DeSilva and Maple Leafs Reach yet another Milestone

It was a Friday and it felt like every other game day. November 27th
of this year came and went just as quietly as the first days that
the Massachusetts Maple Leafs organization took the ice. This Friday just happened
to be 12 seasons later, and a milestone to be revered was reached. With a 6-2 win
against the Pro Action Hockey squad in the Tilton School Thanksgiving Tournament,
the Maple Leafs Junior B team earned Tony DeSilva his 500th win as Head Coach of the organization.
When asked how it feels to get the 500th win, DeSilva responded, “The same way its felt
to get the first one. It’s a win, but we still did not play very well.”
Tony DeSilva’s no-nonsense approach to the game has compiled six league championships
in his 12 years as head coach, including two Continental Hockey Association Junior B playoff titles,
two Empire Junior Hockey League playoff titles, and two Continental Hockey Association Junior C titles.
In addition to his league success, DeSilva and his Maple Leafs have won two National Junior Open Championships
and a National Junior C Championship. During this same time span, 149 advancements have taken place
under DeSilva’s watch. Former players that have donned the Maple Leafs jersey have gone on to play
Junior A, NCAA, ACHA, and semi-professional hockey. The values of hard work, sacrifice, and patience
have been instilled in those players willing to listen and buy-in to the system that DeSilva has laid out,
and those that have followed and bought-in to the program have seen the success from their efforts come to fruition.
This year’s Maple Leaf squad has quietly accrued a 33-16-2 record against Junior A, Junior B, ACHA,
and Prep School programs. Several players have played a role in the success of the team that
has just passed its halfway point of the season. Maple Leaf second year veteran Matt Cray has
lived up to his expectations in the net. Cray is 16-6-1 in his 23 decisions, with a 12-0 record in league.
Cray has stopped 90% of his shots, and has kept his opponents under three goals per game with a
2.88 Goals Against Average. Cray ranks second among CHA goalies, only behind Metro Fighting Moose standout Steve Laris.
Working its way out of the net, Cray has been assisted by a defensive core of Robert Berg, Jason Alera,
Bret Zimmerman, and Brendan Ganem. These four have been solid all season for the Maple Leafs,
and have played a role in the success Cray. Berg, Alera, and Zimmerman have contributed offensively
also with solid number of 36 points, 30 points, and 20 points respectively.
Breaking out of the defensive end and going into the offensive, the Maple Leafs have seen consistency
from Eric Stelnick, Riley Hess, Karl Poss, and C.J. Cordeiro. California native Eric Stelnick continues to lead
the offensive spark with 42 goals and 52 assists for 94 points in 51 games (18-27-45 in 21 league games played).
Stelnick has grabbed the interest of several NCAA college programs with his efforts thus far this season.
Hess (27-39-66) and Poss (40-22-62) have been productive all year. The ’92 birth year, Poss, is expected
to continue to grow and improve as an athlete and hockey player in the future. Somerset, Mass., native C.J. Cordeiro
has exceeded expectations as a call up from the Leafs High School Development Team. Cordeiro has quietly
put up 36 points in 33 games with Maple Leafs Junior B squad.
The Massachusetts Maple Leafs have completed half of a season and reached an unforgettable milestone.
Moment by moment, day by day, game by game; the simplicity of the value-laden, no-nonsense approach
to the game that Maple Leafs organization exudes will continue as its system has led many players,
that have come and gone, down the path of success.
For more information about the Massachusetts Maple Leafs Junior Hockey Club, please go to: www.massmapleleafs.com