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posted 08/08/2011 Last week former Bayonne Ranger
Kevin Labanc (2004-2009) committed to the University of Notre Dame for fall of 2014. And just when he thought things couldnt be better, this past weekend he was presented an offer he couldn’t refuse as he was offered and accepted a place with USA Hockey’s National Team Development Program, based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. The program consists of a U17 and a U18 program, which is combined into one team, which, in addition to its commitment to international and collegiate competition, plays a full-season 60 game schedule in the USHL. Kevin will be competing against the best in the world!
In speaking with Kevin earlier today, he thanked everyone at the Bayonne Rangers, where it all started. He was appreciative of the coaches that pushed him when he was young and the amount of time he got to be on the ice as a key to his development! Kevin will be heading to Ann Arbor Michigan on September 1
st to join the US NTDP.
On behalf of the Bayonne Rangers, I wish Kevin the best of luck with the US National Team and then at Notre Dame a few years down the road!
Former Rangers
Zach Aston Reese and
Joe Gambardella will be showing off their talents in the USHL during the upcoming year with Zach starting his 2
nd season with the USHL Lincoln Stars and moving toward his college commitment with NCAA D1 Brown University. Joe will start the year with the Rockets Jr. A team and expects to be in the USHL in October or November.
Another long time Ranger,
Chris Peterson, will be playing for the Titans Jr B team. Long time Ranger
Joe Giordano will be playing in the Tier 1 Midwest Elite League and moving to Michigan. A large group of last years U18 team will be trying out for their college teams. We wish all of these players alot of luck!
In Girls Hockey, Current Bayonne Ranger,
Noelle Niemiec, just returned from Rochester NY after spending a week at USA Hockey’s Girls U14 National Team Developmental Program. Noelle competed against the top 100 girls in the country in her age group and continued our legacy of Ranger players being able to skate and play with the best of our country!! Noelle is a long time Ranger who started with us a squirt. Noelle came to the Rangers after tryouts and made the transition from figure skating to hockey. When she arrived in 2006 all she could do was skate and Russ Harvey, our ACE Coordinator, and I debated whether to take her on the team and give her a shot. She had no knowledge of hockey and in 5 years was able to make it to USA Hockey’s National Camp. Hopefully she will follow in another Ranger star girl player
Lauren Vella’s shoes. Congrats Noelle!
As for Lauren, she will be attending Brown University this fall and playing D1 hockey for her school. Good Luck Lauren!
Amanda Peterson will continue playing Midget 16 hockey with us in addition to playing girls hockey and going up against the big boys playing Varsity HS Hockey for Hudson Catholic! Excellent Job girls!
I take a lot of personal satisfaction and pleasure in the success of Noelle, Kevin and Zach as I coached all 3 of them for multiple years and all while they were very young and just learning the game. I have great memories of all 3 players and hope to see them continue their success! All our younger players should look at these accomplishments and say why not me, maybe I can be the next in a what is turning out to be a line of Bayonne Ranger stars!
