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HEAD COACH TOM OCCHINO
Coach Tom Occhino was born and raised in Buffalo , NY . He began playing organized ice hockey in 1980. From Mite to Midget level hockey, Coach Occhino played on many different house and travel teams throughout Buffalo during all four seasons of the year. Tom also played four years of high school hockey (1 Junior Varsity, 3 Varsity) at West Seneca West Senior High School . During his junior and senior years at WSW, he was the captain of the team. His other high school hockey honors include: League and Team Leading Scorer, Team Sportsmanship award, Team MVP award, and League 1st Team All-Star. Coach Occhino decided to continue his ice hockey playing career while attending the State University of New York (SUNY) at Canton . The Canton Tech Northmen (now renamed to the North Stars) Ice Hockey Team is the most successful team in the history of the NJCAA having won 15 National Championships. While playing for the Northmen, Tom’s coach was Terry Martin, who led the team to an unprecedented 12 of those National titles. Tom’s hockey honors at SUNY Canton include: NJCAA Distinguished Academic All-American (1994) and Team Sportsmanship award (1994). Tom had various different academic scholarships while attending Canton , including the Presidential Honor Scholarship (1994). He graduated with a 3.95 GPA and received his AAS in Electrical Engineering Technology. After his 2nd year at Canton , Tom was recruited to play for the Morrisburg Lions in the EOJBHL (Eastern Ontario Junior B Hockey League). He was a big part of the team that won the St. Lawrence Division Title, but the Lions eventually lost in the league semi-finals. That was the end of his competitive playing career. Tom went on to graduate from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT) with a BS in Electrical Engineering Technology.
Coach Occhino started coaching ice hockey when he was temporarily living in Phoenix , AZ. He was the assistant coach of a Pee Wee house league team. Eventually he moved to Richmond , Va where he coached four years in the Richmond MYHL (Metropolitan Youth Hockey League). During his four years in house league, his teams captured one championship and had two 2nd place finishes. In 2001, the University of Richmond Spiders Club Ice Hockey Team was born and Coach Occhino became the 1st Head Coach of the team (after three games into the season). He helped lead the Spiders to a 4th place regular season finish and a playoff berth in the Blue Ridge Hockey Conference. The Spiders finished in 2nd place for the season, losing in the BRHC Finals. In addition to coaching, he helps the team with game scheduling, budget and road trip planning, and recruiting. Coach Occhino has also participated in the USA Hockey Coaching Education Program completing four levels (Master Level in 2005).
When Tom is not coaching, playing, or watching hockey, he is an Industrial Engineer at Infineon Technologies Richmond, a worldwide supplier of DRAM.
The team appreciates all of the time and support that Coach Occhino gives to the program, and we feel lucky to have a coach as knowledgeable as him. |
ASSISTANT COACH DARYL "TONY" WALCZAK
A native of Buffalo, New York Tony brings over 30 years of playing and coaching experience to the Richmond Spiders. He played goaltender for the State University of New York of Fredonia. Tony is entering his third year on the UR staff. He has been active in the Richmond area organizing and coaching youth hockey for the several years.
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ASSISTANT COACH KEN SILVER
A native of Richmond, Kevin brings over 20 years of playing and coaching experience to the Richmond Spiders. Kevin was a member of the Spiders team during the first three seasons, serving as one of the team's top players during that time. More info coming soon!
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STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH JIM HURTUBISE
With over ten years of strength and conditioning experience and a PhD in Community Health Education, Jim Hurtubise is proud to be a part of the University of Richmond Spider's Hockey team. Jim has earned a Bachelor's Degree in Health & Fitness from Springfield College and Master's Degree in Sports Management and PhD in Community Health Education from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. In addition to educational experience, Jim brings over ten years of high school, collegiate, and professional strength and conditioning experience. Jim is a Certified Strength & Conditioning Specialist, USA Weightlifting Club Coach, & American Red Cross First Aid & CPR Instructor. He resides in Mechanicsville, VA with his wife, Courtney, and their daughter, Bryden Grace. |
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