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Marple Newtown Ice Hockey Club
An Unrivaled Hockey Experience for Marple Newtown Youth
Our Community feature by Holly Stupak
When it comes to youth sports, parent commitment and support is crucial. The devotion of ice hockey parents goes even further, especially because players need a lot of protective equipment and ice rinks aren’t always nearby.
When Broomall residents Larry and Janell Besa’s children showed an interest in playing ice hockey, they were all in. In 2013, the Besas re-established the Marple Newtown Ice Hockey Club (MNIHC), which has since dedicated itself to the development of youth hockey players who live in the Marple Newtown School District.
The Besa Family (L-R): Janell, Emma, Larry Sr., Larry Jr. and CJ Besa
Photo courtesy of Larry Besa
When the Besa’s two older children, Emma and Larry Jr., were in elementary school, they first tried ice skating through a Learn to Ice Skate program. “They both thoroughly enjoyed skating,” recalled their dad Larry, “and they were really competitive with each other!” At that time, there were nearby ice hockey clubs they could join, but there wasn’t any local Marple ice hockey organization. “In the 1970s, Marple had a club that was a powerhouse in ice hockey,” Larry explained, “but by the ‘90s, the club and team had dissolved, partly due to financial reasons but also due to lack of interest. When we discovered that other local Marple Newtown families were having a renewed interest in the sport, we got together, to re-establish the club.”
Larry Besa, a police officer in the K-9 unit at Temple University, and Janell Besa, who works in Finance at Vanguard, used their professional skills and knowledge to get the club off the ground. “Putting together an ice hockey club can be daunting!” said Janell. “It requires a lot of organizational skills, especially for finding ice times at local rinks, which can be quite expensive.”
The Besas enlisted the help of other Marple Newtown residents including Bob Yocum, John Meehan, Joe Carafa, Kathy Miller and Lisa Fino. “We all first met in interested families’ homes,” said Larry, “and we all shared the same mission: To provide an unrivaled hockey experience to children in Marple Newtown.” Through competitive play, the club emphasizes sportsmanship, accountability, self-discipline and respect for others.
Current MN Ice Hockey Club President Matt DeNucci with his wife Kristen and their children Matthew and CeCe
Photo courtesy of Matt DeNucci
For the first few years, Larry ran the club and coached an 8th-grade team. As his children got older and began playing on the high school team, he wanted to pass the baton to younger families. In 2016, Matt DeNucci became President of the MN Ice Hockey Club (www. MNIHC.Club). Matt and his family had joined the club a year earlier, when his son, Matthew was in kindergarten. Matt’s 2nd grade daughter, CeCe, watched her brother play for a few months, became interested, and they’ve both been playing ever since.
As President, Matt is involved in everything from hiring coaches to overseeing all eight Board members. “Hockey is really a lifestyle,” said Matt. “It takes a lot of dedication and sacrifice on the part of both the players and their parents.”
The MN Ice Hockey Club offers co-ed teams for the elementary, middle and high school levels. They all practice at the PNY Sports Arena in West Chester. Each team gets only so much time on the ice.
The elementary school ice hockey team unveiling their new jerseys
Photo courtesy of Matt DeNucci
The Marple Newtown High School Ice Hockey team is open to all MNHS students. Since 2016, Collin Hannan has served as the MNHS Ice Hockey Club’s Advisor & Registrar. A social studies teacher at MNHS since 2003, Collin is also a hockey dad: His son Tyler is a freshman on the team and his younger son Lyam plays for the middle school team. “I’m always so proud of our players!” said Collin. “The high school team is a very young team. Despite some of the difficult odds they’ve faced, they always leave their games smiling and happy. And they’re proud to represent Marple Newtown High School.”
The Marple Newtown Ice Hockey Club Board
Photo courtesy of Matt DeNucci
Emma Besa, now a senior on the MN Ice Hockey team, recently committed to play Women’s Ice Hockey at King’s College. One of three girls on the MNHS team, Emma said she was drawn to the sport when her brother and dad were first playing hockey.
Studies have shown that hockey not only builds confidence and self-esteem, it also teaches discipline and teamwork. And kids who play hockey at a young age are more likely to continue to play that sport throughout their lives. The Marple Newtown Ice Hockey Club’s coaches and volunteers continue to encourage today's young athletes to be lifelong hockey enthusiasts!
