After a 14-2 finish last season, Niagara Falls lost its first playoff game 9-0 to Williamsville North to end the season. Although the Wolverines lost six seniors who were role players and key to the team’s defense last season, head coach Stan Wojton liked what he saw from the team last year and hopes that it will continue into the 2015-16 season.
“Last year was a great year for our program,” Wojton said. “It was a turning point year where these young men, they came up together from JV — they had some success in JV. They went to states in JV a few years ago. They came up, they were young when they came up — the majority sophomores — grew, came together as juniors, and were fortunate to win the division. This year, we just want to try and keep the momentum going and hopefully do the same thing in Division 3.”
Last year’s graduating class was one of strong defense and leadership, including captain Ian Ivancic, that won’t be easy to replace.
“They weren’t our point-getters, our goal-scorers, stuff like that, but they were huge role players that we’re gonna miss,” Wojton explained. “There was a big core of defensemen that we’re gonna miss, and that’s what our big need is gonna be this year is plugging in those spots, specifically our D. And our captain was a great captain. We’re really gonna look for someone else to step up in a leadership role.”
But one thing the Wolverines didn’t lose is offense. They return Alex Hailey, who led the Fed with 50 points, First Team All-League player Nick Kindzia, and Cody Bielec, who had 38 points.
Wojton described the three forwards as “dynamic” and is looking forward to what they can do this season. All three are candidates for captains, which will be decided on Saturday.
Bielec, a center and senior who is in his third full year on varsity, hopes to hit the 40-point mark this season. He’s also already a natural leader on and off the ice and described his leadership role and style.
“I’d say I’m one of the leaders on the team,” Bielec said. “We have a few kids that are pretty good leaders. I just try to help the team, do whatever I can to make us perform as good as we can and especially with the younger kids, help them learn their role and develop as players and as people.”
The Wolverines do return two solid defensemen in Nick Lepine and Dylan Mort.
“They’re horses back there,” Wojton said. “They do a lot for us.”
Lepine is a junior who joined the varsity team halfway through eighth grade. He described himself as a playmaker on the ice.
“I just really hope to have a good season and really help the new kids that are coming on to really adapt to the team and feel comfortable,” Lepine said. He’ll look especially to use his experience to help the defensive players improve. “I hope to help everybody that was not on the team last year get better.”
He’ll look to improve himself as well.
“I just hope to get stronger on and off the ice both physically and mentally,” he said.
Another senior on this year’s team who is a candidate for a captain role and already a leader on the ice is Paul Barker. He won’t lead the team in points, but the way he plays and the things he’s willing to do on the ice will help the team in ways that can’t always be seen on the stat sheet.
“Paul will put some points on the board, but he lets his play lead by example,” Wojton said. “Not necessarily pucks that go in the net. He’s a [heck] of a player.”
Barker described his own role on the team: “Penalty kill. Grinder. Grind in the corners. Help the team out any way I can. Role player.”
Junior Michael Laurrie and sophomore Anthony Coty are two players that Wojton expects to have bigger roles this year. Laurrie is a faceoff specialist whom Wojton expects to earn some power play minutes as well.
The final piece to any team, of course, is goaltending. This season, it will be a battle between Thomas Orfano, last year’s starter, and junior Max Asklar.
“[Orfano] was our guy last year,” Wojton said. “He’s gotta earn it again this year, which I’m sure that he will, but it’s not guaranteed. And Max Asklar, he’s a junior and he’s gonna have a great opportunity to earn some ice time as well.”
But it’s the offense, especially Hailey, Kindzia, and Bielec, that will lead the Wolverines this year.
“We’re an offensively gifted team,” Wojton said. “We’re gonna try and get the pucks in our forwards’ hands and let them do their magic. Like I said, they’re gifted. We have some guys up there that I think are just as good as anybody. We can match up that top line with anybody. I’m not afraid of anybody, that’s for sure. So I think our style of play is definitely offensive: go at ’em, get ’em, and then keep the puck out of the net in between.”
While offense will be Niagara Falls’ biggest strength, defense and teamwork are the areas that Wojton hopes will develop and improve through preseason practices and over the course of the season.
“We lost five defensemen, really — we had a kid with an injury — we lost five D,” Wojton said. “Our team defense is something that we’re gonna stress, and we’re gonna work together in the defensive zone. And I think once we realize that, as a team — emphasizing that again — it’ll be something that eventually will help us win close games.”
Barker, Lepine, and Bielec all agreed on one thing. They want to win a playoff game this year. Attaining that goal will require hard work all season and into the playoffs.
“We can’t take any days off,” Wojton said after Wednesday’s practice. “We can’t take any periods off, any shifts off, because it will hurt us. So I expect what we did last year. And these boys — I think we set the tone today with the hard work on the ice, and we’re gonna hopefully keep it going through February.”
But Wojton is confident in his team’s willingness and ability to do that, once the players come together as a team.
“I have some really good kids,” Wojton said. “I’m lucky. I’m very lucky. I have some very good kids that if I can get those kids to come together and jell as a group and if we can do that, those things that I mentioned about hopefully winning our division, hopefully making a run in the playoffs, it’s possible.”
Niagara Falls’ first regular season game is scheduled for Dec. 7 at 6:45 pm as they host Grand Island at Hyde Park.