Bobcats’ pack a mean bunch

New York’s finest lead South to victory in AJHL All-Star Game

Aleksey Nikiforov probably didn’t know too much about American history before he immigrated to the United States in 1991. In attaining his U.S. citizenship, however, the New York Junior Bobcats’ head coach learned enough to know the South’s Confederate Army lost the Civil War.

So when the Southern Division squad he coached in the AJHL All-Star Game still looked a little tight after two periods of play, Nikiforov tried to break the tension with a humorous reference to the historic event.

“I brought up Abraham Lincoln and asked, ‘What happened [in the Civil War]?” recalled coach Nikiforov, who brought 11 of his Bobcat players, including his son Vladimir, to the All-Star Game on January 30. “Vlady said, ‘The South lost.’ And then I said, ‘This time, the South is going to win.”

As has been the case several times this season, Nikiforov’s locker-room lingo proved prophetic. His team scored three of the game’s last four goals – each of which was either scored or assisted by a Bobcat player – as the Southern Division squad pulled out a 7-5 victory.

“It’s not only about hockey. When you play against [more experienced players] like [those on the Boston] Bulldogs, you have to find words” to inspire players, coach Nikiforov said. “That’s my job right now, to keep them involved in the game.”

Nikiforov was talking about everyone, not just his Bobcats. And whereas he made sure to get players from every Southern Division team on the ice, those representing the Bobcats had the most balanced showing. Forward Vlady Nikiforov (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge H.S.) had a goal and three assists. Goalie Chris Molinaro (Nesconset, NY/SUNY Plattsburgh) stopped 17 of 19 shots, including two breakaways, in 30 minutes of action. Forwards Nick Grasso (Kings Park, NY/Kings Park HS) and Mike Coppola (Old Brookville, NY/Nassau CC) each had a goal and an assist. Tony Romano (Smithtown, NY/St. Anthony’s High School) had one goal. And forwards James Marcou (Smithtown, NY/Smithtown H.S.) and Jason DeLuca (E. Moriches, NY/Westhampton Beach H.S.) each added two assists.

Most importantly, they did it in front of a host of scouts from colleges such as Babson, Boston College, Boston University, Dartmouth, Holy Cross, Middlebury, New Hampshire, Northeastern, Providence, Quinnipiac, UConn, UMass-Amherst and UMass-Boston, to name just a few.

According to Bobcats forward Patrick Moriarty (Lloyd Harbor, NY/Nassau CC), the scouts' presence was proof that the Atlantic Junior Hockey League has arrived.

“It’s great for our league,” he said. “This is my third year in the league, and it shows that we are finally getting the respect that we needed.”

Perhaps the Northern Division squad didn’t give New Jersey Rockets forward Nick Lampson enough respect. Lampson led all scorers with three goals, including one in each period. His third goal, which turned out to be the game-winner, gave the Southern Division squad a 6-4 lead with 11:29 left and was assisted by both DeLuca and Nikiforov.

“He had a hat trick,” DeLuca said of Lampson, “and all three of his goals were real nice.”

Coach Nikiforov went so far as to say each of the All-Star Game’s goals were legitimate tallies. “There were no garbage goals,” he said. “All the goals were nice and showed skills, showed effort, showed knowledge.”

Some, like Coppola’s goal 12:24 into the first period, showed heart and hustle – something coach Nikiforov has come to expect from his captain. Coppola powered his way to the net and put home the rebound of a shot by Grasso to give the South a 2-1 lead.

“He’s a strong kid. That’s why he is successful,” the coach said of Coppola. “Hockey is a physical game, and if you are not strong [then] sooner or later you will be done.”

The Bobcats are never done scoring. After Lampson finished a feed from Nikiforov to give the South a 3-2 lead 58 seconds into the second period, Nikiforov sniped home another. Knowing that Bobcats teammate Justin Porpora (Hauppauge, NY/Hauppauge H.S.) would be looking for him, Nikiforov set up for a one-timer on the right wing. As the puck approached him, Nikiforov pivoted and blasted home a slap shot to make it 4-2 at the 6:10 mark of the period.

The Northern Division squad knotted the score at 4-4 with a shorthanded goal by Bulldogs forward Greg Costa 1:18 into the third period, but then the Bobcats’ forward line delivered. Grasso scored off assists by Coppola and Marcou to give the South the lead for good with 13:03 left in the game. And Lampson completed his hat trick just 1:34 later, when Nikiforov hit DeLuca with a breakout pass at mid-ice before DeLuca spotted Lampson all alone. Lampson deked North goalie Casey Tuttle and beat him short-side for a 6-4 lead.

Mark Hanscom got the North squad within 6-5 at the 15:01 mark of the third, but Romano iced the victory when he put home an empty-netter off feeds from Marcou and Nikiforov with 47 seconds left.

Not to be lost in the offensive display was the play of Molinaro, who was arguably the game’s MVP over the final 30 minutes. He had the best save percentage (.895) of any of the four goalies who played, and he stopped a pair of breakaways that could have turned the game around for the Northern Division All-Stars.

“Moli definitely showed that he is above and beyond top D-III,” DeLuca said. “He definitely proved himself. I think he was the only goalie who allowed only two goals. And he definitely faced a lot of shots, too.”

“He made some unbelievable saves,” Vlady Nikiforov said of Molinaro. “There were a lot of breakaways, and he stopped a couple of them.”

“That was big for him, and it was big for our team,” coach Nikiforov said of Molinaro’s effort, noting that the coach of Molinaro’s future school – D-III SUNY-Plattsburgh – was in attendance. “If he didn’t stop [the two breakaways], you never know [what would have happened].”

“He stood on his head and he played well,” Moriarty said of Molinaro. “He always does well in these All-Star games.”

Only a handful of his players scored, but coach Nikiforov said the entire Southern Division team played well. Its overall efficiency may have surprised a Northern Division squad that was much older and bigger, according to DeLuca. Whereas the South All-Stars had only one 1985-born player (Coppola) and even flaunted a 1989-born defenseman, DeLuca said, the Northern Division’s entire roster was composed of ’84- and ’85-born players.

It didn’t matter, because coach Nikiforov knew that “having fun” was Goal No. 1 of an All-Star contest. And doing so wasn’t hard for the Southern Division squad, as coach Nikiforov made sure he played everybody and encouraged everyone to stay loose—something the North team may have forgotten in placing its attempt to win above all else.

“They [the North team] played to win the game. They tried to give some of the better players more ice time,” said coach Nikiforov, who played four lines of players. “I tried to be fair and just accept the kids. It’s nice to win the game, but when you make the All-Star Game, it should be for fun.”

Moriarty agreed. “It was an All-Star game,” he said, “so everyone played and everyone got to show their stuff.”

Especially the New York Bobcats.

            AJHL ALL-STAR GAME: SUNDAY, JANUARY 30

                                                      1    2    3   FINAL

            Northern Division               2    1    2      5

            SOUTHERN DIVISION         2    2    3      7

Note: Bobcat players listed in bold