Seminoles roller team skating in the right direction By WB Philp


“Last season was definitely a building season and real success. T The Seminoles’ all-time record is 62-99-6, but


over the last three seasons, FSU has morphed into a contender.


“When I joined the team my freshman year, we


were just a loosely structured organization that relied on talent instead of structure,” said team president and defenseman Matthew DeMarco. “Last year and mainly this year, we focused on implementing more strategy into our game and we are trying to veer away from a run-and-gun style of play and so far it’s really paying off.” Playing in Division II of the Eastern Collegiate


Roller Hockey Association (ECRHA), the Seminoles finished the 2010-11 season at a disappointing 6-7-2, losing their last five games.


The Florida State University roller hockey team has had some early- season success and is aiming to bring a national championship to Tallahassee.


he Florida State University roller hockey team has been around for 12 years and never tasted any


the overall management of the team had changed from the previous three years and a lot of new things were implemented,” said DeMarco. “We were always missing key players for every tournament, mainly due to injuries or important school events. Our top scorer from the previous two seasons, David Silverman, dislocated his shoulder on the first goal of the year and was out for the majority of the season. That was tough.”


The last game of the season was their best game of the 2010-11 campaign. Despite losing in the final minute to Eastern Carolina (a team that went on to finish third in the nation), FSU’s effort and stellar play gave them something to build on. This season, the team from Tallahassee has sprinted out of the gate, going 3-1 in their first tournament. After losing 3-2 to North Carolina-Charlotte in the first game, the Seminoles went down 5-0 to South Carolina in game two before roaring back, scoring six goals in the third period to win, 10-6. Led by Austin Posner’s six-goal performance, FSU then defeated Middle Tennessee State, 12-2, in game three and went on to topple Georgia Tech, 8-2, in the finale. Defenseman Joseph Contreras and forward Travis Patterson led the offense with ten and eight points, respectively. Goaltender Kyle Harmer was solid in goal, posting a sparkling 3.25 goals-against average while playing every minute. Despite adding five new players this year, DeMarco sees no issues in the locker room or on the floor. “There has been instant team chemistry,” said De- Marco. “I fully expect us to make it to nationals.”


DeMarco’s confidence is based on the team tak-


ing a different approach to their preparation. With only two hours of practice time per week available to them, the Seminoles have taken a more analytical approach. Practice time is spent mainly working on developing plays and honing their special teams. This proved positive as FSU went 5-for-6 on the power play in the first four games this season. Despite limited time on the floor, FSU team captain Jason Hyber has stepped up and leads an off-floor conditioning program twice a week at the FSU track. The squad also meets once a week on “Tomahawk Tuesdays” at the Tomahawk Sports Bar and Grill. The players have dinner together and talk hockey and much more, building important team chemistry. Patterson, also an assistant captain, is big on be-


ing ready to go each and every day. “Conditioning is what has improved my game,”


said Patterson. “It has helped me to be more aggres- sive on the rink and I feel that every time I battle along the boards, I will come out with the puck. We are in the weight room and on the track during the week. We’re together on Tuesday nights. Anything less than nationals is unacceptable.” As is the case with most college inline programs, the financial pressure is always looming. The roller team receives some help from the university, but basically must support themselves. “We definitely have the talent, the discipline and


the drive to do great things this year,” added DeMar- co. “Our only obstacle seems to be finances. Hopeful- ly, we can solve that problem through fundraising and potentially make a run at a national championship.”


Spring Hill’s Pelletier patrols inline floor and Gulf of Mexico By WB Philp


B


eing a great inline hockey referee requires thick skin, a solid knowledge of the rules and a genuine


concern for the sport and its participants. These attributes certainly describe Paul Pelletier. The 54-year-old native of Brentwood, N.Y., has a list of current duties that is nothing short of im- pressive. He is the referee in-chief for the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU), USA Roller Sports (USARS), the American Inline Hockey League (AIHL), the East Coast Hockey Organization (ECHO) and a top FIRHS (Federation Nationale de Roller Sports) international Level A referee. He has also held the position of Florida State referee in-chief for USA Hockey Inline. Pelletier has done it all as a referee, officiating thousands of games and many prestigious tourna- ments in his 14-year career, including four Tourna- ment of Roller Hockey Series (TORHS) nationals, two North American Roller Hockey Championships (NARCH) finals, four Junior World Championships, including the 2011 tournament in Italy and the ECHO RIC 2011 nationals. Pelletier lives in Spring Hill with his wife and when he is not patrolling the roller hockey courts, he is pro- tecting the Gulf of Mexico as a United States Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer. When asked about his favorite part of being a


referee, Pelletier answers with the enthusiasm of a teenager. “Teaching the little kids the rules while they play


(is my favorite),” said Pelletier. His least favorite part is “dealing with coaches and


16


players who think they know the rules, but don’t. They argue, but haven’t taken the time to read the rulebook.” And this referee has zero tolerance for verbal


abuse. “A referee should not be verbally abused by a coach or player,” Pelletier exclaimed. “I will remove anyone who verbally abuses me or any of my ref- erees. When coaches verbally abuse a referee, that gives players the green light to do the same.” Being a referee in-chief is very time consuming,


especially when it comes to the rulebook. “Every year or two, we have to review the rule-


book to keep up with the changing game of roller hockey,” Pelletier explained. “We focus on protecting the game and its players. This takes so much time and many referees. We must get the exact wording right.”


What makes a good inline hockey referee? Pelletier weighs in. “Being consistent,” said Pelletier. “All coaches want


the referees to be consistent every game.” Pelletier feels the state of roller hockey in Florida has “some good things happening.” “Florida has talented players that can compete


with New York and California teams despite their low level of participants,” said Pelletier. “The economy has something to do with it. Money is tight for everyone, but also, the number of inline players playing ice hockey has gone way up.” With all of the accolades and recognition he has


earned, it would be easy to surmise that Pelletier would have a hard time picking one moment that has


Paul Pelletier has seen it all during his 14-year inline hockey referee.


stood out in his distinguished career, but it wasn’t. “Teaching my kids to referee and officiating alongside them, especially when I refereed the Junior Olympics with my daughter, Danielle, has been the highlight of my career,” smiled Pelletier.


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20