Nowak Leads KSU’s DI Team Back from COVID Hiatus
Golden Flashes make long-awaited return to the ice October 1
PHOTO: Zack Nowak presents at the USA Hockey 2021 Level 5 Coaches Symposium in Duluth, Minnesota in August.
When Kent State University A.C.H.A. D-I coach Zack Nowak is offered an opportunity, he makes the best of it.
For instance, during the summer prior to his senior year of playing high school hockey at Lake Catholic, Nowak, a forward, volunteered to play goaltender in a summer pick-up game. Nowak exhibited enough ability in that game for Lake Catholic assistant coach Sean Sadler to suggest Nowak consider playing in net the upcoming season for the cougars.
Following that senior season as a netminder, Nowak enrolled at Kent State University and tried out for the A.C.H.A. D-I team as a goalie. Then K.S.U. coach, Jarret Whidden, noted the improvement Nowak had made after a single season of playing in the net and offered Nowak a spot on the roster.
After starting between the pipes for three years at Kent, Nowak became a graduate assistant and began his coaching career.
Nowak ascended to the MidAM District Goalie Coach-in-Chief position two years ago and coached the Kent State University A.C.H.A. D-III team during their inaugural season in 2019.
A special education teacher, Nowak, will be starting his first season actually behind the Kent State University Golden Flashes’ bench after officially being named the head coach at Kent prior to the 2020-21 season that was cancelled due to Covid.
“Jim (Underwood) asked me to take the position and I told him this was something I would love to do,” Nowak stated when discussing former Kent State Coach Jim Underwood offering him the opportunity to move up from the D-III team to take the reins of the D-I squad. “This is an opportunity I’ve always wanted.”
The upcoming season also brings another new opportunity for the Golden Flashes as they will be moving from the Great Lakes Collegiate Hockey League to College Hockey Mid-America (CHMA).
Kent will join Duquesne, Indiana University Pennsylvania, John Carroll University, Mercyhurst, University of Pittsburgh, Robert Morris University (PA), and West Virginia University in the CHMA.
“I think we have a really good opportunity to compete playing in this new league,” observed Nowak. “We have a great opportunity to win a championship and get a bid into Nationals this year. I think we would be selling ourselves short if we didn’t say our goal is to win this championship, win the league and make it to Nationals.”
After completing tryouts last week, the Golden Flashes D-I team roster is set with 29 players.
Forward Jason Smith is the only returning captain as the Golden Flashes take the ice and will start the season with just one captain.
“We do have a few ideas of guys that may step into a leadership role for us, but we’re going to feel out how the start of the season goes and probably do some sort of voting just to see where the guys are at and that will give the coaching staff a good idea as to who might be building good relationships with the other players,” declared Nowak.
“I think (Jason) Smith has a great opportunity. This is his final season and of returning guys he is in that top three or top five area,” assessed Nowak.
Nowak believes several other players returning for their senior seasons’ have the potential to provide an impact on this years’ team.
“Justin Bioni at defense is due to have a pretty good year. He will see a lot of minutes and has always been a guy that has run our power play,” Nowak said.
“I think Zach Zwierecki (Junior, Forward) and Jake Friedman (Senior, Forward) should have pretty good seasons. We’ll see the shape they are in as it’s been a long time since they have been on the ice,” added Nowak. “I know Zwierecki did a lot with our other guys running different workouts.”
Since there was no season in 2020-21, players that last played during the 2019-2020 season have advanced two years in the collegiate academic experience.
Coach Nowak will be our guest on Episode 62 of the Ohio Hockey Digest On Air podcast (September 21 air date). Click the On Air logo below to access episode archives and a list of upcoming guests.
“It’s so weird to think that you’re looking at kids that were sophomores last time we played are now seniors and kids that were freshman are now going to be juniors,” mused Nowak.
Among the freshman class this season are goalie Nick Beck who Nowak believes will “Do a great job and jump right in and compete with all of our goalies” and Ravenna native and Walsh Jesuit alumnus Jonathan Gabriel, who is returning home after playing junior hockey in the Eastern Hockey League.
Tallmadge’s Tommy Kilway, who Nowak describes as a “bit of a workhorse” with a “never quit attitude”, returns as well.
Joining Nowak on the bench this year will be Aaron Hernandez and Rob Nyitray.
Hernandez coached and was General Manager of the Wooster Oilers junior hockey organization previously and Nyitray returns as goalie coach.
Former Golden Flash Jon Buttitta will be assisting the team as well this season.
Kent State begins the 2021-22 home portion of their campaign October 1st against Rochester.
You can follow Jim Smith on twitter @BlueLineNotes
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