Serratore to coach U.S. Under-17 Select Team
7/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Hockey
July 15, 2003
Air Force Academy head hockey coach Frank Serratore has been chosen as the head coach of the United States Under-17 Select Team that will compete in the 2003 Under-17 Five Nations Tournament, August 19-24 in Prievizda, Slovakia. The U.S. will face Under-17 Select Teams from the Czech Republic, Germany, Slovakia and Switzerland.
The announcement was made by USA Hockey President Ron DeGregorio (Derry, N.H.), Vice President & Youth Council Chairman John Dotte (Fort Covington, N.Y.), Treasurer & Player Development Committee Chairman Jim Smith (Elk Grove Village, Ill.) and Director, Youth Ice Hockey Kevin McLaughlin (Colorado Springs, Colo.).
The U.S. team is composed of players chosen from the 2003 USA Hockey Select 16 Festival, which was held June 27-July 3 at the ESL Sports Centre in Rochester, N.Y., and featured many of America's best ice hockey players born in 1987.
Serratore will be assisted by Gene Reilly (Springfield, Mass.) and Joe Bonnett (Colorado Springs, Colo.). Ken Fikis (Northglen, Colo.) will serve as the team leader and Marc Boxer (Colorado Springs, Colo.) will serve as USA Hockey Staff Liaison.
Serratore is entering his seventh season at Air Force, and has led the Falcons to a 91-112-14 record during his tenure. He is the only coach in AFA history to lead the team to five consecutive 15-win seasons, and his 81 victories were the most by any Falcon coach in his first five seasons behind the bench. Serratore came to the Academy from the Manitoba Moose of the International Hockey League, where he was the director of hockey operations in 1996. He also served as head coach and general manager of the Minnesota Moose in 1994 and 1995. Prior to his position in Manitoba, Serratore was the head coach at the University of Denver from 1990-1994. Before taking over the reins at DU, Serratore was the coach and general manager of the Omaha Lancers of the United States Junior Hockey League. His other coaching stints have been as the assistant coach at the University of North Dakota (1987-89), the head coach and general manager of the junior Rochester Mustangs (1985-87) and the Austin Mavericks (1983-85). Serratore has also coached at two USA Hockey Festivals, and in 1993 he coached the West team to the silver medal at the U.S. Olympic Sports Festival in San Antonio, Texas.
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