The Northern California Junior Hockey Association, (NORCAL), honors the memory of Jordan Kocian each year by presenting the Jordan Kocian Award to a Midget aged player, playing their final season in youth hockey. This player should exemplify desire, determination, dedication, leadership and inspiration in their approach to playing hockey and living. The award is for accomplishments outside hockey as well as inside hockey, for a player who has been a role model to their peers, given their time back to the game and exemplified the spirit of Jordan Kocian.

Jordan Kocian began his hockey career with the Berkeley Bear's. As a Midget, he played as a Junior Shark. He would be 33 today, but passed away in 1996 at the age of 21 from Wolf Parkinson White Syndrome, which causes an abnormal electrical conduction in the heart muscles. Those who knew Kocian have said that he touched their lives in a wonderful way.

Previously, the award was presented at the Jordan Kocian Tournament, which was held annually in Berkeley over New Years where the award was presented in the past by Jordan’s parents, Lois and Craig Kocian. "This annual non-competitive event embodies the spirit Jordan Kocian had for giving back to the community. As a young adult he stayed active in guiding and coaching younger players. In recent years, the award has been presented at the annual NORCAL Playoffs held in March, during a Midget 18A game.

The recipient of the Jordan Kocian Award for 2009 is Matt Hanlon of the Santa Rosa Jr. Hockey Club. The award was presented to Matt during the NORCAL A/B Playoffs held 3/20-3/22 at Sharks Ice at San Jose in San Jose, California. The presentation took place on-ice at 2:15pm Sat. 3/21. Matt clearly exhibited the qualities that are looked for in honoring the memory of Jordan Kocian whether it be the dedication to the sport of hockey, giving back to the game and the community or just generally exhibiting the exuberance for the sport of ice hockey and life in general. NORCAL includes the Kocian family in the selection process each year and Craig Kocian noted “we were struck by the breadth and depth of Matt Hanlon's contributions to both the sport and to his community.”

This is Matt’s 11th year playing hockey in NORCAL. As a current member of the Jr. Sharks Midget 18A team, Matt plays a vital role ensuring the team’s success. SRJHC President Bryan Neill says, “Matt consistently leads by example, showing a level of commitment and responsibility that his fellow teammates aspire to achieve. His sincere and outgoing nature, combined with his determination to reach his full athletic potential, makes him a stellar hockey player.” Matt gives of his time selflessly by mentoring younger players in the club. He is admired by many coaches within his organization and is also one of the most respected on-ice officials in northern California.

Matt is just as successful away from the rink as he is on it. A senior at Casa Grande High School in Petaluma, he currently holds a 4.0 GPA. His interest in journalism is reflected in his role as the sports editor for the school newspaper. He has already received acceptance letters from Montana State and Oregon State, among others. He plans to pursue a career in journalism while offering him the option to continue to play college hockey.

Matt is also a valuable member of his community, writing articles for the Press Democrat and donating his time raising puppies for Guide Dogs for the Blind, a cause he has become very passionate about. Press Democrat Article Link.

Matt clearly exhibits the qualities that are looked for in honoring Jordan’s memory, whether it be the dedication to the sport of hockey, giving back to the game and the community or just generally exhibiting the exuberance for the sport of ice hockey and life in general.
For these reasons and many others we feel that Matt is an outstanding candidate for the 2009 Jordan Kocian Award. His tireless effort on and off the ice is equaled only by his exceptional academic and altruistic endeavors. He is an extremely kind, giving, and hard-working young man that embodies all of the qualities this prestigious award seeks to recognize.

As the 2009 recipient of the award, Matt receives a plaque and in addition his name is engraved on the Jordan Kocian Award Perpetual Cup that will be on display at Redwood Empire Ice Arena, for the next year.

Previous award winners include:
1997 Jason Rivera - Fresno AA
1998 Paul Margolis - Sacramento A
1999 Evin Cowen - Santa Rosa A
2000 John Wachter - Santa Rosa B
2001 Jordan Smith - Santa Rosa A
2004 Ryan Sweet – Stockton B
2004 Conor Foley – Cupertino A
2005 Andy Dickerson – San Jose A
2006 Devon Luna – Santa Clara A
2007 Ryan Horton – Santa Rosa A
2008 Kirby Haraguchi – San Jose A

The Santa Clara Blackhawks Bantam A1 team defeated the Capitol Thunder, 4-2 to win the California Amateur Hockey Association State Championships Sunday in Simi Valley, Calif.

The Blackhawks was undefeated at the CAHA State Championships and finished with an overall record of 43-3-3, including tournament titles at the Silver Stick Pacific Regionals, San Jose Winter Classic, and the NorCal championships.
 

The San Jose Jr. Shark Bantam B team completed the 2008-09 season winning the California State Championship in late March to close out a very successful season. The Jr. Sharks outlasted two teams from Southern California as well as their Norcal rival Fresno Falcons.

The Sharks finished the season 46-6-6 as they defeated the highly talented Fresno team 4-1 in the championship game; this first place trophy was the final of five that the team brought home during the season.
 

The Fresno Falcons’ Peewee B team brought home the championship trophy from the state playoffs in Escondido in late March. Despite only suiting up 12 players, the Falcons still managed to post an overall season record of 28-6-5.
 

Chase Gunderson lead the Jr. Sharks’ Peewee A team scoring attack this past weekend as they won the state finals in Simi Valley, Calif. The right winger tallied nine points during the tournament including a hat trick in the championship game win against Norcal rival Tri-Valley as the Sharks defeated Tri-Valley 4-1.

 

The Vacaville Jets’ Squirt B team concluded their Norcal playoffs with a 6-1 victory over the Santa Rosa Flyers. In addition to the spotless 4-0 record during the Norcal tournament, the Jets finished the regular season with a record of 17-1.
 

The California Cougars’ Squirt A team continued they outstanding play with a 5-2 win over the Santa Clara Blackhawks in the championship game of the Norcal Playoffs. The Cougars won their division with an impressive 16-2 regular season record.
 

After placing first in the Norcal regular season standings, the Jr. Falcons earned a trip to southern California for the state tournament after a 2-1 championship game win over the Santa Rosa Flyers during the Norcal playoffs.
 

 

The Jr. Sharks’ Peewee A team won their fourth tournament of the year by defeating the Tri-Valley Blue Devils 3-1 in the division championship game of the Norcal Playoffs. The Jr. Sharks will travel to Simi Valley for the state tournament on April 3-5.
 

The Jr. Sharks completed their Norcal season one game behind the Fresno Jr. Falcons but was able to knock the Falcons off 4-1 during the Norcal playoffs. San Jose finished the tournament with a 3-1 record.
 

The Santa Clara Blackhawks Bantam A team topped off a perfect regular season by going undefeated in the Norcal Playoffs. During the championship game, the Blackhawks completed the weekend with 3-1 victory over the Capital Thunder. The Blackhawks will travel to Simi Valley for the state finals.
 

In addition to winning the regular season division title, the Capital Thunder came from behind to win 2-1 overtime win against the Santa Clara Blackhawks in the Norcal Playoffs.
 

The Jr. Sharks’ Midget 18A team defeated the Santa Clara Blackhawks 4-2 during the Norcal Playoffs’ championship game. The Jr. Sharks, whose 12-2-1 regular season record helped them tie for the division title, will travel to Simi Valley for the state finals.

 

The San Jose Jr. Sharks Squirt A team squared off against the San Francisco Sabercats at the Yerba Buena Rink on Feb. 28. In this game, Jr. Sharks defenseman Brian Milner distinguished himself at both ends of the rink.

 

Early in the contest, he broke up rushes by speedy San Francisco forwards by maintaining good body position and relying on his quick footwork. As the game progressed, he chipped in offensively. On a goal by Justin Richards, he initiated the play with a nice headman pass to beat the Sabercat forecheck. Late in the third period, while the Jr. Sharks had the man advantage, he collected the puck in the neutral zone, then skated it through all four defenders, finally deking the goaltender to the ice and scoring on the forehand. This solid effort by Brian helped lead the Jr. Sharks to a 7-0 shutout win.

Santa Clara Blackhawk PeeWee A goaltender Geoffrey Grimm has been stellar his last few games, but none more so than in this weekend's game against 2nd place Tri-Valley Blue Devils. Geoffrey made 23 saves, most of the spectacular fashion and earned his 7th shutout of the season in Santa Clara's big 3-0 win against the 2nd place team in NORCAL PeeWee A.

 

The defense of the San Jose Jr. Shark Squirt A team stepped it up over the weekend. On Sunday, less than 15 hours after helping shut out San Francisco, the Sharks defense stiffened even more by holding opposing Fresno to eight shots in helping the team post back-to-back shutouts for the first time this season.

The entire defense contributed by continuously leading the rush up the ice, doing a great job holding the blue line, clogging the lanes and not allowing shots to get through, and contributing to the offense. The defense, following up a one-goal, four-assist performance in helping shut out San Francisco on Saturday 7-0, picked up another goal and three assists while only allowing the eight shots to beat Fresno 5-0. All told for the weekend, the defense racked up nine points on two goals and seven assists with all six defensive personnel plus the goalie getting on the score sheet.

The San Jose Jr. Sharks PeeWee AA ’96 Team won the Pacific District Regional Championship on Sunday, March 8, 2009. With the win, the Jr. Sharks advance to the USA Hockey National Championships in Indian Trail, North Carolina on April 1-5, 2009.

To get there, the Jr. Sharks team were the 1st seed going into CAHA State Finals at Toyota Ice Center in Los Angeles, February 6-8, 2009. The Jr. Sharks beat the California Wave, Orange County Hockey Club, and the Anaheim Jr. Ducks to make it into the State Championship game. While they lost the championship game to the California Wave 1-0, the Jr. Sharks still advanced to Regional finals because California sends two teams.

The Pacific District Regional Finals were hosted by the Seattle Sno-Kings in Renton, Washington, March 5-8, 2009. The first team the Jr. Sharks played was the Spokane Jr. Chiefs from Washington – the Jr. Sharks won that game 4-2. The Jr. Sharks then played the Las Vegas Outlaws, whom they beat 10-2 (during this game the Outlaws has 16 penalities and the Jr. Sharks had none). The third game was against the California Wave; the Jr. Sharks lost 4-3. With the loss, the Jr. Sharks were in 2nd place going into the semi-finals. This was a great spot to be in as the 2nd place vs. 3rd place game was scheduled for 6:30pm on Saturday (while the 1st vs. 4th was at 8:45pm).

In the semis, the Jr. Sharks played the Jr. Chiefs again and won 5-1 – earning a spot in the Championship on Sunday. The California Wave won other semifinal. Sunday's rematch between the Wave and the Jr. Sharks was an intense game and very tightly played – but in the end, the Jr. Sharks shut down the Wave’s best player and won the game 2-1, earning a spot in the National Championships in North Carolina.

Head Coach: John Rockwell
Asst. Coach: John Tomlinson

Team Manager: Lisa Durst

#3 Hiroki Takahashi
#9 Tyler Rockwell
#10 Robert Durst
#11 David Marabella
#12 Morgan Ellis
#18 Chris Milner
#20 Jake Blazier
#21 Kevin Cole
#25 Carson Kelley
#26 Victor Ortiz
#39 Calvin Borneman
#40 Max Nylander
#42 Johnny Tomlinson
#99 Brian Lin

Week of March 2, 2009

The Oakland Bears’ Bantam B team earned their second tournament championship of the year by winning the 2009 California State Winter Games in Escondido. The final game of this President’s Day weekend event ended with a 6-5 victory over a talented Santa Clara Blackhawks Bantam A2 team. Miguel Palermo’s first goal of the season and couldn’t have happened at a more opportune time as he beat the Blackhawk goaltender during the shootout.

The California Cougars Squirt A team own an .875 winning percentage in the Norcal division and recently won the Phoenix Polar Bears Presidents Day Tournament championship trophy in Arizona. The Cougars went undefeated in the tournament by defeating teams from British Columbia, Colorado, and Arizona. The Cougars now have their sights on the Norcal playoffs which will be held later this month in San Jose.

The Tahoe Grizzlies Squirt B team earned two big wins over the Oakland Bears this past weekend as they make the final push for the playoffs. A balanced scoring attack was evidenced by eight different players tallying points and along with outstanding goaltending by the young Tahoe netminders. The Grizzlies have won eight of their last 10 league games and are one game away from moving into qualifying position for the Norcal year-end playoffs.

Week of February 23, 2009


 

 

As their captain, Dakota McNealy led the Squirt A San Jose Jr. Sharks to victory over the Tri Valley Blue Devils on Saturday. With great speed and agility, Dakota contributed three assists and a goal to a high-scoring game. By creating offensive plays and helping with the back check, Dakota helped seal the win for the Jr. Sharks.

 

 

 

The San Francisco Sabercats Mite team enjoyed their first-ever four-game winning streak with three wins over the President's Day weekend. Starting with a shutout victory over the Roseville Mites on Feb. 8, the Sabercats then defeated South Lake Tahoe in a hard-fought 2-1 game before winning twice more in the weekend set. Congratulation are in order for the entire Mite team.
 
 

 

The Tri-Valley Blue Devils Midget 18AA team was crowned CAHA Midget 18 Tier II Champions by virtue of their 1-0 victory over the California Stars. In just their first year of playing at the AA level, Tri-Valley went 3-1-0 in the championship tournament, finishing with two shutout wins in a row. They now advance to the USA Hockey Pacific District tournament in Valencia, Calif. on March 5-8. They will face teams from Alaska, Washington, Oregon and Nevada to see who will represent the district at the national tournament to be held in Pittsburgh in April.
 

 

 

 

Mikey Birdsall of the Oakland Bears Bantam B team scored five goals against the Stockton Colts. Three even-strength goals, one was a breakaway where he took a wrist shot from the top of the circles and it went over the goalies glove hand. Birdsall also scored a goal on the power play and a shorthanded goal on a 2-on-1 breakaway.

 

The Santa Clara Blackhaws PeeWee B team came within one goal of winning a Gold Medal at the 2009 California State Games Presidents Day Weekend Hockey Tournament, in San Diego this past weekend.

The Blackhawks outscored their opponents 16-5 in three games, before losing to the Littleton Colorado Hawks Red Team in the championship game. Outstanding defense and timely offense paved the way to a richly deserved Silver Medal.

 

During the 2009 Wine Country Face Off played over Presidents’ weekend, Mitch Rickert led the Santa Rosa Flyers Mite team to their division championship. Mitch led the tournament in scoring with nine goals and two assists including two game-winning goals.

During the championship game against the Vacaville Jets, Mitch’s two goals and one assist in the championship game sealed the victory for the Flyers. Mitch led his team to a 4-0 record in the tournament that was capped with the team’s championship win.

 
 

The Fresno Falcons’ Mite team represented their club well during the President’s Day tournament in Lakewood, Calif. While they came up short with an opening game loss to the Bay Harbor Red Wings, they followed that first match with a big win over the Bakersfield Dragons. By winning a hard fought game against the Ventura Mariners, they earned a rematch against the Bay Harbor team in the championship game.

The Falcons scored the game winning goal with 5:30 left in the game to defeat the Red Wings 4-3.
 

 
 

Christian “Hat Trick” Stoley was key to a big 3-2 win over league rival San Jose Jr. Sharks. With major help from his Capital Thunder Squirt A teammates, he was able to score his seventh hat trick of the season. He has scored a total of 54 points during the 27 games his team has played thus far.

 

Netminders Eric Rodney and Trevor Waechter of the Vacaville Jets’ Mite team shared the net during this last weekend’s annual Wine Country Face Off in Santa Rosa, and helped bring home the championship trophy.

The boys’ tremendous play in the net earned both of them the coveted Snoopy Ice MVP T-Shirt.

Jake Acton shut out his opponents in back-to-back games this week. The Tri Valley Blue Devil netminder made 59 saves against the California Cougars and Stockton Colts.

The San Francisco Sabercats Squirt A team recorded their first regular season win against the visiting Fresno Falcons on Super Bowl Sunday. Great team effort and execution paved the way for the Sabercats who skated hard for the victory.
 

Individuals that stood out in the win were winger Liam Sibbet who recorded 2 goals and an assist and goalie Oscar Brown who stopped 21 of 23 shots.

 

Santa Clara Blackhawks Squirt B have won their last six Norcal season games and have outscored their oppositions 55-8.

The Blackhawks have been developing into a strong knit team that can shut down opponents and score at will through a strong passing and positioning game. Currently at 11-2 in Norcal, Santa Clara leads the Squirt B division with 22 points.

  

 

The San Jose Jr. Sharks Girls eight-and-under team had an extra-special Martin Luther King weekend in San Jose. The team, which practices twice a week and normally plays in the Sharks’ Ice In-House Mite League, had an outstanding tournament against the Anaheim Lady Ducks. The teams met in three exciting games and the Lady Sharks were victorious in each one.

Santa Clara Blackhawks Peewee A goaltender Nick Checklenis had an extraordinary weekend at the Martin Luther King tournament in San Diego. Though normally a backup goalie, Nick excelled in the starting role, leading his Blackhawks to a 3-1 record, including an exciting 6-3 win over Norcal rival Tri-Valley in the championship game.

The Santa Rosa Flyers’ Peewee B team won the Rogue Valley Dream Cup in Medford, Oregon over Martin Luther King weekend. After losing the first game of the tournament, the Flyers won their remaining round robin games and advanced to the championship again the Jr. Summits from Medford; the game was well-matched and fast-paced, sprinkled with big hits and great team play.

Flyers’ goaltender and game MVP Sean Fitzpatrick stopped all 27 shots he faced in the 3-0 championship game win.

 

 

Santa Clara Blackhawk Mite Goalie Dustin Wolf faced 88 shots in four games as he stopped 97 percent of his opponents’ shots at the Winter Classic tournament in San Jose.

Dustin’s shutout against the Jr. Sharks in the Championship game was instrumental in his team going 4-0 in the tournament and bringing home the championship trophy.
 

Kyle Corliss continues to lead his Stockton Colts Squirt B team with strong all around play. In the 9-year old most recent game against the Santa Rosa Flyers, Kyle scored 2 goals and had 2 assists.

Kyle's strong back-checking was also instrumental in keeping the Flyers’ from dominating Colts’ defensive zone.
 

Capital Thunder goaltender Nik Herbert’s 1.40 GAA, a .905 save percentage and a shutout helped his team win the Winter Classic at San Jose’s Logitech Ice Center. Nik continues to lead a team which is also a top contender in the Norcal Bantam A division.

Week of January 2, 2009

 

The Tri-Valley Blue Devils’ Jared Minton had an impressive game against the Cupertino Cougars in the Squirt B Winter Classic tournament in San Jose.

The Dublin Elementary School fourth-grader scored his first hat trick and factored into all of his team’s goals in an exciting win over the Cougars.

Christopher Schumacher has consistently been a major contributor to what is becoming one of the most successful seasons for the San Jose Peewee A team. The unassuming Jr. Shark’s strong fore- and back-checking regularly results in opponents’ turning the puck over and his crisp passes has helped his team to win the Silver Stick tournament in November.

The center was also most effective as they defeated some very strong squads to win the Winter Classic in San Jose on Dec. 30th.

The Jr. Sharks Squirt B team delivered a tremendous team effort as they knocked off the previously undefeated Vacaville Jets by a score of 5-4.

Outstanding defense by Logan Brownlee and Nico Rubino combined with strong goaltending by Brendan Peddie contributed greatly to shutting down the Vacaville scoring machine. Nolan Graham and Chase Edwards provided the offensive spark both scoring two goals; Jacob Kim picked up some key assists include his set up of Kiernan Gillooley’s game-winning goal.

Week of December 7, 2008

 

Goaltender Brendan Peddie led the Jr. Sharks Squirt B team to a hard-earned 4-0 victory over the Tri Valley Blue Devils on Saturday night at Sharks Ice in San Jose.

Peddie stopped all 15 shots, which included six odd man rushes and breakaways. With the Blue Devils continuing to pressure the Sharks goalie, Peddie was outstanding in protecting the lead; he earned the shutout.
 

 

Goalie Alexandre N'djemba of the California Northstars Peewee B team had a challenging but successful weekend against the Fresno Jr. Falcons.

N’djemba turned away over 100 shots in a doubleheader against the division rival Falcons. He and his teammates continue to work hard each week of the season.
 

 

Captain Reidar Burgeson continues to demonstrate strong leadership skills for the Vacaville Jets Squirt B team. In addition to putting the puck in the net, his playmaking skills have also been impressive with key assists in several close games.

Burgeson’s overall outstanding play not only helped the Jets win a tournament over Thanksgiving, but they are also 5-0 in NorCal regular season play.
 

Week of December 1, 2008

San Jose Jr. Sharks Squirt B player Nolan Graham registered five points, including a hat trick, against the Jr. Sharks Girls 10-and-under team. He was a presence creating opportunities for teammates throughout the game, forcing several turnovers and keeping the play in the offensive zone.

 

The California Cougars' Nicklas Balboa led his Bantam A team to an exciting come-from-behind victory against the Santa Rosa Flyers. The team's captain demonstrated tremendous leadership and sportsmanship during a very hard fought game, tallying five of the team's six goals against a highly competitive league rival.

The San Jose Jr. Sharks PeeWee A team came into last weekend’s Silver Stick Tournament ready to play. After a 2-2 tie against the cross town rival Santa Clara Blackhawks, they defeated the Utah Grizzlies, 4-2; the Valencia Express, 12-0; and the Capital Thunder, 7-0. Great goaltending by Yoav Regev and Jordan Byrnes and outstanding play by the defense limited the opposition to just four goals during round-robin play.

The team then defeated the Beach City Lightning 5-1 in the semifinals. The Blackhawks also earned a trip to the Championship game, but this time the Sharks came out on top, 4-2.

The tremendous defense was complimented by a balanced offense with a multitude of players adding to the scoring attack. The Jr. Sharks will represent the Pacific Division at the Silver Stick Finals on Jan. 22-25 in Port Huron, Mich.
 

The Stockton Colts Spencer Light had a great weekend against the Oakland Bears Squirt B team. Light’s stellar defense and two assists were instrumental in helping the Colts earn their first win of the season in a 5-3 decision.

Light’s efforts were especially impressive given that he’s seven years-old and is routinely playing against kids three to four years older than himself.

Goaltender Mitchell Watson of the Jr. Sharks Bantam B team had a great Silver Stick Tournament in San Jose over Thanksgiving weekend. Watson had a record of 3-0 with the highlight of the weekend being a shutout victory over the Valencia Express in the semifinals.

Nicknamed “The Wall,” Watson was just that over the four days with a division-leading save percentage of .937 and a goals-against average of 0.67. Watson’s great play helped catapult the Jr. Sharks to the Bantam B championship game.

Keaton Baker of the Fresno Jr. Falcons PeeWee B team had an outstanding Thanksgiving weekend at the Toast of the Coast Tournament in southern California.

The Granite Ridge Middle School seventh-grader led the Jr. Falcons with twelve points which included a four-goal game against the tournament champion Ontario Stars.
 

 

Keanu Deguchi doesn’t take anything for granted. The 14-year-old Santa Clara Blackhawks Bantam A1 winger got permission from his coach to skip their usual Thursday night practice in Fremont for a good reason. Deguchi just wanted to be sure he could miss practice so that he could receive the 2008 Youth Civic Achievement Award from the Optimist International Club. The Optimists honor individuals committed to bettering their schools and communities through the service of others.

Deguchi is a member of the Honor Society at Campbell Middle School and maintains a 4.0 grade point average. He actively participates in the WEB (Where Everybody Belongs) Program and Leadership Class at his school. Deguchi is also a nominated member of the 2008-09 People-to-People World Leadership Forum.

Aside from his commitment to his team and his school, Deguchi volunteers his time at the Autistic and Special Needs Classroom at Campbell Middle School and spends his Fridays helping the Special Needs Skating Class at Sharks Ice at San Jose.

 
 

Assistant Captain Maverick “Mav” McNealy continues to demonstrate strong leadership skills for his San Jose Jr. Sharks Bantam B team. McNealy is routinely called upon to play various forward positions and is able to raise the level of play of all his teammates.

McNealy’s strong desire to succeed coupled with excellent team play recently resulted in five goals and two assists in a game at San Jose against the San Francisco Sabercats.
 

The Oakland Bears Squirt B team is most appreciative of the outstanding team play of center Cody Tanod. During games against the San Francisco Sabercats and the California Cougars, his play making skills resulted in three assists.

When opportunities came his way, Tanod also found the net as he scored two goals.