Home Opener This Saturday

The Prep team embarks on its' 108^th season with a home and home series against cross town rival, the Buffalo Jr Sabres 18U.  Game 1 takes place at the Dann on Saturday, Sept 10 at 6:30pm.  Game 2 shifts downtown to the Harborcenter at 8:30am on September 11.  This should be an early preview to two of the top contenders in NYSAHA at the 18U level.  

2016-17 Prep Schedule Highlights

The 2016-17 schedule has been released.  As always, the schedule is filled with high level competition and great opportunities for exposure.  The season will be heavy in tournaments and showcases.  In the fall, the Prep team will head to the Jr Bruins Shootout and the Compuware/Honeybaked Invite.  They will also participate locally in the Harborcenter Cup at the end of October.  In the winter, they continue to travel to the Berkshire School Prep Showcase, the Lawrenceville Tournament, and host the Nichols-Belmont Hill Tournament.  An addition to the schedule is a showcase series with Shattuck-St. Mary’s (Faribault, MN), Culver Academy (Culver, IN), Northwood School (Lake Placid, NY), and St. Andrew’s College (Aurora, ON).  This year, the showcases will take place at Shattuck-St. Mary’s and Northwood School.  They will continue our participation in the CISAA Sr. Division 1 with playoffs starting at the end of February, and they will compete for an opportunity at the USA Hockey Nationals at the 18U level. 

SHOWCASES AND TOURNAMENTS

9/23-25                Jr Bruins Shootout (Marlborough, MA)

10/7-9                  Compuware/Honeybaked Invitational (Detroit, MI)

10/28-30              Harborcenter Cup (Buffalo, NY)

11/5-7                  WNY Regional Qualifier (Amherst, NY)

11/18-20              CISAA League Weekend (Toronto, ON)

11/28                   Berkshire School Prep Showcase (Sheffield, MA)

12/2-4                  Shattuck St. Mary’s Showcase (Faribault, MN)

12/16-18              Lawrenceville Tournament (Lawrenceville, NY)

12/28-30              Nichols-Belmont Hill Tournament (Buffalo, NY)

1/13-15                Northwood Showcase (Lake Placid, NY)

2/3-5                    CISAA League Weekend (Oakville, ON/Buffalo, NY/St. Catherine’s, ON)

3/17-19                NY State Tournament

4/6-9                    USA Hockey Nationals

2016-17 Roster Preview: New Faces Bring Talent and Depth

Eight new faces to the Prep Team will bring depth, talent, and energy to the 2016-17 squad.  Although they are new to the team, they are not all new to the school.  Up front, we add 4 new forwards to an already impressive lineup.  Senior forward Bryan Bylsma (Buffalo) joins the group after a strong campaign with the Buffalo Jr Sabres 16U.  Bryan is in his second year at Nichols. Adding to the forward group is junior Andrew Fromen (Amherst) who has been at Nichols since 5^th grade and played the last two seasons on our Prep B squad.  Freshman Dylan Lugris (Buffalo), entering his fifth year at Nichols, will join the forward group.  Dylan spent last season with the Buffalo Jr Sabres 14U.  Sophomore Jeffrey Kopek (Camillus, NY) will be new to the school.  Jeffrey played for West Genesee HS as a freshman and helped lead them to a state final appearance.  Both Lugris and Kopek represented NY at the USA Hockey Player Development Camp for the 2001 age group.  On defense, senior Aaron Partridge (Clarence) will be new to the program and to the school.  He played for Clarence HS and the Wheatfield Blades 16U last season.  He will be joined on the back end by freshman Patrick Brady (Amherst) who played for the Buffalo Jr Sabres 14U.  Robbie Maulucci (Buffalo) will add to the depth on the blue line in his second year at Nichols School.  In net, we add sophomore Robbie Nuchereno (Clarence) from the Buffalo Jr Sabres 14U.  Robbie has been at Nichols since 5^th grade.  Nuchereno also represented NY at the USA Hockey Player Development Camp for the 2001 age group.  

Training Camp Starts Tuesday

The 2016-17 is about to begin as the Prep Boys will start with a training camp this week.  There is a lot of excitement around Dann Arena this season.  Not only has the building seen a few upgrades, the team is poised for a special season.  The work starts Tuesday.  Players will participate in on ice practices all week as well as meetings to acclimate them to their new team.  Thirteen players return from a strong 2015-16 team.  The home opener is around the corner with a 6:30pm faceoff on September 10 against cross town rival, the Buffalo Jr Sabres 18U.  Practices are free and open to the public.   

Tuesday 3:45 - 5:00p

Wednesday 5:00-6:00p

Thursday 3:45 - 5:00p

Friday 3:45 - 5:00p

We look forward to seeing everyone at the Dann sometime soon.

2016-17 Roster Preview: Returning Players Bring Experience

The 2016-17 edition of the Nichols Prep Boys’ Hockey Team is highlighted by 13 returning players from a successful team last season.  This experience should bode well for this year’s group.  At forward, senior co-captain Matt Gasuik (South Buffalo) returns for his third year on the team and should bring a level of leadership and understanding of the work that lays ahead.  Senior forwards Steve Senese (Niagara Falls, NY), Brandon Hausler (Mongomery, TX), Connor Zak (Amherst), and Charlie Carlson (Orchard Park) return for their second season and will be counted on for production.  Junior forwards Lucas Herrmann (Lancaster), Chris Morrison (Ridgefield, CT) and Cole Donhauser (Kenmore) will be key members of the success in their second season.  On defense, senior co-captain Tom Elia (Buffalo) brings leadership in his third season with the Big Green and his 8^th year with the school.  Another 8-year student is senior defenseman Jack Millar (Hamburg) who will compete in his second season on the Prep Team along with senior defenseman Zach Gannon (Amherst).  Another defenseman in his second season is junior Adam Hawkins (Morrisvile, NC).  These four will bring stability to the back end.  Junior goaltender Josh Graziano (Clarence) will be back for his second season after seeing time in 31 games last year. 

Three returners spent part of their summer at the USA Hockey Player Development Camp.  Cole Donhauser, Tom Elia, and Josh Graziano represented the NY District at the National Festival and each represented themselves, their families, and Nichols School hockey at the highest level.  

Check back soon for updates on the newcomers in 2016-17.

Development Camp Begins Next Week

Players from the Prep Team and former Nichols players will participate in our annual Development Camp held at Nichols from August 8-11. Development Coach Dave Smith as well as BarrySmith  (Chicago Blackhawks) will lead the 4 day camp designed to give players a jump start on the season with a focus on skills and skating. It's not only a great training opportunity for our players, but it's a great chance to re-connect with some former players. Camp runs from 6-8pm each night, and it is open to the public.

45 Days and Counting

We are just 45 days away from our opening weekend!  Training Camp will begin in late August and we open with a home and home series with cross town rivals Buffalo Jr Sabres 18U.  Game 1 will be at 6:30pm at Nichols on Sept 10.  Game 2 is down at the HarborCenter on Sept 11 at 9:00am.  We aren't looking to dismiss the summer break, but the excitement of Nichols Hockey is just around the corner.  Looking forward to seeing you all at the rink this winter.  A full schedule will be released soon.