Petruzzelli Wins National Title with Bighorns
Published on April 8, 2011 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Wenatchee Wild News Release
WENATCHEE, Wash. - Anthony Petruzzelli will spend this summer at home in Federal Way, Wash., preparing for the next chapter in his hockey career. In the meantime, he will have plenty of stories to tell about his last chapter, and a gold medal to show off while he shares his tales.
Petruzzelli and his Helena Bighorns teammates won the USA Hockey Tier III Junior A National Championship in Rochester, Minn., on Tuesday. Winning the 12-team tournament still felt surreal to Petruzzelli, one of the Wenatchee Wild's 2011-12 tenders, two days later.
"It's kind of an unreal feeling," said Petruzzelli. "It still hasn't hit me that we won a national championship. It's an awesome feeling that can't be compared to anything, really."
Based out of Helena, Mont., the Bighorns won the America West Division of the Northern Pacific Hockey League (NORPAC) with an incredible 48-2 record. They went on to sweep three straight playoff rounds to win the Cascade Cup and earn a berth in the national championships.
Helena lost to the Walpole Express 4-3 during pool play of the national tournament. The Bighorns avenged that loss with a 4-3 win over the Express in the tournament semifinals, setting up a 5-1 win over the El Paso Rhinos in the title tilt.
Petruzzelli, who will turn 18 years old on May 9, was a catalyst for the Bighorns all season. In 48 regular season games, he scored 46 goals and added 55 assists (101 points) for an incredible average of 2.1 points per contest. His point total tied him for third best in the league, and his 46 goals were third best.
In March, Petruzzelli was rewarded for his regular-season work when he was named the NORPAC Rookie of the Year.
"He is a high end, skilled player that gets around the net and scores greasy goals," Wild assistant coach Chris Clark said of Petruzzelli. "He's very talented and works hard; he can do it all."
Petruzzelli recorded 13 points (7G, 6A) in nine NORPAC playoff games and notched five points (2G, 3A) during the national tournament.
"With the experience Anthony got this season," said Clark, "he should be able to step right in next year and be an impact player for us."
That's the next chapter for the new national champion, which he is eager to begin writing.
"I've seen the Wild ever since they came into Wenatchee," said Petruzzelli. "It's a great organization. They have great fans and have moved a lot of players on."
North American Hockey League Stories from April 8, 2011
- Third Period Burst Lifts Cats to Series Lead - Bismarck Bobcats
- Tornado force Game 4 in Frisco on Saturday after 6-4 win on Friday - Texas Tornado
- Flint outlasts Stars, takes 2-1 series lead - Traverse City North Stars
- Petruzzelli Wins National Title with Bighorns - Wenatchee Wild
- Bulls Visit Texas Tonight In Game 3 Of Series - Amarillo Bulls
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