The New York Aviators are nearing the midway point of their 44-game regular season, having played 18 games and although sitting third overall with a 13-4-1 record is not something head coach Mike Stanaway is accustom to, normally a front-runner throughout the season, a number of bright spots early in the season have the team optimistic heading into the final 26 games of the season.
GOALTENDING
At the end of the 2014-15 USPHL season, Stanaway was looking to continue what had been a long line of quality goaltending throughout his coaching career as he headed into his first NA3EHL season. Last season he looked to a former MnJHL opponent to take the net as his #1 with Loren Sawyer. Following a similar path this season, Stanaway again looked to a prior opponent to take over in net with the signing of former PAL Islanders netminder Stephen Mundinger.
Mundinger, while on a struggling Islanders team in 2014-15, impressed the Aviators head coach and he became a priority signing heading into the new season. The off-season work paid off and Mundinger now leads the NA3EHL with 11 wins, over 920 minutes played and is third overall with a .945 save percentage.
Returning from the Aviators USPHL franchise, netminder Anthony DiGiorgio has been solid as the #2 for the Aviators this season, seeing a significant increase in his roll with the team compared to 2014-15. DiGiorgio is currently 2-0-0 in three starts with a .807 save percentage.
DEFENSE
A veteran-heavy defense corps has not only led the Aviators to the league’s fifth best goals against total, but offensively they have been a major threat, scoring a combined 19 goals and 41 assists for 60 points in 18 games.
Led by four-year veteran Eric Hewitt’s 15 points and second-year star Ricky Regala’s 14 points, the Aviators d-corps has continued to impress. The addition of veteran defensemen Phillip Garcia and Nick Jean-Louis has also helped the Aviators see an increase in defensive scoring with a combined 15 points in 11 games each.
In fact, the Aviators d-corps is so loaded with veteran talent, only one rookie, Jerome Emanuel, has made his way into the Aviators lineup, adding two assists and 47 penalty minutes. The Aviators are looking forward to getting injured second-year returning defenseman Augie Onorato back into the lineup, who had two goals and two assists in just six games before being placed on the injured list.
FORWARDS
Not a lot has changed offensively since the Aviators 2014-15 USPHL championship season as second-year veteran Jimmy Warrick still leads the team and league with 43 points in 18 games. The only thing that has changed is linemate Daniel Backstrom is not currently second on the team, with that distinction going to veteran, but Aviators newcomer, Robert Kalata with 31 points in 18 games.
Backstrom is close behind, despite missing time with an injury, with 24 points in 12 games. The big surprise, although some would say it hardly should be, is the impressive performance Michael House has put together in his return to the Aviators. In just seven games back, he’s produced nine goals and six assists for 15 points.
Perhaps nobody is happier to be back in the regular lineup than veteran Sam Shaheen, who missed most of 2014-15 with a leg injury. Shaheen joined the Aviators USPHL franchise at the midpoint of last season, but was unable to contribute much in limited action. This season Shaheen has returned in a big way, with three goals and seven assists in 17 games, with all three goals coming on the power play.
Veteran Aviators returner Martin Grinberg has also had a solid start to his season, already halfway to his point total from 2014-15 with five goals and two assists in 15 games.
The Aviators head back home to Aviator Sports and Events Center Nov. 6-7 for a big weekend two-game series with NA3EHL leader and undefeated Jersey Shore Wildcats. In one previous meeting this season the Wildcats beat the Aviators 6-4 including an empty net goal.
For more information on the 2015-16 New York Aviators and the NA3EHL, log on to www.nyjraviators.com and www.na3ehl.com. You can also contact Head Coach Mike Stanaway directly at [email protected].
