Hilton's Collichio among nation's best

The stat sheet showed the R.I.T. Tigers defeating Neumann College 7-0 in Division III college hockey, but that only told part of the story. Hilton native and freshman goaltender Mike Collichio stopped 18 shots in the first period, 20 in the second and three more in the third for Neumann before mercifully giving way to another goalie.

Collichio was among the top ten goaltenders in the country in save percentage and minutes played through Thanksgiving in his first year of college. His Knights had yet to win a game this season earning a tie at Geneseo for their only point, but the team lost four consecutive one-goal games and three straight two-goal games, so his play was instrumental in keeping his team in most contests.

"Without a doubt, he's my number one goaltender and that's who I'll stick with," said Neumann first year head coach Dennis Williams. "When I was in Utica I got to see him play and as soon as I got the job here I wanted a goaltender to build around. The first guy I called was Mike and he's been a huge pickup for us. He's a diamond in the rough and a great asset to our program. He keeps us in just about every game now."

Choosing Neumann College was actually an easy choice for the freshman. "Nobody else wanted me and Coach Williams gave me a call and fortunately I've gotten a chance to play and everything has worked out," commented Collichio. "Not being wanted by anybody else is a big motivation for me - I think about it every time I put the pads on."

Collichio adds to the growing list of Hilton Cadets making their mark at higher levels in the hockey world. Ryan Callahan is now playing in the Ontario Hockey League with the Guelph Storm and was a first round draft pick of the New York Rangers this past June. Mike Baccaro is a freshman with perennial powerhouse Plattsburgh in SUNYAC among others.