At 6:45 p.m. on Sept. 3, just in time for tryouts, Marist club hockey welcomed their new coach after weeks of uncertainty following Randall Hurlbert’s transition to a general manager role.
With the season having just begun, the arrival of head coach Anthony LoBianco brings professional hockey experience and the promise of a new philosophy for the team moving forward.
Hurlbert, who had been coaching the club hockey team since 2016, decided at the end of last season to transition to a managerial role and is now currently acting as the team’s general manager. LoBianco, with his background and passion for the game, injects the team with a new culture—marked by intensity, consistency and defense.
Prior to Marist, LoBianco played at the third level of pro hockey for the Brewster Bulldogs and retired in 2018 due to family matters. Since then, he has been working at PowerPlay Hockey—where they offer hockey lessons for all ages and skill camps for entire teams.
What may appear to be a last-minute hire by the program was actually a lengthy process; it took LoBianco around a month to secure the position. He underwent around a half dozen interviews and an extensive vetting process headed up by Tim Murray, the Marist director of Athletics. LoBianco was offered the position prior to Sept. 3, but he waited for a second offer.
“I reached out to Marist first—the position was on my radar. I was interviewed by Tim Murray, Steven Alejandro, a handful of team leaders—it was a lot,” said LoBianco. “The first offer that came through, it didn’t work financially, so I waited, and it came through.”
Even after only spending a short time with the team for the first of three nights of tryouts, LoBianco felt he was welcomed into a family environment.
“When I was revealed to the team, they all tapped their sticks on the ice. I felt welcomed.”
On the first night of tryouts, LoBianco was not even contractually allowed to step onto the ice. Despite this, senior forward and team captain Christian Wilde gained a sense of LoBianco’s enthusiasm about the club.
“The first night, me and the guys talked to him after tryouts were over. You can tell just by talking to him, his passion is infectious,” said Wilde.
LoBianco wants an adaptable and resourceful team, with players that are not glued to static positions and mentalities.
“He’s looking for versatile players–players that can play different positions, different styles,” said Wilde. “He’s looking for a well-rounded team.”
With LoBianco longing to establish a new team culture, junior goalkeeper and club hockey president Anthony Russo has already felt a different atmosphere surrounding his new coach.
“He’s confident. He has a sense of where he wants this program to go,” said Russo. “He eats, sleeps, breathes hockey.”
Russo felt that the competition was elevated throughout this year’s three-day tryouts. He attributes that to LoBianco emphasizing that players on the team have to earn their positions.
“He’s making us work for our spots. There’s more intensity and pace.” said Russo. “He treats it like a [Division I] program.”
Russo admitted to some of the shortcomings of last year’s team—he felt that the team’s performance fluctuated on a week-to-week basis, so he is attempting to instill steadiness into his new team from the jump.
“In the past, we’ve been streaky. He wants us to be consistent,” said Russo. “He’s emphasizing roles for each player. He’s emphasizing defense.”
“In the second half of the season last year, we went on a skid for three, four games—that cost us a spot in regionals,” said Wilde. “Obviously you are going to ebb and flow as a team, but you need to be consistent in spots like that. LoBianco brings an even-keeled approach. He’s not going to let a game, a moment, decide our season.”
Over the past couple of seasons, the Red Foxes have been defeated in the Route 87 cup—an annual rivalry match against Siena in which the winner is awarded the Route 87 sign. Marist will face the Saints this season on Oct. 11, then again on Nov. 10
“As a senior, this is my last chance to win it back,” said Wilde. “All of the guys know how serious it is. [LoBianco] gets it. As a high-level player himself, he knows what it means to us.”
LoBianco is all-in on his new role, and he wants the players to be a reflection of himself on the ice. He already feels a lot of energy from within the team that he’s excited to harness.
“The kids have a lot of competitive fire,” said LoBianco. “I’m with them. If they run through a wall, I’ll run through a wall with them.”
LoBianco’s tenure officially got underway on Saturday, when Marist pulled off a thrilling shootout victory over a Rutgers squad that plays in the Division I club level. For LoBianco and the program, they hope the win is a sign of things to come.
Edited by Luke Sassa
Graphic by Gene Barbieri; Photos from Kira Crutcher
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