WLC News

WLC NEWS

3rd Annual Little Caps Classic

By WLC Staff 08/14/2023, 5:45pm EDT

We will be celebrating our 3rd year of the tournament and expect to have a great day of golf at the Belmont Country Club in Ashburn, Virginia.

The day will feature golf (scramble format), exciting event day contests, and a silent auction filled with amazing items.

All funds will support local community members through the Osidach Memorial Fund and Wounded Warrior Project.

2023-24 Staff: 18U Midget Head Coach Brian Fleury

By WLC Staff 04/08/2023, 9:30pm EDT

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Brian Fleury will serve as the Head Coach of the 18U Midget Team for the 2023-24 season.

A DC native and current Ashburn resident, Fleury’s resume in ice hockey is extensive.

Fleury played youth hockey here in the region for the Chesapeake Bay Chiefs and Washington Americans, and collegiately for Salem State College (NCAA Division 3).

He then embarked on a professional career that spanned parts of 5 seasons, appearing in games for the Richmond Renegades, Dayton Bombers, Daytona Beach Sun Devils, Wichita Thunder, Dallas Freeze, West Palm Beach Blaze, Utica Bulldogs, Huntington Blizzard, and Bakersfield Fog.

Following his playing days, he transitioned to coaching the top talent in the region. He’s coached three junior squads in the area—the Baltimore Bandits, Buck’s County Generals and Chesapeake Bay Chiefs. He’s also coached two different high school programs—Bishop Ireton and St. Stephen’s and St. Agnes School.

For the past two years he’s coached the Ashburn Xtreme 16u AA squad, winning the National Championship last season with a squad of local 2005 and 2006 players. (Read more here).

In addition to his coaching duties, Fleury is an Emotional Disabilities Teacher for Fairfax County Public Schools with over 20 years of experience. In 2020 he was awarded an Outstanding Secondary School Teacher Award for his work at the Burke School.

"We're extremely pleased to have Coach Fleury onboard" says Executive Director Doug Plocki. "There aren't a lot of guys in this region with this level of resume-- a local product with professional playing experience, junior coaching experience, and familiarity with the 2005 and 2006 birth years. This group is going to be in very good hands."

Coach Fleury will be available for introductions on Tuesday April 11 at 8pm in the IITC Conference Room, prior to the 18u tryout session.

WLC Announces Leadership Team Additions

By WLC Staff 03/31/2023, 12:00pm EDT

The Washington Little Capitals are pleased to announce three new members of the WLC Leadership Team.

Lyon Messier has been promoted to Associate Hockey Director and will be responsible for WLC Hockey Operations focused on player performance.

Brad Kozstrebski has been promoted to Director of Player Development and will oversee overall development of our players throughout their WLC careers.

Bryan Reel has been promoted to Director of Player Advancement and will be responsible for player advancement within the WLC and from the WLC to junior and college ranks.

These three young leaders will assist the WLC Directors with the day-to-day operations of the club, focusing on interacting with players and families within their respective disciplines. All three coaches will also be involved in overarching programs such as Player Evaluations, the Coach Education Program and Town Hall meetings.

“I was a Washington Little Caps player growing up- and have been committed to the WLC organization for over 10 years after playing minor pro,” said Messier. “I am incredibly humbled and excited to hold this new position. Our Leadership Team wants to build on a solid foundation to make something even better.”

Kozstrebski and Reel share Lyon’s excitement for this new challenge. Coach Brad offered, “I am excited to take on this role of helping our players get better. Our coaching approach is to create a challenging and competitive environment at the rink to help each player in our organization become the best version of themselves. By getting better every day we will make sure each player grows as a player and a person and has a positive experience with the Washington Little Caps.”

“I am excited to be taking a larger role within the Washington Little Caps organization,” added Coach Reel. “I look forward to building relationships with players across all teams, ensuring they are advancing through the club and, when the time is right, celebrating their jump to the next level.”

Messier added, “growing the program is about families feeling a part of something bigger than themselves and believing in each other. We want to continue to develop the WLC culture- that is what leads to championships, team camaraderie, and passion.”

“This upcoming season you’ll see a culture that celebrates weekend success as a direct result of what happens during the week,” said Coach Reel. “Coaches will work directly with one another to cultivate new ideas as we advance our players.”

Culture is a common theme among the newest members of the Leadership Team. “We will be dedicating more classroom time throughout the year to building and maintaining a strong culture within each team using inputs from all WLC coaches, WLC Leaders, and our strength coach/trained sports psychologist Ify Achebe,” offers Kozstrebski. “Our new Leadership Team is dedicated to bringing positive change to this organization to make the Little Caps the best place to play. We could not be more excited to get started next season.”

“Our team is dedicated to making the Little Caps the premier Tier 1 organization in the area, says Coach Reel. “We’re focused on creating a pipeline for players to develop and advance through WLC and beyond. Let’s Go Caps!”

WLC NCAA Alumni Update: Championship Season

By WLC Staff 03/23/2023, 12:15pm EDT

WLC alumni Lacey Eden and her Wisconsin Badgers (NCAA D1) are now the winningest in NCAA Division 1 women's history. With a 1-0 win over Ohio State on Sunday, the Badgers won their seventh national championship, a new record for women's college hockey. In its journey to the title game, Wisconsin took down Long Island University, No. 3 Colgate and No. 2 Minnesota. Lacey Eden finished the season tied for third on the team in scoring.

Ryan Liebold and his Merrimack College (NCAA D1) teammates will face-off against top seed Quinnipiac in the first round on Friday (5:30pm ESPNEWS). This winner will progress to the regional championship game Sunday for a chance at the Frozen Four. Before to attending Merrimack, Ryan accumulated 58 points while playing for Holy Cross.

Ture Linden and his Penn State Nittany Lions (NCAA D1) teammates will face Michigan Tech in the first round on Friday (5pm ESPNU). The winner of this contest will advance to the regional championship game Sunday for a shot at the Frozen Four. Ture is second on the team in scoring with 28 points (11G-17A). Before transferring to Penn State, Ture scored 68 points in three seasons at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute.

Freshman Austin Pick and his Stonehill College Skyhawks (NCAA D1) teammates set a new program record for most wins during a season with their 17th win behind a 6-2 victory over Framingham State in their season finale. On a freshman-heavy roster, Pick appeared in 15 games in a mixed NCAA D1/D3 schedule as the program transitions to Division 1.

Endicott College (NCAA D3), led by WLC alumni Andrew Kurapov and Drew Lorinchak will meet Hobart in the NCAA semifinals on March 24. The winner of this contest will advance to the National Championship game. In addition being second on the team in scoring with 31 points, Kurapov has been named a finalist for the 2023 Sid Watson Award, given annually to the best NCAA Division II/III men's ice hockey student-athlete in the country.

Connor Leslie, Max Thiessen, Zachary Murray and their Amherst College Mammoths (NCAA D3) fell in the semifinals of the NESCAC Tournament, losing in overtime 1-0 to their rivals Williams College. As a freshman, Zach Murray finished sixth on his team in points and second among freshman. Connor Leslie appeared in 6 games posting a 1.38 GAA and .938 SV%, and fellow sophomore Max Thiessen appeared in 23 games and led sophomore defensemen in scoring.

Cade Groton and his Hamilton College Continentals (NCAA D3) fell to Colby College 3-2 in overtime 2023 NESCAC Men's Hockey Championship quarterfinal. Groton finished his senior season sixth in team scoring with 11 points.

Junior Defenseman CJ Kline and his Milwaukee School of Engineering Raiders (NCAA D3) teammates fell to Trine University in their Harris Cup semifinals series. The Woodbridge, VA, native appeared in 26 games on the season, scoring 4 points in a shutdown role.

Trent DeNuccio and the SUNY Geneseo Knights (NCAA D3) effort to defend four consecutive State University of New York Athletic Conference (SUNYAC) crowns came to an end as they were defeated 5-1 by the Plattsburg State Cardinals. DeNuccio, a junior forward, finished the season with 2 points in 10 games played.

Ben Gibbons and his Neumann University Knights (NCAA D3) finished their season with a 6-18-1 overall record and were 4-15-1 in conference play. Although the Knights didn't qualify for the UCHC post-season tournament, they end the campaign on a high note, looking forward to 2023-24. Gibbons led all freshman in scoring, with six points in 25 games.

(*Alumni we missed? Email Marketing@washingtonlittlecapitals.com)

2023-24 Staff: Peewee Minor Head Coach Dano Silvers

By WLC Staff 03/22/2023, 2:00pm EDT

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Dano Silvers will serve as Head Coach of the Peewee Minor (2012) for the 2023-24 season.

Originally from Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dano played four years of ACHA D3 at Radford University.

This marks his third season with the Little Caps. In 2021-22 he served as assistant coach with the Bantam Major 2007's, finishing in 4th place in the AYHL National and earning a bid to league playoffs. Last season he served as assistant coach with the Bantam Minor 2009's, the winnest squad in the club, finishing the season in 3rd place in the AYHL Elite and ultimately winning the league playoff Championship. Before coaching with the program, Dano was a hockey instructor with Pro Ambitions for three years.

"Dano is a bright, driven, capable young coach who played a big role in the success of the 2009's last season," says Hockey Director Matt Thomas. "He's exactly the type of Head Coach a young squad needs as they learn to train, perform, and compete at the AAA level."

2023-24 Staff: Peewee Major Head Coach Jeremy Barron

By WLC Staff 03/20/2023, 2:00pm EDT

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Jeremy Barron will serve as Head Coach of the Peewee Major (2011) for the 2023-24 season.

Jeremy grew up in western Maryland playing his youth hockey for the Frederick Fury and the Washington Little Caps.

Prior to joining the Little Caps coaching ranks, he was the Hockey Director for the Hagerstown Bulldogs (CBHL) for the past four seasons. While at Hagerstown, he served across the spectrum of roles-- from a skill development coach to Assistant Hockey Director.

Additionally, Jeremy served on coaching staffs for the Washington Jr Nationals (member of both the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and Eastern Hockey League), the Washington County North Stars (MD HS), and Frederick Freeze. Along the way he's won CBHL, EJEPL, and Maryland HS Championships and earned numerous National Championship bids.

"Jeremy is another great local product-- a WLC alumni with an extensive coaching resume, an infectious daily enthusiasm, and a drive to succeed," says Hockey Director Matt Thomas."He's already assembled a great staff and we're excited to see them get to work."

2023-24 Staff: Bantam Minor Head Coach Lyon Messier

By WLC Staff 03/17/2023, 2:00pm EDT

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Lyon Messier will serve as Head Coach of the Bantam Minor (2010) for the 2023-24 season.

Lyon grew up in the Washington area and played youth hockey with the Northern Virginia Ice Dogs and the Little Caps. He then played junior hockey for the Texas Tornado in the North American Hockey League (NAHL), where he won a national championship, and later with the Lincoln Stars of the United States Hockey League (USHL). He played major junior hockey in Canada for the Kelowna Rockets (WHL) and Erie Otters (OHL), before moving on to play pro hockey for the New Mexico Scorpions of the Central Hockey League (CHL). He was invited to the New York Rangers main camp, played an AHL game, and then went to the East Coast Hockey League (ECHL) where he won the Kelly Cup with the South Carolina Stingrays. "I feel confident my experience can help our players,” Lyon says.

Lyon is also the owner and operator of the Messier Selects program, providing spring and summer training and showcase opportunities for area players.

"Lyon is a true professional-- you can see his respect and passion for the game in how he prepares and goes about his business." says Hockey Director Matt Thomas. "For a kid in this area still learning about the skills, tactics, and mindset of high-level hockey, I can't think of a better Head Coach than him."

2023-24 Staff: Bantam Major Head Coach Brad Kostrzebski

By WLC Staff 03/15/2023, 2:00pm EDT

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Brad Kostrzebski will return as Head Coach of the Bantam Minor (2009) for the 2023-24 season.

Brad grew up in the Washington area playing for the Prince William Panthers and Washington Little Caps youth programs. He then played junior hockey for the Potomac Patriots and won a state championship with Woodbridge High School. He played college hockey at Christopher Newport University, winning two Blue Ridge Hockey Conference Championships. After getting into coaching with Pro Ambitions summer clinics, he spent 1 year coaching U16 AA for the Patriots and 2 years with the Little Caps. Brad also coaches for the Messier Selects Spring program.

This past season, Brad led the 2009 squad to the best record in the club, the #3 seed in the AYHL (Elite), and a league playoff Championship.

"Brad is part of a strong wave of young, local alumni who are returning to contribute to the club," says Hockey Director Matt Thomas. "I'm very pleased with what I've seen from him the past three years-- he's organized, disciplined, and he's extremely hungry to get back to work with the 2009's."

2023-24 Staff: 15U Midget Head Coach Alex Guerere

By WLC Staff 03/13/2023, 2:00pm EDT

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Alex Guerere will serve as Head Coach of the 15U Midget Team for the 2023-24 season.

Prior to joining the Little Caps coaching staff, Coach Guerere spent the past four seasons with the Ashburn Xtreme club, earning numerous accolades: EJEPL Championships, CBHL Regular Season and Playoff Championships, and multiple National Tournament appearances. In addition to working with the Xtreme, Coach Guerere worked with Bishop O’Connell and ColdRush.

As a player, Coach Guerere played for both the Washington Little Caps and Washington Jr Nationals prior to attending the University of Delaware, where he played for the ACHA Division 1 team.

Coach Guerere has coached the WLC 2006 group for the past two seasons, earning a bid to the AYHL Playoffs and going undefeated against Team Maryland (5-0) on the way to earning consecutive bids to the USAH Southeast District Tournament.

“Alex has been a relentless force these past two years.” says Hockey Director Matt Thomas. “He's completely reshaped the 2006 squad-- they're now a group of young men who now train and expect to win. He’s passionate, accomplished, driven, and he’s lived it all himself as a Little Caps alumnus. The 2008 birthyear is going to be in excellent hands next season.”

2023-24 Staff: 16U Midget Head Coach Bryan Reel

By WLC Staff 03/10/2023, 2:00pm EST

The Little Caps are pleased to announce Bryan Reel will serve as the Head Coach of the 16U Midget Team for the 2023-24 season.

A Pittsburgh native, Coach Reel played for the North Pittsburgh Wildcats and attended Penn State University. Prior to this season with the Little Caps, he coached squirts, peewees, and bantams locally in the Ashburn Xtreme program, accumulating 4 CBHL Regular Season Championships, 3 CBHL Playoff Championships, 2 VA State Championships, and a trip to the USAH Nationals. Coach Reel is a level 4 certified USA Hockey coach.

Coach Reel has coached both the 2007 and 2008 birth years since his arrival with WLC, earning consecutive bids to the AYHL Playoffs and qualification for the USAH Southeast District Tournament this season.

“Bryan has been terrific for two different birth years,” says Hockey Director Matt Thomas. “I’ve been extremely impressed with his developmental vision and how it aligns with our club model, and I know he's excited to reconnect with the 2007's next year.”