After some sloppy play to start the period, both teams settled in and exchanged scoring chances towards the end of the stanza.  Each team went on the power-play once in the period and both goalies were forced to make quality saves.  Valley starting goaltender Noah Klag finished with 18 on the night, which included 8 in the first period.  The first period would end scoreless with Valley outshooting AC 11-8.

 Apple Core would come out of the gates quickly in the second period.  Off the opening face-off the puck was sent into the Valley zone when Mike Bronzo was able to chip the puck behind the net to Mike Mackie-Kwist who quickly found Justin LaCorte in the high slot area for a laser-like one-timer to the top corner of the net.  The snipe would come just 11 seconds into the frame and gave Apple Core the lead, 1-0. Six minutes later, a cross-checking call on Core’ defenseman Alex Ataev would put Valley on the power-play.  Valley winger, Josh Woody, would eventually tie the score on the PP after he put the puck past Magliocco at the 7:40 mark of the second.  The Warriors would end up outshooting the Core’ 29-13 through the first 2 periods. With the score tied at one, the stage was set for an exciting third period of hockey.

 The third period opened with both teams getting scoring chances on the power-play.  Apple Core forward Kevin Szopa was stopped on the doorstep of an odd-man rush opportunity.  Shortly thereafter, with the play in the Apple Core end, a heads-up play by AC defenseman Kevin Lohan lead to instant offense.  The righty broke up the play just inside the defensive blueline and started the counter-attack.  The puck would be picked up by Rich Prunesti who after some nifty passing with line-mate Tyler Young, fired a pass over to DeFeo who buried the puck behind Klag, giving the home team a 2-1 advantage.  Less then a minute later, Apple Core would find themselves on the power-play and the first unit of Mackie-Kwist; Prunesti and DeFeo with Masucci and Musick on defense, worked the puck well looking for an opening.  The puck would end up down low where a goalmouth feed gave Mackie-Kwist the opportunity to hammer home his 3^rd goal of the season.  The goal would put the Core’ up 3-1 with 11mins to go in the period.  Valley would not go quietly and continued to press to get the game to 3-2.  Magliocco was forced to make a number of quality stops as the period wore on.  The Warriors pumped 16 shots in all at the netminder for the period until Mark Meads was able to crack the wall with 21 seconds to go.  The Core’ would hold on earning the 3-2 victory.

 Apple Core ended the game 1-2 on the man-advantage while Valley went 1-4.

 In the second game of the weekend held Sunday morning, Valley scored 2 short-handed goals in the first period and eventually skating off the island with a 6-0 win.  John Rogeri scored 2 goals and added an assist to lead the scoring and goaltender Fabian Sivnert kicked away all 30 shots to buoy the Warriors to a solid road victory. 

Matt Noreen (27 saves) got the call in net for AC and performed well making stops early and often.  Second opportunity shots were abundant and Valley was able to jump on lose pucks keeping the Core’ on their heels most of the game. The early short-handed goals proved too much to overcome for the home team. 

Apple Core was able to generate decent scoring chances however were unable to solve Sivnert.  The Core’ would end the game going 0-3 on the power-play.

Apple Core continues to be bitten with the injury bug as both Ron Fishman and Kurt Krotz missed the weekend’s action with health issues.  Mascaro and Reilly continue to rehab their injuries as well.

 After the game Coach Bretti commented, “I thought we competed well.  They capitalized on some of our mistakes; we dug too deep a hole for ourselves surrendering to shorthanded goals against a quality team like Valley”.

 The win moved Valley’s record to 9-6-1 in league play good enough for 2^nd place in the EJ’s Northern Division.  Apple Core finished the weekend with a record of 5-4-1.

  Looking Ahead

 This weekend Apple Core travels to Massachusetts for an important series with Southern Division foe, Springfield Pics.  Games will be held on Saturday at 6:20pm and Sunday at 12:20pm.
 

As of Oct 17, 2011

LONG BEACH, NY - The South Shore Kings got a 4 point night from the EJHL’s leading scorer, Jimmy Vesey and held on to defeat NY AppleCore 6-4 in the opener of the two game series on Saturday night at the Long Beach Ice Arena.

 The visiting Kings had two first period power-plays and carried the play early before Joe Prescott got them on the board 5 minutes in.  Tyler Young would respond a minute later for AppleCore after some solid work below the hashmarks by John DeFeo.  DeFeo was able to move the puck to the point where defenseman Alex Ataev fired a hard shot on net which was re-directed by Young.  The game would remain tied until Vesey netted his first of the night off a nice feed from Nick Bligh.

 The second period opened with the score 2-1 in favor of the Kings and just 2 minutes in, AppleCore found themselves with a two-man advantage.  The Core’ moved the puck well and created good scoring chances however were unable to beat South Shore goaltender Derick Roy (32 saves) who was good all night.  AppleCore center Rich Prunesti was stopped on the doorstep towards the end of the power-play and the penalty kill would give the Kings the momentum.  One minute after the kill, Tyler Cook beat Core’ goalie Sal Magliocco with a shot from inside the blueline that seemed to fool the AppleCore netminder and may have been deflected on its way to into the net.  Forward Justin LaCorte would score his second goal of the season on a nice rush up ice by AppleCore.  Tyler Young received a pass from Ataev, fired a low, hard shot on goal which was kicked away by Roy to the stick of a streaking LaCorte who buried the puck on the forehand bringing the home team to within one as the second period ended. 

Shots were 25-24 in favor of the Kings as the third period began.  AppleCore would come out of the gates with good jump in the third stanza however were not able to get the tying goal.  Kings goalie Roy was up to the task and fended off quality chance after quality chance for AppleCore.  Defenseman Zander Masucci took a hooking penalty at the 6:38 mark and Dean Niezgoda took a hard pass from Jonathan Mleczko and beat Magliocco blocker side with the shot from the slot.  The power-play marker would put the Kings up 4-2. South Shore stretched the lead to 6-2 with an empty net goal before AppleCore fought back with two late goals by Mike Davie and Ryan Connolly bringing the score to 6-4 as the final buzzer sounded.

 The Kings ended the game going 1 for 6 on the power-play and 38 shots on net while AppleCore went 2 for 8 generating 36 shots on goal.

In the second game of the weekend, AppleCore broke through twice in the first period and Sal Magliocco made the goals stand up backstopping the Core’ to an exciting 3-1 victory over the Kings. 

Sunday’s game included a little bit of everything for the casual hockey fan.  A quick pace, scoring chances at both ends, penalties, strong physical play in all three zones and top flight goaltending were all present in what amounted to a very entertaining junior hockey game.

 A satisfied Coach Bretti explained after the game, “I thought it was a fun game to watch. The game was played at a high level and it was a good experience for both teams to play in this type of game that came down to the wire”. 

It was evident from the start that both clubs were focused on putting the prior night’s game behind them.  AppleCore was determined to get off to better start then they did on Saturday night and the Kings were looking to continue to take the game on the offense firing 17 shots on net in the opening 20 minutes.  The Core’ would indeed get off to a better start as Rich Prunesti found the back of the net hammering the puck past Kings starter Robert Levin (29 saves) at the 11:28 mark of the first period.  The goal was a result of some gritty work by line-mates Mike Bronzo and Kevin Szopa.  The teams would then exchange opportunities until Justin LaCorte found himself in alone on Levin and with a quick deke to the back-hand, the Core’ found themselves with a well-deserved 2-0 lead.  The rush up ice was started by winger Mike Mackie-Kwist who passed the puck to Alex Ataev who in turn fired a perfect pass onto the tape of the streaking LaCorte.  The goal was LaCorte’s second of the weekend and the assist by Ataev was his second helper of the series.  The first period would end with the shots 17-11 in favor of the Kings and it was clear that AppleCore netminder Magliocco was up to the challenge. 

Center Rich Prunesti scored the first goal of the game on Sunday in the 3-1 Apple Core win over the Kings.

With the start of the second period, so started the parade to the penalty box for AppleCore.  Five penalties in all for the Core’ including three in consecutive fashion which proved to be slightly more then the home team could kill off as Jimmy Vesey converted on a rebound off a Tyler Cook point shot.  The goal, scored on the PP with 20 seconds to go was his 13th on the season good enough for first in EJHL scoring.  The goal cut the AppleCore lead in half heading into the second intermission.

 An interference call on Kings forward Nick Cruice at the end of the second period would be the start of the Kings parade to the penalty box as they earned the next four consecutive minors.  AppleCore put tremendous pressure on looking to get that all important 2-goal lead back but the Kings penalty killers, including Levin, were up to the task killing off each of the penalties gaining momentum for the final ten minutes of the period.  Enter AppleCore goaltender Sal Magliocco whose 39 saves, many of the spectacular variety, enabled the Core’ to earn the split, not allowing his team to get swept at home.

 When asked what the difference was from his point of view from Saturday night’s game, the goaltender was quick to cite the team effort, “the defense did a great job letting me see the puck, they battled the entire game from the first shift on. This was a big split for us”.

 Joe Mitchell was able to put the icing on the cake with his empty-net goal and AppleCore improved their record to 4-3-1 on the year.  The loss was only the Kings 4th in 13 games and they maintain their division lead in the EJ’s South Division.

  Looking Ahead

 AppleCore is off until Saturday October 29th when they resume their 4-game home-stand against the Valley Junior Warriors.  Game one will be held at 8pm on Saturday and the puck drops for the second game of the series at 11am Sunday, October 30th.
 

Magliocco pitches shut-out;
Apple  Core cruises to victory over Selects

As of Oct 14,2011

 WEST POINT, NY – Looking to build on Monday’s solid win in Rochester, AppleCore took to the ice against the CD Selects on Wednesday and one thing was evident, the offense was ready.  Goaltender Sal Magliocco (30 saves) was good early, allowing his team to adjust to the larger ice surface and 4 minutes into the second period the offense broke out scoring 3 goals in 3 minutes leading the Core’ to an 8-0 road victory, the team’s second in three days.

 The duo of John DeFeo and Rich Prunesti continued their strong play of late combining for 7 points including a second period hat-trick for DeFeo.  The scoring began 6 minutes into the second as DeFeo converted his first Prunesti set-up on the forehand after some nice passwork down low involving Tyler Young (2 assists) .  He would add another tally shortly thereafter.  Prunesti then tucked home his 4th of the season on the backhand.  Ryan Connolly

 would get on the board as well and then it was Prunesti & DeFeo hooking up again as Prunesti hit a streaking DeFeo with a perfect strike up the center of the ice sending the righty in alone on Selects goaltender Joe Lynch (37 saves). The goal would complete the hat-trick for the winger and stretched the lead to 5-0 at the end of the second.

 The offensive onslaught would continue for the Core’ in the third period with 2 goals by Mike Davie and a goal by Kyle Zelanka, his first of the campaign.  Michael Mackie-Kwist played a solid two-way game and set-up Zelanka with an open-net late in the third.

 Prunesti lead the scoring with 4 points, DeFeo, Connelly & Davie each ended the night with three points.

 The game was not all positive for the Core’ as late in the third period forward Mike Mascaro went down with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss some time.  He joins fellow forward Colin Reilly who is on the mend recovering from a finger injury.  

Magliocco and Apple Core earn their first shut-out of the season and now gear up for a tough series with the South Shore Kings.

After the game Coach Bretti commented, “Overall I was pleased with all phases of our performance tonight.  I thought we had great puck possession throughout the game and were able to break through with some goals in second period”. 
 

Looking Ahead:
 This weekend marks the opening home series for the Core’ as they play host to the division leading South Shore Kings.  The first game of the weekend is Saturday, October 15^th at 8:15pm followed by game 2 the following morning at 11:00am.

Apple Core Jr. bounces back,
earns split with Rochester Stars

As of Oct 11,2011

 ROCHESTER, NY - In the first of two games against the Rochester Stars, goaltender Gordon Ceaser was the story stopping all 35 shots he faced leading the Stars to a 2-0 shutout victory.  Ceaser had to be good early and he was turning away 19 first period shots including a couple of very good chances for the Core’ in tight.  The Core’ would carry the majority of play in the first but the Rochester penalty killers successfully killed off two Apple Core power-plays to end the stanza scoreless.

 “I thought we had our best period of the season but couldn’t come away with any goals to show for it.  Rochester did a good job of packing it in tight but at some point we have to convert”, explained Coach Bretti in the postgame.  “Give their goaltender credit, he was the difference”.

Rochester was resilient in the second period fending off numerous quality chances from the Core’.  In the first minute of the period, forwards Prunesti and DeFeo combined for a great scoring chance however DeFeo was unable to solve Ceaser.  Apple Core’s offensive frustrations would continue to build as chance after chance was being turned away.  The Stars killed off an early 5 on 3 opportunity against which maintained the deadlock until with just over 2 mins to play in the period, Tyler Wolf converted a 2 on 1 break for Rochester firing a forehand past Apple Core goaltender Sal Magliocco (27 saves).  The goal was an even strength goal and the period ended with the shots 30-18 in favor of the Core’.

 A late third period tally by Dylan Shapiro gave Rochester the insurance they needed putting them ahead 2-0, locking up the victory.  Both teams would finish the game 0-5 on the power-play and the loss dropped Apple Core to 1-2-1 going into game 2 of the weekend held on Monday afternoon.

 The second game of the weekend was a game of “firsts” for Apple Core as Mike Davie, Tyler Young and Zander Masucci each scored their first goals of the season.  In addition, Joe Mitchell tallied the first point of his season earning an assist on Apple Core’s first goal. The Core was able to find their grove offensively rattling off five unanswered goals, from five different players resulting in a 5-2 victory and weekend split with the Stars.  After a scoreless first period in which the Stars were held to only one shot on goal, Core’ forward Mike Davie got NY on the board as he combined on a nice pass play with Mitchell burying the puck igniting the bench.

 Apple Core would then find themselves on the Power-Play and Rich Prunesti made no mistake with the goalmouth feed from DeFeo hammering the puck past Stars goalie Josh Opladen (26 saves).

 The scoring would continue just 44 seconds later for Apple Core as forward Tyler Young earned his first goal of the season.  Young displayed great patience as he fired a quick snapshot past Opladen from the slot.  The goal would put a cap on a good weekend for Young who had some effective PK shifts on Sunday as well. Fishman earned assists on both goals.

 Five minutes later, Zander Masucci potted his first tally on a great shot, putting the puck just inside the post as he cut from the boards to the high slot area shooting against the grain.

 Rochester made a goaltending change to start the third period and Justin LaCorte greeted the new Stars goalie with a hard snapshot to the upper portion of the net.  The goal was a result of some good work with linemate Mike Mascaro and would wrap up the scoring for Apple Core making the score 5-1.

 Sal Magliocco (17 saves) got the call again in net for the Core’ and was there when needed providing key saves not allowing the Stars to gain momentum.

 The Core’ averaged 38 shots per game over the weekend, firing 43 on net in Monday’s game.  The team will need to continue to work on finishing opportunities as the season progresses.

The win gives Apple Core a .500 record through 5 league games.

 After the game, Coach Bretti was pleased that his team finally was able to break through, “for the second game in a row I felt we came out and had an impressive first period but again were held scoreless.  I thought our team responded well to some of the adjustments we made with our lines and we’re all happy that we were finally able to put the puck in the net scoring 5 unanswered”.

  Looking Ahead

 Tomorrow, the Core’ will return to action for a mid-week road game against the Capital District Selects before returning to Long Island for two home games against the division leading South Shore Kings on October 15 & 16.  The Selects game will be held in West Point, NY on the campus of the US Military Academy.  The game will mark the second time the teams face each other this season with the Selects having won the first game 6-5 in OT.   

Apple Core looks to even the score, puck drops at 5:15pm.
 

MARLBORO, MA – Apple Core opened league play on Friday afternoon against the Green Mountain Glades.  The game was tightly contested throughout and it took a shoot-out to declare the Core’ the eventual winners.  Forward John Defeo continued his strong early season play scoring the first goal of the game just over a minute in as Apple Core was able to capitalize on a Glades neutral zone turnover.  Centerman Rich Prunesti jumped off the bench with speed, gained the zone and slid the puck to Defeo for the finish. The middle portion of the half included some decent scoring opportunities for both clubs until Collin Britnell’s tally with 44 seconds to go in the half tied the score as his wrist shot beat goaltender Sal Magliocco (24 saves).  Both teams would continue to exchange quality chances in the second half and solid goaltending and defensive play sent the game into OT.  Apple Core’s PK led by Magliocco in net, successfully killed-off four Glades power-plays in the second half alone.  After a scoreless OT period in which Apple Core outshot the Glades, the game would move to the always exciting shootout.  DeFeo would start the scoring in the SO for the Core’ with a smooth deke to the backhand placing the puck upstairs over the fallen Vermont goalie Dylan Troiano (25 saves).  After some impressive stops by Magliocco, it was Fishman’s turn to go to the backhand as he too tucked one under the bar.  After a Vermont goal by Dominic Trento that tied the score, Justin LaCorte’s backhander through the legs of Troiano put AppleCore up 1 setting the stage for Magliocco.  Magliocco settled in and showed good patience stopping the snap-shot of Glades forward Steven Esposito ending the game in dramatic fashion for the New York team earning them their first league points of the year.

 After the game, Head Coach Frank Bretti commented, “I thought the game was evenly played for the most part.  We got a strong effort from our PK unit which included some big stops by Magliocco.  It was great to see some of our players score some nice goals in the shoot-out, lifting us to the win”

 In Apple Core’s second game of the weekend held on Saturday morning, the host Bruins jumped out to an early 2-0 lead and held on to defeat the Core’ 5-3 handing Apple Core its first league loss of the season.

 Both teams came out of the gates exchanging early scoring chances until a defensive zone turnover by Apple Core led to a Zach Luczyk goal for the Bruins, his first of two in the game.  Thirty-four seconds later, a hard Bruins forecheck led to the second goal of the game as winger Thane Heller scored from the doorstep, slipping the puck past AppleCore goaltender Sal Magliocco putting the Bruins out in front to an early two-goal lead.

 Apple Core demonstrated good character by striking back four and a half minutes later after a slashing call against the Bruins gave the Core’ a 2-man advantage.  Mike Mackie-Kwist scored his first of two goals in the game as he re-directed a hard pass from Rich Prunesti pulling the Core’ to within a goal. Three minutes later Apple Core would again find themselves up a man and Prunesti buried a centering pass from John DeFeo tying the game with 8 mins to go in the half.

With 2:30 remaining in the first half, another slashing call against the Bruins put the Core’ on its third power-play of the game.  The strong power-play of DeFeo, Prunesti, Mackie-Kwist, Fishman, Mascucci and Musick generated quality scoring chances with solid work along the boards however were unable to find the back of the net.  The first half would draw to a close with the score tied at 2 and Apple Core outshooting the Bruins 20-17.

The second half opened with both teams skating at full strength.  The Bruins would score the next two goals of the game in a span of 2:30 essentially putting the game away.  A breakdown in the Apple Core defensive zone off a face-off led to Luczyk’s second goal of the game making the score 3-2 and 1:30 minutes later on the power-play, the game-winner making the score 4-2.

Apple Core would continue to battle and was able to cut the deficit in half after a strong penalty kill.  Core’ forward Mike Mascaro gained the offensive blueline along the boards and fired a pass to a streaking Mackie-Kwist who buried the puck past Bruins goalie, Brendan Leahy.  That would be all for the Core’ as the Bruins would add to their lead with four minutes to go eventually going on to win the game 5-3.

 Throughout the game for the Core’, the trio of Davie; LaCorte and Mascaro did a solid job possessing the puck and confidently controlling the play on each of their shifts.

 Offensively, Apple Core was led in the game by the line of DeFeo, Prunesti and Mackie-Kwist who accounted for 6 points.  Mackie-Kwist was the leader with 2g, 1a

 Magliocco ended the game with 31 saves and the Bruins outshot the Core’ 36-34.

 Coach Bretti was relatively pleased after the game, “I was real happy with our team’s performance in the game despite the loss.  We made a few mistakes and the Bruins were able to capitalize on those errors.  I was happy with the power-play unit, they moved the puck well and more importantly, were able to finish some nice goals”

 In Apple Core’s final game of the weekend the team faced off against EJHL foe the Capital Districts Selects.  Matt Batis’s goal 1:48 into the OT period gave the Selects their first win of the weekend, 6-5.  Matthew Noreeen got the call in net for the Core’ and concluded the game with 22 saves.  John Defeo continued to build on his strong play offensively this season putting Apple Core up 1-0 just 1:25 into the first stanza.  Michael Mascaro was able to steal the puck from a Selects player and found DeFeo in alone.  DeFeo made no mistake on the play lifting the puck on the backhand over CD’s goalie, Peter Mason. 

The Selects would even the score on the PP before Apple Core scored the next two goals 60 seconds apart to take a 3-1 lead.  The Core’s second goal was a result of good pressure down low in the offensive zone.  Defenseman Alex Ataev scored his first goal of the season when his pointshot was able to find it way through to the back of the net.  Apple Core would continue to carry the play with good puck pursuit which led to their third goal, 60 seconds later.  Rich Prunesti netted his second of the weekend as he banged home a forehand off a nice feed from Defeo.

 Capital Districts would respond reeling off the next 4 goals of the game including 2 on the power-play making the score 5-3 Selects late into the second half.

 The last 5 mins of the game would prove to be action packed.  Right-handed Apple Core defenseman Ron Fishman would score the next two goals in dramatic fashion and the game was tied 5-5 as the horn sounded on regulation time.  Fishman’s first of two would come off a nice feed from Prunesti firing a wrist shot past Mason with 1:20 seconds remaining.  One minute later, after the Core was called for the team’s tenth penalty of the night (compared to three minors called on the Selects), the smooth skating Fishman would again strike, this time short-handed on the backhand as the final horn sounded off a breakaway pass from DeFeo. 

The game however would end abruptly for the Core’ just under 2 minutes into OT when Batis connected off a pass from Sean Spero ending the game and handing Apple Core its second loss of the day.

Apple Core was 0-1 on the man advantage and Capital Districts were 3 for 8 which proved to be the difference in the end.

 “We were lucky to come away with a point in this game”, explained Bretti. 

 “I thought we showed great character with Fishman scoring 2 goals with under 2 mins to play in the game but give Capital Districts credit, they battled and deserved to win the game.  Their energy level was higher then ours and that showed on the power-play, we go 0 for 1 and they go 3 for 8, usually that leads to a loss and it did tonight.  This is learning process for a young team and I feel we can and will make those adjustments as the season moves on”.

 John Defeo ended the weekend with 6pts, including a 4pt performance against the Selects, which leads the Core’ in scoring.

 Looking Ahead:

Apple Core will be off next weekend before traveling to Rochester for two games on October 9^th at 8:30pm and October 10^th at 12:30pm.

 On Oct 12^th, the Core will play a mid-week game against the CD Selects in West Point’s Tate Rink on the campus of the U.S. Military Academy at 5:30pm.

Apple Core Junior concludes pre-season
schedule with undefeated record. 
Strong play at Hitman Classic moves record to 8-0

As of Sept 20, 2011

 WAYNE, NJ – In the Core’s opening game of the Jersey Hitmen Classic against the Florida Eels (EJ South), winger Mike Mackie-Kwist scored what turned out to be the game wining goal six minutes into the second period with assists by John Defeo and Rich Prunesti and AppleCore outshot the Eels 37-10 enroute to a spirited 3-1 victory.

 On Saturday afternoon, the Core’ matched up against the Vermont Green Mountain Glades (EJHL) in the team’s second game of the weekend.  Goaltending and special teams proved  to be the keys as goaltender Sal Magliocco stopped all 29 shots faced leading NY AppleCore to a 3-0 victory over the Glades.

 AppleCore winger Mike Bronzo’s power-play tally with 1:37 left on the clock in the first period proved to be the game winner as he fired a wrist-shot over the shoulder of Glades goaltender Jeremy Eck as the first stanza drew to a close.

 The second period opened with a number of solid scoring chances by a quick-skating Vermont team.  Magliocco stood strong stopping all shots including a number of quality chances while Vermont had the man advantage.  The Core’s penalty killing effort, which was highlighted by an impressive SH tally by Justin LaCorte, proved to be the difference.  In a tremendous individual effort, LaCorte tipped the puck past a Glades defenseman at center ice, won a race to the puck and beat goaltender Eck on the backhand through the legs, putting the Core’ up 2-0 with 12 mins to go in the second.  As a unit, the work of forwards LaCorte, Mike Mascaro, Mike Davie and Tyler Young as well as defensemen Ron Fishman and Zander Mascucci helped pave the way to the shutout for Magliocco.

 After the game, AppleCore Head Coach Frank Bretti was quick to point out how he felt of the effort, “No question about it, our goaltending, defense and the PK were instrumental in getting this victory”.

 On Sunday, in the final non-league exhibition game of the season for AppleCore, goals by Mike Mackie-Kwist, Mike Bronzo, Tyler Young and John Defeo powered New York to a 4-3 victory over the Hampton Junior Whalers (Hampton, VA).  The victory was the Core’s third in four days allowing them to complete the Hitman Classic with a perfect 3-0 record.

 Forward John Defeo led the team in scoring for the weekend with 4 pts (2g, 2a).

At the conclusion of the weekend, Coach Bretti commented on the team’s young season to this point, “Overall I have been pleased with our progress beginning with the first spring showcase leading up to the final exhibition games this past weekend.  We are all anxious to get the regular season underway.  The preseason has served its purpose in that the team has gotten to know one another while allowing me to get a better understanding of our personnel.  I’ve been impressed with the team’s focus and commitment to this point and look forward to continued improvement in all areas as we strive for a high standard of play throughout the season.”

 EJHL League play opens this weekend at the Boston Jr Bruins Showcase in Marlboro, MA. AppleCore will open the weekend with a matchup against the Vermont Glades on Friday at 4pm.  Saturday the team will play two games.  The first at 11am verses the host Boston Jr Bruins and the second game wraps up the weekend against the Capital District Selects at 8pm.
 

As of Sept 8, 2011

The 2011-12 Apple Core Junior team completed its first week of training camp by posting five victories in two different venues in conjunction with practices and off ice training sessions. Only returning four players from last season’s team, the new look roster arrived in Long Beach on Monday for their opening practice. On Tuesday, the team was put through a series of tests at the Professional Athletic Performance Center in Garden City, NY conducted by strength coach Scott Muggeo. 

 Wednesday the team traveled to Brown University in Providence, RI to play exhibition games where they completed a two game sweep, beating the Neponset Valley River Rats U18 and Connecticut Bobcats U18 Elite. A handful of college scouts were in attendance to speak with a few of our players. The Core would return home for practice on Thursday, followed by another off ice training session at the PAPC. Friday brought the final practice of the week.  

On the weekend, they were off to Cromwell, CT for a series of three games in the Hartford Wolf Pack Showcase. Facing the host Wolf Pack in the opening game, the team went on to a 3-1 victory led by strong goal tending by Sal Magliocco. The Core received another strong showing in goal in the second game by Matt Noreen and held off Wilks Barre, PA 2-1. The team would face a tough opponent on Sunday’s second game, the Springfield Pics of the EJHL. After a 2-2 tie in the first half, the Core outscored the Pics 4-1 in the second half in route to a 6-3 victory. Goals by Rich Prunesti, John Defeo, Mike Davie, Mike Mackie Kwist, and Ryan Connolly proved to be  the difference. Ron Fishman and Zander Masucci commanded the defense throughout the weekend. Tyler Young, Mike Mascaro and Justin Lacorte put in solid efforts with great set up plays to aid in the goal scoring. Sal Magliocco had another strong performance, especially in the first half when the Pics seemed to be on top of their game.

First year coach Frank Bretti comments on his opening week, “ I was very pleased with our overall effort and focus throughout the week. I was impressed with our second half play in the Pics game where we outscored a good team 4-1. It was an encouraging sign considering this concluded a tough seven day work week. ”  

 The team will be idle this weekend and will resume its exhibition schedule participating in the New Jersey Hitmen showcase on Thursday, September 15th at 6:00 pm in Wayne, NJ. Games on Saturday and Sunday finalize this three game showcase.

                                                                                4/5/2010

                                                                                3/7/2010

                                                                                3/03/2010

                                                                                                                                  March 5,2010

APPLE CORE DEFENSEMAN ARTHUR GRIEM 
TO THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT

 Long Beach, NY – The New York Apple Core Junior Program is proud to announce that defenseman Arthur Griem has committed to play for the University of Vermont (UVM) inthe fall.  

Griem, a ’90 birth year from Grosse Pointe Shores, Michigan, is one of the league’s top
 defensive defenseman and leads Apple Core with an impressive +22 plus/minus rating.
Arthur, who stands in at 6’3” 205lbs, represented Apple Core at the 2010 EJHL All-Star
 Game where he scored a goal in the contest. In 41 EJHL regular season games this year, he registered 1g and 7a for 8pts and 88 PIMs. Other Apple Core alumni who attended UVM include, Tom Collingham, Mike Arcieri and Gerard Miller.

UVM is located in Burlington, VT and competes in the Division 1 Hockey East Conference. Arthur looks to make an immediate impact in Coach Sneddon’s Catamount lineup next season.