More on Suffern ‘92 team
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- March
- 13
So I was allowed back on the blog at 12:01 a.m. this morning. That was the plan, anyway — but I couldn’t leave the Garden during the longest game in Big East history, so now I’m going with Plan B.
Coach John Orlando was gracious enough to provide some information on the 1992 Suffern team that will be inducted into the New York State High School Hockey Hall of Fame tomorrow, and I’m leaving the floor to him. This afternoon I’ll be back with semifinal previews and I’ll also respond to all comments and e-mails that were sent to me over the past 48 hours.
The season started about seven or eight years ago[ 1985-86 ]when Sport-O- Rama gave us free ice time at 6 AM on Sunday mornings to rebuild our feeder program. Over 2/3rds. of the players on this team started then with borrowed lacrosse helmets and gloves, the real “Bad News Bears”.
Would they ever make it? Fifteen weeks of early rising set the tone. They were dedicated. What follows is a recollection of a set of circumstances over the last two seasons.
Injuries, death in a family, sickness and losses [ we started the season 3-3 ] led to the elusive State Championship.
With the players all back. Steve Lofberg, the Father of T.J. Lofberg arranged a trip to Norway to play in the Jar Tournament in Oslo.
What an unbelievable experience. Our first hurdle was the plane trip, 10 hours over the Atlantic- 10 first time flyers- a lot of white knuckles. Courage! some found it.
We win the tournament. Our kids played great. We win the hearts of the Norwegians with hard-skilled play.
The trip was more than just hockey. We came together as a team more than ever before.
Improvised hockey, as our Norwegian friends call it, 30 boys on a huge outdoor rink, exchanging jerseys, mixing up teams, playing with no refs, 2 to 3 hours under the stars, for pure sport, played for the fun of it until exhaustion sets in.
After the tournament we then toured Norway. Our most memorable aspect was a trip to a sculpture park. The theme was from birth to death. Our boys entered the park giggling but as our guide started to explain the statues the mood changed drastically. Fun, life,death, struggles, relationships and how people handle these are depicted. We all emerged from those 80 acres as slightly different people.
I took sick after the trip and my assistants, John Rostawanik, Mitch Resnick and John Yurcik took over and led the team. I feel it made us a better team as the boys had to overcome another adversity and stand on their own. The team started cooking.
Our young defenseman were getting better [Sheehan, Rostawanik]. Our big line [Chapman,White,Doyle ] another line [Lofberg,Stevens Taylor] were smoking. Our yearling line [Stecz, Murphy, Gordon,Greg] was emrging as a force. Cerebona [ goalie] Adam Gordon [defense] were ROCK-SOLID in front of the net.
Our red line[ Flament, Cohen, Greenhut, Marguiles, Condon and Haugeto] was possessed in practice and made everybody work hard. Our back-up goalies [Goldstein and Cunningham] were pressuring the shooters.
We never lost another game that season when we returned from Norway and won the section championship. 17 straight victories concluded the season.
State tournament 1/4 finals a 10-3 victory over Monroe-Woodbury, a semi-final victory over Seton Catholic 3-2 and a 4-3 O’T win over Massena in what some will say was the most exciting final in state history.
The championship game had many heroes. Cerebona in goal, Adam Gordon played the entire 45 minutes on defense, John Chapman went from center to defense and played about 41 minutes. Chapman, Taylor and Doyle shut Massena down and White, Stevens and Lofberg did most of the scoring. Rob Stevens scored the game tier goal on assists from Lofberg and White with 39 seconds left after the goalie was pulled.
Rob Stevens was then sprung free on a pass from Danny White and blasted the game winner from just inside the blue line in overtime.
This entry was posted
on Friday, March 13th, 2009 at 2:53 am by Harold Gutmann. 
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One very important coach that I forgot was Tom McCarren,a great Suffern and Iona player. The experience seems like yesterday although it was 17 years ago. I wish Mamaroneck and Pelham well it will be the highlight of your hockey career. Make us all proud.
Apparently New Hartford has their game broadcast on radio & the Internet. So should Pelham & NH win on Saturday and face eachother in the finals, you can listen to the game here: http://www.wibx950.com
If you open the radio broadcast in one window and the Journal News’ video feed in another, you could actually listen & watch together (although sometimes when you do stuff like that there is the potential of a slight delay so the audio may be a second ahead of the video or vice versa)
Mr. Orlando it would be interesting to know if any of the players on the team went on to play college hockey, pro and what they are doing today. I belong to the opinion that the game of ice hockey helps create great adults. Maybe Harold would let you elaborate further on the team for those who want to get more of the story.
Great story. To start the season playing tournament games at an outdooor rink in Norway and finish with an OT victory in the state championship game (after pulling the goalie to tie in the last minute). Fans rushing onto the ice to mob players. Opposing goalie from the heavily favored team boomeranging his stick into the crowd. Spectacular.
Honestly the goalie throwing his stick is the best part of the video..Lets hope the goalies going up against Pelham and Mamo have the same reaction when the winning goal goes in. How great will it be to bring home 2 state championships on the same weekend Suffern is being honored, this could be a GREAT weekend for section 1. Just remember Pelham and Mamo, at this point it doesn’t matter who has the better team, it is who wants it more.
suffern- I agree about the stick. And I would have missed it had a blogger not mentioned it.
Just received word from my editor — we will be broadcasting the Suffern on-ice ceremony on Mogulus Saturday at 2:55 (right before the Mamaroneck game)
College Players from the 92 team
Danny White- Skidmore
Rob Cerabona- Skidmore
Rob Stevens- Oswego
Tom Lofberg- Cortland
John Rostawanik- Geneseo
more college players from Suffern 92
Rob Murphy AIC
Mike Cunningham Iona
Jimmy Flament Delaware
John Chaoman Canton
Mike Sheehan Syracuse
John Chapman Suffern Captain of 92 Team
In addition to the great Suffern players, Coach Orlando needs to be very much credited with that 1991-1992 championship and magical season. As a former player and assistant coach who has known Coach Orlando for 37 years, I can honestly say it was his best coaching job I have ever seen, especially in light of the medical issues Coach dealt with that season. He molded some great talent into an outstanding “team” led by great leaders such as Chapman and Stevens.
I recall the beginning of the 1991-1992 season when we were 3-3, after some tough games in Albany. Coach Orlando told the assistants following the Albany games that the team would hopefully get things going in the right direction by visiting Norway. I recall Rob Stevens telling me in Norway that we would not loose another game the remainder of the season. Talk about backing up a prediction.
Anyone at the final game against Massena will tell you that it was one of the best high school hockey games ever. The rink maintenance person kept telling Coach Orlando and the assistants after each period that the team was maturing before his very eyes. I do not think anyone in the building other than the Suffern players, coaches and parents really thought that Suffern had a chance. Well, the rest is history that will be honored this weekend. Congrats.
Hi to all you Section One fans and especially Coach Johnny O!
I was also at that game, in the broadcast booth. (yes! I’m that old – I’ve been calling the Massena games since 1983) It was an amazing performance both by the players and by the coach. Suffern was outmanned and outgunned but stuck to their game plan from start to finish. Another example that the game is won on the ice, not on paper. I think that it also shows that championship hockey brings out the best in teams! It was very exciting just like last weekend in Massena and also the final last year that went three overtimes. I do remember one other triple overtime game at Sport-O-Rama in the state quarterfinals back in the late 80’s I think… that one went to Massena but again, a very exciting game. The game didn’t start until late due to a minor hockey tournament and I don’t think the winning goal was scored until after midnight. Very tired ride back north the next morning! Although there haven’t been alot of games between Section One and Section Ten due to the distance, it’s great to see the parity around the state which is only good for high school hockey. I’m afraid however, because of the changes the state is making in high school hockey, One and Ten probably won’t face off again in the quarterfinals due to travel… then again, maybe that’s a good thing. We could meet in the semis or finals like before. The other thing I worry about is with the schedule cut to 20 there are some leagues with alot of teams won’t be able to play out of their league much. I do hope that Mammo and Pelham will return next season for the Pizza Hut tournament in February! Maybe as defending state champs…
Good luck and enjoy the frozen four!!