Timon’s fresh start leads three to junior hockey

It’s no secret that Bishop Timon High School has been in rebuilding mode recently. From the principal to the athletic director to the basketball coach, the school has seen its share of fresh starts.

But before all of that, the hockey program saw its own fresh start last fall. Out was head coach Gene Overdorf and his coaching staff after six years with the program, and in came the new staff consisting of Matt English, Chris Panek, Mike McCarthy, and Glen Donato.

Some were unsure of what the new coaching staff would bring to the program, and Timon hovered around .500 to begin the season. But as the coaches and players adjusted to each other and started to click, Timon won four of its last five league games to finish off the season.

Junior Gavin Farrell led the league in assists, and his linemates, Ryan Miller and Pat Faliero, are signed to play junior hockey next season, along with versatile defenseman Joe Shanley. Miller, Faliero, and Shanley each credited the new coaching staff with making junior hockey a reality for them by teaching them things they didn’t know they could learn as late as senior year of high school and by actively involving themselves in the process of finding and selecting the best junior team for each player.

‘FIT RIGHT IN’: THE JOE SHANLEY STORY

Joe Shanley doesn’t have a problem fitting in. He’s listed as a defenseman, but he can just as easily move up and play forward. His versatility earned him not only his coaches’ respect, but also a spot on the Connecticut Nighthawks Premier Team of the USPHL.

Shanley was born into a hockey family, and he was 4 years old when he started playing hockey. He began as a defenseman, moved up to forward at age 7, and moved back at age 13.

“Ever since then, coaches liked how the puck movement was coming more from the back when I was there and how I was interchangeable,” Shanley said. “So if anyone was hurt or we were missing guys, I could always jump up and play both positions. Coaches really like that when you can play both, and it helps with your game too because you know what a forward’s thinking or what a defenseman’s thinking.”

There are some moments from youth hockey that stick out in Shanley’s mind, including wins against some of the top teams in the country, but nothing compares to the bonds he’s built with his teammates.

“I’ve just made so many good friends that you consider everyone brothers when you play with them, so it’s really awesome,” Shanley said.

It was one of those teammates, Orchard Park/West Seneca Wings goaltender Tom Held, who helped Shanley achieve his dream of signing a junior contract. There was a time when Shanley didn’t believe it was possible, but slowly, his dream became a reality, thanks to a few coaches, Held, and the Nighthawks.

“It’s always been a dream to play hockey, but where I’ve signed in Connecticut is definitely because of Tom,” Shanley said. “When I was 14 or 15, I actually thought it was out of the question, and I was looking more into colleges, but more coaches were coming up and talking to me. It made hockey more significant and I realized there was a chance I could play juniors, and I’m gonna take all the chances I get.”

Shanley attended Mark Zarbo’s Buffalo Junior-College Showcase in May, and there he met Kyle Richards, who had just been named co-head coach of Connecticut. Shanley was considering a few teams at the time, but Richards encouraged him to consider Connecticut. Once Held signed and Shanley met the team and coaching staff, his mind was made up.

“He said, if nothing works out, give him a call,” Shanley explained. “And then Tom signed there, and I went to Massachusetts, and they offered me a contract the week before. I played with them and two other teams in that showcase, but after meeting the coaching staff and some of the players there, it was an easy choice. I felt like I fit right in to everything that they were there to offer.”

“The attention that that league is gonna get, it’s very good,” Held added. “High school hockey is a stepping stone, and I think Fed is probably the best high school hockey you’re gonna find, other than Minnesota. Juniors is such a big step. It’s not just playing juniors; it’s finding a spot where you’re gonna get better and you’re gonna get the attention to play college, where you’re gonna get the playing time, where you’re gonna get the ice time to keep playing, keep getting better.”

College hockey is where Shanley hopes to end up someday.

“I want to play college hockey, for sure,” he said. “Going to college, even a hometown school like NU or Canisius, not even just Division 1, but Fredonia, and just play college hockey and have more experiences there and keep on playing. That would be my end goal.”

Shanley knows he has his high school coaches to thank for the player he’s become, especially the new coaching staff he played for in his senior year, and his senior year at Timon gave him memories that will last.

“Being a senior was awesome,” Shanley said. “I wish I had another year with the coaching staff. Again, they were amazing. Beating Canisius was awesome — not in the playoffs obviously, sadly. Just all the practices, the ice time. Sitting down with the coaches, everything that they used to talk to you about — it was just so much fun learning all the new things that you didn’t think you could learn at such a late stage in your career.”

He elaborated on what it was like being part of the Timon Fed hockey team for three years and part of a school like Timon.

“The locker rooms all three years were just insane,” he said. “The coaches, especially the last year, how much they’ve changed me as a player — I have to give a huge thanks to them because they were a huge part of where I am now. But all throughout, the friends that you make through school, going to such a small school and knowing everyone, and the crowds that would come to games because it was so small. Those were the top three most fun years of my life.”

As he prepares for the next chapter of hockey, Shanley’s expectations are high for himself and his new team.

“They’re a new team in the league, but with who we have signed and the coaching staff, I have high expectations,” Shanley said. “I want to do the best that we can and go beyond regular season, go to the postseason for sure.”

GETTING TO THE NEXT LEVEL: THE RYAN MILLER STORY

Ryan Miller started playing hockey when he was 3, and if he has his way, his career won’t be over anytime soon.

The 2017 Timon graduate will begin his junior hockey career with the Walpole Express Elite Team of the Eastern Hockey League (EHL).

Miller’s father was his first coach, as John Miller coached the Learn to Skate program at the Nike Base rink in Hamburg. Ryan joined his older brother’s travel team and played for the Hamburg Hawks every season until his last, when he joined the Buffalo Regals organization.

At Timon, Miller was a key player on the ice for the Tigers, especially in his senior year. He played on a line with fellow senior Pat Faliero and junior Gavin Farrell, and Miller scored 11 goals and added 10 assists in 16 league games.

“Senior year was definitely the best,” Miller said. “It was the best coaching I’ve had probably my entire life. They were all good coaches and worked well together and really helped us out. They helped us get to the next level.”

Miller knew that his leadership was important not just on the stat sheet, but also as an example for the younger players on the team.

“As a senior, you really have to step up, show the younger guys how to get it done, how to score goals, how to win games, and how to be a leader,” Miller said. “With all the new guys and younger guys we had out there this year, it made a difference how we were leading out there.”

Miller credits his Timon coaches with helping him get to the next level, but his time playing in the Fattey Hockey League made a difference as well. He played on a team with Patrick Polino and Frankie Cefalu. Polino’s brother Cos is the head coach at Walpole, and Cefalu is a Walpole alum now playing for the University of New Hampshire.

“I played with Pat Polino this year, whose brother is the head coach of Walpole, so he led me in that direction,” Miller explained. “Frankie Cefalu, who’s on our FHL team, he played up there. He started off on elite and then went to premier, and now he’s playing D1 at UNH. A few guys from our team have played up there, and I just talked to them, and they said it’s a great place to play, and they have a lot of connections up there for colleges.”

Miller knows he can expect Cos Polino to provide the same honest coaching he’s grown accustomed to at Timon.

“I’ve heard a lot of good things,” Miller said. “Talking to the coaches and them telling us what it’s gonna be like. I know Cos and I know he’ll tell you the truth, even if it’s not what you want to hear. He’ll still tell you the truth and give his honest opinion.”

Miller’s goal is to play college hockey someday, and it’s his belief that just as the Timon coaches got him to the junior level, Cos Polino and the Walpole Express can get him to the next level.

“I just want to play college hockey,” Miller said. “You gotta play juniors for at least a year or two. I’m just trying to play college, and I know Cos can do that for us and help push us to the next level.”

‘THE BEST THING THAT’S EVER HAPPENED TO ME’: THE PAT FALIERO STORY

With a father and a brother already playing, hockey was there for the taking for young Pat Faliero. He took hold of the game, fell in love, and hasn’t let go yet. This fall, Faliero will join the Connecticut Nighthawks Elite Team of the USPHL.

“I’m not gonna say it wasn’t my decision, but I was definitely directed to going right into hockey, which was the best decision for me, obviously,” Faliero said.

He still vaguely remembers his first goal.

“That was pretty funny,” Faliero said. “I was on the ice, and it just kind of hit me and went in, so those are the things that you remember — first time you made a travel team, all the ups and even the downs. You remember some of the things you went through to get to where you are today.”

Today, Faliero is between captaining Timon’s Fed hockey team and leaving Western New York for juniors in Connecticut. His busy summer consists of working a lot to save money for his new chapter of hockey and getting on the ice when he can, even if it’s just to skate and shoot with his dad.

After one such skate with his dad, Faliero took some time to reminisce on his career with Timon, from fulfilling his dream of being named a captain to some of the big goals he scored.

“Being captain of Timon this year was probably the best thing that happened to me for my whole entire career,” Faliero said. “The best memory from Timon was probably, we went to Rochester this year, we played Notre Dame, and it was a dog fight the whole game. It was 2-2, and we scored on a power play. I got it with like a minute-24 left, and it was the closest I ever got to a game-winning goal, so I thought that that was pretty cool.”

But his favorite part of hockey isn’t even what takes place on the ice. It’s not the interviews, although the kid who poured milk over his head during a post-game video won’t soon be forgotten. His favorite part is the friendships he’s made and the new teammates he’s met at each level of hockey.

“I like meeting the guys,” Faliero said. “A lot of characters you meet throughout the course of your life, and I played on a bunch of different teams the last few years. Meeting new guys, guys that you used to play against that you didn’t like, and then you find out they’re on your team. You walk into the room and you look at them, and you’re like, ‘Wow, those guys I used to battle against.’ Especially with my Caz [Cazenovia 18U travel] team this past year, a couple of the guys there are real good friends with me now, like Colin Bartoo and Joey Iafallo. I used to play them all my life, and now we’re good friends.”

Faliero will have new teammates to form friendships with in Connecticut, and he’s looking forward to it. As he followed in his older brother’s footsteps to begin his hockey career, he also had his brother’s example to follow when it came to juniors.

Mike Faliero played with the Jr. Sabres of the OJHL, and Pat Faliero hoped he could do the same.

“Sometimes it looked a little tough because hockey’s such a tough sport to go places in,” Faliero said. “You don’t hear that many people from around here going anywhere, but it looks like it’s on the uprise right now. A lot of people seem to be getting out of here and going places to play. Really, it’s helpful having my brother. He played junior for four years, so it’s really showed me what I wanted to do and where I wanted to go, and I think that’s the biggest reason why I want to keep playing.”

Faliero attended Mark Zarbo’s Buffalo Junior-College Showcase in May, which he called a “phenomenal showcase,” and met Connecticut coach Kyle Richards there.

“Me and Miller were on the bench, and we just went out and Miller had just scored the goal, and [Richards] leaned over and said he’d be giving us a call within a couple weeks,” Faliero explained. “It was good having the coach right on the bench with you because he could see it right from where he was and talk to the players between shifts to see if you could do what he wants and stuff, and I’ve been in touch with Kyle Richards ever since then.”

Richards liked what he saw from Faliero, and Faliero liked what he heard from Richards, the Nighthawks, and the USPHL.

“I’ve always heard that the USPHL is a good league,” Faliero said. “I think that they offered a lot for my player development and what’s gonna be best for me. I talked to the coach a lot about what would go on throughout the year, and I really enjoyed talking to him all the time. He seems like he’s gonna be a really good player coach, gonna help us out to get to where we need to get to — the next level, and I think he had a lot to put on the table, and I’m excited to get going.”

Faliero knows he’ll be challenged in his next step and that his role as captain is over, at least for the time being. But he’s excited for the challenges ahead.

“Definitely a lot of fun to come with all the guys and meeting a bunch of new people,” Faliero said. “But also, it’s gonna be a lot of work. It’s gonna be real different. We’re not gonna be the top dogs. We’re gonna be the young guys, the rookies, going in, and I’m looking for a lot of player growth and see if I can hit my potential as a player. I’m really looking forward to it, to see what I can bring through what these guys teach me and what I can learn.”

And, of course, he’s eager to meet his new teammates, including his new roommate.

“I don’t know anyone, but I guess that makes it a little better,” Faliero said. “It’s gonna be tough, but I’m excited to meet a bunch of new guys. The guy I’ll be rooming with, I’m not too sure who he is yet, so I’m pretty excited to meet him. Hopefully we get along well. I wouldn’t doubt that we will, so I’m excited to meet him and get going. Probably have to be pretty close by the end of the year, so it’ll be a nice little room together.”

Like his teammates, Faliero knows he has the Timon coaching staff to thank for how far he’s come. Chris Panek was involved in every step of the process as Faliero explored each opportunity to play junior hockey.

“Definitely couldn’t have done it without them,” Faliero said. “Every time a coach would contact me, right away I’d give their number to Chris Panek, and I’d have Chris Panek call them right away and make sure everything was good and set, and he talked to every single one of the coaches that contacted me, and he helped me make my decision … I give a lot of credit to those Timon coaches because they’re the best thing that’s ever happened to me, and I’m a little upset that I only got them for the last year, but it’s definitely great for the Timon hockey program to keep going with those guys.”

Faliero hopes to keep going in his own career as well. His dream is to play college hockey, and he believes that the experience he’ll gain and lessons he’ll learn in Connecticut are the next step to get him there.

“It’s the best game in the world, and I want to keep playing as long as I can,” Faliero said.