Coaching Slate For 2020-2021
We are excited to announce next year’s coaching slate. We believe we have some of the best coaches in CHC, who understand GSC’s mission, appreciate the role hockey can play in youth development, and they LOVE HOCKEY! We are projecting that we will have one Bantam team, two Peewee teams, two Squirt teams, one U14 team, one U12 team, and one U10 team
Bantam A
George Genise (“Coach”) and Zach Zannino (“Coach Z”)
Coach Genise has been coaching for over 40 years and has coached all age levels from mite through midgets, including stints with St. Mary High School and Greenwich High School. George has been a rock for the Club and has consistently produced top CHC Tier 2 teams, regardless of the talent level in any given year. He and Coach Zannino have coached together for six years and are a great team focusing on skill progression and developing an understanding of hockey strategy and team play. George and Zach build teams based on concepts of commitment, accountability, development, and respect. Zach is a GSC lifer, playing Mites through Bantams at the Club and has coached for ten years, 6 of which have been at GSC. Also back for another Bantam A season are Coach Chris Rurak and Coach Rich Stine. Chris has coached his two sons at the Club for many years and is the head coach of the Greenwich Cardinals Varsity team. Rich is a seasoned goalie coach that has been with our program for many years. Please welcome this stellar coaching staff back for another successful season.
Peewee A
Greg De Spoelberch (“Coach Despo”)
Coach De Spoelberch has been coaching for three years. Greg's enthusiasm for hockey is evident in the locker room and on the ice, and his ability to connect with our kids is uncanny. Greg attended Brunswick and was a four-year letter winner and served as captain his senior year, earning All-New England first-team honors. Greg attended Princeton University and captained the club hockey team from 2003-2004. Please welcome Greg back for his fourth-year coaching at the Club.
Peewee B
Jimmy Marzullo (“Coach Zullo”)
Coach Marzullo grew up in Greenwich and started his coaching career when his daughter was beginning skating in Dorothy Hamill’s house league and then onto the Greenwich Panthers. For the last four years, Jim has coached GSC Squirts and Peewees. Jim is also the Junior Varsity Head Coach and Varsity Assistant Coach at Greenwich High School. Assisting Coach Marzullo is Coach Kevin Straub. Kevin played hockey growing up and has been coaching at the Club for the last several years alongside his son. Please welcome Jim back for his 5th year and Kevin's 3rd year of coaching at the Club.
Squirt A
Harry Schwefel (“Coach Schwef”)
Coach Schwefel has been coaching at the Club for six years. He is Co-Head of Boys Hockey at GSC and has been instrumental in building our Mite program over the last four years. Harry has four children, including two hockey players who both play for the Wings. Harry played high school hockey at the Lawrenceville School, where he was Captain and Athlete of the Year his senior season. After Lawrenceville, Harry played four years for Harvard College and was named Most Improved Player as a sophomore and won an Ivy League Championship in 2000. After graduation, Harry played one year of professional hockey for the Kalamazoo K-Wings, where he earned the Most Improved Player and Rookie of the Year awards for the 2001-2002 season. Please welcome Harry back for his 7th year coaching at the Club.
Squirt B/B2
Benoit Morin (“Coach Benny”)
Coach Morin has been coaching for 25 years. He is a GSC board member and has two sons in the program. Benoit has been integral in helping improve our Mite and Mini-Mite programs over the last five years. He played hockey at Upper Canada College in Toronto, Princeton University, and played professionally in the AHL and ECHL for the Florida Panthers and Philadelphia Flyers organizations. Please welcome Benoit for his 11th year coaching at the Club.
We also have a solid group of parent coaches that are enthusiastic about the Club and dedicated to our mission. Coaches include Coach Snedeker, Fox, Fine, Bogardus, Prince, Rabinowitz, and Wiener.
U14 A
Co-Head Coach Dan Goggin (“Coach Goggs”) and Co-Head Coach Mike Lee (“Coach Lee”)
Coach Goggin and Coach Lee have been collectively coaching youth hockey for over 30 years. Dan has been working with the U14 girls' team for the last several years and has had two sons grow up in the GSC system. Dan played hockey at Dartmouth University. Mike joined the U14 program last year from California, where he coached Tier 1 girls U19 and U16 hockey, including winning a USA Hockey National Championship. Mike is also a USA Hockey Master Level 5 Coach. Also, we are fortunate to have Assistant Coach Hanna Beattie back again this year. Hanna is a current C.T. Whale player and has coached U14 at GSC for the last two years.
U12 A
Anthony Felice (“Coach Anthony”)
Coach Felice will be entering his 5th year at GSC and his 11th year coaching hockey. Anthony is a USA Hockey Level 4 Coach and is also coaching Rye Country Day School Boys’ Varsity Hockey. In 2016 he was selected to be an intern coach for USA Hockey's U15 Girl's National Development Camp in St. Cloud, Minnesota. Anthony is also a certified personal trainer with the National Academy of Sports Medicine and holds a sports performance certification from the same organization. Anthony played in the New Jersey Devils farm system. Two USA Hockey Level 3 Coaches surround Anthony, Emily Kutcha, and Deb Cunningham, who will be entering their 4th and 5thyears of coaching at GSC, respectively. Emily was a three-sport NCAA athlete at New England College playing Ice Hockey, Field Hockey, and Lacrosse. Deb is a Power Skating and Figure Skating coach at GSC and is the daughter of coaching legend and Bantam A coach, George Genise.
U10 A
Michael Lisjak (“Coach Mike”)
Coach Lisjak has been coaching for seven years; he joined GSC last year for the 2019/2020 season, his first with an all-girls youth team. Mike played hockey at The Hill School, Rochester Jr. Americans and Drexel University. He is looking forward to his 2nd year at GSC. Also, Co-Head of Girls Hockey, Dan Bellissimo, will assist Coach Mike. Dan has three girls in the program, and you can find Dan digging pucks out of the corners during Cardinal Road games. Dan played hockey at the University of Toronto. Lastly, we are fortunate to have Assistant Coach Sarah Hughson this year. Sarah is a current C.T. Whale player and was previously Assistant Coach at Choate.