Gateway trio to play in international ball hockey tournament

Monroeville will be well-represented at the International Street and Ball Hockey Federation Future Stars Tournament which starts Friday in Buffalo.

Nico Mager, Austyn Malloy and C.J. Evans will play for Team Pennsylvania in two divisions against more than a dozen state teams from the northeast and east coast.

“It’s such an unbelievable feeling to represent Pennsylvania,” said Evans, who has played ball hockey since age 4.

“I didn’t know there actually was a PA team. I am very grateful for this opportunity. I love the competition and the feel of scoring, making plays and winning. I hope we can do a lot of that this weekend.”

Evans, who plays out of McKeesport Dek Hockey and is a sophomore at Gateway High School, will play at the future stars tournament for the first time and will be on the U15 team with Mager.

Both have played together in the past in in-house leagues.

“I am really looking forward to showing the talent this team has,” said Evans, who also plays for the Gateway JV ice hockey team.

Mager, a ball hockey player since he was 6, is no stranger to the future stars tournament, having played on the U13 team last year.

That team went undefeated through pool play and the playoff rounds to win the championship.

“I am really hoping I can help this team win another title,” said Mager, one of four players from last year’s U13 title team on this year’s U15 squad.

“I want to go up there and maybe try some new things. It’s a really cool feeling to get another opportunity to be on Team PA.”

Mager, who turns 14 next month and is an eighth grader at Gateway Middle School, plays out of Team Pittsburgh Dek Hockey.

“My older brother, Julian, was playing, and it seemed like fun, so I just started playing, too,” said Mager, who now is a top defenseman for his age bracket.

Mager also was chosen to represent the U.S. on a team at a world championship tournament last month in the Czech Republic. But because of ongoing covid pandemic issues and the war in Ukraine, the tournament was canceled.

“I love this sport, and I hope to play as long as I can,” Mager said.

Malloy, like Evans, will make his future stars tournament debut. Also a top defenseman in his age bracket, Malloy has benefited from nearly seven years of ball hockey playing experience, and he calls Greater Pittsburgh Dek Hockey in Penn Hills home.

“I don’t even remember how I got into ball hockey, but I am glad I did,” said Malloy, an eighth grader at Gateway Middle School.

“I love the competition and the chance to be on some great teams. I like this (U13) team, and I hope we can do well (in Buffalo).”

Each player on both PA teams received invitations to try out, and of the more than 100 who were candidates, only 20 were selected for each team.

Evans and Mager already are well acquainted with their U15 teammates as they have met for practice sessions and also played in a pair of tournaments this summer.

The team won the McKeesport Bash against teams from an older division.

Malloy and the other members of the U13 team also have met for practices in advance of the tournament in Buffalo and were successful in winning their division at the McKeesport Bash.

U15 has five round robin games, and U13 has three. The top four teams in each division will advance to the semifinals.

“There is a lot of pressure that comes with playing in these tournaments, but having these opportunities is just going to do wonders for them,” said Justin Evans, a coach for the U15 team.

In addition to his coaching duties in Buffalo, Evans plays for a masters U.S. team which will travel to Prague, Czech Republic, for the ISBHF Ball Hockey Masters World Championships from Sept. 7-11.

“I think the U13s and the U15s are a stepping stone to where I am now,” he said.

“This tournament in Buffalo is a great opportunity for the guys to represent their state, win a title, and also get seen by scouts and coaches with USA Ball Hockey for future opportunities. It will open up a lot of doors for them. It’s equally exciting to know how many kids from Gateway are a part of this program. It’s a pretty positive thing.”