Phantoms announce first college signings
Published on February 16, 2006 under North American Hockey League (NAHL)
Mahoning Valley Phantoms News Release
Boardman, Ohio (Wednesday, February 15, 2006) - The Mahoning Valley Phantoms Hockey Team are proud to announce that two players have committed to NCAA programs.
Co-captain and right wing Marc Menzione has signed a letter of intent to play at Bentley College this fall. He will become the third Phantom to play for the Falcons in October, joining current freshman and leading scorer Anthony Canzoneri and defenseman Casey Russell. "It's the best fit. It's the perfect school," said Menzione.
Menzione, from Darien, Illinois, is tied for third in North American Hockey League's (NAHL) scoring with linemate Anthony Ciraulo. In 46 games, he has 23 goals and 40 assists for 63 points.
"My expectations were high this season; I wanted to be a go-to guy, be a leader. So far, I've done a pretty good job. The difference is I've had a lot more opportunities this year. Confidence has allowed me to have more control of my game, see the ice a little bit better," he said. "To be successful at the next level, I need to make better decisions with the puck, like knowing when to get rid of it."
Bentley is located in Waltham, Massachusetts, a western suburb of Boston. With an enrollment of nearly 4,200 students, the Falcons compete in the eight-team conference known as Atlantic Hockey. Bentley will lose five senior forwards this season and Menzione will likely jump into one of those vacancies and make an immediate impact, as he reunites with his former teammate and longtime friend Canzoneri. "We grew up together as best friends. I kinda look up to him as a brother," added Menzione.
"Marc's ability has always been there. It's been a mental thing with him, and he's really matured into a young man. He's gotten his confidence back that he may have had when he was a younger hockey player. It's been a journey of him getting his confidence back and believing in himself again. He's obviously done that this year," said Head Coach Bob Mainhardt.
Defenseman Bret Larson will join Menzione in Atlantic Hockey, as he will head to West Point and play at Army. "It's one of the best programs and one of the best schools I can possibly go to," said Larson.
"I've become more confident in my own zone and making the simple play. I'm finally getting some patience in the offensive zone and my chances are just paying off," he added. "I need to get stronger and improve my shot. I also want to improve my physical play and just keep getting smarter."
However, Larson's commitment may begin in the 2007-2008 season. Two other defensive prospects, who had verbally committed earlier this season to West Point, have until April to make it official. Should they not, Larson will head East this summer.
"Bret has obvious talents and is a strong skater. He has good vision; good hands, and he has all the tools. Again, the little bit of struggling he had, early on, was due to maturity and being away from home for the first time. And again, he's another one who we've seen mature so much over the last four or five months," said Mainhardt.
"I think he's starting to step up now and be more of a physical presence. It's not that we didn't expect it, but we knew it was something he had to tackle in order to be successful. He's starting to play much more physically and aggressively."
Larson, a native of Marquette, Michigan, has played in 44 games, scoring twice and adding eight assists for 10 points.
Army is home to the coaching legacy of the Riley family. Hall of Fame coach Jack Riley coached the Black Knights from 1951-1986. He finished with 542 coaching wins, which was second all-time in NCAA history when he retired, and still ranks 10th today. He handed the reigns over to his son Rob, who proceeded to win 257 games in 18 seasons behind the bench. He retired after the 2004 season, and handed it over to his younger brother, Brian, who served as Rob's assistant for five years. This season, Brian's second as Head Coach, the Black Knights are currently 10-14-5 and one game ahead of Bentley for fourth place in the conference.
Atlantic Hockey conference rivals include Connecticut, Holy Cross, and Mercyhurst. Currently, the NCAA has 65 Division I hockey programs in seven conferences.
"These are two guys that have worked hard. They deserve this; it's been a long time coming. We hope this is the first of many," added Mainhardt.
Menzione and Larson are the eighth and ninth Phantoms to commit to an NCAA program in three seasons, as additional signings are expected in coming weeks. Two seasons ago, Tyler Sims (Providence), Charley Fetzer (Miami of Ohio) and Joe Federoff (Robert Morris) headed the initial class. Last season included Rob Rassey (Northeastern), Evan Case (Ferris State), Kyle Laughlin (Providence) and Canzoneri.
If Larson returns to the Phantoms next season, he would become the first Phantom to commit to a college one year in advance. That in itself is a strong testimony to the Phantoms' ability to draw young talent and the attention of NCAA programs that look to plan for and beyond the upcoming season.
"It's about confidence. It's within our staff and their ability to pick out good prospects and our ability to continue to develop them. That confidence comes from the top down. I think that (owner) Bruce (Zoldan) and I have shown a lot of confidence in these guys, which, in turn, has given themselves confidence."
North American Hockey League Stories from February 16, 2006
- Phantoms announce first college signings - Mahoning Valley Phantoms
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