Category Press Releases

Back by popular demand, USA Ball Hockey (USABH) is thrilled to announce that we will be hosting the Future Stars Invitational at the gorgeous, state-of-the-art Buffalo River Works Sports and Entertainment Complex. Mark your calendars to travel to Northern New York with us August 26-28, 2022. Tryout information for players with birthyears of 2006 or younger (Girls 16U Division), 2007-2008 (Boys U15 Division) and 2009-2010 (Boys U13 Division) will be shared in the following weeks. This program is designed to give players an opportunity to compete for their state (MA, NJ, NY, and PA with expansion in the works).

“What an action packed and eye-opening weekend we had together at the end of August this past summer,” says Sean Green, the Director of Athletics and Sponsorship for the complex. “Look for new amenities added to our complex that will bring even more joy and entertainment opportunities to your families as they participate.”

“It’s rare you leave a tournament where everyone is happy; there always seems to be something that leaves you scratching your head,” as USA Ball Hockey’s Director of Hockey Operations, Cory Herschk, shared. “Not this event. This program is special. We are so proud of our players, coaching and managing staffs, families, and all the USABH volunteers who were able to make a dream a reality. We are thrilled to give it a go again in 2022, and every year after.” Tournament Director, Steve Gregory, can’t wait either, “Our inaugural event was a smashing success! You had to have been there on Sunday during the playoffs to feel the facility buzzing with excitement and seeing the smiles and joy on all the players faces as they were treated like professionals.” He added, “It truly had a World Championships feel to it.”

USA Ball Hockey will once again be extending an invitation to their friends from Canada, in hopes that teams from their neighboring country will return to traveling to the states. Gregory says, “The biggest change will without a doubt be having more teams. This year we will hopefully be able to play host to our Canadian friends, and perhaps a club or two from Europe since the Czech Republic is interested in participating.” USABH is also attempting to expand the number of states that participate with interest in the DC area as well as the Midwest. Gregory assured us, “We will always continue to fine tune our events to ensure it’s the highlight of the year for the players who participate.”

Cory Herschk makes it clear that various staffing positions will be retained by General Manager and Coaches, “…who did an excellent job in their roles in 2021.” Contact Herschk to find out if coaching or management positions are available in your state, or how you can be involved.

For additional information, please contact:

Steve Gregory
Tournament Director
USA Ball Hockey
sgregory@usaballhockey.com

Mare Gallen
Assistant Dir. of Hockey, FS Program
USA Ball Hockey
mgallen@usaballhockey.com

Cory Herschk
Director of Hockey Operations
USA Ball Hockey
cherschk@USABallHockey.com

Follow us on Twitter @USAballhockey or on Facebook & Instagram by searching “USA Ball Hockey.”

BOSTON — USA Ball Hockey is proud to announce that it has reached an agreement to partner with the largest ball hockey equipment provider in the world, Mylec, Inc. The partnership marks the first of its kind for USA Ball Hockey and aligns with the vision of growing the game for years to come in America.

“Mylec is a unique industry and is dedicated to the vision of USABH and the growth of the game,” said USA Ball Hockey President, Chris Banks. “They are on the shelves of all of the major vendors here in the United States, such as Dick’s Sporting Goods and Wal-Mart for a reason. Drive down any street in America. If you notice a child playing hockey, the odds are good they’re using Mylec’s equipment. It goes together with our dream of having every player and official wearing a USA Ball Hockey patch on their shirt or sticker on their helmet.”

While USA Ball Hockey just celebrated its second birthday as a non-profit organization, Mylec Inc. enters its 51st year. “Growing the sport is both of our main objectives,” states Mylec Inc. owner Ricky Laperierre. “We have several working relationships with NHL Teams that also align perfectly to our goals. We feel staying disciplined to our mutual long-term goals will be critical to our long-term success as partners. As an American company that is already synonymous with the sport, we feel this is the absolute perfect time to partner and grow the game.”

The exclusive partnership binds the two through the year 2025 and focuses on investing assets into sport development to support rinks and programs throughout the country that are sanctioned by USA Ball Hockey. Mylec, Inc. will also be active in all USA Ball Hockey events, such as the Future Stars Invitational, and will be present with the U.S. National Teams.

“USABH and Mylec have worked very hard on this exciting announcement. Mylec is a staple in America for off-ice hockey and is synonymous with quality and American pride,” said Banks. “It’s especially fitting that this partnership between Mylec and USABH is finalized on the 4th of July weekend. We look forward to working with Mylec now and in the future to continue to grow our great game.”

USABH is the premier ball hockey organization in the United States and possesses a comprehensive reach nationally, at all levels of play, thanks to strategic alliances with key organizations. We are focused on growing the game, from the beginner youth levels through international competition. USABH’s intention is to facilitate national teams and unify all Juniors, Men’s, Women’s and Master’s programs and events.

Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @USAballhockey or search: USA Ball Hockey

BOSTON — USA Ball Hockey is now accepting applications for volunteer staff. Apply today for the available positions to represent the United States at the 2022 ISBHF World Championships. Applications are currently being accepted for the following: 

USA Juniors 

U16 Boy’s General Manager, U16 Head Coach, U16 Assistant Coach, U16 Scout U18 Boy’s Head Coach 
U20 Boy’s General Manager, U20 Assistant Coach 
U20 Girl’s General Manager, U20 Head Coach, U20 Assistant Coach, U20 Scout 

USA Masters 

Tier I and Tier II Women’s (35+) General Manager, Women’s Scout 
Tier II Men’s (40+) Assistant General Manager, Assistant Coach, Men’s scout 

To apply, please visit usaballhockey.com/apply. The application window to register will close on July 16, 2021. 

We at USA Ball Hockey hope that you remain safe and healthy during these difficult times. We appreciate your support for the sport of ball hockey and your understanding of the challenging decisions USA Ball Hockey and the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation (ISBHF) has had to make for 2020 and 2021 events for the safety and health of our members. 

The ISBHF Board of Directors have unanimously approved that, should the global health and travel situation allow, the calendar for 2022 events will be as follows: 

2022 

World Men’s and Women’s Championships – Canada, June 

World Juniors (U20 Men, U20 Girls, U18 Boys, U16 Boys) – Slovakia, early July World Men’s (40+) and Women’s (35+) Masters Divisions – Czech Republic, September 

On behalf of USA Ball Hockey and the ISBHF, we would like to express our thanks to everyone  for their ongoing patience and support as we navigate the ball hockey family and emerge from  this period of uncertainty.

USABH is the premier ball hockey organization in the United States and possesses a comprehensive reach nationally, at all levels of play, thanks to strategic alliances with key organizations. We are focused on growing the game, from the beginner youth levels through international competition. USABH’s intention is to facilitate national teams and unify all Juniors, Men’s, Women’s and Master’s programs and events. 

Follow us on YouTube, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram @USAballhockey or search: USA Ball Hockey

Prospective USWNT Player Pre-Registration Now Open

(BOSTON, MA) – USA Ball Hockey today announced that it has selected the remainder of its staff for the U.S. Women’s National Team (USWNT) as it prepares for the World Championships in Manitoba, Canada in 2022.  The staff will join USWNT Head Coach Scott Hicks.

The staffing announcement was made by USWNT General Manager Angelo Terrana. “We had many talented and dedicated individuals to consider when making our selections.  I am confident and excited that this group puts us in the best position to win the gold medal for our country,” said Terrana. “Each and every one of these individuals was selected based on the skills, background, and experience they bring to the table.”

The selections announced today, include:

Assistant General Manager, Kendra Pasciucco

Kendra is a long-time hockey player and coach.  She participated in the National Sports Academy in Lake Placid before being recruited to play at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec. Kendra is also currently a member of the U.S. Women’s Masters Team scheduled to compete in 2021. She also coaches and plays locally in Virginia.

Assistant General Manager for Scouting, Jason Kelly

Jason has a long history of developing and supporting women’s ball hockey.  He has served as the general manager of the USWNT on several occasions and is a tireless advocate for growing the game.  Jason runs Cool Hockey Events, the organizing entity for several of the largest ball hockey tournaments in the country, including the North American Ball Hockey Championships.  He is also the General Manager for the U-16 New Jersey Girls Ball Hockey Team.

Assistant Coach, Amber Moore

Amber has been playing hockey for almost 25 years and won a silver medal with the USWNT at the 2017 Ball Hockey World Championship. Prior to her time with the USWNT, Moore played defense for the Metropolitan Riveters in the inaugural season of the National Women’s Hockey League (NWHL). Since 2018, she has served as the Head Coach of the Washington Wolves women’s ice hockey team.  Moore is an alumna of the San Jose Jr. Sharks program, as well as Cornell University, where she played both ice hockey and women’s rugby. Moore lives in Washington D.C. and currently plays ice hockey for the Chesapeake Bay Lightning.

Assistant Coach, Brett Berger

Brett is currently the Chair of the Sports Management department at Lourdes University in Sylvania, Ohio. Before taking the position at Lourdes, Berger served as the Women’s ACHA Division I Head Ice Hockey Coach at Adrian College. During his time coaching, Berger amassed a record of 261-87-22, which included a national championship title, 10 national tournament appearances, 5 Regular Season Championships, and 4 League Playoff Championships. He was named ACHA National Coach of the Year in 2017. Berger also served as the Assistant Women’s Ice Hockey Coach for Team USA during the World University Games in 2017 and 2019.

Assistant Coach for Special Teams and Skill Development, Jake Denne

Jake grew up playing ball and ice hockey in the Pittsburgh area and graduated from Carnegie Mellon University. In 2014, Jake began coaching women’s hockey with the Stanley Cupcakes. Since 2016, Jake has served as an Assistant Coach for the USWNT Masters program. During this time, he has helped to organize training camps and monthly strategy sessions for countless players.

Assistant Coach for Goaltending, Ashlynne Rando

Ashlynne played four years of women’s Division I hockey at Colgate University in Hamilton, New York. As a four-year starting goaltender, her name is all over the program’s record books. She is second in Raider history with 5507:00 minutes played in her career, third in program history with 2,459 saves and is tied for fourth with 32 victories. After graduating from Colgate, she was an assistant coach and goalie coach for the Houston Wild Hockey Club. In 2017, Rando returned to New York as an assistant and goalie coach for Selects Academy in Rochester. Following Rochester, she served as assistant and goalie coach at her alma mater, Colgate University.

IMPORTANT NOTE FOR PROSPECTIVE PLAYERS

USA Ball Hockey is finalizing the dates and locations for the evaluation camps for USWNT players.  It is anticipated that the camps will begin in late Spring or early Summer of 2021.  Host cities and dates will be announced on the USA Ball Hockey website and through our social media outlets.  It is highly encouraged that all players hoping to be evaluated for the USWNT for the 2022 World Championships pre-register to receive email updates. Prospective players can register here:  https://usaballhockey.com/uswnt/

For additional information, please contact:

Angelo Terrana

General Manager, USWNT

USA Ball Hockey

202.365.3749

aterrana@USABallHockey.com

Cory Herschk

Director of Hockey Operations

USA Ball Hockey

412.334.4800

cherschk@USABallHockey.com

Find us on the web at USABallHockey.com or follow us on Twitter @USABallHockey or on Facebook & Instagram by searching “USA Ball Hockey.”

USA Ball Hockey (USABH) is excited to announce that it will carry out its plan to partner with the Canadian Ball Hockey Association (CBHA) and host its first ever youth event called “The Future Stars Invitational.” Due to the global pandemic, the previously scheduled late spring of 2020 event will now take place August 27-29, 2021 at the state-of-the-art Buffalo Riverworks Sports and Entertainment Complex in upstate New York. This complex is the city’s newest premier waterfront boating, sports, music and entertainment destination located along the banks of the Buffalo River.

“We’ve all learned a new level of patience due to the circumstances of the world,” says Sean Green, the Director of Athletics and Sponsorship for the complex. “With that time of waiting comes excitement about the future. We hope to add a Ferris Wheel to the list of recreational fun for all of the families traveling to this event in the summer.” Male players born between 2006 and 2009 will remain eligible, altering the age divisions to U-15 and U-13 for 2021. “We want those players who tried out and made their respective teams a year ago to have the opportunity to play as planned,” says USABH’s Director of Hockey Operations, Cory Herschk. Herschk and his staff have devised a plan to launch a third age group to the card. “It’s been a long time coming for female players to have a stage of their own. We are proud to have devised a tournament circuit for girls under the age of 16,” Herschk tells us. The U-16 Girls Tournament Circuit includes 3 events. Each finishing spot will earn a team a given number of points. These points accrue through the season and will lead to an overall champion at year’s end. The U-16 Girls Circuit is made up of these major events:

The Club Championships, May 21-23 in Pittsburgh, PA

The Future Stars Invitational, August 27-29 in Buffalo, NY

Oktoberfest, October 23-24 in Dracut, MA

Like the U-15 and U-13 Boys, four different states will host tryouts for the girls. “The goal is to offer young ladies a place to develop their game,” says Alessandra Glista, USABH Assistant Director of Hockey Operations. “Instead of cutting players from the U-16 teams altogether, those who don’t make the tournament rosters will be invited to participate in camps and practices with the teams,” she continued. “Our goal is to encourage more females to play the game,” Herschk states. He shares another reason to be excited, “More women from our silver medal national team are getting involved in coaching these girls. It’s an awesome way to give back to the sport. We’d like to get more states participating as well.” “We want to give these athletes a taste of what World Class competition is like, while developing their game for future success in hockey and in life.” Glista says, “Our vision is to add elements beyond hockey as well, giving these young players a chance to learn what it takes to set and achieve goals and become better people in the process.”

The Future Stars Invitational will follow the USA Ball Hockey rules and guidelines. This will include player of the game awards along with champion and runner-up prizes. Team USA coaches and players will also host a youth clinic for local players. A Fan Zone is scheduled to be available to the public with music, raffles and auctioned memorabilia. “Bringing more opportunities to play ball hockey to cities like Buffalo is a part of our ‘Grow the Game’ initiative,” says Herschk. “We are going to continue our work with the NHL, NWHL and with junior ice hockey programs in the Buffalo area to show people that the game of ball hockey translates to the ice very well, especially by way of off-season training.”

If you are interested in entering your state into the field, or you are searching for more information on the Future Stars Invitational, please email info@usaballhockey.com. For tryout information or coaching opportunities with the U-16 Girls Circuit, please contact the team General Managers:

– Larry Furman, Team Massachusetts, Lfurman@usaballhockey.com
– Jason Kelly, Team New Jersey, Jkelly@usaballhockey.com
– John Schouten, Team New York, Jschouten@usaballhockey.com
– Willie McKeen, Team Pennsylvania, Wmckeen@usaballhockey.com

Follow us on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram @USAballhockey.

USA Ball Hockey is excited to announce that it has named Tom Ruiz as the organization’s Director of the Men’s and Women’s Senior National teams.

Mr. Ruiz has served as the assistant coach on the Men’s National team since 2015. His purpose as Director is to support the General Managers of both the men and the women, providing all of the tools and the guidance they need to be successful in the creation of each team. One of Ruiz’s responsibilities is to carry out the USA Ball Hockey vision:

• assurance that each team’s coaching staff is chosen after diligent examination, a distinguished interview process, and fair judgement of previous experiences
• effectiveness of the team building plan and the implementation of a game strategy being taught to the players who will represent America in the 2022 ISBHF World Championships in Manitoba, Canada

Tom Ruiz has been on the last three World Championship staffs, with the most notable of his accomplishments being a silver medal in 2015. He was also an assistant coach of the 2014 bronze medal winning U-20 JR Boys National team. He has also had a birds-eye view of what the women’s program has accomplished recently with two silver medals and is eager to help the team receive any extra knowledge, support and experience needed to move from silver to gold.

Ruiz’s first mission is to lead the charge in finding the next Men’s General Manager in the very near future. On the women’s side, he will work with GM Angelo Terrana as they search for the next head coach.

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