Nichols FDP vs. Rochester

The Nichols Fall Development Team is preparing to host the Rochester Americans U-18 today at 5:45pm. It is the first home game of the fall season. This game will be a great test for Nichols as 13 players will be either Freshman or Sophomores this year at Nichols. It will be a great look at the future of the program.

Nichols Hockey is on Twitter

The Nichols Boys Hockey program has joined twitter. Follow the team and receive updates by joining at www.twitter.com/nicholshockey.

Vikings Defeat West Seneca

After a long summer and 3 fall practices, the Nichols Fall Development Team traveled to the Leisure Rinks in Orchard Park and defeated the West Seneca U-18AAA team by a score of 6-1. Andrew Poturalski paced the offense with two goals, while four others found the back of the net.

Nichols fell behind early as West Seneca found the net on their first power play of the game. Ryan Stayner countered with a power play goal of his own to even the score before the first period would end. As Nichols continued to improve their play, Poturalski would convert a 3-on-1 to break the tie, and Jack O'Connor put the lead to 3-1 before the end of the second period. Jordan Berninger put the game away with his first goal of the fall, and Poturalski added a shorthanded goal to make it 5-1. Another Berninger shot found the net after it deflected off of Patrick Thompson's leg to finish the scoring. Peter Borgesi and Brandon Mueller split the game in net, and both played very well.

Nichols assistant coach Scott Hurd had these comments. "The team played very well and probably exceeded our expectations. For our first effort with minimal preparation, the guys responded well and improved with every shift. There were a lot of players who got better today. It will be important to see how they progress during the week to prepare for Rochester."

The Vikings will host the Rochester Americans at Dann Arena this Saturday, September 27. The puck drops at 5:45pm.

Preparing for West Seneca U-18

The Nichols Fall Development Program will begins its fall season with a game tomeorrow, September 20, against the West Seneca U-18 team at 9:00 at the Leisure Rink. The game will be the first of seven fall games around the Buffalo area. Check back Sunday night for updates.

Day 1 in the Books

Thirty-six Nichols hockey players woke up early this morning to participate in the first edition of the Nichols Fall Hockey program. Incorporating two sheets of ice, players were put through a series of excercises design to increase skill, speed, and decision-making. Players looked sharp for the first day, which gives the coaching staff a great deal of optimism for the upcoming season.

According to Coach Printz, "Players looked smooth and quick for 6:30 in the morning. From the top down, the skill level was high, and we are all excited about the future of all of the Nichols hockey programs. The best part is that it will only continue to get better."

The next workout will be Monday, September 14 at 6:15pm. The first fall game will be Saturday, September 20 at 9:00om at the Leisure Rinks versus the West Seneca U-18 team.

Fall Schedule Announced

The Nichols Boys Hockey program has taken a giant step forward in its attempt to enhance its hockey experience with the creation of the Fall Development Program. With a focus on skill development, Nichols has created a fall program that will certainly be the model of many programs in the future. Practices will be held Monday from 6:15pm-7:30pm, and Wednesday 6:30am-7:30am with the first practice starting Wednesday September 9. The fall game schedule has been finalized. The program is offered to any player enrolled at Nichols, and the top 20 players available will play in games.

Sept. 20 9:00pm @West Seneca U-18 (Leisure Rinks)

Sept. 27 5:45pm Rochester Amerks U-18 (Dann Arena)

Oct. 11 5:45pm West Seneca U-18 (Dann Arena)

Oct. 18 5:45pm Amherst U-18 (Dann Arena)

Oct. 22 8:50pm @Amherst U-18 (Pepsi Center)

Oct. 25 3:15pm @Monroe U-18 (Lakeshore)

Oct. 31 7:30pm Monroe U-18 (Dann Arena)

Coaching Staff Changes

During the summer months, the Nichols Hockey program has gone through some changes in its coaching staff. While Jamie Printz and Scott Hurd remain with the Prep team, Nichols is excited to announce the addition of two coaches to the Prep and some re-organization to the Fed. Wayne Clarke, an RPI graduate and Toronto Maple Leafs draft pick, has agreed to return to the Prep team on a limited basis, and Adam Bellows, a Nichols alum and Clarkson graduate, will also lend his services to the squad. Adam Holler will be taking over as head coach of the Federation team, and Darcy Brewer will be his assistant coach.