Snipers/Cobras Photos, Sniper Opening Weekend Preview, Brotherly Love

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The final shots (Snipers in last year's yellow jerseys) are the AAA game. The photos of are Pro and AAA.

Snipers Opening Weekend THIS WEEKEND: So much fun that one night just wouldn’t cut it...

PIHA Gateway and Southside Snipers proudly present Snipers Opening Weekend brought to you by CFM/Shell. Come watch the defending PIHA Gateway Champions take on the St. Louis Cobras on Friday Night and Midwest Tornados on Saturday night in a rematch of last year’s championship game. Entertainment includes:

-First 500 fans on both nights will get a great coupon courtesy of CFM/Shell!
-FREE Sniper schedule magnets on Friday night and FREE CFM mugs on Saturday night!
-Bring in your ticket stub to St. Louis Pizza & Wings to get HALF OFF a pizza.
-Chance to win a FLAT SCREEN TV and other prizes during UPS Chuck-A-Puck
-Free 180 Energy Drink to get you energized!
-Look for prize packs including FREE Pepsi products, car washes, Tour Hockey hats, etc.
-Kids can get free autographs from the players!
-Great halftime show on both nights featuring 8-and-under and 10-and-under all stars.
-Post-game party at Van Patrick’s at All American for fans 21+ which includes great drink/food specials.

Friday Night: Pro games begin at 8:00 PM (Minor Pro at 6:30 PM and stay late for AAA)
Saturday Night: Pro games begin at 7:30 PM (Minor Pro at 6:00 PM and stay late for AAA)

The entire evening only costs $5 and kids 8-and-under are always free. Season tickets will be on sale throughout the evening which includes gifts from our sponsors. Make sure to visit our website at www.pihagatewayhockey.com
All American is located at: 11133 Lindbergh Business Ct. St. Louis, MO 63123


Finally an article:

Brotherly Love
PIHA Gateway a family affair on and off the rink
By David Garland

A costly turnover at center finds its way onto the stick of Whaler sniper Danny Daleo. In a blink of an eye the pass is sent forward to a teammate and in the back of the net. It was almost as though Danny new exactly where to pass to puck as though there was some connection between him and the recipient of his perfect dish. That is because Danny “dangles” Daleo was making a pass he has made for years, to his brother Kenny. There is no doubt that special connections exist in the sport of hockey. Hull and Oates were a prominent duo that dominated for the St. Louis Blues in the early 90’s; however, there is something special about ACTUAL brothers playing hockey together. Perhaps it is the history: the battles in the driveway before and after dinner. Perhaps it is the rivalry: competing for spots on same team or just trying to be better than each other. But of all the tangibles, the most interesting connection is chemistry. Watch two brothers on the rink and they can often find each other without looking. They just know where to pass the puck or what their brother is going to do. In the PIHA Gateway division, these connections come to life on a nightly basis as TEN sets of brothers play in the league this year.

Some duos play together on the same team. Kenny (27 years old) and Danny Daleo (25) can be seen as a lethal offensive set on the River City Whalers often playing on the same line. Although differently talented players, often fans refer to them simply as “The Daleos”. Down I-70, the Cobra family connection between Ryan Marchand (Forward) and Brandon Marchand (Defenseman) runs even deeper as their father Chris “Pops” Marchand coaches the team. With a four year age difference, Brandon and Ryan haven’t played together in years until the inception of PIHA Gateway in 2006.

Phil and Chris Hausmann make the drive from Cahokia, IL to be a large part of the Southside Snipers Minor Pro team. Relatively unknown in the St. Louis hockey scene, the Hausmann’s have made a steady impact on the league both on and off the rink with talented sticks and helping with the community. Josh and Jeremy Bruce also fall into the category of complete performers. The duo works together flawlessly on the rink and lends a helping hand throughout the St. Louis area. The league named them co-recipients of the “Commitment to Community Award” for the 2006-2007 season.

Tony Merkel played in 2006-2007 for the Southside Snipers which inspired younger Kenny Merkel to tryout for the 2007-2008 season. When younger Kenny was drafted by the River City Whalers, the Whalers were persistent in acquiring Tony via trade to keep the boys under one roof.

The tallest of brothers, Eric and Kyle Middendorf, both tower over the competition for the Southside Snipers Minor Pro team. Eric, “the shorter one”, who stands over 6’3” and Kyle were instrumental to the Southside Snipers Minor Pro championship run in 2007. This year Eric is playing both Minor Pro and AAA with the Snipers making sure to play with two of his family members on AAA including Kyle and newly appointed Snipers AAA coach, father Don Middendorf.

Finally, three sets of brothers are playing in the same organization but on different teams. With Pros being a minimum of 18-years-old and Minor Pros having to celebrate their sixteenth birthday before lacing them up, some brothers, if for no other reason, are separated by birth. Although younger brother Brent recently turned 18, Blake and Brent Propp spend time both together and apart on the St. Louis Cobras. Blake is a standout on the Pro team and younger brother Brent is spending time in both the Pros and Minors as he is being groomed for the future. Also on the Cobras, Shane Wilson skates with the Pro team while younger brother Tommy (the youngest player in the league) is a sparkplug with Cobras Minors. Physical presence Ryan and Eric Dauernheim skate in West County with the Midwest Tornados Minor Pro and AAA teams respectively.

“Is that Blake or Brent?” a fan looks through his program this past Saturday night trying to decipher the two similar-looking and similar-playing brothers. These questions among others are not uncommon at the rinks this year. Even Chicago may have a TRIO of brothers (The Costanza’s) when they open PIHA Gateway play in January. Want to show your young ones about the importance of family sticking together? Check out a PIHA Gateway game and you will see real life examples set to the tune of professional inline hockey.