My biggest fan; Edward "Poppy" Ugolik

            With Hamden being the hockey town it is, our fan base is huge, and for that we are grateful. Many qualify as a potential #1 fan. In my mind however, it is clear whom I would choose.

            His name is Edward Ugolik, and he is my grandfather. He began watching me play hockey the first time I laced up my skates at the age of 7. I want to say there was a streak of about five years in which he didn’t miss a single game. He has traveled across New England for me. When I was younger, on days when I would stay home from school sick, he would still attend practices and report back to me on how the team was doing. Some claim they live for a specific thing, but this man truly lived to watch my siblings and I compete and prosper.

            Every weekend we would go through our routine. He would pick me up in his olive green Chrysler, and then head to Hamden Sports Center to get my skates sharpened. Now, I am an employee there and every time I see a child come in with his grandfather to sharpen skates I want to tell the kid how lucky he is.

            Next stop was the rink, where I was usually the first one there. To be late for something was a sin to him. He was never big on pep talks, but made sure I didn’t leave the car without exchanging winks. I knew what that wink meant, and tried my best to make him proud. Win or lose, he would be waiting for me afterwards with a blue Powerade, as well as his thoughts on the game.

Unlike other grandfathers, he never told me I was the greatest just because I was his grandson. I heard his truthful opinion whether I played my best or my worst. Brutal honesty. That is what my grandfather was all about.

He has taught me a countless number of things. He was the one who taught me how to whistle, which I often catch myself doing during games when I think about him. He also taught me about character. He was the same person no matter who was around. I loved that about him. To be perfectly honest, there wasn’t a thing I didn’t love about him.

As I’ve progressed through the ranks of hockey he has been right by my side. From the times he picked me up for early morning clinics through the day he handed me my letterman jacket, he had the biggest smile on his face. He was able to witness my teammates and I win two state titles, and did his best to follow this current season while he was in and out of the hospital. He was able to witness me get accepted into the school of my dreams, Trinity College. He was also able to watch me skate out in the beginning of my senior season with an “A” on my chest. I think he was more proud of anything I did than I ever was myself.

Since I began playing for Hamden, he has been confined to a wheelchair. He never let this get in his way, as he sat in the front row of every rink with a handicapped section. My favorite part of games is when I skate by the corner and exchange winks.  Though now he isn’t physically there, I still wink because I know he is winking back.

Poppy passed away today at the young age of 82. For any who knew him, you’ll get a kick out of this:

This morning, he was being his stubborn self when he told the nurse he didn’t want to die in the hospital. They agreed, and put him into the ambulance and on the way to hospice, the driver passed by the old Ugolik house on Woodin Street, and then lastly the Hamden Rink. He became non-responsive as the ambulance cruised by the Lou Astorino Arena. Coincidence? I’ll leave that up for discussion. I like to say he died where his heart was. What is definite though is that he did it his own way, and that is Poppy in a nutshell.

I’ll miss you Poppy, you meant more to me than you ever imagined.

Dragons shut out Blue Devils 7-0

The Hamden-West Haven rivalry is one of the oldest in the state. Knowing the history behind it all, it's an honor every time we play them. Earlier in the season they fought back hard to a 3-3 tie. Coming into this game, we did not want a repeat of our last meeting.

Within 10 seconds of the puck being dropped, nifty winger Patrick Lynch got things started right as he put one over the paddle of goalie J.P. Withington's stick. Carignan and Burt had helpers on the goal. After a terrific penalty killing display on our part, we were able to keep a 1-0 lead after the first.

Thinking a one goal lead was not enough, Paul Amarone and Timmy Lee added goals of their own, both thanks to their linemate, crafty playmaker Justin MacGregor. Then, after another huge penalty kill, defensemen Brandon Dadio and Mike Lee skated up ice and fed Pat Lynch for a beautiful one-timer, his second of the night. The second period ended 4-0. During the intermission we learned we would be without center Clifford Carignan due to a pulled groin, and Coach made it clear that we could not lay back like we did before.

And thankfully, we did not. After continuous forechecking, Burt caught Withington out of his net, and buried one from the top of the circle to stretch the lead to five. After this, Withington pulled himself. Immediately fellow defender Theodore Kennedy quoted the late Herb Brooks by saying, "You just put the best goalie in the world on the bench, boys." He was referring to the last time we played them when their goaltender played one of the best games we've ever seen.

Jim Burt followed up with another goal making it 6-0. Then Pat Lynch completed the hat trick, and fanatic Paul DiGoia threw his hat in celebration. The game ended 7-0, and Matt Hoff fought until the end to earn his first shutout of the year.

Scoring seven goals was huge in regards to our confidence, and the fact that everyone got a shift was another plus. Hopefully this will carry over to Wednesday as we prepare for Winchester.

Hamden battles East Haven for 4-3 victory

The East Haven and Hamden rivalry has dated almost as far back as that of West Haven and Hamden. With these old school rivalries, it is almost a given that the game will be a test of physicality, and that it was.

Let us start from the beginning. As soon as the puck dropped, it seemed like we were going to stay inside the Yellow Jacket's zone for a good amount of time. For a while we did, and Nicky Amarone lit the lamp again.

With under five minutes to go in the first, East Haven threw the puck deep in our zone, and engaged their forecheckers. What seemed to be an innocent dump-in led to a defensive zone breakdown, and the Easties slammed one past Varga to tie the game at 1. Though tied, we had no penalties in the first period, which is a relatively impressive feat.

In the second, the penalties came, and they came from both sides. Things got chippy right away, but forward Clifford Carignan put it all behind him, literally and figuratively, as he streaked up the left side, received a pass from linemate Jimmy Burt, and faked goalie Sam Gavigan to regain the lead at 2-1. The period ended all square, as Varga made a handful of big saves to keep it that way.

In the third, we let East Haven jump on us early, and they scored two unanswered goals. Paul Amarone expressed how he felt about this by answering back late in the third, tying the game at three. With just over five minutes to go, Hamden defenseman Mike Lee broke up-ice and "dangled the carrot" as coach would say, beating Gavigan to the right and taking the lead back, 4-3.

As the final seconds dwindled down on the clock, East Haven had a few chances but couldn't push the game into overtime. The final buzzer sounded and immediately it looked like a scene from Slapshot.

The piece I wrote in today's paper was about keeping composure. Unfortunately, it seems nobody in attendance read it. After a late tomahawk to the back of Burt's leg, the benches erupted. As coaches and managers tried to cool the situation, we were ordered to leave the ice without shaking the other teams hands, kind of disappointing as I thought it would have been nice to see a few friends.

Out of the scrum, we fortunately only lost two men to major penalties. Tomorrow I expect a major team meeting to occur in an attempt to battle the frequent loss of composure. All things aside, we pulled out another win, and that is always a good thing.

Saturday we face West Haven, a game sure to stay true to the title of "the ultimate high school hockey rivalry in Connecticut" at Bennett Rink.

Hamden clinches playoff berth with 4-1 victory over South Windsor

After a long week of hockey in which we were searching for our eighth win to secure a spot in the state tournament, we finally found it after defeating the South Windsor Bobcats 4-1.

The Bobcats, previously 13-2, have been tearing up the northern half of the state lately. We were aware, and prepared for a battle.

Sophomore goaltender Matt Hoff got the nod, and he made the most of it. After a game off last night, he didn't seem shaky at all, as he turned away every shot that came his way in the first period, and the second for that matter.

Everything didn't go perfect though, as we once again were taking dumb penalties at times. Tonight however, we were able to kill off every penalty we were called for. In addition to holding them to nothing on the power play, Nick Amarone took it upon himself to score two of his three goals shorthanded. The first came at the end of the opening period, in which he skated through the entire line of South Windsor defenders, and slipped the puck through the opposing goaltender's five-hole to finish the beautiful individual effort.

After the game, I asked him what he was thinking. Nick replied, "Backhand, forehand fiver. Blind man celly. Da boy got cake." What a character.

In the following period, Nick continued where he left off, this time thanks to the efforts of Clifford Carignan. After blocking another Bobcat power play attempt, Carignan and Amarone skated down the length of the ice and connected for Amarone's second of the evening.

Our next goal came on the power play, where Pat Lynch banged home a rebound to stretch the lead to three. Shortly after, "Tricky Nicky" completed the hat trick with helpers from line mates MacGregor and Paulie Amarone.

Heading into the third period with a four goal lead, South Windsor made sure they weren't going to be shutout, as Kyle Benson fired a shot through a screen on Hoff and it found its way through. Towards the end, thanks to the play of Wilson, Ruocco, Reilly, Callahan, and Quick, the score remained 4-1 and we finally saw the victory we had been waiting for.

From this victory, we move on to face East Haven at the Lou, and hope that the momentum from tonight can carry over.

Rams 2, Dragons 0: New Canaan remains perfect

In a match up that had been postponed due to Mother Nature twice before, it seemed the third time was the charm this Friday evening. 

We drew our largest crowd of the season as we hosted the previously unbeaten New Canaan Rams. As for us, we were fresh off a two-game losing streak, and to lose three in a row definitely wouldn't sit well with Hamden fans, as I heard someone say that it hasn't been done in over 30 years. 

Andy Varga got the start in net, and he played like I have never seen him play before. After a ton of opportunities for both sides, New Canaan was able to sneak one by Varga on the powerplay to take the lead by one. 

Heading into the second down a lone goal, the situation was certainly familiar to us as of late. We knew, in addition to their depth, they were riding on the glove of their hot goaltender. In order to beat a goalie like such, you must pepper him with shots. We did just that, but he wouldn't break. Fortunately, Varga didn't break either, allowing the score to remain at 1-0 in New Canaan's favor. 

In between the second and third period, there was a weird feeling about the locker room. Teammates weren't gloomily hanging heads, but instead they were active in offering words of encouragement to other. Mind you we were still down a goal. 

In the final period, Nowacki didn't budge. Not one bit. After numerous chances, the puck still wasn't going. With 1:36 left on the clock, Coach Verneris pulled Varga for an extra attacker. This was helpful in sustaining pressure until Harper sent the puck into our net from his blue line to seal the deal with an empty netter. 

After the epic showdown two years back, New Canaan finally got some revenge. Games like these I like to say that we didn't lose, we got beat, and there is nothing wrong with that. At times, there is nothing more a team can do after they work together with all that they have than to simply tip their cap. New Canaan came out on top and remains perfect. 

Tomorrow, we travel to South Windsor to hopefully finish this crazy week on a high note. Only time will tell.

Mount St. Charles bests Hamden 7-3

For our second game in two days, we welcomed the legendary program from Mount St. Charles. They're on a quest for their fourth Rhode Island title in a row, and they came down to prove they were the real deal.

They came out hot, netting four unanswered goals in the first period. Oddly however, the score was a bit deceiving, as we were still in the game. Although equal in the scoring chance column, they converted more times thanks to a hard 3-man forecheck, in which they swarmed the high slot and firing from everywhere.

In the second, we were able to salvage two goals, one thanks to a Jim Burt C.J.-Carignan "team" goal, and the second courtesy of Nicky Amarone, who crashes nets at all costs. Unfortunately, Mount added three of their own, leaving the score at 7-2 heading into the third.

Although it seemed as if we were getting dominated if you looked at the score, it really wasn't that bad. Yes, we were outskated. Yes, they were fast. Yes, they knew how to score when they had the puck. But there were positives to be taken out of this.

We won the third period if that constitutes anything, scoring one late in the game and finishing the game down four, instead of five. Matt Hoff saved 37 out of 44, which is huge for a goalie at any level.

This friday, we play Number 1 ranked New Canaan at home at 6PM. Hopefully, after a hard practice tomorrow, we will come together and perform like the team Coach insists we are.

Jesuits Drop Hamden 4-2

Tonight, we were down four guys to begin the game thanks to the infamous stomach bug. Throughout the game, the shortage continued, this time thanks to poor discipline.

One of the most embarrassing things in sports is to stoop to a lower team's level, and tonight we did just that. Playing a fairly square game through a period and a half, the score seemed stuck at 2-2. This didn't last long though, and the wheels began to deflate, and then continue to fall off. I led off the idiotic overload of selfish actions, and it seemed that we were never able to regain momentum.

Granted, one thing Prep does have is a strategic powerplay. With this, they scored three out of their four goals. Matt Hoof stood tall for us in net, but he could only do so much.

Playing into their trap of retaliation and careless mistakes, we dug ourselves a hole deep enough to drown an army.

Not in any way does this mean the end though, as there is plenty hockey left to be played in the season, but moreso in the remainder of this week. Tomorrow, Mount St. Charles comes to the Lou. I'll even throw out the Messier guarantee. We're coming out flying.

Hamden Defeats Simsbury 6-2

After yet another long layoff, we traveled to Simsbury late Friday night for only our 10th game of the season.

Coming into this game, we knew Simsbury could pose as a threat. Historically, they have been a strong team, and in recent years they have been as chippy as they come.

We knew we needed another big win to build some momentum for next week, so Pat Lynch wasted no time in starting things off right thanks to Jim Burt to make the score 1-0. Shortly after, we all got to witness a thing of beauty. Hard-nosed fourth liner William Reilly, who once told us he had the best seat in the house as he watched games from the bench, received a pass from line mate James Wilson and "Silly Willy" put home his first varsity goal. Contrary to pre-game statements there was no memorable celebration, as the winger recalls, "I was just in shock. I would have done something crazy, but honestly I couldn't really grasp what just happened." Congrats Bill.

The scoring barrage continued, as Nicky Amarone scored a beauty of a goal with his stick handling ability. It is known that Nick's hands are as soft as a baby's bottom. Clifford Carignan added another on the power play, and just like that we were up four after the first period.

Not so fast. With the second period came the chippiness that we knew was coming. Simsbury caught a fast break and converted, making the score 4-1. Then, on a bit of a power play mishap, Simsbury's forwards did it again, this time being a man down. All of a sudden they were right back in the game.

However, goaltender Andrew Varga made sure that is as far as they got, stopping every shot he faced after the 10:00 minute mark in the second period. We answered with two of our own, one of which was scored by Paul Amarone from an almost unthinkable angle.

The third period brought no goals for either side, but we remained calm in the situations that have previously cost us. The discipline today was noticeably better than past games, even when they were trying to get under our skin.

Another big number for us, six being the most we've put up in a game so far this season. From this game, we head to Prep on Tuesday, Mount Saint Charles comes on Wednesday, New Canaan comes on Friday, and finally South Windsor on Saturday. This NHL type schedule will show us and everyone else what we're really made of. Let's hope it's a good thing.

On a side note, I would like to wish my grandfather the healthiest of recoveries, as he has been in and out of the hospital for the past few weeks. You have been missed at the rink Poppy, can't wait to have you back.