News release
Academic excellence met athletic excellence recently as Academy of the Canyons Middle College High School joined forces with the Santa Clarita Lakers hockey team for a celebration of scholarship, sportsmanship and community pride, said a news release from Academy of the Canyons.
The collaboration began when Lakers Head Coach Pavel Sisak, Team Manager Jay Barbieri, team captain Grant Edwards and members of the organization visited AOC, located on the College of the Canyons campus, to recognize students for their outstanding academic achievements, the release said.
The Oct. 9 visit brought together two organizations with a shared commitment to developing young people through discipline, perseverance and the pursuit of excellence.
The Lakers, whose home rink is The Cube in Valencia, are a junior ice hockey team competing in the United States Premier Hockey League Premier Division. Junior hockey is a step beyond youth hockey, for players through age 20, many of whom aspire to move on to college or professional careers.
During a lively meet-and-greet, Lakers players answered AOC students’ questions about their athletic careers, personal interests and future aspirations. Students were especially fascinated to learn about the athletes’ academic pursuits, including one player’s discovery of two new species of sea slugs and another’s interest in becoming an astrophysicist, the release said.
For AOC students, whose educational experience emphasizes intellectual curiosity and college-level academic exploration, the conversations revealed an unexpected connection between the classroom and competitive hockey, said the release.
“At Academy of the Canyons, we believe excellence extends beyond the classroom,” Principal Juliet Fine said in the release. “Our students are pursuing ambitious academic goals, but they are also musicians, athletes, artists, scientists and community leaders. What impressed us most about the Lakers was their genuine interest in our students and their willingness to celebrate academic achievement.”
The celebration continued that evening at The Cube Ice and Entertainment Center in Valencia, where AOC students, families and staff gathered to cheer on the Lakers and celebrate an exciting victory, the release said.
Fine participated in the ceremonial puck drop, while AOC choir members Risakee Ambagahawatta, Candy Nossair, Diya Ravikumar, Chloe Pichereau and Melanie Bran Patalan represented the school during the weekend’s national anthem performances.
AOC hockey student-athletes were also recognized for their academic accomplishments and dedication to competitive athletics. COC board member Darlene Trevino joined the festivities.
For Academy of the Canyons, which does not field traditional school sports teams, the partnership offers an opportunity to build school spirit while supporting local athletes, the release said.
“Just because we don’t have traditional school sports doesn’t mean we don’t have extraordinary student-athletes or tremendous school spirit,” Fine said in the release. “Our students pursue their passions throughout the community, and now we have an incredible local hockey team to rally around. We are proud to be Santa Clarita Lakers fans.”
Under the ownership of Saul Salama, the Lakers provide young athletes with opportunities to develop their skills and pursue advancement in competitive hockey.
Sisak has coached many of these young men since adolescence starting in the local youth travel hockey club, the Santa Clarita Flyers.
“What I admire about Coach Sisak is that he has invested years in developing these young men,” Fine said in the release. “He runs an incredibly rigorous, organized and disciplined program, and you can see the results in the way his athletes carry themselves, compete and support one another. As an educator, I have tremendous respect for that level of commitment.”
“The Lakers have brought something really special to our community,” Fine added. “Jay, coach Sisak, Grant, Saul, and the entire organization were incredibly generous with their time. They didn’t simply invite us to a hockey game. They came to our school, spent time with our students and made them feel important. That speaks volumes about the character of this organization.”
Academy of the Canyons is a public middle college high school within the William S. Hart Union High School District, located on the campus of College of the Canyons. Prospective families are invited to register for upcoming information nights, scheduled Nov. 4 and 5, through the school’s website at www.academyofthecanyons.com. Attendance at an information meeting is a required step in the admissions process.
