Former Beaver Valley Nitehawks and Trail Smoke Eaters standout Tyler Ghirardosi has joined Sacred Heart University in the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) after playing for the Holy Cross Crusaders for three seasons.
Ghirardosi advanced to the NCAA after spending three seasons in the BCHL with his hometown Trail Smoke Eaters, 2017-20, and two season with the KIJHL's Beaver Valley Nitehawks, 2015-17, where he won a Keystone Cup championship.
“(Ghirardosi) Brings size, smarts and leadership to our team. Was a finalist for Atlantic Hockey’s defensive forward award last year,” said Pioneers head coach C.J. Marottolo, when the Montrose native's transfer was announced in the summer:
In October, the Pioneers made Ghirardosi part of their leadership group, naming him alternate captain.
KIJHL communications director, Emanuel Sequeira, connected with Ghirardosi to talk about his new team and his journey through college hockey.
KIJHL: How is the start of your season going with Sacred Heart?
Tyler Ghirardosi (TG): It’s going well and is a new experience because of a new school, but the guys are meshing well and it’s been a lot of fun.
KIJHL: What led you to transferring from Holy Cross to Sacred Heart?
TG: Holy Cross is an awesome program and I had a ton of fun, however, it came down to them not having a grad school. With an extra year of eligibility from COVID, I was able to hop in the portal and take the extra year, but I couldn’t do it at Holy Cross.
C.J. Marottolo reached out and asked if I wanted to come to Sacred Heart and the visit was awesome. I loved everything they’re pitching.
KIJHL: What are you looking to bring to the team this year?
TG: As a fifth-year player (25-years-old), it’s having a good stick, making good defensive plays, and hopefully being able to relay that or teach some of the younger guys as we move forward.
KIJHL: What did it mean for you to be a finalist for the Atlantic Hockey Best Defensive Forward award?
TG: That was huge. Early on in my career, that was something that came up that I could work on. It was internally rewarding to be recognized and super awesome to be a finalist.
KIJHL: Did that do anything for your confidence, especially coming into this season?
TG: Yeah, 100 per cent. I think especially in the Atlantic Conference, it’s system heavy and oriented. Playing heavy defence – an emphasis on defence. Being recognized for that and able to play that style definitely helps.
KIJHL: You’ve also shown an ability to produce (50 points in 99 games with Holy Cross), is that an area you think about wanting to put up more numbers or what is your perspective?
TG: Everyone wants to put up numbers, but personally, I want to be recognized as more of a two-way player, being able to chip in offensively. At the end of the day, defence wins championships and that’s my mindset.
KIJHL: What has the experience been like for you in college hockey?
TG: It’s been awesome. I started playing juniors in the KIJHL at 16 and 17, then went to Trail and was given the opportunity to come and play college hockey and get an education. Holy Cross has a great academic program and the same here at Sacred Heart, so it’s been great.
(Ghirardosi is doing a Masters of Business Administration in finance.)
KIJHL: In your time playing college hockey, have you had the opportunity to experience playing playoff games?
TG: Two years ago we made a run and ended up making it to the finals in the Atlantic Conference. We were one win away from going to regionals – the top-16 teams in the country. I think it ended up being a one or two-goal game and then a couple empty nets. We were right there. Last year, we kind of got stung and were a better team than the year before, but hockey is a bounce this way, a bounce that way. It wasn’t really in our favour.
KIJHL: How does this year’s team look? Is it a team that you guys all believe can make a long playoff run?
TG: I think so. About half of the team is fresh blood from last year. With that, now comes growing pains, but I think over the eight games so far we’re taking that next step. We played UMass Amherst and we could play with them. That was huge for us knowing that we have a chance to do something special here this year. (Sacred Heart’s roster has nine seniors/graduate students, five juniors, six sophomores, and 10 first-year players)
KIJHL: How did your time in the KIJHL help you in your hockey journey?
TG: It was huge and great. Beaver Valley has a first-class program and you’re surrounded by great people that taught me a lot. They taught me how to be a pro, things that even to this day I still do like good habits. I think that helped with being pretty successful. We were pretty lucky.
KIJHL: Do you remember what it was like winning the KIJHL championship with Beaver Valley?
TG: It was just an unbelievable time – a lot of fun. I was lucky to be on a team that had so many guys pulling on the rope. It instilled this confidence that there was never a game where we really thought we were going to lose and not in a cocky way. There was so much belief and we had a really good goalie as well. We had guys that were really dialed in. We went on the run and won it and it was unbelievable.
KIJHL: What would you say to current KIJHL players about taking advantage of their time in the league to help them get to where they want?
TG: Piggybacking off of what I just said, is being in that environment teaches you how to be a pro. For success, you need to surround yourself with good people and especially in Beaver Valley, Terry’s still coaching and I know he still holds a high standard every day and being a pro. I think it’s just a great way to learn things that you don’t really learn in other leagues.
KIJHL: What would you say to a player considering the KIJHL as a junior hockey development path?
TG: I think you get a lot of quality in terms of opponents. There was a lot of parity – every night you really have to bring it. You couldn’t really take a night off. If you can keep bringing that, it’s going to teach you how to be a pro every day and you enjoy it even that much more.
