By Warren Kozireski —

Robert Morris rejoined the Atlantic Hockey Association last season after two years off following the threatened shutdown of the program. Normally that would devastate any roster and take years to rebuild, but thanks to a solid recruiting effort offering freshmen the chance to compete right away, the Colonials are competitive again thanks in large part to Nichols School product Walter Zacher.

The 5’11” right wing entered the holiday schedule break leading the team with 11 goals and 59 shots and is tied for the team lead with 17 points.

“He’s a goal scorer; I think he was a little disappointed with his lack of goals last year even with 22 points, but he usually scores more,” Robert Morris head coach Derek Schooley said.

“He’s coming into his own…and it’s good to see him get going. When we committed him as a top prospect, we needed goals and we needed people to come in and embrace being part of Colonial hockey…and I’m happy with Walt’s game so far.”

“Last year I was battling a bit on an injury all year (hip) and then I had an operation in the offseason and I felt stronger and faster coming back,’ Zacher said.

After putting up a combined 98 points over 63 games in his finale of four seasons with Nichols, Zacher headed to Austin in the NAHL for three campaigns, the final one accumulating 32 goals and 55 points in 58 games. And 14 points in 11 playoff games on their way to the Robertson Cup finals.

“Our family has been at the school (Nichols) since the 1930’s, so it’s always been in my blood to go to Nichols. I started in fifth grade and I knew from the moment I put on skates that I was going to wear the green and white. Glad I stayed for four years.

“(Then) I was (supposed to go to) Sherwood Park (BCHL), but then covid shut Alberta down. Glad I went, great experience.”

The 22-year-old then decided to help restart the Robert Morris hockey program and net his first collegiate hat trick Oct. 19 in Miami, Ohio.

“It was a stressful situation because not all freshmen get to play right away…but there was opportunity to come in and play a big role. It’s been a while since I had a hat trick…but it felt good to get that out of the way early especially since last year I had a bit of a scoring slump all year with only five goals.

“Then to start out the year first weekend with four (goals); it felt good to get the monkey off my back.”

The Biology/Pre-med major after hockey is hoping to pursue a career in medicine working with athletes healing with the goal of being an orthopedic surgeon. But first, there are other goals…on the ice.

(Photo’s provided by Robert Morris Men’s Hockey and Athletic Department)

By Warren Kozireski —

Plattsburgh senior captain Jake Lanyi last season finished second on the Cardinals with 16 assists in 26 games. As of the holiday break, the 6’0”, 185 lb. center led the team with eight assists in ten games and was atop the team leaderboard with ten points.

In his final go-round in college hockey, the Business major is getting a little nostalgic during his last trip to visiting arenas.

“Of course, I am it’s impossible not to,” Lanyi said in early December. “It’s been an unbelievable three (plus) years here and I wouldn’t trade it for anything. You’re going to be nostalgic and I’m going to miss it when it’s over.”

“Jake has kind of seen it all with our program,” Plattsburgh head coach Steve Moffat said. “He’s won a championship but was a kid who wasn’t in the line-up all the time when he started and now, he’s captain.

“I think that’s a pretty cool story for him and the guys really look up to him. He’s an emotional kid and the guys get behind that and I thought he played he played one of his best games of the year tonight (at Buffalo State Dec. 7) and did a good job leading by example.”

Jake’s father, Ed, a Rochester native, played hockey at then-Canton ATC captaining them his second year and then for Elmira College in the early 1980’s.

Raised in Westchester, Jake Lanyi played for the Westchester Express Peewee and Elite Hockey Academy before jumping to the Connecticut Wolf Pack at 15 years old and the Jr. Rangers in 2016-17.

Two more years with the P.A.L Islanders and then back to the Jr. Rangers in the NCDC where he combined to tally 49 points in 79 games.

“It just worked out that way,” Lanyi said. “16-U I was in Connecticut and 18-U I went to P.A.L. and then juniors is kind of wherever you end up and they wanted me back in Connecticut, so I went there.

“(Then) obviously being a New York guy the SUNYAC schools were on the radar. Seemed like a good fit for me and it5 has been for four years now and glad I made that choice.”

Lanyi played both hockey and lacrosse while at North Salem HS, but Plattsburgh is glad hockey won out.

“I like hockey too much; how can you not love this.”

(Photos provided by Plattsburgh Men’s Hockey and Athletic Department)

By Warren Kozireski —

One was a four-year starter at Colgate while the other set five program records tending net at Division III Skidmore and both were looking for a fifth-year experience, ideally together.

The University of Massachusetts-Lowell gave Pierson and Tate Brandon the opportunity to again play with each other and so far, so good.

“Thrilled; it’s been a great move,” Pierson said during the Adirondack Invitational in Lake Placid in late November. “The competition is fantastic, the team is really great, the coaching is unbelievable.

Obviously, I knew (Associate Head Coach) Andy Bochetto (formerly an assistant at Colgate) before. But it’s been a great move, I’m really happy with it and excited for what we’re going to do here.”

Pierson was voted by his teammates as co-captain despite just arriving this summer and is playing key minutes on the River Hawks blueline. Unofficially he was on the ice for about four of the final six minutes in a 2-0 victory over St. Lawrence in the tournament opener. Tate is waiting in the wings for his first minutes of the season as the team’s third goaltender.

“He (Tate) obviously had an unbelievable Division III career and broke a lot of records at Skidmore. We were both looking for fifth-year opportunities and…it kind of just perfectly worked out and it’s been awesome to play with him again. We haven’t played together since we were 18 (years old), so it’s been a nice reunion.

(Regarding the captaincy) we had a month of summer training, and I’m honored that the guys felt enough to vote that way, and the coaches had enough faith in me. It’s huge honor and I’m very proud to wear that “C.”

Pierson, a 6’1”, 195 lb. left shot was the team leader in blocked shots all four seasons at Colgate (led the ECAC conference his junior season) and is picking up right where he left off. He had one goal and one assist through the season’s first 13 games and was tied for second on the squad at +5 plus/minus.

Tate last year set Skidmore single-season team records for games played (27), minutes (1538), GAA (1.76), SV% (.938) and wins (19) before the Thoroughbreds lost in the NEHC championship game to eventual repeat national champion Hobart.

The Brandon’s played on every team together until they split up in juniors ending  with one season with the Connecticut Oilers and three with the North Jersey Avalanche 16-U and 18-U squads.

Peirson headed to Aberdeen in the NAHL for two seasons where he won a Robertson Cup while Tate played for the Connecticut Jr. Rangers in the NCDC.

“(The Cup) is definitely up there (with favorite memories). And winning at Colgate was unbelievable, being able to do that for a program that hadn’t done it in 30 years and for a coach (Don Vaughan) who hadn’t won in 30 years, but the Robertson Cup was a special one.

It was a long grueling season and first one in history for Aberdeen was an awesome thing to be a part of.”

Now they are hoping this season to create one last memory playing together. UMass-Lowell is 10-3-1, as this is written, and moved up from #16 to #14 in the USCHO Dec. 2 rankings, so they are on the right track.

(Photos of Pierson Brandon provided by U-Mass Lowell Men’s Hockey Team and Athletic Department)

By Warren Kozireski —

41 years ago, Mark Major stepped on the Lynah Rink ice as a freshman at Cornell and now his nephew, Charlie Major, is already impacting the Big Red line-up with younger brother Henry scheduled to arrive in two years.

Charlie Major, through the first eight games of his collegiate career, has four assists—tops among freshmen on the team—and is seeing time on the power play.

“It’s been fun; a great group of guys make it pretty easy (and) I’ve been getting more comfortable each game,” major said in late November. “Everyone here is way stronger which makes it tough to adapt to it, but it’s been good.

“(being on the power play) is nice and a great opportunity. I’m trying to do what I can with it. We were struggling at the start of the season but starting to get hot which is nice.”

While playing his third of three seasons with Skaneateles High with father, Mitch, as head coach, Major started his junior career with the Rochester Selects (2019-20), the Rochester Coalition (20-21) again with his father and the Bishop Kearney Selects (21-22).

“It was awesome (playing for his father), he would tell me when I wasn’t playing up to standard and I would just take it like he’s my coach, and then when we got home it was nice to talk about. I never really got mad at him. I trusted him and he knows a lot about hockey.

“(Skaneateles) is just a great youth hockey organization and really good development there. My dad has been one of the head guys for a while, it’s a great town, everyone loves hockey there and it’s cool to see.”

Then it was off to the Chicago Steel in the USHL for two campaigns where, in his second year, he netted 30 goals and 40 assists in 59 games.

“I went to a Ryan Hardy camp, and he was the General Manager of Chicago. I was 5’2” and he was really good to me and drafted me and it worked out…and it worked out with my brother too,”

Now the 5’10”, 180 lb. center is making an early impact on the Big Red juggernaut.

“I’d come to the games when I was younger and the atmosphere is awesome, so it was a pretty easy decision in early ’21. My uncle went here, so it’s always been in the family.”

Now for the family hockey hierarchy, who is better: Charlie, brother Henry who had seven points in his first 19 USHL games, or sister Cora, who is with the Syracuse Valley Eagles 16-U where she has 17 points in 23 games this season?

“I don’t know, my sister’s pretty good. She’s the only defenseman in the family. She’s a smart player back there and Henry’s a scorer. They’ve both got it, but people like to say my sister, Cora, but we’ll see though.”

(Photos provided by Cornell Men’s Hockey and Athletic Departments)