Repost from Black Bear Sports Group
Annville, PA – An affiliate of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. (“Black Bear”) has entered into a definitive
agreement to acquire Klick Lewis Arena in Annville, PA (the “Arena”). The Agreement is subject to
normal course closing conditions. The Arena features three ice sheets, a bar/restaurant, pro shop and a
dedicated gym for its players. The transaction also includes a partnership with the Palmyra Black
Knights (“PBK”), the elite Tier I and Tier II youth hockey program. The Arena is also home to many
figure skaters and recreational skaters in the area along with numerous tournaments due to its proximity
to Hershey, PA. The Sellers were Harold and Chad Weaver, Founders of H.R. Weaver Building
Systems and the creators/developers of the Arena. Antoine Bergeron, hockey director and the architect
of the growth of the Palmyra Black Knights, will continue to lead the club and will assume a senior role
with Black Bear. Black Bear, the largest owner-operator of ice rinks in the U.S., was founded by CEO
Murry Gunty in 2015.
“It has been a great honor to build and own Klick Lewis as it is an important part of our community,” said
Chad Weaver, Owner of H.R. Weaver Building Systems and owner of Klick Lewis Arena. “When we
first conceived of the idea for the rink, we never could have imagined it would become such a popular
and successful venue. While it is a bittersweet sale, we believe that our rink and all the local families
will be in good hands with Black Bear.”
“Klick Lewis fits in perfectly with our other Hershey regional rinks and the Palmyra Black Knights fit in
perfectly with our leagues, so this was a location that we have long coveted,” said Murry N. Gunty,
Founder and CEO of Black Bear. “More importantly, the hidden gem in the transaction is Antoine
Bergeron – he is among the best in the industry and we look forward to bringing the full strength of our
organization to help him and his team grow PBK into a regional powerhouse.”
“I am excited to stay on board and continue to develop players in the PBK program and support Black
Bear’s overall hockey business,” said Antoine Bergeron. “I believe that with Black Bears ascension
program including its USHL and NAHL teams along with its elite level leagues that PBK will continue to
field elite level teams and grow its already strong presence in Central PA.”
“Our mission is to continue growing hockey and ice sports in the Mid-Atlantic and are thrilled to add
another Tier I franchise that we can support through our numerous junior team franchises such as the
Youngstown Phantoms of the USHL,” said Ryan Scott, Vice President of Black Bear. “Under Antoine’s
leadership, we also look forward to growing our league and tournament businesses in Hershey, Central
PA and the rest of the Mid-Atlantic and expect to host numerous boys and girls events in Klick Lewis.”
About Black Bear Sports Group, Inc.
Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. is a privately held company formed by Murry Gunty and Blackstreet
Capital Holdings, LLC in 2015 that seeks investments in sports and entertainment facilities, teams, and
youth sports events. Black Bear arenas are clean, professionally managed, and offer world-class
recreational programs. Black Bear focuses on ice arenas in metropolitan areas with compelling
demographics, markets with a National Hockey League club presence and arenas with existing youth
hockey clubs. Black Bear not only features the ability to acquire healthy and stable arenas, but also the
expertise required to turn around mismanaged or under-performing facilities. The largest
owner/operator of ice rinks in the U.S., Black Bear’s footprint totals 32 facilities across the United States
with 57 sheets of indoor ice, four indoor turf fields, 25 youth hockey clubs, four youth hockey leagues
(Atlantic Hockey Federation, Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation Tier 1 Hockey Federation, and National
Girls Hockey League) and four Junior “A” hockey franchises with membership in the United States
Hockey League, North American Hockey League, USPHL NC
The Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation had its second showcase this past weekend for 10U, 12U, 14U, 16U and 19U. 109 games were played over 50 teams at this showcase. Here are some standout teams from this past weekend.
Montgomery Youth Hockey Association 10U (11-0): The MYHA outscored their opponents this weekend 36-2 with goalies, Logan Nagl and Matteson Weeks having dominant performances. Montgomery had 12 different athletes score in their four weekend games and are looking to continue their win streak this next weekend.
Princeton Tiger Lilies Black 12U (8-0): The Tiger Lilies had an undefeated 4-0 weekend. They did not allow a goal all weekend against their opponents and had 13 different girls score goals. Lauren Letts leads Princeton with 17 points in five games and 11 goals.
Diamond Princeton Tiger Lilies Black 14U (13-0): The Diamond Princeton Tiger Lilies Black team had a great weekend going 4-0 with dominant efforts by many players.
Diamond NJ Bandits 16U (14-1): The Diamond NJ Bandits played three games over the weekend improving their overall record to 14-1. They defeated the New York Islanders 2-0, Princeton Tiger Lilies Orange 3-1 and the St. James 5-0. Hannah Rosenheck and Claire Chanfrau led the team with two goals each this weekend. With those goals, Rosencheck is at 49 points on the season with 32 goals and 17 assists.
York Lady Devils 19U (13-0): The York Lady Devils dominated this weekend only allowing 2 goals and scoring 21 goals against their four opponents. Bridget Bayles played all four games and brought her GAA to 1.08 with a 0.903 save percentage. They will face off on Saturday, November 12 twice against the York Lady Devils and look to continue their undefeated streak.
The AGHF announces the Players of the Week for the week ending October 30, 2022. The Players of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2022-23 season that honors players in all divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered.
Age Level / Division: 10U
Team: Saugerties Fillies
Player: Madison Lawrence (F) – Games: 2, Goals: 1, Assists: 6
“Madison Lawrence had a coming out party as a playmaker this weekend. Constantly used her feet to draw defenders to her and fed open teammates over the weekend,” said Coach Dimitri Matthews.
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Age Level / Division: 12U
Team: WBS Lady Knights
Player: Layla Klapak (D) – Games: 2, Goals: 2, Assists: 2
“Layla had an outstanding defensive weekend and also contributing on offense with 4 points (2G, 2A) in two games.,” said Coach Andy McDonald.
–
Age Level / Division: 14U Diamond
Team: South Pittsburgh Rebellion
Player: Reagan Fisher (F) – Games: 4, Goals:6, Assists: 1
“Usually known for providing solid forechecking and back checking; Reagan scored 6 goals and had an assist in a 4-0 weekend in great games,” said Coach Hammel.
–
Age Level / Division: 16U Platinum
Team: Lehigh Valley Phantoms Youth
Player: Megan Ferenchak (F) – Games: 2, Goals: 3, Assists: 1
“Megan had the best game of her young career this past weekend. She was winning faceoffs, winning one on one battles, making great passes, swarming the net, and was relentless on the forecheck making the other team turn the puck over,” said Coach Cody Ruff.
–
Age Level / Division: 19U
Team: Princeton Tiger Lilies
Player: Lucy Fassler (G) – Games: 33, Goals Against: 1, Saves: 3
HONORABLE MENTIONS
12U
Viviana Ranawat (F) NJ Bandits
Meilan Hagt (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
14U
Lyla Picker (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
Kayla Capecci (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
16U
16U – Samantha Scott (F) Maryland Jr Black Bears
16U – Abigael Gallagher (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
In September, the Princeton Tiger Lilies had five of their players represent countries at the 2022 LATAM Cup, a tournament featuring teams from Latin America, Caribbean, and Middle East regions. The tournament included 44 teams and players representing 21 countries and territories. Danna Ramadan, Malac Ramadan, Sophia Allam, and Sofia Pollizi from PTL’s 12U and 16U Black teams represented Egypt.
Egypt brought home the 16U Championship title, which marked the first time in history that four female athletes represented Egypt Ice Hockey. Danna Ramadan, goalie for the team was named Most Valuable Player of the World Division. “The experience entirely is something I’ll never forget. Leaving with two major accomplishments; being one of the first female ice hockey players to play for Egypt and winning the championship as the U16 ROTW tournament MVP.” said Ramadan.
Amelie Perez, a member of the PTL family for five seasons and currently plays on the 16U Black team, also competed at the LATAM Cup representing Puerto Rico. There were two generations of Perez women on this team as Amelie played alongside her mother, Marisol. Amelie is one of the youngest players on the Puerto Rican Women’s National Team. That hasn’t stopped her from playing defense and inspiring her older teammates who refer to her as a “beast.” When asked about her experience at the LATAM Cup, Amelie said, “It was amazing to play for Puerto Rico and play with so many other women hockey players of color.”
We are so proud of those who played in the LATAM Cup and a huge congratulations to the 16U Champions!
The Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation is excited for its next guest in the Federation Education Series. This series will feature presentations for our players, families, and coaches on the landscape of hockey along with the Player Advancement Model. The second presentation will feature Craig Barnett, the Executive Director of the American Collegiate Hockey Association (ACHA).
Craig Barnett was a part of the 1987 NCAA championship team as a goaltender at Plattsburgh State University in New York. Barnett continued his career playing professionally for the New York Rangers minor league team before becoming a coach. His 15-year coaching career includes coaching at the NCAA I and II levels. After coaching, he worked within athletic administration and has been the Executive Director of the ACHA since 2018.
The American Collegiate Hockey Association, founded in 1991, is the National Governing Body for Non-NCAA Collegiate Hockey throughout the United States. With 461 college and university-affiliated teams representing 48 states and 2 Canadian provinces, the ACHA provides a structure, regulates operations, and promotes the sport of Hockey nationwide.
The AGHF is working with the ACHA to invite all players and their families to an exclusive webinar presentation. The presentation will cover collegiate hockey opportunities in the ACHA.
ACHA, “College Hockey Opportunities”
Date: Wednesday, November 9th
Time: 7:00 pm EST
RSVP: Register here!
OR:
ACHA, “College Hockey Opportunities”
Date: Monday, November 14th
Time: 7:00 pm EST
RSVP: Register here!
This webinar will take approximately 30 minutes with time for a Q&A. This is for all players in the Federations wishing to play college hockey and will cover what the American Collegiate Hockey Association is.
Consider:
- 33% of all NHL players played NCAA hockey, the most ever!
- And of course, there are the undeniable benefits of pursuing a university degree and experiencing all that campus life has to offer
The AGHF announces the Players of the Week for the week ending October 16 2022. The Players of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2022-23 season that honors players in all divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered.
Age Level / Division: 10U
Team: Princeton Tiger Lilies
Player: Charlotte Zimmer (F) – Games: 1, Goals: 4, Assists: 1
No quote was provided by Nominating Coach
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Age Level / Division: 12U
Team: Islanders Elite
Player: Debbie Curry (G) – Games: 1, Goals Against: 1, Saves: 57
“Had 57 saves in only a period and a half (split goalie),” said Coach Carly Sukiel.
–
Age Level / Division: 14U Diamond
Team: The St. James
Player: Lauren Smith (F) – Games: 1, Goals: 2, Assists: 1
No quote was provided by Nominating Coach
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Age Level / Division: 14U Platinum
Team: Reston Raiders
Player: Keegan Davenport (F) – Games: 2, Goals: 2, Assists: 1
“Keegan is one of the hardest working players in the entire Reston Raiders girls’ program. This weekend, her hard work was clearly demonstrated with relentless backchecking and determined forechecking, which resulted in a pair of goals and an assist. Keegan not only works hard during her shifts, but also on the bench and in the locker room, where she continually encourages and supports her teammates,” said Coach Todd Seymour.
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Age Level / Division: 19U
Team: York Devils
Player: Madison Brewer (F) – Games: 2, Goals: 3, Assists: 0
No quote was provided by Nominating Coach
HONORABLE MENTIONS
12U
Sophia Monacchio (F) NJ Bandits
14U
Sienna McIntyre (G) Reston Raiders
Tasneem Abbassi (G) NJ Bandits
Repost from WBS Lady Knights
Pittston, PA, September 10-11, 2022—The Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Jr Knights and Lady Knights hosted a Teddy Bear Toss weekend to benefit the Toys for Tots Foundation.
In honor of National Teddy Bear Day, the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Jr Knights and Lady Knights hosted a Teddy Bear toss at their games at Revolution Ice Centre on September 10th and 11th in Pittston, PA. The youth hockey teams invited their friends and families, as well as the opposing teams and their families, to toss new stuffed bears and toys onto the ice after their first goals of each of the weekend’s games. The teams collected 250 stuffed bears and toys which were donated to the Toys for Tots foundation which is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year.
The Knights’ 2013 AYHL, 2008 AYHL, 14U AHF teams, and the 16U Lady Knights teams participated in the event. Alongside the Knights, the Arrows Youth Hockey 9U team, the Valley Forge Minute Men 2008 team, the Lady Patriots 14U team, the Royals Red 14U AHF team, and the Wissahickon Red 14U AHF teams also participated in the event weekend.
The Wyoming, PA Marine Corp Reserve was on hand for the events to cheer on the youth hockey teams and collect the toys. The Wyoming, PA Toys for Tots Foundation stated, “This is amazing! Thank you all for your support.”
The official AHF Podcast releases an episode every other Thursday during the season. Episodes are available on the AHF app for subscribers.
Pathway to College Hockey
Episode #2
10.13.22
On this week’s episode of The Federation Hockey Podcast, host Jim Padgitt sits down with industry expert Sean Hogan from College Hockey Inc. and Esmark Stars Head Coach Dave Kosick to discuss the pathway to NCAA D1 College Hockey.
We also get to know the Atlantic Girls Hockey Federation Deputy Commissioner, Brooke Ammerman-Reimer as she talks about her professional past and reviews the AGHF Showcase #1. We welcome special guest #33 Michael Sudia from the New Jersey Stars U13 AA.
Catch The Federation Hockey Podcast action all season long on the AGHF app first https://apps.apple.com/us/app/atlantic-girls-hockey-fed/id1638972415
Available here on the website on Monday
The AGHF announces the Players of the Week for the week ending September 25, 2022. The Players of the Week is a weekly feature during the 2022-23 season that honors players in all divisions. Only players that are nominated by their respective teams are considered.
Age Level / Division: 10U
Team: Saugerties Fillies
Player: MaKenna Hetrick (F) – Games: 4, Goals: 9, Assists: 6
No quote was provided by Nominating Coach Dimitri Matthews
–
Age Level / Division: 12U
Team: St. James
Player: Virginia Gilliam (G) – Games: 4, Goals Against: 8, Saves: Many
“Only had one goalie this weekend, she stepped up and played really well taking all of the responsibility for the weekend,” said Coach Stephen Gerke.
–
Age Level / Division: 14U Diamond
Team: Princeton Tiger Lilies Black
Player: Pelaja Jensen (D) – Games: 4, Goals: 4, Assists: 2
“Polly was consistent and reliable on both sides of the puck. She embodied our clubs’ values and demonstrated leadership qualities that made a significant impact on the team as a whole. In every game, she made effective plays in our D-zone that led to offense—and she contributed offensively as well,” said Coach Rebecca Morse.
–
Age Level / Division: 14U Platinum
Team: Reston Raiders
Player: Genevieve Seymour (D) – Games: 4, Goals: 3, Assists: 3
“Genevieve played the best games of her young career at this weekend’s showcase. Along with her defensive teammates and a strong performance from her goalie, Genevieve helped her team record 4 shutouts. She also provided some key scoring punch with 3 goals from the blue line and a handful of apples,” said Coach Todd Seymour.
–
Age Level / Division: 16U Diamond
Team: NJ Bandits
Player: Hannah Rosenheck (F) – Games: 4, Goals: 9, Assists: 5
No quote was provided by Nominating Coach.
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Age Level / Division: 16U Platinum
Team: Reston Raiders
Player: Alyssa Arsenault (G) – Games: 2, Goals Against: 6, Saves: 80 (approx)
“Played outstanding in her two games as noted by coaches of both opponents following each game. Had highlight reel acrobatic diving save in her first game. Kept team in a position to compete,” said Coach Pat Wildman.
–
Age Level / Division: 19U
Team: Lady Bulldogs
Player: Ella Hertzog (F) – Games: 4, Goals: 6, Assists: 0
“Ella is the leader of our team on and off the ice. She sets the example of what a teammate should be. A really great hockey player and an even better person,” said Coach Rich Wiese.
HONORABLE MENTIONS
10U
Abigail McCabe (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
12U
Sofia Makukova (F) WBS Lady Knights
Maya Sturm (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
Arya Lalbeharry (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
14U
Megan Harbaugh (G) South Pittsburgh Rebellion
Grace Pacholski (F) MassConn United
Raela Polanish (F) Stateline Hawks
Sydney Sun (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
16U
Nia Bernhard (F) Lehigh Valley Phantoms
19U
Belle Wurmser (F) Princeton Tiger Lilies
The official AGHF Podcast releases an episode every other Thursday during the season. Episodes are available on the AGHF app for subscribers.
One Month In
Episode #1
9.22.22
The AGHF is pleased to announce The Federation Hockey Podcast. Every other week, Jim Padgitt and Tony Zasowski will be joined by a new guest from across the Federations. The guests will include league officials, coaches, general managers, players, and more.
You’ll find the first episode of the 2022-23 season in our app, where we get to know the League Commissioner, learn what goes into preparing the season, and discuss why KRACH is important. We welcome special guests, Head Coach Kenneth Doak and #59 Zach Durkin from the Lehigh Valley Phantoms U12 AA, and Head Coach Tony Macaulay and #21 Luke Rubin from Team Maryland U18 AAA.
Catch The Federation Hockey Podcast action all season long on the AGHF app first https://apps.apple.com/us/app/atlantic-girls-hockey-fed/id1638972415
Available on the website on Mondays