Freedom Open Season Tonight Vs. Jamestown
November 6, 2007 - Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL)
Valley Forge Freedom News Release
The stage is set for the inaugural game for the Valley Forge Freedom, Jamestown Vikings, and the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL). The first puck drop for these teams and the league is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.
After a tumultuous summer and early fall for the Valley Forge Freedom, the players are ready to take the ice for the first of 50 games. Led by their head coach, Chris Crutcher, they look to get the season started off right when they take to the road for their first two games. Valley Forge opens Mid-Atlantic Hockey League's 125 game schedule in western New York vs Vikings
The stage is set for the inaugural game for the Valley Forge Freedom, Jamestown Vikings, and the Mid-Atlantic Hockey League (MAHL). The first puck drop for these teams and the league is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. from the Jamestown Savings Bank Ice Arena.
After a tumultuous summer and early fall for the Valley Forge Freedom, the players are ready to take the ice for the first of 50 games. Led by their head coach, Chris Crutcher, they look to get the season started off right when they take to the road for their first two games.
Coach Crutcher reinforced the point of getting off to a good start when he addressed his players before an early bus trip to Jamestown this morning. "It's important to get off on the right foot for a new and young team like this. Winning just breeds more winning, and in a league like this getting off to a hot start could mean the difference later in the season between a division leader and a team on the ropes."
One of the team leaders on the Freedom, Gary Gagne, reiterated Coach Crutcher's philosophy on winning, "Obviously you set the bar high on scoring goals and winning. It makes it that much sweeter when you reach those goals." When asked what his goal was for this season, Gary responded, "Score as many goals as I can and make it to the next level of hockey."
After speaking to the players, they all felt that moving up was their biggest goal.
Goaltender Chris Cuppett, who was a backup goalie in the ECHL last year, says, "Goaltending is a key part of winning no matter which league you play in. A goalie with a hot hand can carry the whole team. However, you're only as good as the guys in front of you, and going through camp with these guys I feel confident in the guys in front of me."
"I feel confident in the group of guys we've got. Since I took as coach of this team my philosophy has been to work hard and get the job done," Coach Crutcher stated. "Only good things can come if you do those two things, and with the team we've assembled I feel that is what we'll do.
Coach Crutcher concluded, "We want to start the season 2 and 0, come back home to our building, and show our fans what we can do. What we can do is great things and my hope is that we play in front of big crowds to give us that home ice advantage."
The Freedom's first home game is November 10 vs. Mon Valley Thunder.
The Valley Forge Freedom - This is YOUR team because this is YOUR town! For more information and for tickets for all home games visit valleyforgefreedom.com.
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Mid-Atlantic Hockey League Stories from November 6, 2007
- Freedom Open Season Tonight Vs. Jamestown - Valley Forge Freedom
- MAHL Celebrates Successful Opening Weekend - MAHL
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