by posted 01/26/2012
 
(The House League forms a select team at the Squirt, PeeWee and Bantam levels each made up of some of the more skilled players on each of the Raider House teams who would like to experience some travel level hockey).

On Saturday January 21st 2011 the Peewee Select Team traveled to Hershey Pennsylvania to play in the “Rink of Dreams” Game prior to a Hershey Bears game.  Our opponents were the Frederick Fury Peewee Green (Lower A) Team.  Final score Reston Raiders 4 - Fredrick Fury 0
 
In a hard-fought game we faced an initial onslaught by the Fury spending most of the first 10 min. of the game in our own end.  Until Charles Mack was able to get a goal. Thanks to some stellar goaltending by JT Gorman we entered the second period up one to nothing.  At the start of the second period the Raiders took over the game getting goals from Emily Lichtenberg and Alex Powers.  The Raiders continued to dominate play in the third and Kamron Sarmadi got the final goal with 30 seconds left in the game.
 
All in all it was a great time for our house select team.

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by posted 01/25/2012
 
Sign up for Reston Raiders Hockey Club Spring League!
(Emphasis on fun and games.)

Although ice costs have risen this year, the Raiders will keep the prices for Spring League the same as in recent years!

For returning Raiders, registration opens 1/22/2011.
For those outside the club, registration opens 2/1/2011.
PLEASE SIGN UP EARLY.  We don't want to see Raiders miss out.
The Spring League focuses on fun and games--roughly twice as many games (9-10) as practices (4-5).  Standings are not kept. 

Spring League is expected to commence on the week of 3/11.  Refund requests for un-registration must be made before or on 3/11 in order to accommodate the expected 3/13 team draft.

Subject to change, the following game and practice times are expected after the rink's spring ice schedule commences on 4/1 (before 4/1 times may differ):

Mini-Mite (’06 & ’05 players)                                                
Games: Sun 8:10am
Practices: Friday 5:15pm                                                       
Cost: $295

Mite (’04/’05 Travel players; ’03/’04 House & Select players)    
Games: Sun 9:40am                                                              
Practices: Friday 6:45pm                                                       
Cost: $295

Squirt (’02/’03 Travel players; ’01/’02 House & Select players)  
Games: Sat  7:10 or 8:30am or Sun 7:55am                            
Practices: Wed 6:10pm & Thurs 6:10pm                                 
Cost: $340
 
PeeWee (’00/’01 Travel players; ’99/’00 House & Select players)    
Games: Sun 9:40am, 11:05am or 12:45pm                             
Practices: Wed 7:40pm & Thurs6:30pm                                  
Cost: $340

Bantam/Midget* (’99 &older Travel players; ’98 &older House & Select players)
Games: Sun2:20pm, 4:00pm or 5:40pm                                 
Practices: Monday 7:10pm & Thurs 6:10pm                             
Cost: $340
 
High School**                                                                     
Games: Sat 3:10, 4:35, or 6:10pm or Sun 5:20, 6:50, 7:15, or 8:20pm                             
Practices: Monday 8:40pm & Thurs 6:30pm                             
Cost: $295
 
* Bantam/Midget division does not have checking.
** High School division does have checking.  High School Teams must register as entire teams, interested players should contact their high school coach or manager. High school team representatives should contact John Sherlock at:   for more information and to register. High school age players not associated with a high school team have the option of registering individually to play on either a non-checking Raiders Bantam/Midget Division team, or to register for a Raiders High School team that will play in the High School (checking) division.   8th graders are eligible to play for their high school teams.  Please contact your high school to find out if the school is participating in Spring High School hockey.

• Register at RestonRaiders.com on the left where it says,“Register Online.”
• All goalies will pay $195. (Children do not register as goalies at Mini-Mite and Mite.)

Please do not hesitate to contact Aloysius Hogan, Reston Raiders Director for Spring League, by email at   or by cell at 202-957-9400 with any questions.

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by posted 01/18/2012
 
Mite Blue wins American Cup
 
Players, siblings, and parents headed north on January 5^th for a date with history.  Upon arriving in Lake Placid on Thursday, the wintery conditions begged the players to engage in some good-natured snowball fights.  Others took to the nearby hill for some sledding.  The night was capped by the mite blue players mandatory pool time.
 
Friday morning saw coaches shoveling the hockey box for a morning skate before the day’s 2 games.  In between games the team had a pizza party.  This was followed by a soak in the pool.  Others used the advantageous snow conditions to build an awesome snowman.  After the second game most of the team skated for almost 2 hours on the Olympic oval.  Not many had much energy to stay awake past falling into bed.
 
On Saturday morning many players and parents participated in the bobsled or skeleton experience.  A portion of the team ventured to Whiteface Mountain.  Some took the gondola ride to the top.  The more energetic hit the slopes for a number of hours before the afternoon game.  Following the skills events and last preliminary game, the team went snow tubing.  As per usual, there was pool time.  The day ended with a giant tournament party and disco. 
 
              The team was placed into the championship by virtue of its undefeated record in the preliminary round versus teams from New York and Massachusetts.  In the final game the Canton, MA Bulldogs kept it close, but the Raiders were able to explode for 5 goals in the third to take home the cup.
 
              It was an awesome weekend for all!
 

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by posted 01/18/2012
 
 
hch 2012 ROOKIE & PLAYER programs – Lessons, Clinics, & Camps!
·         Professional Experienced Hockey Staff
·         Instant On-ice Video Analysis
·         Player Ages: 2 & UP (Youth & Adult)
·         Player Levels: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, & Advanced
·         Instruction: Shooting, Stickhandling, Forward & Backward Skating with & without a Puck, Passing, Checking, Dekes, & Positioning
·         Equipment: Full  Hockey Gear
·         Parent Interview - VIDEO
 
HCH Player Development Model
·         Teach a specific powerskating technique (include the upper body positioning as if your holding a hockey stick with a puck)
·         Teach the same powerskating technique with a puck (keeping your shoulders closed, under pressure)
·         Teach the same powerskating and skills technique with a game positioning scenario (defensive, offensive, or neutral zone)
·         Teach it under pressure and apply it to a real game situation
 
Summer 2012 Camp & clinic Discounts: Buy 2-3 10% off / Buy 3-4 25% off / Buy 5 or more 35% off
·           Discounts only apply towards HCH Clinics & Camps, not Lessons
·           Discounts do not apply towards 2011 X-Mas Clinic, half payment camps or clinics, or prorated camps or clinics
·           50% off offer expires 1/16/12 (no refunds, credits, or changing scheduled dates)
·           Discounts do not apply online (register with the front desk - 703.709.1010)
 
HCH strives to provide the highest-level professional instruction on all hockey related skills, and techniques.  We break down every element of on-ice scenarios so that a complete understanding of the game can be achieved.  – You can literally take exactly what we are teaching from the screens of any NHL game.  Moves that OV and Crosby are doing in game settings are what we teach. It's pretty cool!  I would be more than happy to take the time to sit and meet with you and your son and customize a training program with him to maximize his learning potential.
 

JOSH KERN – Bio │ Video
Hardcore Hockey Director of Operations
Professional Powerskating, Skills, & Positioning Instructor
Player Consulting │ Player Development │ Lessons │ Clinics │ Camps
Work  703.709.1010 │ Cell  703.725.8656 │ Fax  703.709.7916  │
Email  │ Web  www.hardcorehockey.com
SkateQuest │ 1800 Michael Faraday Ct. │ Reston, VA 20190
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by posted 01/07/2012
 
There are two goalie clinics left in the regular season. If you are a travel player it is free. House players need to register on line and it only costs $20. Note that there are two different clinics for travel and house players.
 
January 8    4:15-5:40 pm    House session
January 8    5:40-7:10 pm    Travel session
 
February 12    4:15-5:40 pm     House session
February 12    5:40-7:10 pm    Travel session
 
Shooters are welcome and we are generally looking for good PW shooters or older that follow instruction and are there to help the goalies out. If you are interested in shooting, please contact me.
 
Don Hill


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by posted 01/05/2012
 
Recently media outlets have shed light on the importance of air quality testing and emission regulations regarding ice resurfacers.  At this time, we would like to address any and all concerns that our patrons may have. 
 
At SkateQuest, we take every precaution to ensure the safety of our staff and customers.  Currently, we have systems in both rinks to monitor the quality of air at all times.  We have an excellent ventilation system, our resurfacers are regularly maintained, and we perform air quality tests at regular intervals.  We have always worked to ensure that safety is our top priority and we will continue to do so. 
 
 
Thank You,
 
Alejandra Mueller
Manager
SkateQuest
703-709-1010 x1113

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by posted 12/31/2011
 
PeeWee Silver Captures Hershey Christmas Cup
 
PeeWee Silver munched gleefully Friday from a giant cupful of Hershey chocolate following their rousing championship in the Hershey Christmas Tournament, one in which every forward recorded a point while a stingy defense and strong goaltending yielded 1.75 gpg and surrendered only one third-period goal.
 
The tournament started out auspiciously Wednesday afternoon, when head coach Brian Andrews suffered a puck in the forehead during warm-ups. Bleeding profusely, Andrews showed his hockey grit as he stayed to coach the Raiders to a gutsy 3-2 victory over the Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. Post game, the emergency room staff rewarded his manly prowess with 11 stitches.
 
Thursday the Raiders flashed their conditioning dominance, as they scored a combined nine third-period goals en route to 4-1 and 8-1 victories over Lehigh Valley and York, respectively. Kudos to the Smurf Line, whose sleight quickness and slight stature left both opponents chasing them to exhaustion.
 
The wins earned the Raiders a rematch in Friday's championship against the rival Carolina Jr. Hurricanes. After staking a 2-0 lead in the first period, Silver watched their lead dissolve into a 3-2 deficit early in the third. Following a critical time-out, a thrilling wrap-around goal restored the tie. A 2-on-1 break with under 2 minutes to play delivered the chocolate-sipping tally.  Victory is so sweet!

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by posted 12/30/2011
 
The Raiders would like to thank SkateQuest for the new addition of the "Home of the Raiders" sign that stretches the width the wall behind the Zam end of the NHL rink.

SkateQuest took on this project on their own initiative and the Raiders want to thank rink Manager Alejandra Muller and all the staff at SkateQuest for continuing to make the rink the "home away from home" for so many Raider families.

Thank you SkateQuest and Happy New Year to all. 
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by posted 12/30/2011
 

Raiders Alumni Game

Raider Hockey Flashback
The names were familiar but the faces looked grown up.  Raider players who have moved on to colleges and junior hockey teams stepped back on Raiders ice with some Midgets in a first annual game of Raiders Alumni pickup hockey on Thursday.  Those watching the game were surprised to find Reston Raiders still playing for so many college teams.  Fun hockey and refreshments were shared by all – and we’re looking forward to doing it again next year!  Here is a list of some of the schools & teams represented:
 
Auburn University – Mike Withrow
Binghamton University – Steve Kresse
Christopher Newport University – Sean Miller, Shane Kehl
Clemson University – Patrick Young
Georgetown University – Alexander Phillips
James Madison University – Chris Cassaday
Northern Virginia Community College – Jackson Nasr
Penn State University – Brendan Manning
Radford University – Matt Murdoch
Slippery Rock University – Amanda Brawley
University of Delaware – Andrew Lee
University of Kentucky – Andrew Baron
University of Vermont – Brett Hatfield
University of Virginia – Bryan Kadlec
Utah State University – Cory Pearson
Vanderbilt University – Andrew Fuchs
Virginia Commonwealth University – Christopher Diner, John-Marc Diner
Virginia Military Institute – Greg Olson
Virginia Tech – William Happ
Quad City Flames (Junior) – Tanner Jones
Kent School (Prep) – Stephen Morrissey

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by posted 12/22/2011
 
HCH 2012 ROOKIE & PLAYER programs – Lessons, Clinics, & Camps!
·         Professional Experienced Hockey Staff
·         Instant On-ice Video Analysis
·         Player Ages: 2 & UP (Youth & Adult)
·         Player Levels: Beginner, Novice, Intermediate, & Advanced
·         Instruction: Shooting, Stickhandling, Forward & Backward Skating w/and/wo a Puck, Passing, Checking, Dekes, & Positioning
·         Equipment: Full  Hockey Gear 
          
HCH Player Development Model
·         Teach a specific powerskating technique (include the upper body positioning as if your holding a hockey stick with a puck)
·         Teach the same powerskating technique with a puck (keeping your shoulders closed, under pressure)
·         Teach the same powerskating and skills technique with a game positioning scenario (defensive, offensive, or neutral zone)
·         Teach it under pressure and apply it to a real game situation
 
Summer 2012 Camp & clinic Discounts: Buy 2-3 10% off / Buy 4-5 25% off / Buy 6-9 50% off (50% off offer expires 1/16/12)
·           Discounts only apply towards HCH Clinics & Camps, not Lessons
·           Discounts do not apply towards 2011 X-Mas Clinic, half payment camps or clinics, or prorated camps or clinics
·           50% off offer expires 1/16/12 (no refunds, credits, or changing scheduled dates)
·           Discounts do not apply online (register with the front desk - 703.709.1010)
 
HCH strives to provide the highest-level professional instruction on all hockey related skills, and techniques.  We break down every element of on-ice scenarios so that a complete understanding of the game can be achieved.  – You can literally take exactly what we are teaching from the screens of any NHL game.  Moves that OV and Crosby are doing in game settings are what we teach. It's pretty cool!  I would be more than happy to take the time to sit and meet with you and your son and customize a training program with him to maximize his learning potential.
 

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by posted 12/20/2011
 
Reston Raiders approve changes to the Travel Program for 2012-13
 
The Reston Raiders Board of Directors, based upon the recommendations of the Hockey Development Board, recently approved some changes to the Travel Hockey program to begin next season.
 
The changes are being implemented to help improve the program and are based upon feedback from club members as well as discussion and debate amongst our program’s coaches and hockey experts.
 
The changes are intended to foster continuity throughout the program as well as continue to develop our players to their highest potential.
Starting next season the following changes will be implemented:

• Strict Birth Year teams at all age level from Mite through Bantam
• Smaller Rosters at the Squirt level with plans to add a fourth Squirt Travel Team
• Ideally coaches will stay with a team for 3 years

Birth year Teams
Teams will be selected based on the birth years of the teams.  There will be a strict adherence to this rule.  At age levels where the Raiders field three teams, the first team will be the major birth year players, the second team will consist of all minor birth year players at that age level.  The third team will be a mix of major and minor birth years, with the goal to be as close as possible to a 50/50 split.
At age levels where the Raiders field four travel teams, will consist of two major birth year teams and two minor birth year teams.  As has been our policy in the past, the Raiders will make fourth teams at levels where the appropriate talent levels and the ice to support those teams. 
The placement of those teams within the CBHL (i.e. AA, Upper A, etc.) will depend upon the talent level of those teams and our goal will always be to place our teams at the level that will allow for the best development of the players and provide a competitive environment.  It is very likely that multiple Raider teams could be placed at the same level.
Goaltenders will not necessarily be bound by the birth year rules initially.  It will be the goal of the club to place our goaltenders on teams based on their birth year, but should the age level not have the appropriate depth at a particular birth year, then goalies may play up or down, but at still remain in their appropriate age level.

Squirt Teams
We will be reducing the size of our Squirt rosters to 13 skaters per team.  This is follow recommendations made by USA Hockey as part of their American Development Model (ADM) implementation.  This will allow for more reps in practice and games and more opportunities for players to touch the puck.  Goalies will still be encouraged to skate out when not playing in goal, but goaltenders must also be evaluated and able to skate at the appropriate level of play as a skater in order to be able to skate out. 
Due to the fact that the ice costs will be split by fewer players, members can expect to see a slight increase in the player fees at the Squirt level.
 
Mite Teams
As the Mite ADM is in the process of full implementation, it is still unclear what the Raiders will be doing with our Mite Blue team for next season.  It was decided and agreed upon by all members of the CBHL that the 2004 birth year would be the last age level to play full-ice games at the Mite level.  Whether or not our Mite Blue team will be able to play at the Squirt B or higher level next season is still under discussion and as the rules solidify, we can update our plans.  What is also part of these plans for our Mite Development Teams (Mite Silver and Mite Black) is that Mite Silver and Mite Black will consist of 20 players to develop additional players while at the same time allowing those teams to be split into two ten player teams to play cross-ice games.
 
Coaches
Ideally the coaches selected for each team will remain with their team for three seasons.  As has been the past policy within the club, coaches will be evaluated throughout the season and coaching selections will be decided by the club’s Coach Selection Committee and the coaching slate for each season will be presented to and approved by the Raiders Hockey Development Board and Board of Directors.
 
Questions related to these program changes can be directed to the Raiders Travel Hockey Director, Kevin Burch, at .

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by posted 12/04/2011
 
Midget Blue Congressional Cup Champions

The U-16 Blue Midget AA team took top honors in the Congressional Thanksgiving Classic Tournament by defeating the Tri-City Eagles 3-2 in a hard fought championship game. 

With the championship win over Tri-City, the Raiders were able to avenge a loss to the Eagles in the preliminary round - their only loss in that series.  The weekend’s preliminary round was highlighted by 2-1 victory over Toronto’s Goulding Park Rangers, with the Reston winning goal scored with .8 (point 8) seconds left in the third period. 

The combination of fearless defense, gutsy goaltending, and creative offense by the Raiders throughout the tournament led to a championship victory and put a Reston cap on a fantastic weekend.  Congratulations Midget Blue!

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by posted 11/29/2011
 
Bantam White reached the finals of the Congressional Cup Tournament over Thanksgiving weekend.  The team had two ties with CBHL rivals –Metro Maple Leafs and Prince William Panthers.  They had a win over the Richmond Capitals and a loss to the New Jersey Titans.  The team advanced to the finals as the only team other than the undefeated Titans with only one loss. They faced the Titans again in the final round but it was the Titans day to go home in first place. 

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by posted 11/28/2011
 
Bantam Blue Reaches the Congressional Cup Finals
 
Bantam Blue reached the finals of the Congressional Cup over the Thanksgiving weekend after playing the Glaciers Ice Hockey Club, the Metro Maple Leafs and the Calgary Royals in the preliminary round.  After the preliminaries the Bantam Blue team was seeded second behind the Calgary Royals who brought a very full bench all the way from the Canadian West.
The Raiders fought hard in a back and forth match but in the end the Royals took the championship. 
 
Pictured left to right; Coach Crespy (thanks for filling in!), Luke Collins, Nate Grisius, Griffin Boedicker (rear), Ryan Ivey, Connor Vasofsky, Jacob Fishman (rear), Tommy Crespy, Jack Heaps, Mackie Wheeler, Trent Samuels, Noah Kim, Bryce Rogers, Amir Sadikov, Justin Cho, Sandy Harvie, Coach Ivey, Dano Silvers - Goalies; Dylann Nasr, Jack Lalor

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by posted 09/25/2011
 
The mezzanine at SkateQuest hosted a crowd of friends and family of Evan Soggin on Saturday night to witness his memorial jersey retirement.

Teammates and coaches took turns regaling the crowd with “Evan stories” and most were highly entertaining and produced more than a few chuckles. 

Evan’s mother and father (Gyoen and Steve) as well as Evan’s older brother (Nick) attended the event and accepted a framed Raiders jersey, which was signed by dozens of Evan’s teammates.

This poignant event brought home the love of the sport that Evan shared with some many during his many years with the Raiders.

Evan’s #87 jersey will be retired to the foyer of the rink and this number will not be used by any player in the future.  All travel players will wear a #87 patch on their helmets this year in remembrance of Evan.

The evening also saw a public skating session open to all Raiders and this was will attended by players and family.

Donations were generated at the skate, from the Bantam Blue team selling “spirit wear” and SkateQuest donated 10% of all proceeds from the proshop and snack bar.  These donations are combined with the funds already raised for the Evan Soggin Memorial Scholarship fund which now exceeds the $20,000 mark.

The link to donate to the scholarship fund is available on the Raiders website for anyone who wishes to participate.

Thank you to the many friends of the Soggin family who contributed to the event. 






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by posted 08/28/2011
 
Interest in the Initiation program has been very significant this year.  We also have had a very high proportion of our members return for the 2011-2012 season.

We have registered players by birth year with the expectation that this method will better prepare the Raiders for monitoring demographics and insuring that any player who plays for the Raiders in the Fall of 2011 will have a place to play with the Raiders in Fall of 2012.

We were unable to add any new players at some birth years due to constraints on the number of players at some levels.

We anticipate very little attrition and therefore do not want to take more players than we can absorb into the existing club team framework.

We thank you for your understanding.
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