By Warren Kozireski —
If former Nichols School (Buffalo) goaltender Josh Graziano saved the clothing swag from every team he has played for since his 2014-15 season with the Buffalo Jr. Sabres Bantam Major team, he won’t need to buy anything to wear for a while.
12 teams in six years with the Buffalo Saints, Coulee Region Chill (NAHL), USNTDP Juniors, U.S. National U17 and U18, three teams in three different leagues two seasons ago in Madison (USHL), Brooks (AJHL) and Brantford (OJHL) before the New Mexico Wolves (NAHL) at the start of this season before he got a call to join Union College in December.
“Starting off with the New Mexico franchise was a big undertaking and then to have the opportunity to join this college in the middle of the season that I couldn’t say no to and I’m glad that I made that decision,” Graziano said in late January.
“When we started talking, they explained the scenario that they had a goalie that got hurt and we need to bring a guy in at the halfway point and right now you’re that guy. They came out to see me play and came to the perfect game because I had a 50-save shutout. Then I went n my visit and really liked what the school had to offer and was happy to join.”
The 6’3”, 201lb. Williamsville native has played in four games this season with the Statesmen. His first collegiate appearance came over the last 7:33 of Union’s 5-0 loss at Yale.
In his second appearance against Harvard, he allowed a goal during a five-on-three power play, but the coaches were impressed with his resolve after that.
“I like how he responded from it, Union head coach Rick Bennett said. “I thought he did an excellent job of competing after it instead of getting down. I thought he did a really good job of competing.”
“I think any time there is an opportunity to come into a game; maybe it’s not the best opportunity, but for me I try to look at it like I have nothing to lose to go out there and do the best I can,” Graziano said.
He made his first start Feb.1 against Dartmouth and earned his first win allowing three goals on 19 shots in the 4-3 victory.
The Union coaching staff seems to be easing him into the pace and speed of Division I hockey as the team won just seven of their first 30 games this season and will be on the road for the first round of the ECAC playoffs and look to see what they have heading into the offseason and planning for 2020-21.
Graziano is taking the greyhound bus hockey career tour he took to get to Schenectady all in stride and jokes about all the team colors and equipment he has donned, but sees every stop as a building block.
“I should be renting it month by month at this point. I like to joke that in my two-and-a-half-year junior career I got to travel North America. But ultimately every place I was able to play added a different element to my game that I’m happy to have and to go through that adversity like I did last year getting traded twice moving around between teams and leagues.
“Having to go through all that and having the success personally this year I’ve been really happy and that Union is a place that I can spend the next three-and-a-half years and grow here.”
