Mike Lehman
1. Your team was able to make it to the Randy Carlson tournament finals. Do you consider that a big accomplishment (considering there were 16 teams) or was it disappointing not being able to close out the day with a win? Well I knew the competition was gonna be good just not sure how good. And I knew we had a pretty solid team. But I was surprised at how well we did throughout the day! It was all for a good cause and that’s what I cared most about
2. Your team played in several one goal games. What can you say about the overall competition of this tournament and how do you think your team adjusted to playing in Reynoldsville compared to what they are used to playing on? Yeah there were some nail biters but again I knew the competition would be pretty solid and had told the team that several times
3. You played against your xhl partner in crime in the championship game. Was it weird playing against him instead of with him? Yes. We talked about that right before the ball was dropped. But it was fun at the same time.
4. What do you think was the difference between winning and losing in that championship game? I think the goal tending to be honest. Our goalie played great but he’s used to playing in a lower lever league and I don’t think was ready for it.
5. It sounds like Pat will not be back this summer. Question is, will you be? Yeah it’s unfortunate that he won’t be there with us but I will be back hopefully with another solid defenseman by my side!
Dave Glass
1. You got to ref several games on Saturday. What all did you observe in some of the action you got to ref and witness? First of all, it’s an honor and a privilege to ref this tournament. Many thanks to Bob and Summer for putting it on!
As far as the action, with one or two minor exceptions it was fast, hard, but clean. Much credit to the players for by and large respecting each other and playing within the rules. Also, teams were ready to go and we finished AHEAD OF SCHEDULE despite a lengthy delay early on!
2. Did any games take you by surprise (in particular, the playoffs)? I was pretty surprised at how easily Black handled the White team. I knew Black was a contender for sure, but I expected a very tight game and instead Black controlled that game from the start.
I also was surprised that the score between Pink and Yellow ended up 1-0. Both teams had a lot of firepower, both goalies played very well to keep it that low.
3. How would you describe this tournament overall and the organization that went into it?
What a testament to our region, to the players involved, and especially to the Andersons and the Shuckers for enabling the event. That’s almost $9000 combined the past 2 years to benefit local kids with cancer. Amazing!What a testament to our region, to the players involved, and especially to the Andersons and the Shuckers for enabling the event. That’s almost $9000 combined the past 2 years to benefit local kids with cancer. Amazing!
4. Do you think its tougher to ref several ten minute games compared to reffing one 45 minute game? It can be, because in a 10 minute game you know one goal is likely to be decisive. I focused far more on positioning to see the goal than usual because I absolutely didn’t want to miss a crucial goal call. On the flip side, with it being ironman and being so fast there’s not enough time for ill will to build up usually, so there’s less overall ‘chippiness’.
5. Anyone who likes sports at all, even if they don’t like the NBA, are probably in complete shock over Kobe Bryant. Obviously, there is a big difference from flying an airplane to flying a helicopter. With some flying background that you have, does it scare you at all to fly again after something like this happens? Not at all, but I’m glad you asked. I studied the radar, weather, and the radio communication for that flight and it’s clear to me that the pilot made some very poor decisions. There’s always some risk involved in a flight, but good decision making really minimizes that. Unfortunately, it looks like this pilot succumbed to the trap of being in a big hurry and 9 people paid the price.
For the flying I do, I won’t go if the weather isn’t good. There’s always another day. So I just ask that folks understand that not all crashes are the same, any more than a guy driving drunk at 80mph is comparable to you driving legally down the road. Shawn Logan
1. Another Randy Carlson tournament in the books. How are you feeling following all the games on Saturday? I feel pretty rough I'm one of the few guys that like to keep my shifts to 2 mins or less. I benefited from our forwards being alot younger and faster but I still needed to cycle up alot
2. How would you compare this tournament to some of the other ones you have participated in? I'm always impressed with how efficiently that tournament runs with 16 teams and auctions and food coming in and out etc. Another great job by those who organized it.
3. Were you happy with how yourself and your team played? Yeah i think we accomplished our goal which was to have fun and just hang in there with some top teams.
4. Whats your favorite part about participating in this event? Everything but the iron man part!! Its always a nice challenge though really having to choose how to meter your stamina (or lack of).
5. It seems like XHL season quickly comes in after this tournament is over. Will Jagrbombs be back for another season or haven’t you looked that far ahead yet? It had appeared that jagrbombs were on track to comeback but just recently 1 or 2 core guys said they were considering options. I'm planning to pass the captaincy torch along with the added weight of a newborn baby. Ultimately it will be up to that person to make it happen or not. Most of the team is interested so time will tell.
Henry Sutter
1. Lots of hockey Saturday afternoon. Hows your body feeling today? I’m surprised that I’m not more sore after being out for so long. Nothing is broken or out of place, so I guess the weekend was a success.
2. Were you happy with how yourself and the team played? I was really happy with the team. We weren’t able to put up many goals, but they played well in front of me even though we got a tough schedule. I was rusty and never really got into a groove with the quick games. I let in some easy ones, but I had a good time back in the pads.
3. What is your favorite part about playing in this tournament? The best part of the Randy Carlson is the benefit for the family affected by cancer. It’s always great to see such a strong response by the XHL community as we help in any way we can. I always like the chance to come back and play with my teammates and against some amazing players, but the best part about what we do comes through the donation.
4. Did you have a team picked to win it all when you looked at the rosters for the day? I hadn’t spent much time looking at the rosters, but when Adam McKinley said he had only faced 4 shots through his first 5 games, I thought they were a lock to win. I was surprised to see they didn’t make the finals, but that’s just a testament to the parity and great players we have every year.
5. Any chance you will be back to play this summer? I’d love to commit now, but I’m not sure where graduate school will be taking me yet. Tentatively, I’m in for the summer and can’t wait to play with any team that will have me.
Pat Hunter
1. Randy Carlson tournament championship. How would you describe the overall experience of playing in the tournament? I really enjoyed the tournament, it was a good chance to play some hockey for a day, hangout with some friends and most importantly raise some money for a good cause.
2. Your team was down 2-0 in the playoff matchup against team yellow, and 3-2 late. What was going thru your mind as the game went on? They were a tough team to play against we lost to them in the preliminary round so definitely didn't have a good feeling in that game. With 10 minutes to play you have to minimize your mistakes and capitalize when you get your opportunities, luckily we could do that get back into the game and win it in overtime.
3. Your team was able to come back against yellow, then beat team white by 3 goals. Were you surprised to score 4 goals against them in that semi final matchup? Definitely, the white team looked really good, we were able to bury a few goals early to solidify the lead, good defense kept us in front.
4. You got to face your xhl partner in crime (Mike Lehman) in the finals. Was it weird playing against him instead of with him and what do you think made the difference in helping you guys win that game? Yeah, that's the first time I played against him in Reynoldsville so a little strange playing against him in the finals. I think our team had a lot of experience playing in the league, we were able to play with a lead.
5. On paper, no one was surprised that your team won. What was it like playing alongside some of the xhl’s top talented players and how do you think team chemistry was considering you 4 haven’t played together before? It was great to get a chance to play with Kevin Smith and Dave Jewell, it's not so fun playing defense against them, they're a handful. As the day went on our chemistry increased and played a huge role in our success Saturday.
Dave Schuckers
1. You and Jennifer are kind enough to donate all the hours of rink time that gets put into this event, which has allowed the chosen cancer recipients to receive a significant more amount of money to help their cause. You probably have to put a lot of work and little sleep into getting the rink freed up for the event. Despite all the obstacles, how enjoyable is it to be able to play such a big part in making this tournament as beneficial as it has turned out to be for some of the recipients who have had money raised for them? It makes us feel good knowing that we can help somebody in this type of a situation since we have had several friends in similar situations.
2. People come from all over to play, contribute and watch this event. What would you say the hardest part is in getting the rink ready for the event, maintaining it during the event and then cleaning it up after the event is over with? Would be cleaning up afterwards.
3. Reynoldsville is a pretty small town and the rink was in need of some work when you bought it. What made you want to take on such a large task and how have you been able to maintain it as well as you have since you bought it back in 2013? it has a lot of sentimental value to our family since Jennifer and I met there had our first date there as well as such as a part of the community for years i also worked there for doc as a teenager but as keeping it maintained after we got it in the shape it is in is the rules we put in play and we set aside so much every year for maintenance.
4. Despite living and owning a rink in a small community, there seems to be a lot of interest in roller skating and hockey. How would you compare the interest now to when you first bought the rink back in 2013? It has grown some ways and we meet new people all the time interest seems to be growing every year
5. This will be the XHL’S 20th season, with roughly half of those years being played at the RollerDrome. Back when you first started following the XHL in the early Brockway years, did you ever think that there would still be this much interest for hockey in this area 20 years later? hockey has been a big part of this area for years so we could see the potential
Tyler Luzier
1. Randy Carlson tournament in the books. Hows your body feeling today? Rough, pretty rough.
2. You got anything left to offer in tonight's winter league action? The mind is willing, but the body is questionable at best.
3. Were you happy with how yourself and your team played? Yes I am, had a great time for a great cause, won some, lost some, had a bunch of real close games and we all played well I thought.
4. Your team fell 1-0 in the playoffs (to team Joe, Cody, Derik, Dan, Adam). What do you think went wrong on that last minute goal they scored? Dans shot went on the inside of the post, instead of the outside lol. I think we were all pretty tired after going into OT 2 games in a row and Dan snuck out the back door and beat me with a nice move.
5. Whats your favorite part about playing in the Randy Carlson event? Getting to play a few games of hockey for a good cause and getting to BS with everyone is nice too. It’s just a good time Bob Anderson
1. Another Randy Carlson tournament in the books. How would you compare this tournament to some of the other Randy Carlson tournaments? This was actually our second highest amount of money earned since we've been doing the tournament. I knew it would be hard to match last year's total, but I was still very pleased to be able to raise $3,500 for Daisy and her family. Aside from that, this tournament was a blast, just like those in the past. I walk away amazed at how generous people are and grateful for what we all do collectively to help others.
2. $3500 was raised (2nd highest amount). Were the Romano’s made aware of the money raised for them yet and if so, what was their reaction? Yes they were! Daisy was grateful but was disappointed they weren't able to make it down Saturday. Of course we know that things come up and they are very busy right now so no worries there!
3. The competition was once again pretty tough, with lots of one goal playoff games. From what you had time to observe, did anything catch you by surprise? As always, there were some really solid teams Saturday. In short games like that, it usually comes down to who can score 1 or 2 goals come playoff time. I can't say any one team took my by surprise, though I think Mike Lehman's team did a great job of adjusting to the style we play very quickly. I guess in a way it's a bit of a surprise when Joe's team doesn't win now. But considering the talent on the Black team, that game was truly a toss up. 4. Your team was close to making it to the championship game. What was it like playing alongside a guy like Jeremiah (considering the team had to switch lineups a couple different times before picking up Jeremiah)? We had about 4 different players on our team at one point or another, and were lucky to be able to pick up Jeremiah so close to tournament time. I've always enjoyed watching him play. He's a hard guy to play against. He's fast, tenacious, and is always around the ball. I thought he fit in really well with our group and we moved the ball well all day. We just couldn't find a way to get a goal when we needed it in that semi-final game. That said, I wasn't disappointed with our effort. I haven't made it that far in the tournament in years!
5. Now that the tournament is over for the year, have you thought about next years tournament at all and what closing thoughts do you have regarding this one that just took place?
Summer and I were actually talking about the tournament Sunday and what we could potentially do differently in the future. Our wheels are always turning. I know we want to apply for non-profit status to potentially get more donations going forward. This will take some time and effort and cost us some money in the short term, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
As part of that process, we will also have to form a board. We have a few people in mind to help with that. I think getting more people to help should only improve the end result. Stay tuned!
Summer Anderson
1. Another Randy Carlson tournament in the books. How would you compare this tournament to some of the ones in the past?
It was definitely one of the most attended and donated to events to date. We were so happy with the final tally and couldn't wait to share it with everyone.
2. You have been a big part of organizing this tournament in recent years. Whats it been like playing the role that you play in it?
I love that I can work alongside my husband in making this tournament what it is today. Having Bob handling the logistics of the tournament puts me at ease in knowing that all I have to really focus on is the Chinese Auction and event promotion - those are my interests and passions. I am glad that Bob has faith in me to help with such an important cause year after year. I hope we can continue to do so in years to come as well.
3. $3500 was raised for the Romano’s. Do they know about it yet and if so, what was their reaction?
The Romano's were so excited about the final total and were extremely grateful for everyone's generosity. They plan to give back to the community as they are so touched by everyone's kindness, and for those who have been there for them during Daisy's hardships.
4. A lot of work goes into organizing it. When its over with, do you breathe a sigh of relief or do you start focusing ahead to next years tournament?
I definitely take a moment to breathe, that's for sure! However, Bob and I have decided to make the Randy Carlson Memorial a 501c(3) nonprofit, where we can ask for donations all year round. This will help to reach businesses that we normally can't due to not being a registered nonprofit, and we can also seek donations through online avenues such as Facebook and Network for Good.
We have already started the process, and our next step is to file an application for our nonprofit status. If everything well, we can officially promote our nonprofit in a few months. So fingers crossed that all goes well and that our Randy Carlson Memorial nonprofit will be up and running soon!
5. How exactly did you get in touch with the Romano family and how would you describe your experience of getting to know them?
I first heard about Daisy's story from a friend awhile ago. As the tournament got closer, I decided to reach out to Jeana Roy (Brock Roy's mom) and she gave me some back story on Daisy and her contact number. From there, I got to meet Daisy and talk with her mom in the process.
Daisy has such a zest for life, she is so sweet and has a great attitude regardless of everything she has been through. I am so happy that we could help Daisy and her family, who continue to make visits to the doctors to ensure that she is still cancer-free.