Living the Dream: Why Players and College Coaches Love the USPHL
For players who truly love the game of hockey, there is no better place to play than in the USPHL.
With over 400 NCAA division I commitments in just the past two seasons, the USPHL has garnered the reputation as the top hockey league on the East Coast. Players have recognized the advantages of playing in the backyards of so many Division I schools. They see the scouts at every game, and they see themselves and their friends earning college rides. They also see their families more often as a result of playing near their homes. Long story short, players are seeing the benefits of the USPHL firsthand, and they are loving it.
However, it’s not just these advantages that have lead so many players to refer to their time in the USPHL as “living the REAL hockey dream”.
Case and point is the Islanders Hockey Club; who recently moved into the top spot of the Premier Division standings, a team led by renowned head coach Sean Tremblay.
According to Tremblay, winning is a byproduct of focusing on the process. A process that begins by creating an environment that not only allows for just team success, but the development of players skillsets. To achieve this, Tremblay puts a strong emphasis on creating an atmosphere ripe with competition, learning, and most importantly, fun.
The Islanders Hockey Club is one of many USPHL teams that have mastered this process.
However, the true success of the USPHL doesn’t begin and end with just one hockey season. It is process that is fostered in each individual player who participates in the league, and its benefits are accumulated over time. Players grow up participating in the USPHL’s development system, making their way up the divisional ranks. Through this journey, they are able to focus on their development both on and off the ice, all under the guidance of coaches who are looking out for their best interests.
“Our (USPHL) coaches are not as worried about winning and losing as much as their counterparts in other leagues”, stated USPHL Commissioner Richard Gallant. “They don’t have to worry about fan attendance and how their record might affect it. As a result, they don’t worry as much about their job security as the coaches in other leagues do. This allows our coaches to give players one hundred percent of their time and focus, helping them develop as players and as young men.”
It’s the process.
Last season, Tremblay’s Islanders would exit the USPHL playoffs in heartbreaking fashion; finding themselves on the wrong end of two overtime games. One of which went to double overtime.
“This is where the 2015-16 season began for us” said Tremblay. “It was in Philadelphia that our returning players began preparing for this season.”
However, many of those returning players would first be faced with tough personal decisions. Of the returners, three had college commitments and the ability to join Division I rosters in the fall of 2015-16.
“I knew I had the option to attend the University of New Hampshire this season and to join a great hockey team and even better University”, said Islanders forward Brendan van Riemsdyk. “It was a tough decision, but one that I feel will ultimately benefit me a great deal in the long run”.
Van Riemsdyk would go on to say that “we discussed my future at length, both with the coaches at UNH and with coach Tremblay and the Islanders. We all worked together in the process, but I was the one who made the final call that playing in the USPHL was the way to go.”
Other players on the Islanders roster underwent similar processes including Owen Powers and Max Daigle.
Once again, the process would not end there.
The team was outfitted with offseason training material to help guide their development over the summer months. By the time the USPHL season had begun, the Islanders Hockey Club had not missed a beat, picking up where they left off in the prior season.
Daigle, Powers, and van Riemsdyk were named captains, setting expectations for the team. However, their expectations weren’t simply about a winning a championship, they were once again about the process.
“It’s about doing the right things every day”, said captain Max Daigle. “We take pride in it, as players and as an organization. We all recognize how lucky we are to be playing here, where we get so much free ice and are treated so well. We just want to make sure we take advantage of every minute of it.”
The Islanders’ daily and weekly schedule revolves around Tremblay’s process for the team. On Mondays, the team participates in a light morning workout, often designed to help players recuperate after a competitive weekend of league play. Tuesday through Thursday, there is morning ice available to the team to work on personal skills, work one on one with coaches, or just go for a casual skate to have some fun. Open ice is followed up with an hour team strength and conditioning session from 10-11am. More open ice is available from 1-2:15 PM where position specific drills are conducted by the staff before team practice from 2:30 PM to 4 PM.
“For hockey players who truly love the game of hockey, there is no better place to play than in our league,” said Tremblay. “We treat our guys like pros. They get all the ice they want. We focus on their development on and off the ice. And we have excellent relationships with their coaches at the college level. We all work hand in hand to make sure the players are given every chance to be successful both at the junior and collegiate levels of the game. But it’s a process, and it starts in the USPHL.”
A Closer Look
The Islanders Hockey Club sits atop of the USPHL Premier Division standings with an 10-2-0 record. The team is averaging 4.41 goals for per game but is well balanced in its scoring attack.
Special teams have also played a key factor in the Islanders success through the first part of the season. The Islanders are clicking in at 22.7% on the power play and host one of the league’s top penalty kill units which operates at 89.1% efficiency.
Tremblay’s teams are known for strong and deep lineups, and this season is no exception. After last season’s early exit from the playoffs, Tremblay attacked the task of building his team with an even greater intensity. The result was a mix of veterans and newcomers poised to bring the Dineen Cup to North Andover.
Key Players
The team currently has 12 players with Division I college commitments.
Headlining the group of returners is last season’s USPHL Rookie of the Year Brendan van Riemsdyk. Aside from his famous name (brothers James and Trevor both play in the NHL), the University of New Hampshire recruit netted 29 goals last season and currently leads the team with 13 points (7 goals, 6 assists).
Newcomers Brent Beaudoin (Brown) Austin Goldstein (Northeastern), Ace Cowans (UVM), and Tyler Sifferlen (UMASS-Lowell) have all adjusted well to the new league and are in the top five in scoring for the Islanders. Veteran Owen Powers (Holy Cross) provides a physical presence up front.
Returning defenseman Max Daigle (UVM) has produced on both sides of the ice, leading defensemen in scoring with 7 points. The return of Zach Mirageas (Air Force) from injury in September will help solidify a deep defensive corps that includes Liam Darcy (UNH), Will Brophy (Holy Cross), Pippen Weisbeck,JJ Layton, John McLean, and Jack Moran (Maine).
In net, the Islanders feature the tandem of Anthony Tirabassi and Alex Connal, who have rotated all season. Both boast 5-1 records, .918 save percentages, and sub-2.50 goals-against-averages. Regardless of which one plays, the Islanders feature a formidable last line of defense.