Stratford, ON - The ALLIANCE Hockey U16
Policy Committee is pleased to announce the 2018 U16 Team ALLIANCE Staff:
Director of Operations: Gary McFarlane (Hamilton)
Head Coach: Shawn Dietrich (Waterloo)
Assistant Coach: Derek Munroe (Kingsville)
Assistant Coach: Jason Polera (Sarnia)
Trainer: Eric Corda (Sarnia)
Trainer: Mark Elgersma (London)
Goaltender Coach: Tim Whitson (LaSalle)
"As usual, the process was very challenging. We had a great group of applicants and appreciate everyone who applied and showed an interest in the program. We feel confident that the selected Staff will do a great job of bringing the best 2002-born players together and create a first-class team that will represent ALLIANCE Hockey at the 2018 OHL Gold Cup," stated Gary McFarlane, Team ALLIANCE Director of Operations.
A variety of events hosted throughout the season, along with the regular season games will assist in identifying potential Team ALLIANCE players who will compete at the 2018 OHL Gold Cup including:
- 2017 ALLIANCE Hockey Minor Midget AAA Face Off#1: September 22-24, 2017, Windsor, ON
- 2017 ALLIANCE Hockey Minor Midget AAA Face Off#2: December 1-2, 2017, Woodstock, ON
- 2017 ALLIANCE Hockey Minor Midget AAA All-Star Game: December 3, 2017, Woodstock, ON
- 2018 OHL Gold Cup: May 2-6, 2018, Kitchener, ON
Congratulations and welcome to the 2018 U16 Team ALLIANCE Staff!
Director of Operations: Gary McFarlane (Hamilton)
McFarlane is High Performance 1 certified and is entering his fifth OHL Gold Cup Event as Team ALLIANCE Director of Operations. McFarlane is a current NCCP Facilitator, HP1 Group Leader, Field Evaluator and Initiation Program Lead Facilitator.
Head Coach: Shawn Dietrich (Waterloo)
Dietrich is High Performance 1 certified and is currently the Head Coach of the Waterloo Wolves Minor Midget AAA team. Dietrich will be entering his third OHL Gold Cup event with Team ALLIANCE.
Assistant Coach: Derek Munroe (Kingsville)
Munroe is High Performance 1 certified and is currently the Head Coach of the Chatham-Kent Cyclones Minor Midget AAA team. Munroe will be participating in his first OHL Gold Cup with Team ALLIANCE.
Assistant Coach: Jason Polera (Sarnia)
Polera is High Performance 1 certified and is currently the Head Coach of the Lambton Jr. Sting Bantam AAA team. Polera will be participating in his first OHL Gold Cup with Team ALLIANCE.
Trainer: Eric Corda (Sarnia)
Corda is a Level 3 Trainer and Registered Massage Therapist. Corda is currently the OHL Sarnia Sting Team Massage Therapist. Corda has specialized training/certification in a variety of injury management procedures, including sports medicine acupuncture. Corda will be entering his sixth OHL Gold Cup Event as a Trainer with Team ALLIANCE.
Assistant Trainer: Mark Elgersma (London)
Elgersma is a Level 3 Trainer and a veteran member of Team ALLIANCE U16 Staff who is entering his fourth consecutive year with the team. Elgersma has a lengthy history of involvement with the U15, U16 and U17 Programs of Excellence and in the OHL. Elgersma's experience with the London Police Service and his years of service in hockey make him an asset to the team. Mark was also recently recognized as the 2017 ALLIANCE Hockey Trainer of the Year.
Goaltender Coach: Tim Whitson (LaSalle)
Whitson is a Development 1 coach and is currently Goaltender Coach for the Windsor Jr. Spitfires Minor Bantam, Bantam and Minor Midget AAA teams. Whitson will be participating in his first OHL Gold Cup with Team ALLIANCE.
About the OHL Gold Cup:
The 2018 OHL Gold Cup will feature the best 2002-born players in Ontario competing in a 8-team tournament with representation from each of the following organizations: ALLIANCE Hockey, GTHL(2 teams), HNO, NOHA, HEO and OMHA(2 teams). The tournament is being held to identify potential players for Hockey Canada's 3 teams who will compete for a gold medal at the 2018 World Under 17 Hockey Challenge. The OHL Gold Cup is a key component of the Hockey Canada Program of Excellence.