Our Skills Providers

Elev802 Boston is AHA’s on-ice skills provider. AHA is fortunate to have an exclusive partnership with Elev802 Boston because they challenge our players to achieve the highest level of performance on and off the ice. AHA players receive regular skills sessions included in their tuition at Elev802 Boston’s facility in Dundee Park in downtown Andover. The Elev802 Boston development model is built on the premise of game specific skills that are easily transferable from practice to game. AHA offers discounted supplemental skills sessions to all members at Elev802 Boston for those players seeking additional development opportunities.

Xcelerated Performance is AHA’s off-ice training partner and provides AHA youth travel and high school players with regular training sessions. XP is a performance and wellness company with over twenty years of proven results with its primary focus on the education and coaching of individuals in all aspects of performance development. XP sessions are now held at the same facility as Elev802 Boston in Dundee Park, downtown Andover. XP is led by Pat Gigante (KSI Coach, SSC, CPT). Pat has more than two decades of experience preparing athletes for elite competition in all sports at the collegiate and youth levels. With experience working with multiple professional athletes and top collegiate lacrosse, hockey, football, soccer, and baseball players, Pat has honed his ability to develop the entire athlete. Pat spent many years as the Strength & Conditioning Coach at Tufts University. XP staff members who will train with AHA athletes include Ben Piecz and Nicco Riparo.

Erika Hammar is the owner of Empower Hockey and AHA’s lead skating instructor. Erika has nearly thirty years of experience coaching ice skating. She is a USFS (US Figure Skating) and PSA (Professional Skating Association) member and Category A Level instructor. Erika competed internationally in synchronized skating where she won 3 national titles and 2 international bronze medals with the Lexington based team, The Haydenettes. Today Erika works with hockey players from youth hockey through college. She holds a BS in Nutrition and Food Science from Simmons College. Erika will focus our players on edgework to improve their skating agility, balance, control, and stability.

AHA’s goaltenders receive supplemental training and instruction at Mike Buckley’s GDS in North Andover. Mike Buckley is the goaltending coach for the Pittsburgh Penguins, where he has helped develop four Stanley Cup winning goaltenders. Mike has over a dozen professional clients, instructs over thirty college goaltenders and has helped produce several NHL draft picks and many NCAA Division I scholarship goaltenders. In addition, GDS staff member and former UMass Amherst goalie Steve Mastalerz serves on the AHA Board of Directors coordinating our goalie programming.

Scott Manty works with AHA's middle and high school aged students during the offseason. Scott has had a lifelong love of hockey, playing at Walpole High and Boston University before embarking on a lengthy coaching career which has included experience locally with Andover High, Central Catholic, and Phillips Academy. Scott's staff will include other local products with college and professional level hockey experience.

Finally, AHA's girls players get special on-ice skills training from Courtney Sheary and her team. Courtney played at Cushing Academy and UNH, and has been involved in coaching and skills development for over a decade, including coaching roles for the women's hockey programs at Dartmouth and Boston College.