Usseglio family axis spins hockey success for East Catholic boys, girls

It was the early 1970s, and Frank Usseglio was a hockey-mad kid in the hockey-mad state of Massachusetts.

"I grew up in Arlington," Usseglio said. "There weren't that many kids who didn't play hockey. If you didn't play hockey, then you weren't from Massachusetts.

"I thought (then Boston Bruins goaltender) Gerry Cheevers was pretty special. He had the mask with all the stitches on it. He was one of the superstars of the Bruins, so I can remember volunteering to play goal.

"It was fun, stopping the puck and everyone on the team slapping my stick. It was pretty cool, getting pleasure out of denying other people's there."

Thus a Usseglio family tradition was born.

Frank was the first hockey player in his family, and played in goal all the way through college at Holy Cross.

Tommy, the second of Usseglio's four children, is the starting senior goaltender for East Catholic (Manchester, Conn.).

Halle is a freshman reserve goaltender for the East Catholic girls team, which also includes players from Glastonbury and South Windsor. Frank Usseglio, who helped start the program, is the head coach.

One family. Four children. Two goalies that got into the family business at the same school.

"I'm pretty sure for me (goaltending) was a Gerry Cheevers-thing," Frank Usseglio said. "He was kind of an idol. Tommy had always wanted to play goalie. Halle would not be a kid that I expected to be a goalie, but she really took to it when she played it.

"She plays lacrosse. Ask her to play goaltender in lacrosse and she'll look at you like you have three heads."

Frank and Janet Usseglio have two other children — Shannon and Cole.

Shannon, a Salve Regina sophomore, played forward and defense in hockey before focusing on lacrosse in college. Frank Usseglio said that Cole, 10, loves hockey the most.

Tommy Usseglio's goaltending career nearly ended the day it began. He was playing mite hockey and the team needed a goaltender. Frank encouraged Tommy to try it out.

"I said, ‘that's dumb — why would I want to play goalie?'," Tommy Usseglio said. "He said that he was a goalie, so I said, ‘okay, I'll give it a shot.' Then the first game I gave up 11 goals and wanted to quit. It was pretty embarrassing.

"(I later) realized that I could have some fun with this. I knew I was not great at scoring goals, so stopping them was the next best thing and I loved it. I saw Patrick Roy play, Martin Brodeur, I saw what they did and said, ‘I want to do that.' "

Tommy has helped the East Catholic boys rise through ranks over the last two seasons. The Eagles (13-4-1) played for the CIAC Division II championship last season and are presently the top-ranked team in the division. They are also 5-2-1 against Division I programs this season, and the only Division II team in the New Haven Register's weekly coaches/writers state poll.

Halle Usseglio spent much of her younger years at hockey rinks, so she was almost predestined to be a hockey player.

"I started when I was about four, but I really started playing (seriously) when I was a mite," she said. "I chose to be a goalie. My brother and dad were, and I wanted to be one.

"One day, in mites, they were looking for a goalie to play because they didn't have an official goalie. I stepped up and I really enjoyed it, and kind of stuck with it."

The Eagles are 17-3 and play Simsbury on Friday night for the Southern Connecticut Conference Division I girls title. They will also be the No. 3 seed for the girls state tournament, which begins on Monday with a home game against No. 6 Hall/Conard (West Hartford).

Hockey is the axis about which the Usseglio's winter revolves around, and it has many upsides.

"(Dad) was like a coach to me every year," Tommy Usseglio said. "I love it. I can talk to him about anything in any hockey game. He sees stuff that one really wouldn't see if they're not into hockey.

"Sometimes, (Halle) will come to me and I'll give her some advice, and I have someone to talk to about goaltending besides dad."

Halle said, "If there's any problem (dad) needs to know about (on the team), I can help him.
It's just kind of normal for me. It doesn't make a difference (that dad is the coach). I treat him just like I treat any other coach, and I don't want to be treated like the coach's daughter."

Ned Griffen has covered high school, college and professional sports in the Northeast since 1992. A 2003 New England Associated Press News Executives award winner, he may be reached at nedgriffen@gmail.com or follow him @MetalNED.