Two goals by Cody Warila and one each by Steve Gregory and Andrew Hildreth sparked the United States to a 4-3 victory over the Czech Republic in the bronze-medal game of the World Junior (under-20) Championships June 25-29 at St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada.

The bronze was the second straight medal won by the US at the biennial competition. Hildreth was named Outstanding Defenseman at WJC ‘08, while forward Bobby Housser made the all-tournament team. The US lost to Slovakia in the semifinals, 6-5 in overtime.

“The loss to Slovakia was disappointing, but the bronze medal is very satisfying,” said Mark Madden, US head coach. “To add this medal to the gold we won at Aosta ’06 shows that the United States is consistently a major player at the junior level of international street hockey. We’ve cracked the ‘Big Three’ of Canada, the Czechs and the Slovaks and made it a ‘Big Four.’ That’s a huge accomplishment.”

The United States had plenty of top players, but standing out above the rest was Hildreth.

“An absolute monster,” said Madden. “Hildo was like Godzilla rampaging through Tokyo. He scored spectacular goals at crucial times, played great defense and played a ton, 25-30 minutes some games. We couldn’t have asked for any more from Hildo. He did a terrific job as captain, too.

“Bobby Housser was his usual spectacular self. He was the MVP at Aosta, and following that up with an all-tournament berth here says a lot about his consistency.

“Steve Gregory and Cody Warila didn’t win any awards, but deserve high praise. Steve tied the game against the Slovaks with 28 seconds left in regulation. Cody’s two goals against the Czechs were the result of a monumental effort on his part. Goals are great; big goals at big moments are special.

“No one let us down. Bill Sullivan was the perfect complement on a line with Housser and Warila. Aaron Hahne won practically every draw. Mike Colcord, Chris Liebers, Ryan Saylor and Taylor Trudeau were outstanding on defense. Chris Nikitas played some gutsy goal. Doug Croteau was awesome on the PK. The list just goes on. We got energy and production from a lot of sources.”

The US will return just two players – forwards Anthony DeMarco and Mitchell Faust – for WJC 2010 in Austria, but a foundation has been laid and the momentum is strong.

“This isn’t easy,” said Madden, US Coach since 2002. “It takes a while to get the gist of what’s necessary. Talent is huge, but the right fit is just as important. Now that everyone involved with the program understands that, I don’t see the US junior team taking any steps backward.”

Madden praised the effort of the St. John’s organizing committee – “Easily the best-run world championships I’ve ever been at,” he said – and also noted the passion and pride of first-year team Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Bosnians went 0-5 but never stopped competing.

“They were amazing,” Madden said. “We beat them 16-0, but their commitment and desire made it a fun game to play. We took a group photo with them afterward, and I considered that an honor for us.”

SCORES

*US 4, Italy 2 (Goals: Warila 2, Hildreth, Saylor)

*Canada 10, US 3 (Goals: S. Gregory 2, Faust)

*US 16, Bosnia-Herzegovina 0 (Goals: Colcord 2, Croteau 2, Housser 2, Saylor 2, Warila 2, John Bearer, Corey DeMarco, Faust, S. Gregory, Liebers, Mike Nauman)

*Slovakia 6, US 5 (OT) (Goals: Hildreth 2, Colcord, S. Gregory, Housser)

*US 4, Czech Republic 3 (Goals: Warila 2, S. Gregory, Hildreth)

For more information, go to WJC08.com!

US ROSTER ANNOUNCED FOR WJC ’08!

The team Street Hockey USA will send to the 2008 World Junior Championships at St. John’s, Newfoundland, Canada June 25-29 has been announced. The roster includes six members of the team that won gold at WJC '06 at Aosta, Italy: forwards Bobby Housser, Bill Sullivan and Cody Warila, defensemen Anthony Cornacchia and Andrew Hildreth and goaltender Pete Cosentino.

Here is the complete US roster:

Goal – Pete Cosentino, PA; Chris Nikitas, MA

Defense – Mike Colcord, MA; Anthony Cornacchia, MA; Anthony Fortunato, MA; Andrew Hildreth, MA; Chris Liebers, PA; Ryan Saylor, PA; Mark Trudeau, MA

Forwards – John Bearer, PA; Doug Croteau, MA; Anthony DeMarco, NJ; Corey DeMarco, NJ; Mitchell Faust, PA; Dan Gregory, PA; Steve Gregory, PA; Aaron Hahne, PA; Bobby Housser, MA; Mike Nauman, PA; Bill Sullivan, PA; Cody Warila, MA

General Manager – Chris Housser, MA

Coach – Mark Madden, PA

Assistant Coaches – Mark Colcord, MA; Corey Herschk, PA

NEW STAFF APPOINTED FOR U.S. WOMEN

Maria Macarle of Long Island has been appointed General Manager of the U.S. Women's
National Team that will compete in the 2009 Women's World Ball Hockey Championships.
Joining Maria on the staff are assistant GM/assistant coach Mary O'Halloran of
Stoneham, MA; assistant GM Gina D'Amaro of Long Island; and assistant GM Lauren
Apollo of Hull, MA. Apollo will continue in her playing role as team captain.
Candidates for the head coaching role are still being considered. Maria, Mary, Gina
and Lauren will begin assembling the U.S. team for 2009, and the American Street
Hockey Institute is extremely confident in their ability to select the players that
will lead the U.S. to a medal! If you'd like more information on the U.S. Women's
National Team, contact Maria at maffecc@aol.com.

US KIDS FOURTH AT CANADIAN JR. NATIONALS

The Flyers then lost to the eventual champion Edmonton Avalanche in the semis, 4-2. The win was Edmonton’s closest of the tournament, with the Avalanche snapping a 1-1 tie in the game’s final two minutes. The Flyers then bowed to the Newfoundland Stars in the bronze medal game, 4-3 in overtime.

"This was a great experience for our players as we prepare for the 2008 World Junior Championships in Newfoundland,” said Mark Madden, the team’s coach and coach of the US Junior National Team. “We found out quite a bit about a lot of players. This tournament was an important part of our program’s building process.

"Edmonton is a great team and deserving champion. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of their players on Team Canada next year. But we played them even in the semis, and we were really the only team to do that.”

The Flyers’ forwards were led by Bobby Housser of Leominster, MA. The MVP at last year’s World Junior Championships and the 2006 ISBHF World Junior Player of the Year, Housser had five goals and four assists en route to earning all-tournament honors.

But the team’s top scorer was defenseman Andrew Hildreth, also a native of Leominster and, like Housser, a member of last year’s gold medal-winning US team at the World Junior Championships in Aosta, Italy. Hildreth racked up four goals and six assists to finish seventh in tournament scoring.

"Hildo was incredible,” Madden said. “He was team captain at Burnaby and he’ll be the US captain at Newfoundland, too. Hildo gets involved in the offense at every available opportunity, but his speed and anticipation enable him to get back on defense very quickly and effectively.

“He’s a franchise player, just like Bobby. Hildo is a deadly combination of athleticism,
skill and hockey sense.”

Aaron Hahne of Pittsburgh had four goals and five assists – “A very polished two-way player,” said Madden – while linemate Steve Gregory, another Pittsburgher, also had four goals.

The Niagara Falls Flyers’ roster was:

G – Peter Cosentino (PA), Chris Nikitas (MA)

D – Mike Colcord (MA), Andrew Hildreth (MA), Chris Liebers (PA), Tim Meza (MA),
Ryan Saylor (PA), Tim Schofield (MA)

F – Chris Aveni (MA), John Bearer (PA), Mitchell Faust (PA), Steve Gregory (PA),
Aaron Hahne (PA), Bobby Housser (MA), Ryan Kilroy (MA), Warren Morgano (PA),
Dan Pozerycki (MA), Bill Sullivan (PA)

Coaches - Mark Colcord (MA), Cory Herschk (PA), Mark Madden (PA)

General Manager - Chris Housser (MA)

For more details on the Flyers’ fourth-place finish at the Canadian Junior National Championships, visit CBHA.com.

U.S. MEN 10th AS AGELESS WONDER SHINES

Once again pressed into action by a shortage of players, American street hockey’s greatest player ever reminded people, at 54, how he got that tag with a mind-boggling performance for the U.S. men’s team at the ISBHF World Street Hockey Championships June 7-16 at Dusseldorf/Ratingen, Germany.

Chris Housser (Leominster, MA) finished fifth in tournament scoring with three goals and eight assists as the U.S. men went 3-2-1 to capture 10th place among 16 teams.

“At his age, Chris really shouldn’t be able to play like that,” said U.S. assistant coach Mark Madden. “He just shouldn’t. But he’s in pretty good shape, and he knows how to be productive. I think playing on a line with his son, Bobby, motivated him a great deal.
It was amazing to watch.”

Bobby Housser, 18, finished the tournament with four goals and three assists. As the conclusion of the tournament, Bobby was honored as the ISBHF World Junior Player of
the Year. Bobby was tournament MVP when the U.S. won gold at the 2006 World Junior Championships at Aosta, Italy.

“I’m exactly three times Bobby’s age, but I think we both did OK,” joked Chris Housser.

The U.S. team lacked some of the high-profile players that dotted the roster for the ’05 World Championships in Pittsburgh, but worked at a maniacal rate to earn a finish just one spot lower. The U.S. lost this year’s “B” pool final to Pakistan, 5-2.

Brian Reynolds (Leominster, MA) led the U.S. in goals with five, followed by Doug Nickel (Leominster, MA) and Bobby Housser with four.

“It’s one of the hardest-working teams I’ve ever had the privilege of being involved with,”
said Madden, who assisted Peter Walters (Danvers, MA). “You’re never pleased with finishing in the ‘B’ pool. Our juniors showed last year that the U.S. has better talent than that. We were victimized by some in-house politicking and, frankly, our preparation could have been better. But our guys gave 100 percent.

“The men’s team will skew younger in the future. We’d like to assemble a team that can basically have most of its roster carry over from ’09 to ’11 to ’13 with the intention being
a steady build.”

The tournament itself was flawless. “I’ve been attending these events since 2002, and this World Championship was surely among the very best,” said Madden. “The German organizing committee has a lot to be proud of, as does the ISBHF. Germany set a new standard with this event.”

For more details, scores and statistics on the 2007 ISBHF World Street Hockey Championships, go to ISBHF.com and ISBHFstats.net.

2007 ISBHF WORLD STREET HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS U.S. MEN’S ROSTER

G – Dennis Beaupre (MA)
Rick Breau (MA)

D – Tom Perla (MA)
Joe Powell (PA)
Bernie Saulnier (MA)
Doug Sedille (MA)
George Tarantino (PA)

F – James Bloxson (MA)
Brad Forrest (MA)
Bobby Housser (MA)
Chris Housser (MA)
Matt Levesque (MA)
Doug Nickel (MA)
Brian Reynolds (MA)
Bill Sullivan (PA)
Pat Sullivan (MA)

Head Coach – Peter Walters (MA)
Assistant Coach – Mark Madden (PA)

SCORES
U.S. 9, Mexico 0
U.S. 3, Bermuda 3
Pakistan 5, U.S. 3
U.S. 4, Greece 0
U.S. 5, Germany 3
Pakistan 5, U.S. 2

U.S. WOMEN JUST MISS BRONZE

The U.S. went 2-1-2 in the inaugural ISBHF Women’s World Street Hockey Championships at Dusseldorf/Ratingen, Germany, and definitely deserved better
than their fourth-place finish.

The U.S. was tied in the standings with the Czech Republic at the end of round-robin play, but the Czechs were awarded third place and the bronze medal based on goal differential. Regrettably, there was no bronze-medal game. The U.S. tied the Czechs, 0-0, in round-robin play; it would have been better to see the bronze medal decided on the rink instead of by a calculator.

That said, the fourth-place finish rounded off a phenomenal first year for the U.S. women’s program. Congratulations are in order for General Manager Jamie Cooke and Gwen Ranquist, the team’s very innovative head coach, for setting a high standard in
organization and preparation.

Jennifer DiVeterano (Pottstown, PA) tied for the team lead in goals (3) and points (4) at
the World Championships. Lisa Bac (Indianola, PA) and Callie Housser (Leominster, MA) also had four points each, while Kristen Patneaude (Dorchester, MA) also had three goals. Bac was named the Most Valuable Defenseman at the World Championships.

If the U.S. women had an MVP, though, it was probably goaltender Allessandra Ciambra (Winthrop, MA). Ciambra allowed just seven goals in five games and played phenomenally in a 3-0 loss to gold medalist Canada. Ciambra’s spectacular yet consistent play gave the entire team confidence.

For more details, scores and statistics on the 2007 ISBHF Women’s World Street Hockey Championships, go to ISBHF.com and ISBHFstats.net. For more information on the U.S. women’s team, go to USABallHockey.com.

SCORES
Canada 3, U.S. 0
U.S. 4, Germany 1
U.S. 2, Slovakia 2
U.S. 7, Austria 1
U.S. 0, Czech Republic 0

US WINS 2006 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS

US SCORES FOR 2006 WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS:

*US 6, Italy 2
Goals: Nick Caponi 2, Bobby Housser, John Kalichuk, Billy Sullivan, Rick Zimmick

*US 6, Slovakia 6
Goals: Tyson Lajoie 2, Nick Caponi, Mike DiBenedetto, Brandon Gazzo, Tim Murray

*US 5, Czech Republic 5
Goals: Bobby Housser 3, Matt Levesque, Cody Warila

*US 1, Canada 1
Goal: Mike DiBenedetto

*US 3, Slovakia 2
Goals: Mike DiBenedetto, Ryan Jones, John Kalichuk

U.S. ROSTER FOR 2006 WORLD JUNIOR BALL HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

GOAL
Pete Cosentino, PA
Bobby Vorse, MA (Capt.)

DEFENSE
Joe Hadley, PA
Andrew Hildreth, MA
Don Leishman, PA
Nick Maraldo, PA
Tim Murray, MA
Steve Shaw, MA
Rick Zimmick, PA

FORWARDS
Nick Caponi, MA (Capt.)
Joe Caveney, MA
Jim Daugherty, PA (Capt.)
Mike DiBenedetto, MA
Brandon Gazzo, PA
Bobby Housser, MA
Ryan Jones, PA
John Kalichuk, PA (Capt.)
Tyson Lajoie, MA
Matt Levesque, MA
Billy Sullivan, PA
Cody Warila, MA

ALTERNATES
Chris Aveni, MA
Anthony Cornacchia, MA

COACHES
Brian Errigo, PA
Mark Madden, PA
Bob Vorse, MA

GENERAL MANAGER
Chris Housser, MA

U.S. TEAM FINISHES NINTH AT WORLDS

Technically, the win over Germany gave the U.S. the “B” pool championship.
But that’s not the kind of gold the U.S. wanted.

“Although we improved throughout the tournament, finishing ninth is very disappointing,” said Mark Madden, one of the U.S. coaches.

“There are still some positives to take away from this, though. We used a team
with a very young nucleus that gives us hope for the 2007 tournament in Germany.
We stuck together, stayed positive and consistently made small adjustments that allowed us to play better.

“I was thrilled that Mark Goodey had the kind of tournament he did, so the world could see the kind of player he is. Mark has been a top defenseman in domestic tournaments for years, and at the World Championships, he put an exclamation point on his reputation. We used Mark more than any other player, and he responded by being our best player.

“If we hadn’t dropped down to the ‘B’ pool, Mark would have been a cinch for the all-tournament team. As it was, he was our team MVP. Danny Richard also had a very good showing. His desire and leadership permeated our effort as we gained momentum near the end of the tournament.”

Goodey, who served as team captain, is from Long Island, N.Y., while Richard
is from Leominster, MA.

At the post-tournament awards ceremony, Goodey presented the “B” pool championship trophy won by the U.S. to goaltender Rick Breau. Breau, a native
of Leominster, MA, has made more U.S. national team appearances than any other player.

U.S. scores from 2005 World Senior Ball Hockey Championships:
Italy 8, U.S. 0
Canada 4, U.S. 1
U.S. 2, Switzerland 2
Portugal 4, U.S. 1
U.S. 7, Bermuda 5
U.S. 5, Pakistan 1
U.S. 5, Germany 1

U.S. ROSTER FOR 2005 WORLD SENIOR BALL HOCKEY CHAMPIONSHIPS

GOAL
Dennis Beaupre, MA
Rick Breau, MA
B.J. Schreib, PA

DEFENSE
Matt Beauchemin, MA
Joe Gendreau, MA
Mark Goodey, NY
Craig Holman, MA
Chris MacKenzie, MA
Tom Perla, MA
Lee Phillips, MA

FORWARDS
Matt Cancilla, PA
C.J. Dempsey, PA
David Dorsey, PA
Jeff Ignelzi, PA
Steve Kendall, MA
Ryan Kosinski, PA
Conan Langlois, MA
Josh McKenna, MA
Brian Reynolds, MA
Dan Richard, MA
Rob Sheridan, MA
Jim Stratticos, MA
Dante Suarez, MA

General Manager/Coach: Chris Housser, MA
Assistant GM/Coach: Mark Madden, PA
Coach: Peter Walters, MA
Team Representative: Tim Housser, MA

SCHREIB TOP GOALIE AS U.S. TAKES 4TH

Pittsburgh native B.J. Schreib was named the tournament’s Outstanding Goaltender as the United States finished fourth in the 3rd annual World Junior (under-20) Street & Ball Hockey Championships in Martin, Slovakia, June 24-27.

Schreib played in three games as the U.S. went 2-3. Schreib’s goals-against average was 1.66, his save percentage was .920 and he played particularly heroically in his team’s 1-0 loss to defending champion Czech Republic.

The U.S. beat Italy 8-1 and Switzerland 5-1 before finishing round-robin play with the loss to the Czechs. The U.S. then lost 2-0 to eventual champ Slovakia in the semifinals before losing to Canada 3-2 in the bronze medal game.

"We had the two best goalies in the tournament, period," said U.S. Coach Mark Madden. "It's awesome to see B.J. get the recognition, but Bobby Vorse of Leominster [Mass.] played great in his games, too, and could have just as easily
gotten the award.

"As for B.J., he was absolutely brilliant. Phenomenal. His game is all about poise and positioning, and that was certainly evident in this tournament. He makes hard saves look easy."

Matt Cancilla led the U.S. with four goals, followed by fellow Pittsburgh natives Ryan Jones and C.J. Dempsey with three and two, respectively. Leominster's Nick Caponi, Tyson Lajoie and Matt Skehan each netted one ball, as did Pittsburgh's John Chmiel, Sean Davis and Joe Hadley.

The U.S. team played great defense, as the Leominster trio of Adam Meza, Jake Schofield and Ryan Pozerycki combined with the Pittsburgh troika of Davis, Hadley and Cory Citriniti to give Schreib and Vorse ample assistance.

“It was a great effort by all the kids,” said Madden. “It’s the most competitive a U.S. team has ever been in the world championships. With one fortunate bounce, we would have won a medal. With a series of fortunate bounces, well, who knows?”

FINAL ROSTER FOR 2004 USA JUNIOR TEAM

DEFENSE
Cory Citriniti, PA
Sean Davis, PA*
Joe Hadley, PA
Adam Meza, MA
Ryan Pozerycki, MA
Jake Schofield, MA*

FORWARDS
Matt Cancilla, PA*
Nick Caponi, MA
John Chmiel, PA
C.J. Dempsey, PA*
Jay Girlardo, PA
Ryan Jones, PA
Tyson Lajoie, MA
Steve Shaw, MA
Matt Skehan, MA

*played on U.S. team in WJC 2002.

COACHES
Jerry Bass, PA
Brian Errigo, PA
Mark Madden, PA
Bob Vorse, MA

GENERAL MANAGER
Chris Housser, MA

2003 Men’s World Ball Hockey Championships

US scores:

Italy 4, United States 1
United States 2, Bermuda 1
Switzerland 5, United States 3
United States 13, Latvia 0
Canada 8, United States 3
United States 6, Austria 2
Germany 5, United States 2

US statistics (G-A-Pts)

Chris Housser, Leominster, MA (3-10-13)
Lee Phillips, Niagara Falls (5-2-7)
Craig Holman, Leominster, MA (5-1-6)
Bryan Kalina, Long Island (1-4-5)
Brad Forest, Leominster, MA (4-0-4)
Steve Russell, Pittsburgh (3-1-4)
Ray Richard, Leominster, MA (2-2-4)
Anthony Cillo, Long Island (2-1-3)
David Welsh, Pittsburgh (2-1-3)
Paul Baker, Long Island (1-1-2)
Mark Goodey, Long Island (0-2-2)
Tom Perla, Leominster, MA (0-2-2)
Chris McKenzie, Niagara Falls (1-0-1)
Dan Richard, Leominster, MA (1-0-1)
Dan Broderick, Everett, MA (0-1-1)
Josh McKenna, Leominster, MA (0-1-1)
Doug Sedille, Lynn, MA (0-1-1)
Rick Breau, Leominster, MA (0-0-0)