The Journey That Started In June

And Ended in April

Starting in mid-June, the Affton Americans Midget Major Central States Developmental Hockey League (CSDHL) team started the formation of the 2012-2013 hockey team. With a good core of returning players and several prospects, the June minicamp ended and based on the talent pool to pick from, the anticipation of a solid team was on the horizon. Then came the month of August, the final molding of this year’s team was complete and on paper this team looked to have a good chance at doing something special.

Like in year’s past, a player’s meeting was conducted between the coaching staff and the players. The players were informed of the expectations the coaches demanded from them and for them as a team to set their goal (s). During the meeting we asked the players for only a few things: 1) Give us your all when we are on the ice 2) Conduct yourselves like mature, responsible young adults 3) Have fun. The players were told this is your season, you set your goals and the coaching staff will set their own goals. When it was all said and done each group had one goal. As coaches the goal is to develop these young men into better hockey players and adults and the players came up with one goal and that was to become National Champions.

Hard work, dedication, and commitment to each other is what these boys did from the month of August through April. Some people ask, what does it take to become National Champions? Having been part of a special group of hockey players this past season, this is what I can tell you. It takes 20 guys, 2 goalies, 6 defenseman, and 12 forwards. The 2012-2013 Affton Americans Midget Major CSDHL team was something special, it wasn’t a superstar that carried this team or a hot goalie in a playoff run, it was 20 guys that all contributed one way or another at different times. This was a team that was ranked 1 or 2 in the nation all year long and it was not the walk in the park like some people might think when looking at scores and statistics. This team went through a lot of up and downs and the adversity they faced made them stronger as a team and was a major ingredient that helped this team to be the last team standing on the last day of the season, also known as National Champions. I will now share with you my abbreviated rundown on this year’s team and reminisce about each player from the National Championship squad.

In looking back at this season, we had a record of 47-11-6, we travelled as far south as Nashville, as far east as Hartford, as far west as Muskegon, and as far north and Detroit, and of course our several road trips north bound on the double nickel (highway 55) to the Windy City. Several miles were travelled on the Vandalia Bus line by our favorite driver Mike Cox. We also got to experience a trip to Detroit via the Peoria Rivermen sleeper bus, a bus that slept 27 people and had Direct TV. And our final trip was through the air, to the east coast where we ended this remarkable run to become National Champions. These boys travelled over 6,000 miles on a bus and over 2,000 miles in the air and each mile on those bus trips brought this team closer and closer and made them the tight knit group they were when they piled on top of each other when that final buzzer sounded in Hartford.

One thing you do not see when looking at our scores is the amount of man games missed by some of our players. I can only think of a hand full of times where we had our 20 man roster healthy and dressed for games. The months of October through December saw Ryan Croghan out with a leg injury and Cameron Dulle out with an illness (somehow I think McClew got him sick). That was two big parts of our blue line out. The steady play of the other 4 defensemen (Tom “Killer” Croghan, Connor Mitchell, Phil Solari, and Nolan Wuesthoff) along with the support of Stan “Staing” Pawlow, a call up from the u16 team kept this team rolling. Nolan Wuesthoff also saw some time on the DL. We beat some pretty good teams with an injury bugged roster and lost some close games to some quality AAA teams without some key pieces to this team. It makes you wonder if some of those games could have gone differently. Despite this adversity, we kept playing strong and won hockey games. Up front we also experienced a lot if injuries and missed some key players when we could have used them. This adversity we dealt with made us the team we became.

What makes me proud of this team the most is how they dealt with the downs and did not let the ups get to their heads. This team had its fair share of downs, but those downs or lessons learned, taught them to be better as a team.

We started the season in Nashville playing the TPH Thunder 18 and 16 AAA teams over Labor Day weekend. We do this for a couple of reasons, 1) we expose the boys to great competition and Jr. A scouts associated with Thunder Hockey and 2) It’s a great bonding experience that gets everyone familiar with one another and to see how life on the road is with midget hockey. Traveling as a team is a new experience for some of the new players and it helps them mature and take care of themselves while away from their parents. We went down there and split with the U18s and beat a top ranked U16 squad. In all aspects it was a great start to the season.

From there we played the U16 AAA Blues, a power house team with several promising prospects. We came out and won the game 4-0 and I think this was the moment when we caught a lot of eyes and attention.

Next was our trip Detroit for the Compuware/ Honeybaked AAA Tournament. This was a trip I was looking forward to for months. The reason why? We travelled in style with the Peoria Rivermen sleeper bus. Every bus trip from that point on could not compare to the luxury we encountered. It’s not every day you can drive home from Michigan and watch the Rams game followed by the Cardinals baseball game followed by a nice Sunday nap. Oh yea, we also played some hockey games. We went 3-1 in a AAA tournament. We beat a top 20 ranked AAA team and lost to powerhouse Honeybaked 4-1. The games were played in two halves and we lost the first half 4-0 to Honeybaked then came out and won the second half 1-0. I think if we were not star struck in the first half we might have seen a closer outcome. But in all, it was a great trip and to go 3-1 in a Tier I tournament as a Tier II team is an accomplishment itself.

Next we had the CSDHL showcase in Indy. A showcase that had us playing at that time #2 ranked Team Ohio. A match up of #1 and #2 in the country, the same match up that our boys showed #2 why they were #1. We were 3-0 going into the 4th game and encountered one of our downs. We found ourselves on the losing end to Arizona Mission. The lesson learned was you can’t take someone lightly, especially when you are #1 because everyone wants to beat #1.

Our next set of games had the boys of Shattuck St. Mary’s AAA team visiting the Affton Ice Rink. It was a great experience for these boys to get 3 games against a team that has the history and prestige as Shattuck. That weekend saw us go 0-2-1, but again this is where we ran into our blue line problems. Ryan Croghan hurts his legs and Dulle was suffering from an illness. With those two players healthy, I really felt we could have gone 2-1 or even 3-0.

Throughout the rest of the way, we really learned from our mistakes that made us better. One game that sticks out to me was a 7-0 loss to the Sabres. That was one of those games nothing was going our way. It seemed every shot they took had eyes and found a way in. Any bounce was going the other way. Normally you think a 7-0 loss there would be some loud voices coming from me, but this loss was different. I sat back and said to Gills, despite the score these kids are still playing hard, we just aren’t getting the bounces. Andy “Goof” McGlynn had a breakaway where the goalie made a nice save when the score was tied or we were down by a goal. If he scored there we might have had a different outcome. What I was proud of is the team did not give up and kept playing hard. The next game was a different outcome; we came out on top with a 6-1 and completely dominated that team. The coach said to me in the hand shake, “I guess we woke up the bear?” I laughed and said, “I think so.”

In looking back at our CSDHL schedule, we had some great games with the Chicago Bruins. All were 1 goal games and we were tied after the 2nd or down by a goal. In all three of those games were found a way to win. These boys kept fighting and fighting and grinded out the W’s. We had some great games vs. our local rivals Chesterfield and Twin Bridges where some of those games could have went the other way if it was not for the great play by our goalies Billy Hindle and Jacob Bopp. Without the play of those two tenders, we would have lost some games were it took the position players to get in the game.

In my opinion what really brought this team together and made a statement locally was the CSDHL playoff tournament. I told the boys we are pretending the league tournament was the Nationals. Game 1 vs. the Chargers was our 3rd round robin game that was a must win if we wanted to advance to the Quarter Finals at Nationals, we used the 2nd game vs. Twin Bridges as the Quarter Finals, we said the 3rd game vs. the Sabres was the Semi Finals, and the Championship game was the National Championship game. We stressed the importance of “getting in the habit of winning championships.” We came out and won game 1 which put us in the “Quarter Finals.” Our game vs. Twin Bridges was not our best game and things were not going our way. Twin Bridges came out flying and took advantage of our lethargic play. We found ourselves down 4-0. The parents from the other team were laughing and having a good time, making fun of us. That game sent a message that we are a tough team to beat. With less than 7 minutes to go we make it 4-1, then we make it 4-2, then we make it 4-3, and what do you know we make it 4-4 in a 3 minute span. We even had a chance to take the lead but their goalie made a few nice saves to keep the game tied. Going through the hand shake line, the look on their faces showed me that this game could possibly give us a mental edge when it comes to the National Qualifier. Even though we didn’t win the game, I told the boys we need to beat the Sabres if we want to advance to the “National Championship Game.” We found ourselves behind but again like we did a lot during the season, we grinded it out and found a way to win. In the finals we play the Chicago Bruins. A game that had us down by a goal until the “Goof” tied it up. We took the lead late in the 3rd on another goal scored by the “Goof.” What makes this goal stick out is each 97” birth year player had a hand in the eventual game winning championship goal. A lot of people thought we were crazy for taking 3 first year midgets on the major team. It turns out that we are not the successful team we became without these three kids. That game winning goal started with Josh Bell picking off a pass at the Bruins’ blue line. Bell dishes it off to Franky Melton when a D steps up on him. That creates a 2 on 1 with Franky and Andy. Franky slides it over to Andy who roofed a shot side snipe to give us the lead and the CSDHL playoff championship. That play right there defined a moment and said that these kids are for real. After a late surge by the Bruins, we were able to hold off and take home the gold.

Everything I mentioned above, the ups and downs, wins and losses, regular season CSDHL and playoff champions helped prepare us for the Missouri Hockey National Qualifier. We were facing the defending champions, Chesterfield and always dangerous Twin Bridges. The round robin portion had us 3-1 with our loss being an OT loss to Chesterfield. That was Chesterfield’s last game and they showed us their sportsmanship and the class they have by wishing us good luck and to win a national championship. We are rivals but we respect each other’s program and want the winner to be successful.

The Championship game of the National Qualifier had us facing off against Twin Bridges with the winner advancing to the USA Hockey National Championship Tournament. This was a game where we did not have the start we wanted. We found ourselves down early and at two different times down by two goals. We were in a familiar setting and were not rattled. I kept reminding the boys that we have been down by 4 against this team and a two goal deficit was nothing. A crucial moment and turning point in this game was a goal scored by Ryan Hodges. Michael Humme sends a pass to Brendan McClew who flew down the right wing and ripped a shot. Hodges comes barreling at the net and sends the rebound to the back of the net then crashes into the boards full speed. That goal turned our team around and I think gave Twin Bridges flash backs of the 4-4 tie in the league tourney. We tied the game then took the lead and never looked back as we won 7-3. That win gave some of our guys their first trip to Nationals, gave some players the satisfaction of avenging last year’s losses that kept them from going to Nationals, and an opportunity to end their youth careers as champions.

With two championships down and one to go, the boys got some much time needed away to recharge the batteries as we would be preparing for possibly a one in a life time opportunity to win a USA Hockey National Championship. As it stood, we would be playing for the 2A championship and like everyone does, the Myhockeyrankings.com website was being eyed down to see which teams qualified and where those teams stood in the rankings. On paper this path to a national championship did not look like there would be much resistance. But like always, you never take your opponent for granted and the game is played on the ice, not on paper.

Preparation to prepare these young men to achieve their goal started. Having been a head coach in two national championship games (both runner ups) and three years as an assistant coach with the St. Louis Jr. Blues that one three national titles, I would take those lessons learned and apply them to this team’s bid for the national championship.

As we were preparing, for Hartford I found out that USA Hockey had moved us from the 2A division up to the 3A division. This move was exciting as it put us competing against the top ranked teams in the country and made this tournament more like the years prior to the population classifications that determined which championship a team played for. This prepping had the boys competing hard against each other and grinding out a lot of conditioning skates to prepare them for the grind of possibly playing 6 games in 5 days. The team worked hard and never complained as they knew how much work needed to be put forward if they wanted to be champions.

The much anticipated trip to Hartford finally arrived. The boys arrived at the airport at the early morning hours on Tuesday and traveled to the east coast to finish the journey they started in June. After arriving at the hotel everyone got situated then off to the rink for a Tuesday late afternoon practice. The team took the ice went through a few drills and had the opportunity to fool around on the ice as it would be the last time this team would have an official practice.

Wednesday arrived and we started the tournament. We did not get off to the start we would have liked and fell to Littleton, Co. From that point on we knew each game was an elimination game as the Anaheim Jr. Ducks beat New York. We came out the next day against a pumped up Ducks team who knew not only knew they would advance to the quarter finals but had a chance to knock of the #2 ranked team in the country. After falling behind late in the 1st we came back and tied the game, added a power play goal, and capitalized on the empty net for the win. Next we played the Arrows from New York. As always you never know what can happen in these tournaments and we took nothing for granted. We pounded them and made our way to the playoff round.

After falling to Littleton, we put ourselves in a position as the #2 seed and had to play the #1 seed. This matchup also had the #2 nationally ranked Affton playing the #1 nationally ranked Sylvania Leafs. Prior to the game I reminded the team we would be facing the team that took away our #1 spot in the rankings. I also brought up a little wrestling quote, only the dads would probably know, but the former World Champion the “Nature Boy” Ric Flair would say, “To be the man, you have to beat the man!” And if we wanted to be the top team, we would have to beat the top team. Beating the top team is what we did and we moved on. Next we would find ourselves playing the Wonderland Wizards from Connecticut. Again we proved to be the better team and advanced to the National Championship game which would be a rematch of the CSDHL championship, the Chicago Bruins. Like a team on a mission, we completed the mission and again beat the Bruins for a 5th time and were crowned National Champions and the first 2A team to win a 3A championship. We were true champions and the boys deserved the honor after putting in the work to get it accomplished.

I will now ramble on about my thoughts as to the reason we won this title and point out some significant moments that took place that made this happen. Game 1 we lost a two goal lead and had a meltdown from within. We took that negative and turned it into a positive and moved forward. What put us on top in game two was a beautiful shot from the point by Phil Solari that was tipped by Andy McGlynn that tied the game. The game winner was a power play goal by John Hogan. A bounce came off the glass in our favor that allowed the “Big Dog to Eat!” Late in the game Jacob Bopp made several saves that either kept the game tied or kept us in the lead. In the quarter finals we played an older and bigger team. I find it ironic that the first two goals scored for us were by two of our 97s, Frank “the Tank” Melton and Andy McGlynn. Several great defensive plays were made and Billy made key saves that did not allow the Leafs to get into the game. A total team effort was put forth and on we moved. The tone was set in the semifinals by the line of Hodges, McClew, and Humme. McClew started scoring by flying down the left wing and put one past the goalie. Again, Jacob Bopp was strong in the net making key saves throughout the game. Lance French gave us a 3 goal lead after taking a pass from Dusty Smith to set up the goal. In the championship game, Ryan Croghan started the scoring, Billy made the saves while the game was 0-0 and 1-0, John, Toppie, and Andy gave us a two goal lead by playing the way they did all year. The dominated a shift in the Bruins zone and Toppie found Andy in the slot and a snipe was born. 2-0 was the score from that then the line of Leslie, Bell, and Ryan went to work and Glenny slid one past the Bruins goalie to make it 3-0. A late goal by the Bruins gave them a little life but these boys were not going to let this championship slip away. They worked and grinded out the last four minutes and when that final buzzer sounded they celebrated. It was a joyous sight for me to see these champions being rewarded for all their work. They hugged, hooted, hollered, laughed, and cried with joy. They deserved it. They accomplished something that no one can take away from them. They will always be known as the 2013 USA Hockey U18 3A NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

I go back to the question, What does it take to be National Champions? I said this group it took 2 goalies, 6 defensemen, and 12 forwards. I would to add the following: We told the boys you have to elevate their game (they did). They would have to fore-check hard (they did), back check hard (Yes), give a hit (Yes), take a hit (Yes), block shots (Yes), take a hack/ wack (Yes), and get grind out the work if they wanted to be champions (Absolutely). Of these things, the plays that were key were the hard fore-checking by all four lines, the back check that Ryan Hodges did to lift the stick of a Bruin player with a wide open net to shoot at and Brendan McClew back check late in the championship game (probably should have be a penalty, but the work was there!), Humme throwing around his big body was the checking we needed, Dusty Smith taking a bone crushing hit to dish off a pass to Lance French to give us a 3 goal lead vs. Winterland, Brendan McClew blocking a shot with his groin area that led to an empty net goal that sealed the victory vs. Winterland, the steady and spectacular play of two talented goaltenders Hindle and Bopp, and the entire team effort that took the slashes and grinded out the work that made them victorious. Without those key plays, two goalies, 6 defenseman, and 12 forwards working together we might not have won this well-deserved championship.

Jacob Bopp: Jacob played two of the biggest games of the season and earned two victories against the Jr. Ducks and Winterland. Jacob’s demeanor and approach to the game has made this the solid goalie he has developed into. Without our depth in the nets, this championship would not have been won. Over the past two years I have been able to personally see him mature and be a better goalie.

Billy Hindle: The duo of Hindle and Bopp was the top 1-2 punch in the country. Billy stood tall all year and was never rattled when things were not going our way. That mentality and approach made him the goalie he has become. A team success starts in the nets and we were fortunate enough to have the goalies to bring our team to a successful ending. Without Billy’s play our season would not have been the same.

Tom Croghan: When things were not going well for our health on the blue line. Tom stepped up his game to fill that void. Tom played like a beast and earned the nickname of “Killer” by his teammates. Tom’s work and play forced me to place a “C” on his check because he became a leader of this team and his play game in and game out was huge for this team.

Ryan Croghan: Ryan suffered a couple setbacks due to injuries. Nobody wanted to play more that Ryan and unfortunately these injuries kept him out of several games. When Ryan was playing you could not find a tougher competitor. Ryan made up for lost time and played his heart out all year long. Ryan was reliable and heavily counted on to play top D minutes in all situations.

Nolan Wuesthoff: Nolan also suffered a few injuries that kept him off the ice. When Nolan played you couldn’t ask for a steadier defenseman. Not only did Nolan do it on the ice, he showed up on the score sheet in a quietly fashion. When tallying stats after each game, Nolan’s number frequently popped up in the assist column. He did it defensively and offensively.

Cameron Dulle: Cameron was starting a very nice season with his great defensive play until he got sick. When returning after a few month layoff it took some time for him to get comfortable but one he got back into the swing of things, Cameron was playing like the defenseman we selected in August. That play really showed at the Nationals and it was nice to see after making the comeback he did.

Phil Solari: Being new to not only a team but an organization is not the easiest thing to get accustomed to. When you also include that moving away from your parents to play hockey is another thing. Phil entered a new environment to further his hockey career and Affton and the National Tournament has given him some options for next year. Phil’s shot vs. the Jr. Ducks might have been the shot of the year. Without his shot that was deflected for the tying goal we might not have won that game.

Connor Mitchell: For a smaller player, Connor plays a big game. Connor made some huge plays throughout the year that made us the team we were. It is always nice to see a player that does everything asked of him and without a peep in return. Connor’s personality made him a great team player and brought some humor to lighten up the mood sometimes. Connor took a couple vicious hits this year and always bounced back. When he took that hit in the Mo Hockey championship game, the boys wanted to win it for Connor. That shows the type of teammate he was to the guys.

Toppie Hogan: Game in and game out we could always relay on Toppie to be a leader. Toppie’s play in all three zones put him in a position to be counted upon for any situation. Toppie would set the tone of some many games by putting the team on the scoreboard first. Toppie led the team in scoring, but if he was kept off the score sheet in a game his all-around play did not go unnoticed. Toppie was a great teammate and leader, he would do anything for his team and the team knew that. It’s hard to replace a player with those qualities.

John Hogan: Its hard to find a better leader than John Hogan. John is a very mature, young adult and when the Big Dog barked everyone listened. John worked hard every ice time and was the perfect winger for his brother. You need great leaders if you are going to have a successful team and without John’s leadership and play we would have been a different team. Sometimes when a game needed to be taken over by someone, John was that guy weather it was scoring a big goal or making a big play to get the team going.

Andy McGlynn: Andy is a very talented player with a lot of potential. As a young 15 year old you could not have asked for a better player. Andy played hard and with confidence all year. Although it was fun watching Andy become a better hockey player, it was nice to see him grow up and mature throughout the year.

Glen Ryan: A few years ago I told Tim Ryan in the lobby at the Hardee’ s Ice Plex that I couldn’t wait to coach Glen. Glen is a player that brings a cheerful personality to the rink. Glen is well respected among the team and brings an aspect to the locker room that many can’t do. On the ice Glen is a competitor and that demeanor played a big role on this team’s final finish. When we were down against Twin Bridges Glen could be heard picking up the team and driving everyone to pick up the play. Glen was a leader without a letter and every team needs those players.

Josh Bell: I saw Josh play two years ago in the summer and I knew he was going to be a special player. When selecting this year’s team Josh gave us every reason to put him on the Major team and gave us no reasons to not take him. Josh got better all year long and as a 97 played a role that not many first year midgets get to play. As a coach I knew Josh could be counted on an Josh did not disappoint. Josh is a very mature kid and that helped him adapt from the Bantam level to the Midget Major level.

Shawn Leslie: This was my third year coach Shawn and each year I was able to see him grow and mature. Shawn is a player that does everything that a coach asks and says nothing in return. Shawn played with a great work ethic and led by example. It was nice to see him end his Affton career as a National Champion. Replacing a player like Shawn Leslie will not be easy and he will be greatly missed.

Ryan Hodges: Championship teams are made up of several different players that play a certain role to help their team succeed. Every team needs a Ryan Hodges type player. Ryan is a player that works hard, does what he is told, does not back down from a challenge and is a great team player. Ryan worked and competed hard every practice and game. That hard work was the foundation of his role and he flourished at his role. Without Ryan’s work ethic and drive, that goal he scored vs. Twin Bridges would not have been scored and our season could have ended that night in St. Peters.

Brendan McClew: There is only one speed for Brendan and that is full speed. Brendan is a tireless worker and just flat out worked hard. Going into his last run as a youth player, Brendan was not going to be denied winning a championship. Every team has a player that elevates his game in the playoffs. The way Brendan worked throughout the Nationals would have earned him a Conn Smyth if this were the Stanley Cup playoffs. I compare his play to like a Claude Lemieux, a player that battled, competed, blocked shots, gave hits, took hits, sacrificed his body, and scored important goals during the tournament.

Michael Humme: Michael brought to the team his size, grit, and physical play. All year long Michael provided this team with a big hit to provide energy and spark the team when they needed a spark. In that final stretch of the season, Michael’s big hits and play was crucial and set a tone that this team was not going to be pushed around and we would be pushing back. Without that essence and grit Michael provided this team, I don’t know if we had the record we finished with. Every team needs that toughness and Michael provided that to our team.

Franky Melton: Franky is a player I watched all summer long. Every time I watched him play he gave me no doubt that he belonged on this team. Franky forced us to take him on this year’s team and gave us no reasons to not select him. Franky brought a natural goal scoring threat to this team. It was nice to see such a young player come in and be part of an older team and contribute to this team’s overall success.

Lance French: Lance is the type of player every coach appreciates. Lance always brought a positive attitude to the rink and you could never wipe that smile off his face. Lance did everything asked of him and worked his tail off all year long. Lance was a great teammate and friend to the 19 other players and scored one of the most important goals of the season when he buried the 3rd goal of the semi-final game. Every team needs a Lance French type player and we were fortunate enough to have him on this year’s team.

Dustin Smith: Dustin is another one of those players that would do anything for his teammates. He is a total team player and has the respect of everyone on his team. Dustin all year long would do anything asked of him by the coaches and brought a great attitude to the rink every day. On the ice Dustin’s speed and skill made him an essential part of this team. His play provided us with the depth we needed and provided us with a great scoring punch that contributed to this team’s offensive firepower.