By Warren Kozireski —
Many players from the Rochester area leave the area during their high school years to join the junior hockey or prep school ranks to further develop their skills against better competition and to attract interest from college hockey coaches.
Five from the western portion of the Rochester area have advanced and are impacting Division III college programs around the state.
Hilton products Sam DiBetetto and Justin Allen plus Spencerport natives Robert Haak and Nick Charron along with Brockport High’s Andrew Harley are now with Division III programs at SUNY Brockport, Utica College, SUNY Morrisville, Nazareth College and SUNY Brockport respectively.
DiBetetto never played high school hockey but instead went with the Rochester Jr. Americans for two seasons after his youth hockey with the Rochester Alliance and then Northwood Prep in Lake Placid for two more before committing to play college hockey at Norwich University in Vermont.
He played in 18 games as a 19-year-old freshman with nine points and was the right wing on the fourth line as the Cadets lost the Division III national championship game to Wisconsin-Stevens Point in overtime.
But he only saw the ice in six games as a sophomore and, after a year cancelled due to the pandemic, he transferred to SUNY Brockport for this, his junior campaign where he is having an immediate impact.
Two goals and two assists over the first seven five games heading into Thanksgiving weekend puts the 5’8”, 174 lb. winger on pace for his best collegiate season.
“I’m playing with Mitch Parsons and Jake Colosanti and we seem to have some good chemistry right away; I knew them a little before I transferred over here and we’re clicking well together,” DiBetetto said.
“I played a ton my freshman year and didn’t play as much my sophomore year, so I wanted to come home and couldn’t be happier. I’m a PE (Physical Education) major too and Brockport is well known for that and I really wanted to come home—this was my first thought that I wanted to come to.
“My family saw me a lot my freshman year when we played in the national championship, but this is nice for them to come down here. And I coach too, so all the kids I coach come down here.
“Any time you can get a guy who has played in the national championship game at this level,” Brockport head coach Brian Dickinson said. “He’s come in and solidified that line, gives them great speed and he just controls play and gets his stick on so many pucks and plays both ends of the ice.”
Allen is in his senior season with Utica College after being named First Team All-Conference last season and to the conference All-Rookie Team three seasons ago. But can play a fifth season due to the pandemic.
After his final season with Hilton High School in 2014-15 where he netted 20 goals in 20 games with 27 assists, Allen split 2015-16 between Whitby in the Ontario Junior Hockey League and the Roc City Royals; then the 2016-17 campaign with The Northeast Generals in the North American Hockey League and Charlotte Rush in the U.S. Premiere Hockey League-Elite.
After spending 2017-18 with the Rochester Monarchs junior team, Allen joined the Pioneers in Utica where he has a career-high four goals with seven assists over the first seven games this season.
“We’re a bunch of brothers on this team and we’re pushing each other and we’re trying to win the NCAA final, conference championship—all of it,” Allen said. about his Pioneers team. “I do get a fifth-year next year because of Covid (so) I’m going to do my grad year at Utica as well and play again. Get my Masters in Business and a minor in Entrepreneurship.
“I’m more of an assist guy, but I’ve been shooting the puck more this year and finding the back of the net.”
“He’s a minute-hog for us; I think he plays six minutes more than the next guy,” Utica head coach Gary Heenan said. “He’s got some of the silkiest hands in Division III hockey and this year he’s shooting the puck more than he ever has and getting rewarded.”
Haak is playing in his first season on defense for the Mustangs at Morrisville after last season was cancelled. He is making an impact already with two goals—one on the power play—in four games tying him for the low-scoring team lead despite missing three games.
The 22-year-old headed north as a 14-year-old to play with Don Mills in Ontario, Canada before returning to western New York as part of the Buffalo Jr. Sabres and Regals system for three seasons. One year with the New Jersey Rockets (USPHL) and one with the New England Wolves (EHL) brought him to central New York.
Harley arrived at Brockport after he spent two seasons with the East Coast Wizards in the Eastern Hockey League where he tallied 25 goals and 60 points over 45 games two seasons ago.
After a season lost to Covid, the freshman is tied for third on the Golden Eagles in points with eight on three goals and five assists over the first seven games.
Charron is now suiting up for Nazareth College after spending his freshman season with Skidmore College in the Albany area where he accumulated ten points in 20 games. The forward has three assists and one goal over his first eight games this season with the Golden Flyers.
He took four years to develop into a college-level player with two at Trinity-Pawling Prep in Dutchess County and two years with the Rochester Monarchs.
“I think it gives you a little extra experience coming in and definitely helps with development being away at prep school and focusing on hockey a bit more and looking back it helped me so much,” Charron said.
“You come in a little more experienced; even with school you feel a little more comfortable. I actually made the team as a defenseman because I was late picking a college. They didn’t have any spots open and then I got the call that they had a defense spot open if I wanted it. So, I took it and first game I was starting forward.”
Five players all from western Monroe County school districts all now competing against each other again in college hockey at the Division III level.
“I’m remembering back to high school and we all know each other and have played with each other growing up,” Charron said. “I’m thinking of the Bowman Cup era in high school where we’d all play together and I think that brought us even closer, but it’s cool to see. It’s a fun rivalry.”
