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By NANCY MORGAN
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 20, 2000
The Tampa Bay Junior Lightning Bantam team wants to break barriers in the youth hockey world.
First, the SunBlades-based squad of 13- to 14-year-olds became the first team from the area to advance to that division's North American Silver Stick Finals in Port Huron, Mich., according to team coach Jacob Brozyna of St. Petersburg. Second, the team hopes to return to the Michigan area for a youth hockey league national championship.
"We didn't win any games at the Silver Stick tournament," said Brozyna, who is assisted by Bryan Offerman, "but we earned far more in a better understanding of what ice hockey is all about."
The TBJL team faced teams from Canada, Ohio and Virginia.
"We gave them a good run with two games at 4-2 and one at 6-1," said Brozyna. "The best part of all was this team never gave up and came together with a full team effort. At an event of this level, there are no individuals but a full team effort."
Ryan Batty of Tierra Verde, who plays left wing, couldn't agree more. Playing against teams from areas where ice hockey is as common a sport as tennis is in Florida, he realized there's much to learn.
"That's one of the best things about our team and the coaches," said Batty, 14. "We're all willing to learn -- and we will. And we learned so much by just being at the tournament. The action is fast and physical, but still controlled."
To qualify for the 38th annual North American Silver Stick Finals, the TBJL team of 17 had to win four games in a regional tournament in Atlanta. In the final game against the Atlanta Fire -- a team TBJL had never beaten -- a shootout determined the winner, with Steve Ludzik, Steve Plathy and Dane Kuplicki connecting for one goal each.
This weekend, the Bantams are in Orlando for the Florida Youth Hockey League (FYHL) North Division championship and the right to challenge the South Division champion for the state title.
Rounding out the team are goalies Michael Bazzone and John Hallas, and forwards Andrew Carlson, Clint Dockery, Richard Furlong, Billy Karns, Devin Letona, Nick Metts, Sean Mullaney, Eric Pretto, Jean Paul Rioux, Brad Schmidt and Adam Weaver.
MORE ICE HOCKEY: The Mustangs Bantam (14-and-under) squad raised its record to 16-1-1 last week in the Florida Metro Hockey League. The Mustangs Midget (ages 15-17) and Raiders Pee Wee (12-and-under) teams controlled their respective first-place positions, as did the Mustangs Squirt (10-and-under) squad with two consecutive wins. In all, 21 teams compete among the four FMHL divisions.
GIRLS GYMNASTICS: Tampa Bay Turners captured three first-place team awards in this month's Gemini Cup along with a second, a third, a sixth and a 10th. LaFleur's Gymnastics in Largo scored a first, a fourth, seventh, ninth and 16th, while host club Gemini earned an eighth-place finish in team competition. Tampa Bay Turners teams were first in Levels 7, 9 and 10 while LaFleur's top team was in Level 8..
Top all-around finishers for Tampa Bay were Summer Hubbard (first), Brett Taylor (first), Lindsay Beddow (second), Cameron Logan (third) and Jessica Beckman (third) in Level 10; Lauren Bernloehr (first), Kristy Kavey (first), Lara Straub (second) and Terin Martinjak (fourth) in Level 9; Christine Giano (third) in Level 8; Megan Sutter (first), Jennifer Sutherland (first), Heather Jennings (first), Natalie Mera (second) and Danielle Carey (second) in Level 7.
Medalist All-Star Gymnastics placed five in the top all-around results in the Second AAU Qualifier held in Brandon this month. Tina Jacob was first in Level 9; Jeneice Rahn and Ryann Matthews were first in Level 8, followed by Jamie Oakes in second; and Melissa Perkins was third in Level 7.
BASKETBALL: The Elks Hoop Shoot held its Central Florida Region Championship last week in Hudson. Local girls competing were district champions Jessica Kenyon in the 12-13 age division; Jami Lucas, 10-11, and Jennifer Hunter, 8-9. Chris Libby was the district champ in 12-13 boys.
In Hudson, Lucas was the only Pinellas athlete to finish among the top three in any of the three girls and three boys divisions. Only the division winners advanced to the state contest later this month.
TENNIS: Scores of players are in south Florida this weekend for the second designated singles tournament of the state ranking season. Among the top-seeded players are Rachel Silverburg (No. 8 in girls 12-and-under), Bugsy Bauer (No. 8 in girls 14s), Kelly Nelson (No. 5 in girls 16s) and Reinaldo Valor (No. 6 in boys 18s).
Also competing in the 64-player girls draws are area players Christina Liles and Courtney and Keilly Ulery in the 12s; Katie Fenzl in the 14s; Loren Butler, Jennifer Dent, Sarah Buchanan and Kaela Kennedy in the 16s, and Tiffanie Kalvoda and Jenna Ruth in the 18s. Boys competitors are Christopher Kucharski and Sonny Kennedy in the 12s; Brandon Pierpont, George Navas and Marc Sawyer in the 14s; Ryan Buchanan and Carl Fenzl in the 16s, and Carson Crooms and Ben Kronk in the 18s.
DIVING: Austin Hampton, 13, of St. Petersburg placed second among 20 divers in both the 1-meter and 3-meter Junior Olympic competition at this month's All-Star International Meet in Orlando. Hampton, who was among 32 selected nationwide to attend U.S. Diving Camp last December, trains with the Jetstream, a diving club in Brandon.