ACES BEAT HUDSON VALLEY 10-5

Sunday night at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY the Brooklyn Aces extended their current win streak to seven games, beating the Hudson Valley Bears 10-5. The Aces became the first EPHL team to go an entire game with no penalties. They were too busy scoring to spend any time in the penalty box. Ian McLoughlin got the scoring spree started in the first period by taking a puck in from the blue line while fighting off two Bears defenders and flipping the puck over goalie Peter Maro's right shoulder. Hudson Valley's Scott Estey answered with his first of two goals on the night just a few minutes later, but the Aces meant business. Chris Holmes gave Brooklyn the lead, taking a Mike Christensen pass and putting it in the net. Less than two minutes later, BJ Kuper put himself in front of the net and in prime position for teammate Eric Frank to find him from behind the net. "It was a beautiful play by Frank. He went behind the net and drew the goalie opposite," said Kuper. "Then he passed it over a defenseman's stick, and my only option was to go top corner, and I hit it."

Frank would add a goal of his own, his third of the season later in the period. After Joey Grasso scored his first goal as an Ace, Brooklyn found themselves with a 6-1 advantage just 14 minutes into the first period. All-in-all 8 different Aces scored on Sunday night, with Mike Christensen and Jesse Felten each scoring twice. Felten also added two assists to be named the game's First Star. Newcomer Gabe Yeung had three assists against his former mates to help the Aces to victory.

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Tonight at the Essex County Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain the Brooklyn Aces (16-2-1-0) defeated the Jersey Rockhoppers (9-7-0-0) 4-3. The host Rockhoppers got on the board first, when Kyle Bozoian scored his 11th goal of the season on a pass from Tom Boudreau. The Aces evened the score when Jesse Felten put one in on the power play. "The puck was bouncing everywhere," said Felten. "Kyle (McCullough) and CJ (Tozzo) both took swipes at it and missed, so I just reacted, took a swing at it, and it went in." Jersey would have the last laugh of the first period however, as Chris Ferazzoli put in a rebound to give Jersey the 2-1 advantage.

Chad Wilcox started the second period with a bang, scoring his 2nd goal of the season to tie the score at 2-2. While Jersey was killing a penalty in the second period, their best penalty killer was in net, in the person of Nick Niedert. Nick made several amazing saves to keep his team in the game, and the score tied. But Brooklyn's offense kept coming, and Eric Frank broke through with the go-ahead goal midway through the second period. Kyle Bozoian added his second of the night to tie the game at 3-3 heading into the third period. That's when reigning EPHL Goaltender of the Week, Eddie Neville, shut down the Rockhoppers offense, holding them scoreless in the game's final frame. After failing to capitalize on several power play chances, CJ Tozzo put home an even-strength game-winner with less than 5 minutes remaining to secure the win for the Aces.

CATCH TONIGHT'S GAME ON THE WEB

For those fans that cannot make the trip to the Essex County Richard J. Codey Arena on Friday night to see the Aces take on the Jersey Rockhoppers, be sure to tune in to the Aces' webcast. Announcer Tom Willms of IYMSportsRadio.com will be giving the live play-by-play as the Aces try to extend their first place lead.

Tonight's pre-game show will begin at 7:50 pm, with the opening face-off scheduled for 8:00 pm. Simply visit www.iymsportsradio.com and click the 'Listen Live' link.

NEVILLE NAMED GOALTENDER OF THE WEEK

Eddie Neville has been named the Eastern Professional Hockey League's Goaltender of the Week. In wins over Danbury on December 23rd & 26th, Neville stopped 61-of-66 shots. The Ozone Park, NY native leads all EPHL goaltenders with a 2.91 goals against average, a 91.6% save percentage, and a record of 8-2-1. Neville is in his first professional season having played junior hockey in the NAHL & USHL and college hockey at Bowling Green State University.

ACES 'SWEEP' DANBURY WITH 3-1 WIN

Saturday afternoon at the Aviator Arena in Brooklyn, NY the Brooklyn Aces (14-2-0-1) took on the Danbury Mad Hatters (6-8-0-1) for the third game in a row. And for the third game in a row, the Aces emerged victorious, defeating Danbury 3-1 in what has quickly become the EPHL's most heated rivalry. Danbury struck first on Saturday when Igor Karlov scored on an assist from Mike O'Sullivan five minutes into the first period. But it would be all Aces after that. Forward Mike Christensen continued to play well, scoring his 13th goal of the season on the power play, midway through the first period. Less than two minutes later, again on the power play, James Brannigan put a CJ Tozzo pass into the back of the net for his league-leading 21st goal of the season. The Aces success on the power play was matched by their ability to kill penalties on Saturday.

Their best penalty killer was in the net, in the form of Miroslav Recicar, who stopped 20-of-21 Danbury shots on goal and remained undfeated this season (6-0). The Aces are back in action on Sunday as they travel to Newburgh, NY to take on the Hudson Valley Bears at 4:30pm.

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ACES WIN 4-2

Tonight at the Danbury Ice Arena in Danbury, CT the Aces (13-2-1-0) defeated the Danbury Mad Hatters (6-6-0-1) 4-2. The Aces were outshot for just the second time this season, but remained undefeated in that situation. Danbury struck first in this hard-fought battle, when Mike O'Sullivan found Igor Karlov in front of the net for his 7th goal of the season, less than two minutes into the first. Jesse Felten evened the score at 1-1 with his 5th of the season, late in the first, and the Aces never looked back.

Chris Holmes scored for the 9th time this year on an assist from Mike Christensen midway through the second period. Later in the period Christensen struck again, leading James Brannigan to his 20th goal of the year, giving Brooklyn the 3-1 advantage. Christensen had an assist on all four Brooklyn goals in the game. Goalie Eddie Neville remained hot, stopping 35-of-37 Danbury shots on goal, improving his league leading save percentage. A late goal by Danbury's Dan Hickman would not be enough, and Brooklyn held on for the 4-2 win.

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ACES BEAT ROCKHOPPERS 4-2

Saturday night at the Aviator Arena in Brooklyn, NY the Aces (11-2-1-0) defeated the Jersey Rockhoppers (7-5-0-0) 4-2. Jersey ended the first period with a 1-0 lead. This was the third consecutive game that the Aces went scoreless in the first period. But they made up for it in the second. BJ Kuper got the Aces on the board less than 2 minutes into the period, scoring on an assist from Mike Richards and newcomer Eric Frank. 54 seconds later, James Brannigan added his 18th goal of the season to give Brooklyn a 2-1 lead.

Goaltender Eddie Neville was outstanding in net, stopping 28-of-30 Rockhopper shot attempts. Midway through the second period, Mike Christensen scored his first of two goals on the night, taking a soft pass from Chris Holmes and putting it in the back of the net. The Rockhoppers would cut the lead to one on Logan Bittle's 3rd goal of the season later in the period. But Christensen and Holmes teamed up again for the insurance goal with just over a minute remaining in the third to seal the victory.

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RESENDES NAMED PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Aces forward Tony Resendes has been named the Eastern Professional Hockey League's Player of the Week. Resendes had a six point week, scoring three goals and adding three assists in two games. In only seven games with the Aces, the Wilmington, Massachusetts native has 13 points (4 goals & 9 assists). The twenty-one year old forward began the year with Twin Cities in the SPHL.

ACES LOSE TO JERSEY 5-4 IN OVERTIME

Tonight at the Essex County Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain the Jersey Rockhoppers (7-4-0-0) defeated the Brooklyn Aces (10-1-1-0) 5-4 in an overtime thriller in West Orange, ending the Aces' 8-game win streak.

Jersey struck first midway through the first period when Anthony Becker scored his 1st goal in a Rockhoppers uniform with just under 10 minutes remaining in the period. Brooklyn's high-powered offense was held scoreless in the first period for just the third time all season.  After another Jersey goal, Tony Resendes cut the lead to 2-1. The goal was Resendes' 3rd of the season, but he did not stop there. Resendes would score again later in the 2nd for the Aces on an assist from CJ Tozzo. The Aces ended the 2nd period trailing 3-2.

After a back-and-forth opening to the 3rd period, Logan Bittle scored his 3rd goal of the seaon for Jersey, on a pass from Chris Ferazzoli to give them a two goal lead. But the Aces would fight back. Looking for an answer, the Aces found it in their 'resident pest' BJ Kuper. Captian Chad Wilcox found Kuper in front of the next with less than 7 minutes remaining in regulation, cutting the deficit to one. BJ would score again less than 3 minutes later to tie the game, and send the Aces to overtime for the second time this season.

Just over a minute into the extra frame, Chris Ferazzoli took a pass at the top of the Rockhoppers' circle and skated up-ice. After shaking a defender in the neutral zone, Ferazzoli skated wide of the net and wristed a short-side backhanded shot over the shoulder of Eddie Neville, earning the Rockhoppers the victory.

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ACES BEAT JERSEY 6-3

Tonight at the Essex County Richard J. Codey Arena at South Mountain in West Orange, NJ the Brooklyn Aces (9-1-0-0) won their 7th straight game in a hard-fought battle against the Jersey Rockhoppers (5-4-0-0) 6-3. Brooklyn used skillful passing to create opportunities and earn the victory.

Jersey got out to an early lead in the first period, on a 5-on-3 chance when Drew Sanders found Tom Boudreau in front of the net for the goal. The Rockhoppers were able to kill a penalty later in the 1st, as Nick Niedert made several big saves including one with 11.3 seconds left in the first period. Brooklyn came out firing to start the 2nd period, peppering Niedert with shots. Midway through the period, James Brannigan flipped a backhanded wrist shot past Niedert's right shoulder to get the Aces on the scoreboard. The Aces later scored in the period when BJ Kuper put in a Mike Thomson rebound to give Brooklyn the lead. Jersey had several scoring opportunities, but Aces goalie Miroslav Recicar was able to keep the puck out of the net for the remainder of the period. Recicar got some help with just over 2 minutes left, when Alex Hager's breakaway wrist shot hit the post and went wide.

The Aces got more help from the pipes when CJ Tozzo's shot hit the post and snuck behind Niedert for the goal in the first minute of the 3rd. Jersey answered right back on a Justin Todd put back, making it a 3-2 game. Chris Holmes led Mike Christensen with a nice pass in front of the net to help Brooklyn extend their lead. With 7 minutes to go in the game, Rockhoppers forward Tom Boudreau scored his second goal of the night to bring Jersey back within one. But the Aces power-play proved to be too much, as CJ Tozzo scored his second goal of the game to seal the win for Brooklyn.

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HOLMES AND RECICAR CALLED-UP

The Brooklyn Aces are proud to announce their first call-ups of teh 2008-2009 season. Forward Chris Holmes and goaltender Miroslav Recicar were called up to the Elmira Jackals of the ECHL. The Jackals are the Double-A affiliate of the NHL's Ottawa Senators. Both players will be on the active for the Jackals' next game, Saturday night, against the Wheeling Nailers (Pittsburgh Penguins AA-Affiliate).

Holmes is currently tied as the 4th leading scorer in the EPHL with 10 points (4 goals, 6 assists) over his first 8 games. This will be Holmes' second stint with the Jackals. In the 2007-08 season, Holmes played 10 games for Elmira. Goaltender Miroslav Recicar leaves the Aces as the only undefeated goalie in the EPHL. In 4 games, 'Miro' has a goals against average of 3.50 and a save percentage of 86.6%.

"Our goal at the single-A level is to develop players and prepare them for the next level," said Aces Head Coach Chris Firriolo. "I am very proud of both of these players, and wish them the best of luck during their time with the Jackals."

ACES WIN 5TH STRAIGHT

Tonight at the Ice-Time Sports Complex in Newburgh, NY the Brooklyn Aces (7-1-0-0) defeated the Hudson Valley Bears (1-5-0-0) 7-2. This was the Aces 5th straight win, dating back to November 14th. During the streak the Aces have scored 7 or more goals in each of the five games.

The scoring started early for Brooklyn when Andrew Scampoli scored on a power play from Tony Resendes and Nick Grove. Resenes and Grove also assisted BJ Kuper on the Aces' 2nd goal, and sent the Aces into the 2nd period with a 2-0 lead. After James Brannigan scored for the 8th consecutive game, former Ace Jerry Cardinale scored his first goal of the season for Hudson Valley. With just under 3 minutes remaining in the 2nd, Mike Thomson scored on assists from Chris Holmes and Tony Resendes. Holmes and Resendes would reconnect just 25 seconds later, except this time Doug Hoffman and Holmes would give Resendes the passes leading to the Aces' 6th goal. Both teams would score once more before the end of regulation. Goalie Miroslav Recicar remained undefeated in net.

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ACES SWEEP WEEKLY AWARDS

Brooklyn Aces forward Kyle McCullough has been named the EPHL's Player of the Week. The twenty-five year old native of Danvers, MA tallied eight points in two games last week for the Aces. Last Friday night (11/21) vs. Jersey, Kyle scored a hat trick (including the game-winning goal) and added an assist in the Aces 8-2 win over Jersey. Then on Saturday night, he scored a goal and added three assists against Hudson Valley in Poughkeepsie. McCullough is second in scoring in the EPHL with 6 goals & 11 assists good for 17 points. He played college hockey at U-Mass Dartmouth and split time last season with Bloomington (IHL and New Mexico (CHL).

In the National Hockey League, the top goaltender wins the Vezina Trophy at the end of the year. If things keep going as they have been, the EPHL may need to look at naming its goaltender award the 'Neville' Trophy. For the third time in four weeks, Eddie Neville of Brooklyn is the EPHL's Goaltender of the Week. Neville improved his record to 3-1 by stopping 39 of 41 shots against the Jersey Rockhoppers last Friday. The Aces twine-tender leads the EPHL with a 2.26 goals against average and 94.1% save percentage.

ACES BEAT BEARS 9-2

Saturday night at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, NY, the Brooklyn Aces (6-1-0-0) beat the Hudson Valley Bears (1-4-0-0) 9-2, for their fourth consecutive victory. Brooklyn goalie Miroslav Recicar stopped 24-of-26 Hudson Valley shots to help the Aces get the win.

James Brannigan scored his first of two goals on the night 1:49 into the 1st period on an assist from Andrew Scampoli. BJ Kuper added a goal 8 minutes later to give the Aces a 2-0 lead and so began another scoring frenzy for the Aces. For the fourth straight game the Aces scored at least 7 goals.

CJ Tozzo had two goals of his own, extending his goals scored streak to nine games. Defenseman Doug Hoffman assisted Brannigan and Kyle McCullough on their goals, pushing his streak of games with an assist to 6. Overall Brooklyn has outscored their opponents 31-11 in the last 4 games, and have a 6 point lead in the standings over the 2nd place Jersey Rockhoppers.

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ACES DEFEAT ROCKHOPPERS 8-2

Tonight the Aces improved their 1st place record to 5-1-0-0, defeating the Jersey Rockhoppers (2-2-0-0) 8-2, on Nick Fotiu Night at the Aviator Arena in Brooklyn. Former Ranger Nick Fotiu was an Assistant Coach for the Aces during the game, while also signing autographs and posing for pictures between periods. Despite a slow start, the Aces were able to emerge victorious.

Kyle McCullough scored his first of 3 goals on the evening to start the Aces scoring in the 1st period. After the Rockhoppers tied the game at one goal apiece, McCullough scored again, this time on a power play opportunity to give the Aces a 2-1 lead heading into the 2nd period. Kyle added his third goal to complete the hat trick 6:40 into the 2nd, after being assisted by CJ Tozzo and James Brannigan. But Brannigan wouldn't stop there.

James scored two goals in the opening minute of the 3rd period to help the Aces pull away. Tozzo added a shorthanded goal of his own and the Aces found themselves with a 6-1 lead just 3 minutes into the game's final frame. Goaltender Eddie Neville stopped 39 of Jersey's 41 shots to earn his third victory of the season.

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ACES SWEEP WEEKLY AWARDS

Aces forward James Brannigan and goaltender Eddie Neville were announced as the EPHL's Player and Goaltender of the Week on Tuesday afternoon.

Brannigan leads the EPHL in scoring with 8 goals and 3 assists for 11 points in 5 games. This past week, Brannigan tallied four goals, including the EPHL's first hat trick on Saturday 11/15, and added an assist for five points. James played college hockey at Colorado College and played briefly last year in the ECHL with both Augusta and Columbia.

For the second time in three weeks, Eddie Neville is the EPHL Goaltender of the Week. He stopped 38 of 39 shots in the Aces 7-1 victory over Danbury on 11/15. On the year, Neville is 2-1-0 and leads the league in both goals against average (2.35) and save percentage (93.7%).

KUPER STRIVES TO BE THE ULTIMATE PEST

Written by Patrick Hickey Jr. of www.AcesOverBrooklyn.com

If the dirt under your nails or the sand in your eyes that you can never get rid of could magically turn into a professional hockey player, the back of it's jersey would read: KUPER, 8.

The Aces resident pest, BJ Kuper is the James Bond of agitators in the newly-formed EPHL.

Make no mistake about it, just like Bond's liscense to love, Kuper has one of his own as well.

To annoy.

"I'm a grinder, but my job first and foremost is to be a pest," he said. "To be the first guy in the corners and to hassle defenders and draw penalties. It's also my job to make the game as uncomfortable as I can for the opposition."

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ACES FIGHT CANCER AND BEAT DANBURY

Saturday night at the Aviator Arena, the Aces donned pink jerseys to support the American Cancer Society's fight against cancer. But the softly colored jerseys were no indication of the Aces' tough play during Saturday's game, as they beat the Danbury Mad Hatters (1-3-0-0) 7-1, to improve to 4-1-0-0 on the season and remain in sole possession of first place.

Brooklyn got started early, scoring 4 goals in the first period. Forward James Brannigan added to his league-leading goals total by recording the EPHL's first hat trick. He scored twice in the first and once in the third to reach this historic mark. But James wasn't the only Ace lighting the lamp on Saturday.

The Aces went 4-for-11 on the power play, starting with Chris Holmes' goal 3:14 into the first period. CJ Tozzo and Jesse Felten both scored for the second consecutive night and BJ Kuper scored lucky number 7 in the third period for the game's final goal. Goaltender Eddie Neville stopped 38-of-39 shots, adding to his impressive early season resume in the net.

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ACES COME BACK TO BEAT HUDSON VALLEY

Tonight at the Aviator Arena in Brooklyn, the Brooklyn Aces (3-1-0-0) overcame an early deficit to defeat the Hudson Valley Bears (1-2-0-0) 7-6.

The Bears took the lead early on, scoring 2 goals in the first 8 minutes, before Jesse Felten scored on a power play opportunity from Mike Richards. Hudson Valley scored two more goals and was leading 4-1 when the Aces came to life. Ian McLoughlin scored unassisted to light the spark for Brooklyn. Newly acquired defenseman Andrew Scampoli earned his stripes by scoring the team's 3rd goal. After trading goals, the Aces went into the 3rd period trailing 5-4.

Forward Mike Christensen scored to tie the game 2:43 into the 3rd period. CJ Tozzo scored off of a pass from James Brannigan, giving Brooklyn the lead. Each team would score once more, but a few late saves from goalie Miroslav Recicar sealed the win for the Aces.

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SPEEDY FELTEN SETTING HIGH EXPECTATIONS

Written by Patrick Hickey Jr. of www.AcesOverBrooklyn.com

TOZZO BRINGS A DIVERSE GAME WITH HIS LUNCH PAIL

Written by Patrick Hickey Jr. of www.AcesOverBrooklyn.com

Every successful team in hockey history has had a slew of role players that can produce when the time comes and pick up the proverbial lunch pail when times are tough.

The New York Islanders dynasty of the early 80's had players like Andurs Kallur and Butch Goring who consistently came through in the clutch. The 1994 New York Rangers had Esa Tikkanen and Craig MacTavish who annoyed defenses and won bigh face-offs. The Devils still have John Madden and Jan Pandolfo, who drive opposing offenses crazy every night with their endless hustle.

The Brooklyn Aces have CJ Tozzo.

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GROVE ITCHING TO GET STARTED

Written by Patrick Hickey Jr. of www.AcesOverBrooklyn.com

At 5'10", 190 pounds; Aces defenseman Nick Grove may not be the biggest or strongest player in the lineup this season, but he has two things in abundance that put him in a league of his own.

Smarts and heart.

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ROHANNA READY TO RETURN TO PRO HOCKEY

Written by Patrick Hickey Jr. of www.AcesOverBrooklyn.com

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On August 27, Brooklyn Aces representatives spent the first of three nights at Keyspan Park, home of the Brooklyn Cyclones (NY-Penn League), handing out schedules and ticket information. And as you can see below found some time to snap a few pictures as well. Thank you to all of those that came up to our booth and showed their support for the Aces! If you missed it, the Aces will be back at Keyspan Park tonight (August 28) when the Cyclones take on the Oneonta Tigers. Gates open at 5:30pm.

See all of the pictures from Wednesday Night...

 

Chris Firriolo comes to Brooklyn as the first Head Coach/Director of Hockey Operations of the Brooklyn Aces in the Eastern Professional Hockey League. Firriolo most recently served as General Manager and Head Coach of the Syracuse Stars Junior ‘A’ Hockey Club of the prestigious Eastern Junior Hockey League where Firriolo led the 2007-2008 Syracuse team to its most successful season in the organization’s 20 year history with an impressive 40-10-6-1 record while placing 12 of his players at the NCAA level...