More promise ahead for Orlando Roller Hockey By Brian McDonough
n Orlando native, Ryan Novalis grew up playing at the Universal Skating Center when he was seven years old and has experienced firsthand the value of the facility and its programs. Now, as the hockey director of Orlando
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Roller Hockey (ORH), which calls Univer- sal home, Novalis is doing his best to get more locals - young and old - involved in the game he’s grown to embrace. “In my mind, the best thing (ORH) has
to offer is its shared love and passion for the game and showing people how much fun it really is,” he said. “I still love playing competitively as much as possible and I definitely owe it all to ORH.” Universal opened its doors in 1981, but didn’t put a
hockey program together until a decade later. Its youth program thrived in the years to follow, but has since disap-
Orlando Roller Hockey director Ryan Novalis
peared in part due to the turbulent economy, according to Novalis. He’s doing his best to see it return. “We’re currently working to bring
our youth program back to what it once was, which is a task I certainly look forward to,” he said. “Obviously, it’s an vital component to the future of the facility and roller hockey.” ORH’s adult programs, on the other
hand, are thriving. Currently made up of 11 teams - six A-division clubs and five B - they continue to gain popular- ity with more growth on the horizon. The nearby University of Central
Florida campus plays a big part in the adult league’s pros- perity, partly because the school’s roller hockey club uses Universal for practices and the fact that other roller-playing students who moved to UCF for their education want to continue their inline experience.
“Our program has produced many players who’ve gone
on to play (ice hockey) at Division I NCAA schools, Junior A and Junior B,” noted Novalis. “We also had one of our former players picked in the NHL Entry Draft a couple years back.”
Orlando Roller Hockey’s spring season is already in ses- sion - it runs through May - and it also showcases summer (May-August) and winter (August-December) sessions. It also hosts Iron Man-style tournaments, which boast 4-on-4 competition with no substitutes. “We’ll also try to start up youth learn-to-play clinics dur- ing the summer, so kids have a chance to come see what it’s all about,” said Novalis. Overall, Novalis is exited about the prospects of inline in Orlando and beyond, and is bullish on its future. “Roller hockey in Florida is still growing and, at times, a
little slower than other states, but still growing,” he said. For more information on Orlando Roller Hockey and the Universal Skating Center, visit
UniversalSkatingCenter.com.
UCF, Gulf Coast eye second-half success in SECRHL By Brian McDonough
he second half of the Southeastern Collegiate Roller Hockey League (SECRHL) season hits high gear this month, and a couple of Florida teams at the Division I level has their sights set on strong finishes. The University of Central Florida led the division at the
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holiday break with 16 points through 14 games. Not far be- hind was Florida Gulf Coast University, which had 12 points after only nine games; the Eagles are tied with Tennessee’s Bethel University for second place in the division. Offensively, the Knights have been paced by Orlando
native David Novalis, who struck for team-highs in both goals (17) and assists (12) during the first half of the season. Coral Springs native Joey LaRocco (13 goals for 21 points) and Palm City’s Cooper Knicely (seven goals, 17 points) are also among UCF’s top point-getters. Between the pipes, Cooper City’s Joseph Milner has
played all 14 games, posting an 8-6 record to go along with a 4.07 goals-against average and a .827 save percentage.
The Knights will compete in the next SECRHL showcase on Jan. 28-29 in Snellville, Ga. Florida Gulf Coast (6-3), meanwhile, got a strong per-
formance from Evan Ptachick over the first half of the season. The Minnesota native posted eight goals for 17 points through nine games. Trailing Ptachick on the Eagles’ scoring chart are Hol-
lywood’s Darrel Bagiotti (eight goals for 16 points), along with Naples’ Jonathan Howell (seven goals) and Min- nesotan Trent Zimmer (eight), both of whom have 15 points. In goal for Gulf Coast, Aaron Yukovic, from Ft. Myers,
has taken the decision in all nine games to compliment a 4.78 goals-against average and a .814 save percentage. The Eagles won’t participate in the SECRHL event in
Georgia, but will compete, along with UCF, in the follow- ing league showcase, which will take place on Feb. 4 at Ft. Myers Skatium.
The two Florida clubs - along with division foes Bethel, East Carolina, George Mason (Virginia), Coastal Carolina
Joey LaRocco, from Coral Springs, was one of Central Florida’s top offensive performers during the first half of the season. Photo/University of Central Florida Roller Hockey
formation on the SECRHL, visit
SECRHL.org.
and North Carolina State - are hoping to earn a bid to the National Collegiate Roller Hockey Association’s national tournament, which will be held from April 11-16 in Salt Lake City. For more in-
ORH Selects too much for Transplants at holiday Iron Man By WB Philp
Teams and players participating were the Bulls (Steve T
he holiday season brought an adult competitive level four-on-four Iron Man tournament to the Skateplex in
Temple Terrace. On Dec. 18, Keith Wolf and Tampa Wolfpack Hockey hosted the event that saw eight teams battle it out for more than five hours to determine a champion. The event was a who’s who of Tampa and Orlando roller
hockey.
All the participants from the Iron Man tournament at the Skateplex on Dec. 18 pose as one after the ORH Selects won the championship over the Transplants. Photo/Keith Wolf
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Regan, Danny Caudy, Charlie Robinson, Pat Dutter and Brent Savard), Transplants (Doug Philp, Rutger Himmelreich, Hugo Belanger, Kevin Wagner and Chris Locaino), ORH Selects (David Novalis, Ryan Her- man, Willie Boyle, Kyle Hartung and Michael Bur- gos), Mega-Primes (Cody Galbraith, Nate Galbraith, Justin Telibasa, Cody Smith and Mitch Galbraith), Blades (Justin Cichowski, Gary Napert, Josh His- cock, Jimmy Griffith and Eric Hart), Clay (Brian Clay, Carson Hardy, Ryan Hagaman, Adam Winn and Kevin Calderone), Knights (Shane Tamaddon, Joe LaRocco, Matt Lind, Nelson Peebles and Dan Moon) and Big Test (Nate Gotschall, Jordan Rozanski, Joe Shaw, Matt Hudson and Grant Petty). The tournament format was played using the usual Iron Man rules (12 minute, running-time games) with one very popular and exciting exception – all penalties would result in a penalty shot. After three grueling round-robin games, the teams
entered a win-or-go-home playoff round. In the semifinals, the ORH Selects defeated the Knights and the Transplants defeated the Bulls to advance to the championship game. The ORH Selects, led by snipers Boyle and Novalis and
the stellar goaltending of Burgos would meet the balanced scoring attack of the Transplants, led by Belanger, Philp and Himmelreich and the rock-steady netminding of Locaino. Early on, in a scoreless battle, the Transplants went on
the offensive as Philp and Belanger would each clang the puck off the post, but couldn’t get one by Burgos. After a see-saw first six minutes, ORH dominated the rest of the game. In the end, the team from Orlando was simply too much for the Transplants as they cruised to a 4-0 victory and walked away with the cash prize. Wolf was thrilled with the turnout and the level of com-
petition. “The guys were all on their game and the competition
was at a high level, but friendly,” noted Wolf, the Tampa Wolfpack Hockey founder and director. “It was a very exciting event for us.”
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