The Chicago Mission has shattered the
previously held Illinois organizational high of 9 tournament
championships in a single season, by recording 15 titles to
date.
Congratulations to the winners, and we look forward to
adding to the list shortly!
MIDGET MAJOR
VICTORY HONDA
CUP
JAN
18-21
NAHL SHOWCASE
DEC 13-16
ST. LOUIS FALL
CLASSIC
SEP 1-3
MIDGET MINOR
U16
VICTORY HONDA
CUP
JAN 18-21
RUSSEL STOVER
CLASSIC
JAN 4-6
BEANTOWN
CLASSIC
NOV 18-21
ST. LOUIS
FALL CLASSIC
SEP 1-3
BANTAM MAJOR
93's
TORONTO
MARLIES CLASSIC
DEC 27-30
BANTAM MINOR
94'S
LITTLE
CAESARS INVITE
JAN 25-27
INTERNATIONAL SILVER
STICK
NOV 23-25
U19 GIRLS
THOROUGHBREDS
TOURNAMENT
NOV 23-25
ASSABET
VALLEY TOURNAMENT
OCT 26-27
UW-SP
TOURNAMENT
SEPT 21-23
U12 GIRLS
GOLDEN BLADES
TOURNAMENT
JAN 25-27
NIHL LEAGUE
CHAMPIONSHIP
FEB 16
When goalie
DJ Kohler patrolled the crease for the Chicago
Mission, he did so with equal levels of flair,
aggressiveness, and effectiveness. All of those traits are
still present as he and fellow Mission alum Brad Hoelzer,
Drew Heredia, Jason Nemeth, Matt Jennings,
and Ryan Goberstein have played significant roles in
staking the U of I to a number one ranking at the Division I
Club Level of collegiate hockey.
All six athletes either played at, or had opportunities with
strong Junior programs, but opted to begin the college
academic process before their Junior A eligibility expired.
In so doing, their choice of the University of Illinois
allowed them to continue playing at a high level without the
all-encompassing lifestyle of NCAA Division I or III teams,
while being in a position to earn one of the most valuable
degrees a person can have in the Midwest.
We're grateful for the contributions these skaters made to
the Mission while they were here, and are very proud of
their ongoing achievements.
If there ever was a
prototype at the youth hockey level for the perfect
image of a student-athlete, Mission alum Matt
Arhontas fit the bill. A smallish speedster and
perennial leading scorer, Arhontas always found a way to
strike the perfect balance between academics and
athletics, which resulted in his landing at Princeton,
where he currently stars for the Tigers.
"In the six years I
coached Matt he was not just the top scorer every year,"
said coach Chuck Linkenheld. "Matt knew at his size he
had to prove himself three times more and he did just
that. Matt's picture should be in the dictionary next to
tough. He backed down from nobody. He played both ends
of the ice, every situation in a game and never lost
sight of his goal. Always in top condition and obviously
an outstanding student, Matt was a pleasure to coach and
is a fine example for all Mission players to follow."
A freshman, Arhontas had to be patient throughout a
three year Junior career when he saw some lesser talents
being scholarshipped, often solely because of size. But
Princeton learned what the Mission recognized long ago,
the size of his heart is what mattered most.
Lanky defenseman Joey
Sova is no stranger to adversity. A stalwart on the
backline during his Mission midget days, Sova faced serious
health challenges as a youngster that made the circuitous
route to Division I hockey seem like a cakewalk. His first
post-Mission stop was the USHL's Waterloo franchise, where
he faught hard to earn regular ice time, only to find
himself traded to Sioux City. After completing his second
year of Junior A, The Musketeers unceremoniously dropped him
from their roster.
Despite the setback, Sova
refused to be discouraged, and was rewarded when Coach
Mike Hastings of the Omaha Lancers picked him up. Omaha
has been the perfect fit for him, and Joe has rewarded
the team with one of the most consistently positive
plus-minus ratings in the USHL. In turn, Joe was
rewarded with a scholarship to Alaska, when coach Doc
Delcastello got him to commit for the 2008 season.
"Joe was one of my favorite players ever," said Midget
Major coach Brad Saban. "It's great to see that good
kids get rewarded for their perseverence."
If you get a chance to
watch Notre Dame Fighting Irish hockey, you won't have to
wait very long to see defenseman Teddy Ruth. At a
level of the game where it usually takes freshmen a good
deal of time to earn a coaching staff's trust, Ruth has
found himself playing in clutch situations consistently
since the beginning of this, his freshman year.
"Teddy's improving all the time," said Associate Head
Coach Paul Pooley. "He's making great strides." Ruth, an
89 birth date, was the first Chicago Mission product to
be selected for the USNDT program. He eventually became
it's team captain, something that did not surprise those
who worked with him at the Mission and saw that, beyond
being a terrific and poised hockey player, he was a very
special young man.
"We knew we had something special when we got him," said
Coach Chuck Linkenheld. "he was terrific to work with
and always tried to do more than what was asked of him
as far as his work ethic."
"Teddy always comported himself in a very mature way,"
said Mission President Chico Adrahtas, " and that poise
carried over into his on-ice game."
"The Mission gave me the chance to show what I could do
on the ice," said Ruth, "and the coaches believed in me
and worked hard to help me get to the USNDT Program."
Teddy is currently a plus 9 for the Irish, and will be
majoring in Business. And if his determination in hockey
is any indication, when his playing days are over, he'll
be making an impact in the business world.
When Matt Tomassoni
anchored the power play for the Chicago Mission U16 and
Midget Major squads, his talent was impossible to miss.
Possessing a booming shot and breakaway speed, many felt it
was just a matter of time before the right handed defenseman
garnered a college scholarship. What few could have
predicted is that he would have gotten that scholarship
while still playing midget, and earned it at one of the
premier programs in the country, Miami of Ohio. With that
offer, Matt became the first Mission player to earn a full
ride directly out of Midget hockey.
"We're excited about Matt being a part of the program
next season," said Miami assistant coach Chris Bergeron.
"The Mission gave me great
exposure through the tournaments we played in," said
Tomassoni. "But Coach Saban had a big hand in all of
this because he set the standard so high for all of us.
A decent game was not good enough, we always needed to
be at our best."
Matt jumped from Midget to
the USHL's Cedar Rapids Roughriders, but the early
transition was not easy. During his first year, he got a
first hand understanding of Saban's demanding ways. "In
Midget, if you have a bad practice, you may get yelled
at. In Junior, you find yourself in the stands. You are
competing every day for ice time, and even when you're a
vet, you're still competing," he said. "Over these last
two years, I have learned to only worry about and focus
on the things I can control like my work ethic and my
results." In his second full year with Cedar Rapids,
Tomassoni clearly has the competition thing down. His
team is firmly ensconced in first place with a 12-4
record, and Tomassoni is the team's leading scorer
amongst defensemen with 10 points, and 6th on the team
overall.
At barely 5'10" and 165
pounds, Tomassoni, similar in style and size to the
Blackhawks' Duncan Keith, is another example that heart
and desire, coupled with ability, can trump size as a
factor when it comes to collegiate hockey and
potentially beyond.
If there's ever been a player who embodied the best of what
the Chicago Mission represents, it is goalie Nick
Pisellini. During his years with the organization, the
old Addison rink was Nick's second home. Priding himself on
being the first to the rink every day, and spending
non-practice days working the weights, Nick benefited
immensely because of his level of self-motivation. On the
ice, Nick's work ethic was relentless, and that work has
paid off as he enjoys his first full season in Junior A
hockey with the hometown Chicago Steel.
"The Mission prepared me so well for
Junior," said the Lake Park High School senior. "The goalie
instruction was great, and they really paid attention to the
mental part of the game which is so important. I always knew
I had great support on and off the ice." Pisellini was quick
to laud his team's head coaches. "Kurt Kabat was like
another father. He always showed great belief in me. Brad
Saban really drove us hard in practice and taught us the
work that was needed to move on. He and Chico were
instrumental in creating the opportunity for me to move to
the Steel the minute last year's season was over," he said.
Pisellini has already drawn some preliminary interest from
Division I teams, but the 6'1, 170 pound netminder is ready
to put in his time. Slated as a back-up this year to partner
Rob Madore ( who is already D-I committed ) with an eye
towards assuming the starting role a year down the line,
Pisellini grabbed a lot of attention by recording wins in
his first two starts of the year, including an especially
standout performance in one of the toughest places to win in
the USHL, Waterloo, Iowa.
While Pisellini certainly impresses on the ice, it is who he
is as a person, teammate, and friend that will leave his
most lasting legacy.
If there was ever a Mission
player who led by example, it was former Midget Major team
captain Chris Wyman. A great all-purpose forward, Wyman was a
go-to player on face offs, the team's leading scorer, and played
with an energy that was impossible to miss. He was, without
question, one of the most consistent competitors ever to wear
the Mission jersey. Currently playing in his second season for
coach Andy Heinze' Valley Jr. Warriors out of Haverhill, MA,
Wyman is off to a torrid start, with 16 points in his first 14
games.
"The Mission prepared me
very well for Junior A competition," said Wyman, a 1988
birth date. "They provided top flight competition, and the
coaching staff's practices were always high tempo, which
made the transition to Junior easier for me."
Wyman has begun drawing
interest from several college hockey teams at both the Div I
and Div III levels. While on the diminutive side at 5'8, he
carries a strong frame at 185 pounds, and his skill and
footwork are proof that height is not a barrier to success
on the ice. When asked if he had any advice for younger
players still skating with the club, Wyman said, "It's
important to have dreams, but you have to realize the amount
of work it takes to turn those dreams into reality. It gets
tougher every year, but the result is worth the work."
ECHL Player of the week
